I am interested in buying Wii for a 5 year old but I can't decide whether shall I go for Wii or Wii Mini. In fact I have almost decided about Wii Mini but have a few questions.
1. Does Wii Mini play all Wii games?
2. I have heard that it has very poor graphics because it uses composite cable. I am going to use Wii Mini with my 32" LCD so I am a little concerned about it. How much poor graphics can I expect? Is there a still shot of Wii Mini game along with Wii?
Now I don't expect 720p but will it not even work at 480p?
3. Can I connect original Wii to my LCD using HDMI?
4. I read that Wii Mini only has 1 USB port. What's the USB port for? Do some games require them!?
Since the Wii Mini is only compatible with composite, it can only output 360p. All Wii models only come with a composite cable, but you can buy third party component cables which output 480p for very cheap online. You can also buy converters for HDMI which upscale to 720p or 1080p, but I do not know how well they work, and Wii games only support up to 480p.
The only instance I can think of where the USB cables are required is for karaoke games, where the microphones need to be connected to the Wii via USB. But since there is only one USB port on the Wii Mini, and presumably your only going to play these games in multiplayer, there is no point to playing them on the Wii Mini. The USB slot is also just convenient for charging stuff like the Wii Balance Board and thrid-party WiiMote chargers.
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2. The Wii Mini can only use a composite cable. The Wii component cable is reportedly incompatible with the Mini. Composite will output 480i. If you're only used to tube TVs, it will look fine. But if you're used to HDTVs, well, it's hard to say. Now the original Wii can use component cable to output 480p: you can't actually do any better. You decide: is the difference between 480i 4:3 and 480p widescreen a big deal for you? That's the difference between a Wii Mini and a Wii with component cables.
3. There are third party Wii-to-HDMI adaptors out there that will work with the Wii (but probably NOT the Wii Mini), but in my experience they don't look any better than component and the one I've tried has some annoying issues with brightness and audio levels.
4. The USB port has been used for peripherals such as a microphone or keyboard.
Thanks for the response guys. It cleared a lot of things.
Three more questions.
1. What's the purpose of Nunchuk? Is it a special controller that is used in some special games?
2. Can I play Mario Cart on Wii Mini?
3. Can I connect accessories to Wii Mini for e.g. I have seen that wheel accessory which is probably used in racing game.
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The Active Life series of games (Outdoor Challenge, Outdoor Explorer, Magic Carnival etc) are also mat-based and won't work with the Wii Mini. If I had to replace my Wii today, I would look for a used console. But if you are on a budget and want a new console, the Wii Mini might make sense. You will have fuzzier video, cannot download games and cannot play a small number of mat-based games. But the Wii's huge 1200 retail game library is otherwise at your disposal, and they're dirt cheap off ebay.
One more question. Are all games require that I have to physically perform some action with Wii remote in my hand or some games also work like the standard way for e.g. the way we used to play SNES or Sega Mega Drive.
The Active Life series of games (Outdoor Challenge, Outdoor Explorer, Magic Carnival etc) are also mat-based and won't work with the Wii Mini. If I had to replace my Wii today, I would look for a used console. But if you are on a budget and want a new console, the Wii Mini might make sense. You will have fuzzier video, cannot download games and cannot play a small number of mat-based games. But the Wii's huge 1200 retail game library is otherwise at your disposal, and they're dirt cheap off ebay.
I am not too much concerned about Internet but graphics. I saw demo of Wii and played a little bit couple of days ago when I went to an electronics store. It was the first time I played on Wii and it was super fun. The graphics looked OK to me but they were no where near HD. I think they were using composite cable instead of component. I will confirm it the next time I go there which I will do in next couple of days.
So let's say if they are using composite cable so it means Wii Mini will also have same graphics right!?
There are some games which do not use motion controls. It really depends from-game-to-game and you will need to do research to see if a game uses motion controls, traditional controls, or in some cases both.
If the Wii in the store you saw uses composite, that will be the same resolution that the Wii Mini will be. I can safely say that component looks mcuh better from personal experience though.
$190 for a Wii Mini? That's a HUGE rip-off there, you can get a Wii Mini on Amazon for $100, a regular Wii for $160, or even a Basic Wii U for $279.
I am not too much concerned about Internet but graphics. I saw demo of Wii and played a little bit couple of days ago when I went to an electronics store. It was the first time I played on Wii and it was super fun. The graphics looked OK to me but they were no where near HD. I think they were using composite cable instead of component. I will confirm it the next time I go there which I will do in next couple of days.
So let's say if they are using composite cable so it means Wii Mini will also have same graphics right!?
Yes, a Wii Mini's graphics quality is the same as a regular Wii with only composite cables. It's really a matter of setting expectations. If you know you aren't getting HD graphics, and can accept that, just go ahead and have fun. The Wii now has a huge library of great games, and they are very cheap in my part of the world.
Don't buy the Mini! For the video quality, it's not even just the difference between 480i and 480p, because S-Video is only 480i and there's an even more noticeable difference going between Composite and S-Video than between S-Video and Component just because the image is so much more crisp with the separated signals in S-Video, but you can't even use S-Video with the Mini. Being restricted to composite video isn't just restricting you to 480i but fuzzy 480i! Also, if you ever want to get a Wii U you won't be able to transfer your save files from a Wii Mini since it has no SD card slot, and not being able to connect to the Internet also means no VC or WiiWare, which also means those free Club Nintendo downloads will laugh in your face. There are just too many downsides to the Wii Mini. Try to get a real Wii while you can, because in Canada they disappeared pretty much the moment the Mini came on to the market.
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Topic: A few questions about Wii Mini and Wii
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