Bought the family a Wii

I like it so far, seems like fun!
What are the ports in the top of it for? It say game-cube remotes, does that mean it will play games other then the Wii games? I would love to find a hunting/shooting game for it.
It has a spot for a memory card for the camera, but mine doesn't fit, a bit disappointing.. There is also a menu for weather and news, but I am assuming this is for high speed internet, I only have dial-up.
Anything else I should know?

The top ports are for Game Cube remote. It will play Game Cube games. The Wavebird works.

You need an SD memory card.

It has a built in wireless card, if you had a network setup that it could talk to it might work over wireless.

Get a Wii Play + Controller package, it's a great deal.

On the top (or side of you lay it flat) are 4 ports for GC controllers. There are also 2 memory card slots. For saving Gamecube games, you MUST use the GC memory cards in wither of the 2 slots.

Gamecube game saving cannot be done on the Wii's built in flash.

The front (SD card) slot is useful for copying savegames to bring over to other Wii's. Or importing photos.

There are also 2 USB (I'm assuming V2), that have AFAIK no current use yet.

As for wireless, you need to already be connected to the 'net, broadband with a wireless router hooked up.

Besides messaging, you can download weather/news/polls and virtual console games, as well as update the firmware, play wifi compatible games and web browse (even secure connections) on your TV (needs opera browser)

Opera browser was free for a limited time but costs 5 or 800 Wii pts (Need to purchase 2000 pts cards at store).

Any questions, I'll be around for a bit tonight

I realized already that it only came with one remote, I will get another today. I also plan on utilizing the wireless parts, so now I need to look in to high speed.
Is there any benefit to having memory cards without using the Game Cube games?

The Game Cube memory cards can only be used for Game Cube games. A little word of warning, I don't know if Nintendo changed this or not, but I know it used to be that you could only run games purchased online from the internal flash, but you could swap it back and forth from the memory card (SD). Also Miis can be transfered to a Wii remote for portability purposes.

I got one for our family this past Christmas. We now have 4 controllers and frequently play doubles tennis on it. Very fun family game console.

May I also recommend Guitar Hero III for it? Very cool.

I think there is a cabela's hunting game for the wii. Also, if i could suggest super smash bros......

My kids love Dance, Dance Revolution!!

The Dance mats plug into those GC ports on the
top of the Wii, and not only do you have to step
on the correct arrows at the correct time, you also
have to move your hands at the correct time.

Plus, a bunch of the songs are golden oldies
that us old farts actually recognize.

We picked a Wii last September. It's alot of fun. Right now I'm playing "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" and my young lad is hooked on "Lego Star Wars" "Super Smash Brothers Brawl". You really should get another remote. Bowling is fun on Wii sports.

The Wii is pretty nice, we got one. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is fun.. I heard some disturbing rumors though that Sony has ripped off Nintendo's novel system and now has an optical type point-at-the-screen remote for the PS3 now. Cheap! Can anyone confirm this??

I bought a second remote right away, with 4 of us on the game it seemed like the right thing to do, ended up bringing it back to buy the WiiPlay pack.
I am desperately trying to find the hunting game, no luck yet.
No matter where I go, or who I talk to, the Smash Brothers is always recommended, it just may be next.

Does anyone use the wireless bar for the top of the TV? Any benifit to it?

The wii sensor bar for the top of (or below) the TV is pretty much required to use the Wii. That helps it "see" where you're pointing the wiimote. So if that's what you're talking about, then yes.

btw, the sensor bar is two clusters of 5 IR leds run at 6V.

I am having trouble with my default sensor bar working properly with a 100 inch projection screen. Have been thinking it might work better if I can make the led clusters slightly farther away.

Was thinking some sort of single high powered IR LED attached to a battery pack and secured to the top of the screen with some magnets would be pretty nice.

Any suggestions on a good very powerful IR LED (but not enough to cause problems or discomfort to people looking at it for an hour) which could be easily run off of AA batteries?

xucchini said:

btw, the sensor bar is two clusters of 5 IR leds run at 6V.

I am having trouble with my default sensor bar working properly with a 100 inch projection screen. Have been thinking it might work better if I can make the led clusters slightly farther away.

Was thinking some sort of single high powered IR LED attached to a battery pack and secured to the top of the screen with some magnets would be pretty nice.

Any suggestions on a good very powerful IR LED (but not enough to cause problems or discomfort to people looking at it for an hour) which could be easily run off of AA batteries?

Click to expand...

The first 4 items here may be of interest to you.

But you don't need anything brighter, you really only need the two IR sources to be further apart.

This looks a lot more fun for me than the Sony Playstation......which is hard enough to pull the husband and kids off of......but I like the idea of being more physical than sitting on a couch.....

Kgirl said:

This looks a lot more fun for me than the Sony Playstation......which is hard enough to pull the husband and kids off of......but I like the idea of being more physical than sitting on a couch.....

Click to expand...

It certainly is more physical. An especially physical (if oddly themed) game is Rayman Raving Rabbids.