Official Wii/DS Q/A thread. FAQ in first post! Game reviews in second post!

[Callie]

We just bought 2 wiis and a wii fit. We also bought an extra remote.
We also bought an "essential starter kit, it runs $50, but we got it for like $35 with my discount. We also got a charging station for the remotes and for the balance board. Do we need all that stuff?

 

[disneyfan2]

Wii newbie here. I know I should get an extra wii-mote, but how necessary is the extra nunchuk? I know I need it for the boxing game with Wii Sports for 2 players, but I'm getting my girls Disney Princess and the "Order Up" game and I think that just uses the Wii-mote. Can I get by without another nunchuk for a while?

i will ask my DD, but they have this game and both play it. i think you need 2 Nunchuk for it. It really is a fun game, ask me how i know

 

[wvdislover]

We just bought 2 wiis and a wii fit. We also bought an extra remote.
We also bought an "essential starter kit, it runs $50, but we got it for like $35 with my discount. We also got a charging station for the remotes and for the balance board. Do we need all that stuff?

Don't know about the "starter kit," but you definitely need charging stations for all your Wii-motes. They eat batteries like crazy! We use all 4 of our Wii-motes a lot to play family games like Mario Super Party and Carnival Games.

 

[mdrob214]

If you don't want charging stations you can just use rechargeable batteries. That's what we use because we already had the charger and some batteries. I bought extra betteries sowe always have some charged, but it only takes 15 min to charge anyway.

I have noticed that some games that use the nunchucks have optional controls using just the wii mote. I still would say one nunchuck for every wii mote you have. (We have 4 sets so we could all play Mario & Sonic at the Olympics)

 

[harleyquinn]

A lot of the last few questions are answered in the FAQ in the first post, please read that before you post and feel free to post about anything, even clarifications of the FAQ, after that.

Every Christmas season we start getting the same questions over and over and so they are all in the FAQ.

Thanks everyone!! You're all the best!

 

[Laurabearz]

Also, is it fairly straight forward set up like I can open the box, hook up a cord and start playing? Or is it going to be more of a headache than that??? I'm hoping easy but would like to know if it's not going to be. We'll be opening gifts at home after either driving for two days or getting off a plane then driving to our house so it'll be between opening the gifts that night or making them wait until the next morning.

TIA for any helpful tips! Hopefully I'll have time to go back and read through this while DH's gone for two weeks...Santa won't be telling him about this present so I've got to do some secret research!

I would hook up the wifi, I have read people running into some problems with that part of the set up.

 

[The_Horned_King]

Thought I might be a little late posting this, but I guess not....

THE NINTENDO DSi

October 2, 2008 - Last night in Tokyo and this morning in San Francisco, Nintendo revealed the next handheld system from the company: an updated Nintendo DS called the DSi. This handheld, to be released next month in Japan, upgrades the current platform with a unit featuring a smaller footprint, larger screens, an SD card slot, built-in browser, and dual digital cameras.

Nintendo engineers shaved a few millimeters off to make the DSi slightly thinner, but it's a bit longer and wider: when closed, the DSi is 137.0mm wide by 74.9mm long, and 18.9 mm thick. The current DS Lite is 133.0 mm wide, 73.9mm long, and 21.5mm thick. With the DSi, you'll be getting a longer stylus: 92mm long vs. the DS Lite's stylus at 87.5mm.

While both the Nintendo DS Lite and the DSi systems share identical LCD technologies for their displays, the DSi screens are 3.25 inches diagonal, compared to the DS Lite's 3.0 inches. The DSi system will have five brightness settings where the DS Lite featured four.

The DSi will have its own unique AC adapter and will not share the same battery pack as the DS Lite handheld. But with all the extras the DSi offers, the battery life isn't quite up to the same standards as the DS Lite. At the lowest brightness setting, the DSi lasts 9 to 14 hours on a single charge depending on a variety of factors like Wi-Fi use. This doesn't quite meet the DS Lite's energy usage, at least according to Nintendo numbers where the current system lasts between 15 and 19 hours on a single charge. At the highest brightness, the usage of the DSi drops to 3 to 4 hours on a charge, compared to DS Lite at 5 to 8 hours.

According to the spec sheet, even though the DSi won't play Game Boy Advance games due to the lack of GBA slot, it will play games written specifically for the DSi as well as current DS games. It is unclear whether there will be exclusive DSi packaging for games that are made only with the DSi and its unique functions in mind.

The DSi will ship in Japan on November 1st 2008 for 18,900. Nintendo of America has only offered a "2009" release window for our territory.

INfo From ign.com

Looks like a slight step up but not a completely new handheld...so if your like me and held out buyign the Ds lite since you had the original Ds(though the wife harley has the lite) now will be the perfect time to slightly upgrade your ds!

 

[The_Horned_King]

A few Notes from Nintendo's Conferences held this past weekend....

-To address the lack of Wii system memory, Mr. Iwata announced that future Wii software can be downloaded directly to the SD memory card. Finally! It will also be possible to easily move software from SD card to the Wii system memory. Say good-bye to the weekly cleaning of the fridge, in other words. The only bad news? This long-anticipated option will not become available to Wii owners until spring 2009.

-Hardcore Wii fans should be thrilled to know that Nintendo did pull back the curtain on a number of major Wii releases scheduled for next year. Brace yourselves. Punch-Out!! and Sin & Punishment 2 were officially revealed for the console and shown in video form. Other Wii titles coming next year include Another Code R, Samurai Warriors 3, a new 'mothership' "Tales of" title, and more.


-IGN has learned that the recently-announced Wii version of Punch-Out!! is being developed by Next Level Games.

