Why the Black Wii Console with New Super Mario Brothers Rocks

We had our Wii for a few years before it was damaged in a flood. I knew instantly that we would be replacing it. Not only are we a houseful of gaming nerds, we also use it watch Netflix and our favorite old school games from our childhood. So I set out on a mission to decide which new Wii would make its way into our home. There are actually several models available now that were not there when we first bought ours so this was kind of exciting- a new Wii and the opportunity to get something extra this time.

We Considered a Bundle

Right away I decided if we were going to get a new Wii, we would consider a bundle. Sure, we had games and accessories already after having our Wii for years but a bundle could give us more. My entire family and myself are Mario fans. Super Mario Brothers reminds me of my childhood and my children have grown up playing Mario games as well. Two of my younger children were Mario and Luigi for Halloween. It’s safe to say we love Mario.

So when I heard there was a black Wii console with Mario Brothers theme and a special edition music CD, I pretty much knew this was the one for me. But if you’re still deciding if you should get a Wii or a different gaming console, here are some things to consider.

What Games Will You Play?

If you’re going to buy a console for the first time, you should consider the games you want to play on it. We already knew we wanted another Wii to replace our damaged one and we have one of every console- PS3, Xbox 360, the Wii and older consoles and handhelds as well.

But for some families or individuals, the games make a huge difference in the type of console you choose. You should think about the types of games you want to play as well as the genre that you enjoy most. The Wii is made by Nintendo and it is very family-friendly. Most games are designed for children, for family play or for general audiences. There are not really many games that contain violence for the Wii and those that do mostly have cartoon type violence (think Tom and Jerry hijinks).

Wii games are often called party games or casual games and they often contain mini-games or multiple games on one game disc. The Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 have more Action-Adventure, Shooter games and racing games.

Motion Gaming

If you’re looking for motion gaming, the Wii was the first to do it. Families have been enjoying the experience of the Wii’s motion gaming since 2006. The only downside is that while they did them later, the Xbox Kinect and PS3 Move are like the big brothers to the Wii. Honestly, the Kinect is my favorite because YOU are the controller. The sensor reads your body and allows you to control an avatar, your in-game character or even to play and pause movies or stream Netflix. In short- the Kinect is pretty awesome.

However, I still love the Wii because there are games you just can’t get on other systems. The Wii also has a great fitness program with Wii Fit that you can use to get in shape and stay in shape right in the privacy of your own home. The other consoles have similar programs but none have the Wii Fit board.

Online Play

The next thing you want to consider when choosing a Wii is the online play and functionality. WiiWare is a service that allows Wii players to download games and applications directly to their Wii console in exchange for purchased Wii Points on the Wii Shop Channel. This is one of my favorite things about the Wii because you can use your Wii Points to download old school games from the original Nintendo and Super Nintendo consoles.

The counter to WiiWare is Playstation Network and Xbox Live. These have their own benefits, too but are more geared towards online play with other gamers such as in RPG or FPS games.

Why the Mario Wii Rocks

So now that you know more about the Wii, let’s look at why the Mario Wii rocks. First, it’s black. And I don’t have anything really against white but since the standard Wii comes in white, it’s really cool to get something that’s different. Not as many people have black Wii and you can guarantee guests will take second look when they see you have one.

But it also comes with:

• Black Wii Remote Plus
• Black Nunchuk
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii game pack
• Super Mario Galaxy Official Soundtrack

After a quick look, I was sold on the idea of replacing my old Wii with a new black Mario Wii bundle. But let’s take a moment to see what other people have to say.

“ This console does NOT have Gamecube backwards compatibility. ” John Doe $$

“ I picked up this model today at Best Buy, took it home, and easily set it up. ” Spawn38

“I've read a lot of less than five-star reviews for this new Wii package but I have a different perspective on it.

I bought this for a family member who has never owned a Nintendo Wii and doesn't care for the game Mario Kart but loves Super Mario Bros. So this was a win-win product solution for me. It just depends on who the product package is for and their likes/dislikes. I'm concerned the negative reviews are going to make first-time buyers think there are other issues with the gaming console. If I bought the bundle that included Mario Kart, I would have had to buy Super Mario Bros separately, adding about $50 more to the cost. And not everyone cares about playing Nintendo GameCube titles, it's just a preference.

If anyone is a hardcore Wii user, I can't imagine they would consider this product anyhow, just wait for the next version of Nintendo Wii to be released in the near future.

Game On!” - David