Hi All,
I need some advice on what to go for - Wii (Black Console with New Super Mario Brother) OR Wii Mini.
Here is the back ground:
My son is 7 year old. He has been asking Sky Lander swap force and Wii for a while. None of the family members owned a game console before (So no experiences in any consoles)
I wanted to start my son with a basic something. Wii and Wii mini are are selling for reasonable price and my son wants a Wii any way.
What I want is a Console to play the above (important) and some more games. Any thing extra is a bonus!. I have come up with the following 2. If both are priced same, which one would you get if you have my needs?
personally I would go with the Wii over the Wii mini because for one the wii mini can only output over standard AV cables and it looks horrible on modern TVs and has no internet access at all, while the Wii still has internet access(except for online gameplay) and can even output through component cables which look a lot better by comparison on modern TVs.
I personally reccoment the Wii U, since it plays Wii and Wii U games, but if you're on a budget, then go for the Wii (Black console)
The Wii lets you download games from the Shop Channel, so if your son ever wants to buy old games for between $5 to $10, he can. You can also watch Netflix on it.
The Wii Mini doesn't have any internet, so you can't download games, stream from Netflix, or patch up any games that may have bugs in them.
I'd like to second Dipper723's recommendation. The Wii U is definitely the best system to go with, but if it's too expensive, go with the black Wii. That way, you can still go on the Wii Shop Channel to download all of the great games on there, watch Netflix, or use any other potential needs for internet.
If you're looking for game recommendations, I recommend Super Mario Galaxy, Kirby's Epic Yarn, and Mario Kart Wii. Those are all family-friendly games that are a lot of fun. If you go with the Wii U, replace Mario Galaxy with Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart Wii with Mario Kart 8, and possibly Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Wii U over Kirby's Epic Yarn (Depends on how you feel about the rating. It's Everyone 10+ in North America due to cartoon violence, but it's nothing too bad. You could watch a video if you want to see for sure). Those are all fantastic games that are also multiplayer, so the family could join in if they want.
I hope your son enjoys the Wii!
"Little by little. Each day as it comes. That's how we should live."
A Wii U is much too expensive of a piece of hardware for a 7 year old's first game console (Among other issues).
If I were you, I'd first ask myself which is cheaper? If they're equivalent like your post suggests despite the Wii Mini being the only new hardware carried at most retailers these days, which pack-in game do you think that your son would prefer?
Frankly, no 7 year old is going to care about the feature losses with the Wii Mini. He'll surely be satisfied with the stock composite cables (No component output is available on the Wii Mini). And the Wii's always limited online capabilities, much of which is already offline, aren't going to be anything of interest to the average seven year old. By the time he might care about such stuff, he'll have moved onto something else and what little that remains like Netflix probably will have dropped support for the Wii anyways.
So I wouldn't let the loss of some features, features that Nintendo eliminated for a reason to drive cost down as far as possible (Your 7 year old is precisely the demographic that the Wii Mini is aimed squarely towards), affect your decision unless you think you'd also enjoy spending some time with it. Then, you just might appreciate the benefits of 480p for a slightly nicer picture, the Wii Shop for some classic games, or the video streaming apps.
Either get a Wii U (a completely new system that still plays Wii games) or the Black Wii. Then, you can get games from an online shop, and use Netflix/YouTube (if they're allowed on it). If you want the ultra budget model, go for the Wii Mini, as it comes with Mario Kart Wii as well as a red Wii Remote (controller) - which can't be found anywhere else!
EDIT: Here's a few game suggestions:
Wii U: Mario Kart 8, Super Mario 3D World, Nintendo Land, Wii Party U, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Sonic Lost World, Zelda Wind Waker, Super Smash Bros for Wii U
Original Wii (Wii Mini and Black Wii): Mario Kart Wii, Wii Party, Wii Sports, Super Mario Galaxy 1/2
Frankly, no 7 year old is going to care about the feature losses with the Wii Mini
This person is probably on a budget, which is why they want a Wii over a Wii U. If he and she is on a budget, they can buy games for $10 or less on the Wii Shop Channel. If they get the Wii Mini, then they'll be stuck buying games at full price or north of $30.
Where my friends and I usually get stupid:
https://www.twitch.tv/MUDWALLHOLLER - Come by hang and visit our Discord. The link for Discord is on the Twitch page.
