wii, wii fit, wii fit plus I need help.

[Wendy]

Looking into Christmas ideas for the kids and thought maybe I would go with a Wii. I do not really like the idea of a lot of video games but I have heard the Wii fit keeps the kids somewhat active. I am thinking about the long cold winter and another upcoming surgery for myself and ways to keep them entertained during the days it is just too cold to go outside. The idea of more toys makes me cringe. I am hoping this may turn out to be an option.

I am not sure what product I need. I know I want the Wii that makes them get off their butts. Do all Wii game systems require you to move?? I have looked on Ebay and Woot for deals but I am not really sure what I need other than a lot of controllers.

 

[SpyvSpy]

Yea most wii games require you to move. IMO I wouldn't expect your kids to like wii fit a whole lot. (really works you out, fun but not really).

 

[Trendkill]

The Wii is a great investment, but as Spy mentioned, Wii Fit would not be as much fun. There are a lot of games out there such as Wii Sports Resort that should keep your kids active. By the way, video games are excellent for stimulating kids minds.

 

[Argonaut]

The Wii is a good system for kids, the games require them to get off their butts and the majority of the violent and questionable morale type games aren't available for the Wii. Don't waste your money on the Wii fit unless you want it for youself. The kids will think it's fun for about 30 minutes.

 

[Randy Watson]

If you're just looking to keep them entertained, you may want to try "Mario Kart" or Guitar Hero (Rock Band). All of these games are equally addictive and allow for plenty of hours of play time.

 

[Trendkill]

If you're just looking to keep them entertained, you may want to try "Mario Kart" or Guitar Hero (Rock Band). All of these games are equally addictive and allow for plenty of hours of play time.

One of the best games ever!

 

[big1096]

Where the Wii Fit may not be the most fun for your kids, they are starting to come out with more games that integrate the Wii Balance Board. My 8 year old likes the mini games that make up Wii Fit, but he usually moves on to other games fairly quickly.

 

[Echo]

Hey, I actually work in the video game industry so I'd like to think I have useful insight for you I'll try to answer all your questions first and then give some advice at the end

I am not sure what product I need. I know I want the Wii that makes them get off their butts. Do all Wii game systems require you to move??

No. Although the Wii System is based on motion technology, not all games will require the player to be physically active. In fact, most games are typically played sitting down with arm based gestures (such as flicking and swinging). However, there are a good amount of games that will require a player to actually stand up and move.

I have looked on Ebay and Woot for deals but I am not really sure what I need other than a lot of controllers.

The Wii comes with one remote and one nunchuck. Depending on how many children you have and how many people that you want to be playing at a time (up to four total), you will need to buy the corresponding amount of Wii Remotes (priced $40 each). Not all games require a nunchuck, but for those that do you will have to buy them ($20 each) for every Remote you have. The Wii System also comes with "Wii Sports". It's a basic game package that consists of baseball, bowling, golf, boxing, and tennis. It's a great game and definitely one that the whole family can play.

You will not find the Nintendo Wii on Woot. It's not the kind of item that would appear on the site. Because Wii's are so readily available right now, I would recommend you skip eBay because you might get stuck in a bidding war and paying too much. The best place to order a Wii would be Amazon for $199 and ships free with no tax. However, I would pay attention to local adverts as sometimes they offer an additional game or a $15 gift card when you buy the system (Amazon was doing this a while back but I think they stopped).

I do not really like the idea of a lot of video games but I have heard the Wii fit keeps the kids somewhat active.

Please note that the Wii Fit is a game that utilizes the Wii Balance Board for the Nintendo Wii System. You would have to purchase the Nintendo Wii System first and then Wii Fit w/balance board bundle($94 on Amazon). The two terms should not be used interchangeably.


Now here comes my feedback.

Contrary to what people posted, I believe Wii Fit could be pretty fun for your kids. To give some context, Wii Fit is not an actualy game perse. There are some minigames in it, but most of the activities revolve around phyiscal exercise and when compared to something like Guitar Hero... it doesn't particularly shine. HOWEVER, what I find is that kids generally like playing on Wii Fit depending on how much their family is involved in the game. The game is great at encouraging friendly competitions between family members. I've seen children compete against their parents on who can do the most pushups or hula hoop the most. If you play this game with your kids, I think it would be fun and beneficial for all. By the way, the Wii makes a good rehab tool for surgery as well

There are a lot of games out there such as Wii Sports Resort that should keep your kids active. By the way, video games are excellent for stimulating kids minds.

+1 Wii Sports Resort is another game that requires active movement. The game comes with a special adapter called "Wii Motion Plus" that maps motion near 1:1. This basically means that whatever you are doing with the remote, your character will do in the game. This is especially fun in the sword fighting game mini game (think American Gladiators) and it is definitely the highlight of the package. Wii Sports Resort is $50 and comes with one Wii Motion Plus. In order to get the most out of the game, you will have to purchase another adapter for another $20. However, there is a limited Edition bundle that is $60 that comes with two adapters. Hurrah!