Next Level is best known for its work on Super Mario Strikers and Mario Strikers Charged, the GameCube and Wii soccer games featuring Nintendo's characters on the football pitch.

Punch-Out!! is being worked on for a release sometime in 2009. It is based upon the boxing series first released in the arcades, then followed-up by the popular Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! on the NES. The last Punch-out!! title was Super Punch-Out!! produced for the Super NES in 1994.

-Squre Enx announces Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Echoes of Time( A wii and Ds game theat players will able to play cross platform!....more details as I get 'em!

- A New version of WiiSki is on the way...with skiing and snowboarding...looks to expand on the first game ...ign has an article up for those interested.

 

[Newfie2000]

I'm hoping someone here will have an answer! I was just out looking at Wii games since we just added both a Wii and a Wii Fit to our collection - and I noticed a lot of people sem to enjoy Rayman Raving Rabbids so I was looking for it in the store. I did not realize that there was a one and a two - which one would you all advise - if you would advise either of them?

 

[Mean Queen]

I'm hoping someone here will have an answer! I was just out looking at Wii games since we just added both a Wii and a Wii Fit to our collection - and I noticed a lot of people sem to enjoy Rayman Raving Rabbids so I was looking for it in the store. I did not realize that there was a one and a two - which one would you all advise - if you would advise either of them?

I'd get the second. I haven't played the first, but I love the second one.

 

[The_Horned_King]

I'm hoping someone here will have an answer! I was just out looking at Wii games since we just added both a Wii and a Wii Fit to our collection - and I noticed a lot of people sem to enjoy Rayman Raving Rabbids so I was looking for it in the store. I did not realize that there was a one and a two - which one would you all advise - if you would advise either of them?

both are great games you can't go wrong with either...I'm willing to bet you'll find the original for cheaper(at least used)/. There os a thrid raving rabbids due out this x-mas ( I can't think of it's actual title..as they aren't calling it RRR3...but somethign else someone will be able to tell you.)

 

[wifey1220]

Hi everyone,
I am looking for wii games for my sons for xmas. Right now all we have is the wii sports. I would like games that are multiplayer. My boys are 4 and 7. They both have a ds lite and their favorite games are super mario and lego starwars. Do you have any recommendations for good 2 player games? We already have lego starwars, batman and indiana jones for the xbox. So I am looking for something different.

 

[Justin the Hook]

Hi everyone,
I am looking for wii games for my sons for xmas. Right now all we have is the wii sports. I would like games that are multiplayer. My boys are 4 and 7. They both have a ds lite and their favorite games are super mario and lego starwars. Do you have any recommendations for good 2 player games? We already have lego starwars, batman and indiana jones for the xbox. So I am looking for something different.

Multi-Player games I would really take a good look at EA Playground and Carnival Games. I am not sure how video game savy your 4 year old is, but he will most likely play Wii Sports Bowling for a while because is easy for a 4 year old to play. Even though they say the Wii is for everyone I know that when I got my Wii my daughter was 4 and she couldn't grasp the concept of anything but bowling. You also might want to try Cosmic Family for him it is designed for that age group. It is only one player but it is an easy one for the younger group to pick up and play. Also if your 4 year old just likes to play and isn't into the whole winning and loosing thing yet, Mario Kart Wii is a must and they can play with the Wii Wheel. You'd have to buy another wheel, but that isn't a great big deal because the you can get an aftermarket one for 5 bucks. Hope that helps.

 

[Justin the Hook]

both are great games you can't go wrong with either...I'm willing to bet you'll find the original for cheaper(at least used)/. There os a thrid raving rabbids due out this x-mas ( I can't think of it's actual title..as they aren't calling it RRR3...but somethign else someone will be able to tell you.)

It is called Rabbids TV, it has the ability to use the Balance Board. It looks very fun too.

 

[The_Horned_King]

It is called Rabbids TV, it has the ability to use the Balance Board. It looks very fun too.

Thanks JTH...I was a little too lazy and pre-occupied with other things to look it up.

Curious is a fellow long time Nintendo fan is as excited about Punch Out as I am!

 

[Justin the Hook]

Thanks JTH...I was a little too lazy and pre-occupied with other things to look it up.

Curious is a fellow long time Nintendo fan is as excited about Punch Out as I am!

I am ready to get Little Mac back in the ring. I downloaded Punch Out the day it came out on the VC. I am really more excited about the possibilty to play VC games straight from the SD card slot. I don't have a storage issue yet, but it seems to me that the better the games get the more storage problems I could have. My daughter asked for Guitar Hero World Tour for Christmas already and you can download songs to the Wii and I know that will eat up some space on the hard drive.

 

[Joey04]

Can anyone recommend any DS games for a 4yo girl?

Our daughter loves pictochat, but it might be nice to get her a real game.

She is into Disney Princess, and just about everything geared toward young girls.

Thanks!

Joey

 

[Justin the Hook]

Can anyone recommend any DS games for a 4yo girl?

Our daughter loves pictochat, but it might be nice to get her a real game.

She is into Disney Princess, and just about everything geared toward young girls.

Thanks!

Joey

Crayola Treasure Adventures
Smart Girls Playhouse
Build a Bear WorkShop

All 3 games have no reading.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Can anyone recommend any DS games for a 4yo girl?

Our daughter loves pictochat, but it might be nice to get her a real game.

She is into Disney Princess, and just about everything geared toward young girls.

Thanks!

Joey

My 4yo is a boy, but he likes Mario Kart and Super Mario 64 DS. HTH.

 

[Joey04]

Thanks Justin and msbornkuntry,

Any more endorsements or suggestions for DS games for a 4yo girl? We will probably get her one game to start, maybe 2.

Thanks!

Joey