Wii photo channelNintendo is poised to release their new console, the Wii U, this year. The system is said to be backwards compatible with the original Wii but will also take aim at a demographic largely ignored by the first system: Hardcore gamers.
There are more than 20 million Wii systems in homes all over America right now. Many of them were purchased by casual gamers — think bowling not Battlefield — who are now faced with a simple question: What else can this thing do?
The Wii never had the deep features or graphics power of the Sony Playstation 3 or Microsoft's Xbox 360. It is not a high definition machine and it's probably not the home entertainment hub in most homes. It does, however, still have plenty to offer.
Wii retro games1. Retro gaming
The Wii excels at providing gamers with quick and inexpensive access to classic games dating back to the original Nintendo Entertainment System and even later. For anyone who grew up with gaming — that's Gen X folks and younger — the system is a dream come true. Classics such as "Super Hang On" and "Chrono Trigger" are available alongside niche titles like "Xevious." This devotion to classic gaming gives the Wii a nearly infinite lifespan.
2. Family entertainment
Even now — years after Wii shortages and the dramatic impact the system's motion controls made on the industry — the Wii is still the place for simple, fun family entertainment. The disc that shipped with the system, "Wii Sports," is still reason enough to own one. The fact that your grandmother has a fighting chance at whipping up on you in a round of Wii Bowling is testament to system's lasting power. While its star may have faded, the things that made the Wii fun for the whole family are still there.
Wii tv3. Movies, TV and more
The Wii is home to Hulu Plus and Netflix — just like its competitors — but it's also the place for what Nintendo calls Wii Channels. These are easy to use and range from practical to a little silly. The Mii channel lets you create and tweak your own in-game characters. The Nintendo Channel is like the CNN of Nintendo news. The Internet Channel is just that — a web browser for your TV.
And then there's the Everybody Votes Channel. This will bring a variety of national and worldwide polls to your TV. Make your choice and check back to see the results. You can even predict what will get the most votes and then see how your vote stacks up.
4. Fun with photos
The Wii allows for some cool slideshow and photo-editing through the use of its SD card slot. You can display your digital images and movies on your TV screen, zoom in or out on the photo, and add some fun visual effects or digital paint brushes while you're at it. It will also play your MP3 files as background music to your slideshow.
Note: This was written by Victor Paul Alvarez, a Digital Crave contributor.
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