A Wii U is much too expensive of a piece of hardware for a 7 year old's first game console (Among other issues).
If I were you, I'd first ask myself which is cheaper? If they're equivalent like your post suggests despite the Wii Mini being the only new hardware carried at most retailers these days, which pack-in game do you think that your son would prefer?
Frankly, no 7 year old is going to care about the feature losses with the Wii Mini. He'll surely be satisfied with the stock composite cables (No component output is available on the Wii Mini). And the Wii's always limited online capabilities, much of which is already offline, aren't going to be anything of interest to the average seven year old. By the time he might care about such stuff, he'll have moved onto something else and what little that remains like Netflix probably will have dropped support for the Wii anyways.
So I wouldn't let the loss of some features, features that Nintendo eliminated for a reason to drive cost down as far as possible (Your 7 year old is precisely the demographic that the Wii Mini is aimed squarely towards), affect your decision unless you think you'd also enjoy spending some time with it. Then, you just might appreciate the benefits of 480p for a slightly nicer picture, the Wii Shop for some classic games, or the video streaming apps.
That really isn't true at all, I got my first console at four years old, it was a sega genesis, 329 dollars in todays money. I never broke it.
Also the OP is going to have to buy component cables for his Wii unless he wants every game to look like a blurry mess.
Wii models up till 2011 which are the best had gamecube support
later Wii family models from 2011 till now did not support gamecube games or controllers
and the Wii mini is the most gimped of the batch, it doesn't even offer sd card support among other things i.e component/480p support.
@iKhan on my 32" 1080p visio the difference between AV and Comp with the wii is very noticeable, AV being very blurry, visuals are muddy, colors are washed, and clarity is a pipe dream, with comp its still got some blur to it -as it is no HDMI digital signal and 480p..-but the visuals are cleared up as much as they are going to get, and the colors actually pop! So, my experience was night and day, and playing wii games on the wii u has proven to be even better, everything is clear and crisp though nowhere near as good as say the dolphin emulator ((running retail discs)) .
What I think you should have done is buy a Wii U Swap Force console bundle. I doubt that it's in production anymore, but at least in Australia, it was readily available, and quite cheaply too (under $200). With that bundle, you get a superior system (allowing you to play both Wii and Wii U games), as well as the game that your son is after (Skylanders Swap Force) with all of the necessary accessories and an additional game (i.e. Nintendo Land).
I don't know if this bundle is available in Canada at an affordable price, but it's worth considering if it is. I'd say that buying a Wii this late into the system's lifespan is a waste of money as there are no new games being made for it (at least not from Nintendo themselves), and quality games are becoming increasingly scarce (unless you're willing to buy second hand).
"Gee, that's really persuasive. Do you have any actual points to make other than to essentially say 'me Tarzan, physical bad, digital good'?"
@iKhan on my 32" 1080p visio the difference between AV and Comp with the wii is very noticeable, AV being very blurry, visuals are muddy, colors are washed, and clarity is a pipe dream, with comp its still got some blur to it -as it is no HDMI digital signal and 480p..-but the visuals are cleared up as much as they are going to get, and the colors actually pop! So, my experience was night and day, and playing wii games on the wii u has proven to be even better, everything is clear and crisp though nowhere near as good as say the dolphin emulator ((running retail discs)) .
I'm not saying the difference isn't noticeable. I've seen Wii through component, and it looks better, but I don't think the crispness of the visuals and colors is that important as long as it doesn't interfere with the gameplay. The games still look and play fine through composite.
Wii Vs Wii Mini... There is no contest. It loses in almost every respect. Even if you think of buying one for a young kid, he will grow up and will have a bad time when he/she finds out about all the things he/she is still missing, even without Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
Dipper723 and GoneFishin Have the best answers. Follow theirs, but in my personal opinion, get the Wii Mini. Simplicity is always the best choice. Especially for a 7 yr old, there's much less to get lost in.
The best Wii money can buy is the Wii U, the current Nintendo home console. If you don't want to spend that much money get the regular Wii, but I would in no circumstance recommend the Wii Mini model, even for a 7 year old. Wii Mini is just not worth the money.
Forums
Topic: Wii VS Wii Mini
Posts 1 to 18 of 18
This topic has been archived, no further posts can be added.