How is the Nintendo Wii® Different Than Other Gaming Systems?

The Nintendo Wii®, which was officially launched into most markets in 2006 is decidedly different from other gaming systems. While many people point to its wireless controller as its major feature of difference, this is really only the beginning, and it’s not the first game console to offer wireless controllers. Even good old Sega® offered remote controllers in the 1990s, so people didn’t have to play video games with their noses up to the television screen.

The main difference is not so much graphics either. From a graphics standpoint, the Nintendo Wii® is somewhat inferior to the newest Playstation® and Xbox® systems. Instead of trying to put out a system that would duplicate these graphics, Nintendo sought to radically change gaming by changing the way in which its controllers worked, creating a system that has enjoyed significant popularity and great demand.

The key to the Nintendo Wii® is that the basic game controller detects motion, not just side to side or up down motion. It depends upon very specific motions of the player, such as small tilts, moves forward and backward, acceleration of the controller, and rotation in order to dictate play. Players have the sense, because of the specific motions they must learn in order to perform an action in a game, that they are much more active participants in play. If you’re golfing on a game like Wii Sports®, you actually have to learn how to swing or if you’re playing a game like Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix®, you will learn numerous hand movements, which must be used with precise timing in order to cast spells.

Instead of docilely (or tensely) sitting in front of a game console and TV, the features of the controller frequently have people up on their feet, and they may need to perform a wide variety of motions to correctly play a game. Along with good and fun games, the activity associated with the Nintendo Wii®, has made it an extremely popular choice with gamers. Parents may prefer the system too, since it promotes much more activity than most other game systems.

There is a flipside to the activity, which Nintendo soon discovered when they released the Nintendo Wii® to the worldwide market. The basic controller was sold with a wrist strap, which in some cases proved defective. When the strap didn’t work properly, or wasn’t employed, it was quite easy to send the controller careening through a window, or even through a television screen. The wrist straps now work properly, but you must always use one when you play.

Some moves in various games require a considerable amount of force, and if the controller left the hand with such force, breakage and bedlam could be the result. You also need a wider area to play in, and if you’re playing against other players, it’s important to keep a distance from each other. Complaints against the Nintendo Wii® don’t just revolve around broken windows or TVs, but also around physical injury when people are unintentionally smacked by other players. Furthermore, long periods of game play are associated with certain repetitive motion injuries; thus game play should involve lots of breaks, and time per day needs to be limited.

Despite these mishaps, there’s no doubt the Nintendo Wii® has prompted a revolution in game playing history, that may be simply the beginning of more interactive play. The system has consistently received excellent reviews, and it has games appropriate to children, teens and more mature audiences. You can also use the newer system to play your Nintendo Game Cube® games, and there are plug in controllers you can use if you want to take a break from all that activity.