I picked up the Wii this afternoon, along with an extra controller (Wii Remote and Nunchuk) as well as a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Rayman Raving Rabbids.

Initial set-up was straight forward. There are 3 cables to connect, one for power, one for the sensor bar that allows the motion sensing capabilities of the controllers to work, and finally an AV cable which consists of composite video and L-R audio. I plugged the AV cabled into my Yamaha 2600 receiver which upconverts the signal and outputs it to my Hitachi 42" plasma via HDMI. The controllers come with batteries so there is really nothing more you need to get playing immediately other than a TV of course. You are walked through a couple of menus where you get to set the deafult language, display aspect ratio as well as the country location and current time and dates. Selections are made by pointing at the screen with the Wii Remote and clicking with the "A" button where necessary which is quite an accurate and responsive interface. Actually entering text by pointing and clicking at the virtual keyboard is faster than entering text using the 360 controller I found.

The picture via composite was a bit better than I was expecting although text was a tad blurry and I could see some crawling ants around menu boxes etc. But overall the image was bright and colourful and reasonably well defined. The component cable, sold separately but not yet available in Perth, should clean up this slight blurriness and some of the other image flaws or so I'm hoping. And lets face it this console is never going to be able to compete graphically with the HD capable 360 and PS3. The Wii's trump card is meant to be innovative gameplay and controls but more on that in a minute. Unfortunately the Wii does not support Dolby Digital 5.1 so the best you can hope for is Dolby Pro Logic II. However the audio was quite crisp I thought with good stereo separation. I should also mention that the console is much quieter than the Xbox 360 as it should be with a lower hardware spec. You can hear a very slight fan noise when the unit is powered on but it you really have to listen for it. It's about the same level as the Toshiba HD-DVD players perhaps a bit quieter. The disc drive is nowhere as noisy as the 360's either in the couple of discs I have sampled thus far. You can sometimes hear it loading game levels but it's really not that bad. I certainly didn't notice it at all whilst in the thick of game action.

Configuring the Wii to join my home network was a fairly easy affair. Using the Wii's inbuilt Wi-Fi connectivity I was able to pick up my network just fine. I selected WPA wireless encryption and entered the relevant WPA password. Note the Wii also supports WEP wireless encryption for all you n00bs still using that form of wireless security or of course no security at all. Now part of my network the Wii then automatically connected to the internet and downloaded and installed a couple of updates. That took around 5 minutes to complete. Next up was to create a "Mii" or a cartoon persona of myself. This forms your virtual character in certain games like Wii Sports. I also created some Miis based on some of my friends and family for use later down the road.

Now that's all done it was time to play some games. So I popped in Wii Sports which comes bundled with every console. This consists of 5 games, baseball, 10 pin bowling, boxing, golf and tennis. The Wii remote is incredibly responsive. Playing tennis you can control the speed, direction and even spin on the ball with corresponding hand, wrist and arm movements. Being a tennis player in the real world I found it very natural and easy, perhaps a bit too easy. On the otherhand I found baseball more of a challenge. It was somwehat difficult to hit the ball any distance but that was probably just my own piss poor timing and lack of practice. Golf was probably my favourite of the five. You can control the power of the swing, change club types and alter the direction of puts to take account of the slope of the greens. I'm no golfer but it's a heck of a lot more fun than Birdie Try I use to play in the arcades in my teens. Bowling is a lot of fun too especially when you nail those strikes. Although the graphics are incredibly simplistic it doesn't seem to matter too much. The combination of mind and body in these games is very compelling indeed.

I will try out Rayman Raving Rabbids tomorrow. I might also sample a bit of Zelda although I don't really want to play that one seriously until the component cables show up, hopefully next week. I also will have a look at the "channels" feature of the Wii in more depth and see what I can do connecting up my DS Lite to it. But the console has impressed me so far in the first few hours I've had with it. It's definitely going to be a lot of fun to play with friends and family who may not possess the typical gamer mindset and experience.

Sounds great! Thanks for the review...

Thanks for the review - I'm picking mine up tomorrow, also with Zelda and Rayman on pre-order

You mentioned Wii supports WPA - do you know if WPA2 pre-shared key (AES) is supported at all ?

