The Wii--like all of Nintendo's previous consoles before it--is worth owning especially alongside a PS3 or an Xbox 360.
Nintendo's Wii is an interesting console although like most of the others before it, it is underpowered compared to the other two consoles currently for sale. For some reason, Nintendo thought it was best to go with a very similar graphics engine as the GameCube which was definitely last generation's console. Not a good idea if you ask me. However, it doesn't make this offering a lost cause. Once you set things up, you find out you can hook this bad boy up to the internet. You can access online features just like you would on a computer through the myriad channels Nintendo provides--this one in particular--titled The Internet Channel. Other channels you can use are the News and Weather channels (which keep you updated on their respective themes), the Nintendo channel that let's you watch different video clips specified to either give you information on games or show you specific tutorials on how to beat certain parts of a video game or to find something that's well hidden, etc. or the Wii Shop Channel which lets you buy games specifically for the Wii's system called Wiiware or other classics for the Virtual Console. The Wii is also backwards compatible with ALL GameCube discs so that should be an added facet that pleases fans.
Another thing from the get go that makes this console intriguing is its controller. Playing a game like Wii Sports for the first time could damn near well be enlightening. At best, the games are fun and super intuitive. My favorites are Tennis and Boxing. You see the Wii uses motion controls that are picked up by a sensor bar. Some have called them "gimmicky" which to an extent, I can agree but for many games out there they really, really work. And they work well.
Lastly, I'd like to touch on the games. The Wii has a bunch of first party games and some third party games as well. I still haven't experienced nearly enough of them to my liking, but maybe I'll get there one day since the next system is backwards compatible (Thank God. Nintendo, never stop doing this for your systems! I don't know why Sony doesn't make all of their systems backwards compatible. It just makes more sense and is more convenient for us all!). OK. Rant over.
Some of the really good first party titles are as follows: Super Mario Galaxy, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii and New Super Mario Bros. (Sorry. That's pretty much all I played that I was impressed with). Other titles I hear are great fun are Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Little King's Story, Sonic: Sega All Star Racing, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Punchout, Metal Gear Slug Anthology and Donkey Kong Country: Returns.
I happen to appreciate the system because it dared to be different in some way. I wasn't super crazy about motion controls at first, but I got the hang of them eventually. It also has a web browser, a shop for new and old games alike and various other things to take up some of your time. I must say although I don't play it as much as I would like to, I do love my red Wii. ^_^
Final score ------> 8/10
written solely by darksongbird