Hobbies And Interests
History
When the Nintendo Wii was first released in 2006 it had a very strong launch-day lineup. Some of their first-day offerings included samurai shooter "Red Steel," a game based on "Avatar: The Last Airbender" as well as the critically acclaimed "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess." As the Wii grew into its first year in 2007, it received many poorly reviewed third-party titles, but sales and reviews of Nintendo-developed titles remained strong. Games like "Wario Ware: Smooth Moves" and "Super Paper Mario" were instrumental in demonstrating the Wii's capacity for quality titles. As the Wii evolved in 2008, a new class of game was introduced--shovelware--this type of game was intended to cash in on consumers who were not familiar with established gaming franchises and were produced with very low budgets and generally featured poor gameplay and sub-standard graphics. However, Nintendo-developed titles like "Super Mario Galaxy" and "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" continued to be commercial and critical successes. Titles like "WiiFit" also introduced the Wii as something other than your average video game console. Unfortunately, Wii games on the whole are still a mixed bag in terms of quality versus quantity.
Features
Most Wii games support some type of motion controlling mechanism, and many have extra peripheral. Titles like "Mario Kart" and "Wii Fit" each come with specialty peripherals, a Wii Wheel and WiiFit Balance Board that work in conjunction with the Wii to deliver an entirely new experience.
Considerations
Consider for whom you are buying. If you are purchasing a game for a longtime gamer, look for established franchises with familiar characters like "Metroid" and "Mario." If you are buying for a more casual or young artist, looks for games that encourage creativity like "Wii Music" or have the "Touch Generations" logo.
Misconceptions
Although the majority of Wii games are targeted toward a more casual audience, there are several high quality titles for regular gamers. Although the Wii doesn't have much in terms of hardcore shooters or adventure games, they have many "Mario" branded games which will appeal to longterm gamers.
Warning
As is the case with all other modern gaming consoles, modified Wiis do exist that can play copied games that can be downloaded from the Internet. Downloading games is illegal, and can result in malfunctioning hardware in addition to legal ramifications.