Thanks for the review - I'm picking mine up tomorrow, also with Zelda and Rayman on pre-order

You mentioned Wii supports WPA - do you know if WPA2 pre-shared key (AES) is supported at all ?

Yes absolutely consoleMan. The four options you have are WEP, WPA-PSK (TKIP), WPA-PSK (AES) and WPA2-PSK (AES) so you're in luck!

Yes absolutely consoleMan. The four options you have are WEP, WPA-PSK (TKIP), WPA-PSK (AES) and WPA2-PSK (AES) so you're in luck!

Ahh, that's brilliant ! Thanks

Thanks for the review, very comprehensive. Love your work. Seems like it is better than I expected to to be...

Having said that, I didn't have very high hopes, nice to be surprised though.

Thanks for the review Felix, I put my PS2 on eBay the other day in anticipation of buying a Wii - I plan to buy Zelda, Call of Duty 3 and a couple of others. Im really looking forward to actually being able to play FPS games on a console properly for the first time (I hate traditional console controllers for FPS).

I picked up the Wii this afternoon ...

Initial set-up was straight forward ...

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... Now that's all done it was time to play some games ...

Not quite like the old Atari then, huh?

Actually, for someone with a complete aversion to gaming, you've got even me curious. Hmm, how many pairs of shoes and handbags is this gonna cost me?

Actually, for someone with a complete aversion to gaming, you've got even me curious. Hmm, how many pairs of shoes and handbags is this gonna cost me?

A lot! Or maybe even something MORE substantial.

A lot! Or maybe even something MORE substantial.

Hmm. It will probably take me 9 months to save up anyway...

Hmm. It will probably take me 9 months to save up anyway...

Who knows maybe she may even like playing the Wii and will be eternally grateful for the sage decision. Ok perhaps I'm going a bit too far there.

Hmm. It will probably take me 9 months to save up anyway...

You can always slide your plastic ..

Anyone else pick one up today? Please feel free to post your impressions/opinions too. Would luv to hear them.

I went hunting for a component cable today and came up short as expected. Tried DSE, Target, EB, JB, Myers and Gametraders all with no cigar. One of the store reps at JB told me that one guy came in and bought up around $12K of Wii gear first thing this morning. I don't know if that story is true but all the racks marked "Wii Accessories" were completely cleaned out by time I got there at 10:30AM.

Although you can make your own Wii component cable it's quite a fiddly process if you ask me and I can't really be arsed when the alternative is to wait a week. But here is a walkthrough for those who can't wait and have MacGyver like cable making skills. It looks like a janky solution to me but many are reporting excellent results over at AVS stating a noticeable improvement over composite.

http://www.tdficq.com/wii_component_cable

I bought a Wii this morning. Before continuing, I should point out that I have never and will probably never play a game (any sort) on any sort of console or PC. I bought the Wii mainly for my 16 yo son as a trade off because my wife and I are going to Melbourne for a few days for our anniversary and leaving him to look after the house and myriad of pets. Quite simply, it's a buy-off.

We went to EB Games earlier in the week and asked about pre-ordering. They said they were getting 57 in and all of them had been pre-ordered. If we gave them $50, we'd be first on the list for any cancellations. We then went to K-Mart and asked if we could pre-order one. They said sure, just fill in this form. Nothing to pay.

So this morning we arrive at K-Mart at 7:50, 10 minutes before opening time and wait. A crowd of 20 or so people were also waiting. As the door opened, there was this mad rush into the store (never seen anything like it). Old ladies can be so brutal. This one woman with two little kids was running through K-Mart literally blocking my son from getting past. He sidestepped her rugby league style, said "I'm faster" and took off to the counter. When I arrived at the counter, he was the only one standing there. It seems everyone else was after some other bargain. So we grabbed a Wii and cancelled the pre-order (it seems we were guaranteed one anyway). We then asked if they had Need For Speed but were told not until next week. So my son grabbed Red Steel instead. Being overly prepared, I pulled out the Myer toy catalogue and said that game is only $79 in this catalogue, so the girl pulled out her calculator and beat the price. So we left with a Wii for $388, an $89 game for $78 and $466 worth of Fly-Buys points.

I have to agree with the original post, the Wii is easy to set up and looks surprisingly good. It's certainly taking a little while to get the hang of the concept, but it works brilliantly. I have to say that I have never seen my sons work up a sweat playing video games before (the boxing wore them out). My first impressions are that Nintendo are on a winner here.

