Nintendo's new kid on the block
UK release:8th December, 2006
Current price:£179.99
Worldwide userbase:4+ million
Proving that it's actually very easy to fool people twice the Wii was, like the DS before it, initially not thought to offer any real competition to the 360 and PS3 - being a compliment to the other consoles at best and a short lived novelty at worst.
Thus far though it shows every sign of repeating the DS's unorthodox success, outselling the PS3 at Christmas in the U.S. and remaining out of stock around the world ever since.
Although it's barely more powerful than the original Xbox (and many games look considerably worse than that) the console's power is not in its graphics but in its unique control.
The remote control shaped device not only senses movement in 3D space but also acts as a pointer.
This has already given rise to games like Wii Sports (free with the console), Wii Play and WarioWare: Smooth Moves which offer a style of game and control impossible on any other format.
With more traditional games like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess as well the console clearly has a much brighter future than its naysayers initially predicted.
Graphical power:6/10
Software support:6/10
Online?Yes
Longevity:9/10