If you're just looking to keep them entertained, you may want to try "Mario Kart" or Guitar Hero (Rock Band). All of these games are equally addictive and allow for plenty of hours of play time.

While Mario Kart and Guitar Hero/Rock Band are great options, they do not actively encourage your kid to get up and move, which seems what you are looking for. The best way for anyone to play Mario Kart is to use a controller and Guitar Hero/Rock Band will have you stand there without encouraging much physical activity. In addition, depending on your personality you might soon become annoyed with your children playing on plastic instruments. I personally love Rock Band, but I would also encourage children to learn a real instrument too.

Here are some good game recommendations that also encourage physical activitity:

WarioWare Smooth Moves: This game is mainly composed of a bunch of minigames but it will have you jump from one to another with little warning. It's pretty hard to describe, but it will have your kids actively doing different activities and it's a pretty goofy game to watch people play. Highly recommended. (not sold in stores anymore though )

Rayman Raving Rabbids (1,2, or TV Party): Another fun party game made up of mini games. The game is definitely hilarious and has these great bunny characters. Involves a lot of physical motion and great for the family. The TV Party version of the game also utilizes the Wii Balance Board (not included). ($50 per version)

Shaun White Snowboarding World Tour: This game comes out next week and is sure to be fun. It's a snowboarding game but instead of playing it with a controller, you have to stand on the Wii Balance board and actually use your body to steer and do tricks. It's definitely a lot of fun and great because you could learn how to play it do since it's not overly complicated. (Wii Board not included with game). ($50)

Just Dance: Another game by Ubisoft that is set to release soon. It basically has people following on screen dance moves and dancing to pop hits like Eye of the Tiger and Little Less Conversation. It's definitely great when you get a bunch of people together and all play at once! ($50)

Wii Play: Another mini game based game. However, the game doesn't really encourage much physical activity. BUT, you do get a free Wii Mote with the game. ($50)

Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics: Yet another minigame based game, but stars Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. The player has to perform a lot of physical based activities based on events from the Winter Olympics. ($40)


In the end, I would recommend you purchase the following as the base:
Wii Video Game System ($200)
Wii Play ($50)

This will get you two remotes and two games that are fairly entertaining.

If you would like to try Wii Fit, I would recommend you add on this:
Wii Fit Plus ($90)

This will give you the latest version of Wii Fit and the Nintendo Balance Board.

If you would like to splurge on your kids, then throw in this:
Wii Sports Resort Limited Edition
Shaun White Snowboarding World Tour

Wii Sports Resort will give you the two Wii Motion Plus accessories (you can use them in Wii Fit). Shaun White is something different since everything else is kind of mini game based.


If you have any other questions about the Wii, other games that might be good that do not necessarily have a lot of physical activity to them, or video gaming in general. Please let me know, I'll check back here later.

 

[jonwings]

The Wii is great. Really Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort are two of the best games you can get. The only other game I can really recommend is Boom Blox. It is basically a really fun puzzle game, but you can have up to 4 player playing against each other at the same time.

 

[Mycon]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned this yet, but Dance Dance Revolution is another option. You still have to buy some peripherals, but it is a KILLER workout while being fun at the same time.

 

[Wendy]

Our local Aldi had an ad for Wii for 199.00 and Costco has tha balance board for 80$ so will I just need more remotes and a charging station? Woot did had 2 remotes and a charging station for $20 a couple of days ago.

 

[Echo]

Our local Aldi had an ad for Wii for 199.00 and Costco has tha balance board for 80$ so will I just need more remotes and a charging station? Woot did had 2 remotes and a charging station for $20 a couple of days ago.

Ah, I meant they will probably never have the game console system. If you got a Wii and the Wii balance board (assuming it comes with Wii Fit), then you're good to go. Depending on how may people you think will play the wii at the same time, you can buy however many extra remotes. Remember that there is a maximum of four people playing at a time and some games can only support two. A charging station is definitely useful if you don't want to keep buying batteries. Costco should sell the Nyko one, which is fairly recommended.

 

[Wendy]

Woot does offer a bundle for $399 but it seems like overkill. I just do not want to buy all separately but I do not want a lot of extra junk laying around either.

 

[Echo]

Amazon is having a deal again. Buy a Nintendo Wii and the Wii Fit Plus w/Balance Board, get a free $50 Amazon gift card:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.ht...rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=499854991&pf_rd_i=B0009VXBAQ

 

[bluefoxicy]

Looking into Christmas ideas for the kids and thought maybe I would go with a Wii. I do not really like the idea of a lot of video games but I have heard the Wii fit keeps the kids somewhat active. I am thinking about the long cold winter and another upcoming surgery for myself and ways to keep them entertained during the days it is just too cold to go outside. The idea of more toys makes me cringe. I am hoping this may turn out to be an option.