I was hoping to have a little looksy at this great looking console today so headed off into the city (canberra) on my lunch break. Everywhere was sold out - EB, JB, Big W, Target, Myer and David Jones.

Move over Sony, looks like the Big N is back!

So this morning we arrive at K-Mart at 7:50, 10 minutes before opening time and wait. A crowd of 20 or so people were also waiting. As the door opened, there was this mad rush into the store (never seen anything like it). Old ladies can be so brutal. This one woman with two little kids was running through K-Mart literally blocking my son from getting past. He sidestepped her rugby league style, said "I'm faster" and took off to the counter. When I arrived at the counter, he was the only one standing there. It seems everyone else was after some other bargain. So we grabbed a Wii and cancelled the pre-order (it seems we were guaranteed one anyway).

Cool, the closest thing I've heard to the PS3 riots in the States yet! There's nothing quite like a bit of shopper's frenzy to get the blood pumping early on a Thursday morning I bet. But I'm glad you were able to come out on top in the quest for a Wii, even if it was guaranteed. I'd be interested to hear how Red Steel plays on the Wii. The sword fights look fun.

Cool, the closest thing I've heard to the PS3 riots in the States yet! There's nothing quite like a bit of shopper's frenzy to get the blood pumping early on a Thursday morning I bet. But I'm glad you were able to come out on top in the quest for a Wii, even if it was guaranteed. I'd be interested to hear how Red Steel plays on the Wii. The sword fights look fun.

My son was having trouble aiming the gun. Not sure if he's tried the sword. I suspect, based on watching them with tennis, golf and boxing, that the sword would be fairly easy to master. I think he was having trouble with the gun because he was sitting down and the remote sensor bar was on top of the tv, so the remote was at a fairly steep angle. He tried moving it to the bottom of the screen but that was worse (probably because he didn't change the setting to tell it he had moved it) I guess its like anything, it just takes some time to adapt. All in all, I'd say the Wii certainly does what it's supposed to and does so very well indeed.

They have the component cables at JB chadstone if anyone is looking had about 10 when I was in there today

I was putting off picking up my pre-order until I found component cables, but I was near a Big W today and thought I'd have a look to see what they had on a whim, and lo and behold they had one pack on the shelf. I also saw more at a JB as well, so much for the delay! I picked up my console as well as a few other bits and pieces. There is definitely a HUGE difference between composite and component on my 42" Teac LCD. Haven't touched Zelda yet, only played Wii Sport Boxing for a few minutes and was stuffed, it takes a bit out of you! here's a pic of my haul. I got GT Pro with the steering wheel free as part of Toys R Us' pre-order deal

http://img312.imageshack.us/img312/832/dscf3805gp1.jpg

I was putting off picking up my pre-order until I found component cables, but I was near a Big W today and thought I'd have a look to see what they had on a whim, and lo and behold they had one pack on the shelf. I also saw more at a JB as well, so much for the delay! I picked up my console as well as a few other bits and pieces. There is definitely a HUGE difference between composite and component on my 42" Teac LCD. Haven't touched Zelda yet, only played Wii Sport Boxing for a few minutes and was stuffed, it takes a bit out of you! here's a pic of my haul. I got GT Pro with the steering wheel free as part of Toys R Us' pre-order deal

http://img312.imageshack.us/img312/832/dscf3805gp1.jpg

Which State are you in strange one? It must just be Perth with the cable delays then. I'm pleased to hear that you notice a substantial improvement viewing the Wii over component on your Teac LCD.

I'm in Melbourne.

While the improvement with component is great, it still looks so 'bleh' at first after going from games like Gears Of War and Viva Pinata. The textures in Zelda are just so bland in places, luckily thanks to the gameplay you don't notice it after a while.

You definitely shouldn't be looking to get the Wii for the eye candy. The 360 and PC games blow the Wii away in terms of graphics power but the Wii is just so much fun. I spent 5 hours last night just playing Wii sports against both my daughter (aged 8) and my wife (who does not usually play games). Wii sports was so much fun that I didn't even get around to trying out Zelda!

