8 Things Every Wii Owner Should Know
- April 01, 2009 12:16 PM PST
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The Wii is deceptively simple. Inside of that cheery white box lies many important features -- here's how to tap into them.
REVIEW: Super Mario Galaxy for Wii
The Wii is simple but deep. Here are eight ways to get the most out of Nintendo's newest system, with tips straight from the experts at GamePro.
- No DVD playback! In a somewhat surprising move, the Wii isn't compatible with standard movie DVDs, so you can't watch flicks on your Wii. This is an important point if you were planning to make your Wii a centerpiece in your living room. On the plus side, Nintendo could always add DVD support down the line through a firmware update. And recently, a user-made program has hacked in support for DVD movie playback on the Wii, though this hack remains unsupported by Nintendo and could cause problems. In a nutshell, media is not the Wii's strong suit. Gaming is!
- Wi-Fi never sleeps! If you see that you're Nintendo Wii console is blinking with a blue light from its disk drive after you've turned it off, don't worry: this just means that your Wii is connecting to the internet, receiving messages from friends, and downloading software updates.
- Fun with Friend Codes! Wii owners often ask where they can find their Wii's unique Friend Code so they can play with friends online. Each Wii has a unique 16 digit number specific to its console, and that can be found on your Wii Message Board in your Address Book. Friend Codes are notoriously unpopular with Wii players, and more game developers are working around Friend Codes to provide an easier way to play online with friends.
- Channels and updates! Nintendo is constantly updating the Wii's Channels, from the popular Everybody Votes channel to the Mii Channel. These channels require internet connectivity, but allow you to interact with people from across the globe.
- Backwards compatibility! Not only can your Nintendo Wii play older GameCube discs, but you can plug GameCube controllers into the top of your Wii console, or use the wireless Wavebird. The GameCube controller is also compatible with a number of current Wii games, such as Super Smash Bros. Melee.
- Keep your Sensor Bar properly placed! For your console to recognize your Wii Remote, your Sensor Bar has to be in plain sight - either centered on top of your television set, or centered beneath it. If you change the position of the Sensor Bar, be sure to re-calibrate the Wii Remote with the proper settings under the Wii Settings menu (on the main menu). Either way, make sure you sync up your controller with your system before you jump headfirst into Resident Evil 4 or Mario Galaxy.
- Keep your Wii Remote charged! Wii Remotes take two AA batteries a piece, and while these last a reasonably long time, it's an unnecessary expense. Consider buying a set of rechargeable batteries to stay green (and save some green, too). To check how much juice your current batteries have left, press the Home button on your Wii remote and look for the battery-shaped icon that will show you how many bars you have left.
- Upload your photos! The Wii uses an optional SD memory card to hold extra data, which means that you can plug in your memory card from your digital camera. Once you have the SD memory card installed, you can take your photos into the Photo Channel, draw on them, add stickers, and them e-mail them back and forth to your friends via the Wii Message Board. Silly, maybe, but fun.
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- Apr 02 2009 at 04:19:52:PM PST
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Um, there are a few mistakes in here such as:
The GameCube controller is also compatible with a number of current Wii games, such as Super Smash Bros. Melee.
that should be brawl, not melee
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I hAVE A WII I JUST GOT IT AND IT IS AWESOME. i USED TO HAVE A GAMECUBE. BUT IT SUCKS IT CAN'T PLAY DVDS BUT AWESOME IT CAN PLAY GAMECUBE GAMES. i JUST TRADED IN ALL MY 360 GAMES AND THE SYSTEM TO GET THE WII. bECAUSE THE 360 SUKS. iT GLITCHES TO MUCH AND BRALS MY GAMES. sO IHEARD THE WII IS GOOD SO ITRADED IN MY NITENDO DS WHAT A MISTAKE. 70 DOLLARS ONLY. I LOVED THE DS AND WAS LOOKING FOWARD TH PALTINUM. BUT IT JUST COST TO MUCH. ALSO I TARDED MY 360 WIRLESS CONTROLLERS 20 EACH THAT SUKS WHEN THEY COST 40 TO 50. THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THE 360 WAS XBOX LIVEIT IS SOFUN. SO I TOTAL GOT 275. THAT IS A GIP. BUT I GOT A WII. AND RESIDENT EVIL4. ALSO BIG GAME HUNTER AND A PERFECT SHOT ACCESORY. THEN I ALREADY BEAT RESENDENT EVIL 4 IT IS FUN. I PLAYED IT ON GAMECUBE BUT I ONLY RENTED IT SO I DIDNT BEAT IT. tHEY SAY IT IS EASIER ON WII BECAUSE HOW YOU HAVE TO AIM. BUT IT IS STILL A BEATS GAME AND I RECOMMEDE IT TO MANY WII OWNERS EVEN IF YOU PALYED IT ON A DIFFERENT SYSTM BYE
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Tolleman, dude chill, the wii is nice but YOU DONT HAVE TO MAKE SUCH REDICULOUS COMMENTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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i agree with tolleman, i love my wii but i want to kill peoole with my friends and i cant do that. i know the wii is family oreanted but that doesnt mean they take the fun of playing with friends.
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Good!
Extender:: Must-have tool of every Wii user
To get more pleasure from wii game, to protect your wii game cd dvd, you should backup copy your wii game. i.e. Wii Game Copy Software can help you make it.
game-copy-software.sharewareguides.com provides free version wii game copy software and clear guide. It's worth to browse.
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I have a 360 and but why sell it.I mean the wii is great but I wouldn't my 360.It only cost $250.00
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dude the wiis got nothing on the psp shot i can do anything on that thing and its portable you cant beat that
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the wii is a great syestem,ive had it for 2 years now and i love that i can use a gamecube controller and the wide selection of games
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I hate the wii... i got bored of it almost as soon as I got it... but it's not like i'm switching over to a 360 or anything. I think i'll just go back to my ps2...
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