I am not sure what product I need. I know I want the Wii that makes them get off their butts. Do all Wii game systems require you to move?? I have looked on Ebay and Woot for deals but I am not really sure what I need other than a lot of controllers.

Don't worry too much about video games destroying your kids. Most likely if that's happening, you're doing something wrong; tell them to get off the damn thing. Or better, engage them in something else; if they seem to like Rockband, get them real instruments, then they can get real friends and a real band. Spending hours a day wasting away in front of the TV isn't really a problem when you spend more abundant hours in a day (or other days) outside or indoors with friends.

That being said, motion control is a big thing for the Wii. Punch-Out!!! actually lets you use the balance board for ducking and dodging (it kinda sucks, I tend to use the control stick instead), and also can exhaust you throwing all those punches. Other games can be handled sitting on the couch flicking your wrist, like Twilight Princess (which is an amazing game btw, I recommend that one).

Games contain a lot of elements. Things like Tales of Symphonia (first is for GC, second is for Wii, but Wii plays GC games) or Star Ocean (PS2) you'll mainly sit on the couch for 80 hours playing; but they tell a story, a very in-depth story. Legend of Zelda and the Metroid series tell a story as well, in less depth; they engage you in a lot of problem solving and exploring though (you actually have to play through to get it; it looks very mechanical and pointless if you're just watching). Some cheap things like Mario Party games or Super Smash Bros. don't have any real content to them, but they're designed to get multiple people together socially.

I'm not much of a fan of shovelware games (garbage from the $10 bin, or expensive $50 stuff even) that only supply some mind-numbing crap task for you to perform for a few hours, mainly to keep the kids busy doing nothing. I'm also not a fan of things like Grand Theft Auto; violent games I like, as not every story is happy and bright, but some games seem to just be... garbage. The free-roam, pick up hookers and shoot cops thing just... ***? It's a game thugs play. It's not going to turn your kid into a thug, it's going to interest him if he wants to BE a gangster; and then it'll encourage him. At this point, you need to look beyond the video games and see what exactly your kid's been doing with his friends... and also, take THAT game away from him.

Anyway, lots of good info from others too. I recommend buying a Wii, and a Wii Fit Plus with balance board. I've been incorporating the WF+ into my daily routine, just to keep a little active; as for your kids, they'll probably play balance games or something a lot, and then get bored of it. I mix that stuff into my routine to keep my routine amusing, but it'd quickly get boring if I did rhythm boxing all the time. Now, Punch-Out!! might keep their attention for a while, plus it has 2-player mode....

As for the less active games, don't knock it too much. There's benefits to playing video games. Mario Kart is one of those things that's more fun to play with 3 friends than by yourself; when your kids have a social life, they have friends, they might actually leave the house to go hang out with their friends. Take it from me, I locked myself up alone all the time until recently; growing up with stuff that brings a bunch of people around is better.

At the same time, solitary play games aren't so bad; time alone is important (not on the level I've taken it to), and a lot of these games can be rather introspective, especially the action/adventure ones like Metroid and Zelda that require you to think your way through problems and search for ways to continue on. It's true that your kid might sit down with an 80-hours-of-play game and actually spend 80 hours finishing it, meaning he stops talking to his friends and going outside for like... a week. Fine, whatever. When he's done, he moves on; if he goes to get more games and locks himself in the basement FOREVER (hi), that's a problem.

Just for God's sake, keep them away from World of Warcraft and FF11.

 

[Wendy]

Okay I have bought the wii fit plus and some games now I just need the console. Just waiting on a good black Friday sale.

 

[SilentTuba]

Okay I have bought the wii fit plus and some games now I just need the console. Just waiting on a good black Friday sale.

Unfortunately, this is probably the kind of thing you won't really see on sale cheap for Black Friday. Video game console prices are pretty much fixed. The Wii sells for $199, and likely will on Black Friday, also.

 

[Wendy]

I thought that may be the case looking at the ads but wishful thinking never hurts : ) I think Nintendo regulates the cost of their product.

 

[bluefoxicy]

I thought that may be the case looking at the ads but wishful thinking never hurts : ) I think Nintendo regulates the cost of their product.

The Wii is $199.99; the retailers get it for that final cost.

Wii games go for maybe $40, and hit the shelves at $49.99.

Wii controllers go for maybe $10, and hit the shelves for $25.

Other accessories show up for $1-$15 and sell for $15-$40.

Nintendo actually profits off their console, while the other companies make a loss; however, they have no value to a retailer as a product, and the only reason to sell a console that actually costs them a bit for shipping is to get customers in the store to buy high-markup accessories. The companies themselves advertise the price, and the retailers can't raise the price to add a profit margin because even naive customers will decide it's higher than they've seen elsewhere (on tv!) and go elsewhere.

 

[Wendy]

I guess the accessories for $10 is a fair deal then?