Wii Buyer's Guide

With the Wii now increasingly easy to get hold of, you may be wondering which games and accessories you'll want to spend your hard-earned cash on. This guide contains a few suggestions to help you on your way...

The Essentials

First up, of course is the Wii console itself. In the UK and US, the Wii comes bundled with a Wii controller (or "Wiimote") and nunchuk, a copy of the Wii Sports game and an AV cable for connecting the console to your TV.

The box also contains a sensor bar for detecting controller movements, an optional stand for the console, a power supply and a "start up disc" used to configure your Wii for its first use.

So, while the Wii box contains a single controller and nunchuk, you'll need to purchase an additional controller and an additional nunchuk if you want to take advantage of the Wii's great multiplayer games (including the bundled Wii Sports game!).

Additional controllers are available for around £29, but for just a few pounds more you can purchase a copy of Wii Play – a collection of party games designed specifically for the Wii remote – which includes a controller in the package. An additional nunchuk is available for around £14 or less.

Optional Extras

The Wii comes bundled with a standard AV cable for connecting the console to your television. However, if your TV has a SCART socket – or better yet, component inputs – you should consider buying either an RGB SCART Cable or Component Video Cable for optimum picture quality on an HD TV. Either option will cost you around £14.99.

As you probably know, the Wii comes equipped with a built-in Virtual Console, for which you can download classic Nintendo and Sega games, amongst others. These downloaded games must be stored somewhere, and the Wii comes equipped with 512MB of internal flash memory for this purpose. However, if you find that this is insufficient, the Wii also supports SD cards (like those used in digital cameras), enabling you to expand your storage capacity.

For the most part, Virtual Console games – which were developed for more conventional controllers than that designed for the Wii – can be played using a Gamecube controller (the wireless Wavebird controllers are also supported). However, if you don't own a Gamecube, Nintendo have created a Classic Controller (available for around £11.99) that will enable you to play all of the downloadable NES, Super Nintendo, N64 and Sega Megadrive* games.

Virtual Console games are paid for using Wii Points, which can be purchased using a credit card via the Wii's internet service. Alternatively, if you don't want to use your credit card you can purchase a Wii Points card with 2000 points already loaded onto it.

As a rough guide, NES games are available for 500 points, Super NES games for 800 points and N64 games for 1000. Sega Megadrive games are priced at 800 points, and Turbografx games at 600.

The Games

There's a great line-up of games available for the Wii now, with a range of interesting first-party (Nintendo) and third-party offerings. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

The third instalment in Nintendo’s popular Super Smash Bros. fighter franchise debuts on the Wii in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Loaded with all the characters and features players have loved from the two previous versions, plus much more, it is a worthy addition to the series and yet another must-have title for the Nintendo Wii.

Available for the first time on a Nintendo platform, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock continues to build on Guitar Hero's successful easy to play, but difficult to master gameplay mechanic to take the franchise to a whole new level. With master tracks from legendary bands like Sex Pistols, Guns N Roses, Rolling Stones, Metallica, and Pearl Jam, along with original music composed specifically for the game by iconic guitarists Slash and Tom Morello, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock sports the greatest soundtrack to ever find its way into a videogame.

The Wii Wheel transforms the Wii Remote; controller into a steering wheel that feels natural in anyone's hands, while the Wii Remote and Nunchuk; controller offer a classic control style for the Mario Kart veteran. In either configuration, players can perform speed-boosting tricks with a shake of the Wii Remote.

Players can race as their favourite Nintendo character, or even as themselves! Mario Kart Wii lets players race with their personalized Mii; characters. And racers will see other Mii characters they have created cheering from the sidelines on some race courses.

Players can compete with up to three friends in their living room. Or challenge up to 11 opponents via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in the biggest Mario Kart race yet. All tracks and modes of play are available via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, and players can visit the Mario Kart Channel to compete in tournaments, check rankings, see when their friends are playing and download ghost data.

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