What Accessories are Necessary With a Wii Console?

Sensor Bar

• The sensor bar, which is included with the Wii, connects to the back of the console and rests either on top of or below the television. The sensor bar registers the movements of the Wii remote, making it one of the more critical components of the Wii console.

Wii Remote

• The Wii comes packaged with one Wii remote, a slender, rectangle-shaped wireless controller. The base of the Wii remote has a strap with a clasp that the player loops onto his wrist to prevent the controller from flying out of his hand during game play. The wrist strap is recommended by Nintendo for every Wii game, so broken or misplaced straps should be replaced. Starting in 2007, Wii consoles and individually purchased Wii remotes shipped with a Wii remote jacket, a silicone sleeve that fits over the controller and helps the player maintain a grip. The Wii console supports up to four Wii remotes for some games, so additional controllers must be purchased to take advantage of this feature.

Nunchuk

• The teardrop-shaped Nunchuk plugs into the base of the Wii remote, and the player holds the Wii remote in one hand and the Nunchuk in the other. The Nunchuk features two buttons and a control stick, which is often used to operate the in-game camera or determine the direction the game character goes. The Nunchuk isn't needed for every Wii game, but some notable titles that do use it are "Super Mario Galaxy 2" and "Resident Evil 4."

Balance Board

• The Wii balance board was introduced with "Wii Fit" in 2008, but it's also a necessary accessory for games like "Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Dance Party" and entries from the "Dance Dance Revolution" series. The balance board, which resembles a bathroom scale and measures about 20 inches long by 12 inches wide, rests on the floor and registers the player's movements when she steps on or off it, presses down on it with her hands, or even sits on it. The balance board is packaged with four foot extensions, one for each corner, that keep the board level and prevent it from coming into contact with carpeting.

GameCube Controller and Classic Controller

• The Wii console is backward compatible, which means it can play game discs from the prior Nintendo console, the GameCube. However, GameCube games can't be operated with the Wii remote, and require either an original GameCube controller or a separately purchased Classic Controller. Also, some classic Nintendo games downloaded through the Wii Shop's Virtual Console can only be played with the Classic Controller.