• January 19, 2007    Home > Games News > Article

    Nintendo Wii: Kikizo's Definitive Review

    Two months on, Kikizo brings together Nintendo's number one fans to deliver this comprehensive, unbiased review of Wii - and we're not shy about saying what we mean.

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    Box Fresh

    From the word go, Wii is an exciting new thing right out of the box, but are there any immediate drawbacks?

    "This tiny box has somehow managed to fit everything it needs in a fraction the size of 360 or PS3."

    Daniella Lucas

    Carl: Being the resident Nintendo fanboy let me make clear that I also own a PlayStation 3. It's my first Sony console, and it's the only PlayStation that personally makes sense for me to own. It's the cheapest Blu-ray player out there, all its content looks wonderful on my new HDTV, I love that Sony releases free demos frequently, I'm enjoying the backwards compatibility, I think Sixaxis works very well for certain genres, and with all that, the PS3 is still cheaper than my 3DO was in 1994. Oh, and I think I like Sony as the underdog this time.

    As much as I like my PS3, the Wii is easily the best-designed console of this generation. The small unit is cute, clean, simple. The internal disc drive works flawlessly, the GameCube ports on the top are appropriately hidden, but just accessible enough with a detachable door. The silver vertical stand adds to the sexiness, and the small Wii logo is modest. The Wii knows it's a winner. It was built with innovation and confidence. Built to be inviting enough to attract non-gamers. Built to mock the PS3 for being the multimedia mega-unit that I nonetheless love it for being.

    Daniella: I knew it was going to be small, but I still couldn't get over quite how small it was when I finally got my hands on one. It's really impressive when you look at it next to the 360 or PS3; this tiny little box has somehow managed to fit everything it needs in a fraction of the size of 360 or PS3.

    "Leaving a GameCube memory card sticking out from the top of the machine spoils the overall design."

    Sharan Dev Jain

    Marwan: The design of the Wii is so sleek and cute from every angle that it actually turns me on - don't you get goose bumps when that blue light comes on? The only thing I dislike is where the GameCube controller ports and memory cards are placed. I hate having to open up its top flap and stick my WaveBird adapter in. I would have liked it better if the flap could just simply slide down the side of the Wii afterwards, rather then sticking up and standing out of place, but that's only because I'm the sort of person who likes to see everything looking nice all the time.

    Sharan: The main problems with the machine arise when it came to backwards compatibility. Leaving a GameCube memory card sticking out from the top of the machine spoils the overall design. Why couldn't they find a way to save to the internal memory or SD card?

    "Special mention must surely go to the packaging - easily the sexiest in the history of consoles."

    Adam Doree

    But the machine straight out the box is definitely appealing, like something from Apple with its iPod-white and miniature dimensions - in fact Apple's box for the TV, Apple TV, even proves this. The slot loading drive is also very convenient and the glowing light is very cool.

    Adam: Special mention must surely go to the packaging of this console. Easily the most beautifully presented, elegant and thoughtfully manufactured packaging in the history of consoles.

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