It has certainly lived up to the hype in my opinion. Probably the first time I have raised a sweat playing a video game

You definitely shouldn't be looking to get the Wii for the eye candy. The 360 and PC games blow the Wii away in terms of graphics power but the Wii is just so much fun. I spent 5 hours last night just playing Wii sports against both my daughter (aged 8) and my wife (who does not usually play games). Wii sports was so much fun that I didn't even get around to trying out Zelda!

It has certainly lived up to the hype in my opinion. Probably the first time I have raised a sweat playing a video game

I agree 100% Forget about graphics quality, HD, DD 5.1 etc. this thing is just plain fun. We spent most of last night with the family on Wii Sports and haven't laughed so much in ages. The only problem was that I was the first person to experiment with the Wii Fitness thing. I didn't know what to expect, so I ended up with a Wii age of 77 years. I'm sure I can improve that.

The bottom line is, if you can forego your obsession with picture quality and sound quality for a while and just spend some quality time having fun with the family (and a bit of a workout), then go and buy a Wii.

"Strap causes Wii problem for gamers

Asher Moses

December 8, 2006 - 2:45PM

The broken wrist strap on Ray Castillo's Wii handset.

Nintendo Wii gamers are inadvertently damaging televisions, windows, furniture and even each other, in addition to their on-screen foes.

It was only released yesterday in Australia, December 2 in Japan and November 19 in the US, but numerous Wii owners have already reported issues with the thin wrist strap attached to the console's remote control.

Apparently, the strap is prone to tearing without notice which, during frenetic gaming, can cause the control to fly out of the user's hand.

Similar issues have also occurred when the strap is placed too loosely around the wrist.

Wiihaveaproblem.com has a running tally of damages, with accompanying photographs of smashed televisions, windows, dishes and ceiling fans, among other casualties.

The problem seems to stem from the way users interact with the Wii.

The motion-sensitive controller requires gamers to actively wave it around like a wand in order to control the action. For example, gamers can wave their hands to control on-screen swordfights, fishing, tennis, bowling and golf.

Vispi Bhopti, of Nintendo Australia, said the problem was less to do with quality issues and more related to the way the console was being used.

"Nintendo has done various tests before we launched, but it turns out people are playing with a lot more gusto than we would've anticipated," he said

"At this point, I do want to clarify that Nintendo is introducing a brand new form of entertainment and a brand new form of interacting ... it's not like conventional video games, and ... we need to let people be aware of how they should approach it. This will take a little time for some people."

Bhopti added that over-the-top movements and letting go of the controller places unnecessary strain on the wrist strap, causing it to snap.

"The things we recommend are [firstly] to make sure your wrist strap is on tight. We mention this even in the games, in the software before you start.

"We also recommend holding on to the remote and never letting go. There have been some reports internationally of people playing virtual bowling and letting go of the entire remote, as they would a normal bowling ball; there's just nothing we can do about that."

For those prone to sweaty palms, Bhopti recommends you "take a break" and "dry yourself off" periodically.

He said there's no point in swinging the controller with full strength, as the same results could be accomplished with far smaller movements.

"You can throw a 150kmh fast ball in Wii Sports baseball without swinging your arm with full power," he said.

Bhopti's comments are similar to those made earlier to US media by Nintendo's president, Satoru Iwata, and one of its long-time producers, Shigeru Miyamoto.

Ray Castillo, one of the victims of the broken strap issue, who posted photo evidence to his Flickr account, admits he was playing with excessive force at the time.

"I would say that I was playing with excessive force when the Wii strap broke," he said. "I got into the game, and was having a good time."

Luckily, in Castillo's case, no damage was done and he has now learned "not to get too crazy with the Wiimote". But he remains concerned about others using his console.

"I'm more worried about other people playing with my Wii. They might not know that the strap might break, and something else might happen.

"Let's just hope if [it] does break again that nothing bad happens or any one gets hurt."

A replacement policy for broken Wii remote straps is yet to be announced, but Nintendo said that it was "investigating" the issue.

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Anyone spent a couple of hours playing a game yet? Just wondering if there is any 'tiredness, sore shoulder-neck" from playing this thing. Wii sports would probably be OK as you are moving around a fair bit, but with a game like Zelda, is anyone getting sore? Thought that 'strain' might be an issue. Just wondering.

After sitting in my recliner playing gears of war for the last 3-4 hours with the x360 controller resting in my lap, i began to wonder if you could do this with the wiimote.