Nintendo's new Wii video
game system not only
changes how people play
games, but redefines how
they interact with both
the system and their
televisions. With the
Wii Menu, Nintendo
offers a gateway to new
experiences through a
collection of
interactive channels
people can use to
customize their gaming
and entertainment
options.
The Wii Menu serves as
the main portal to the
different functions of
Wii, and is designed to
evolve throughout the
life of the system. Some
functions can be used
right out of the box and
more will roll out
during the next few
weeks and into next
year, with content
continually changing
over time. Wii went on
sale in the Americas
Nov. 19 at a suggested
retail price of $249.99.
"The diversity of the
Wii Menu has something
for both gamers and
non-gamers," says
Nintendo of America
President Reggie
Fils-Aime. "The options
exist to help introduce
current non-players to
Wii and help us bring
gaming to the masses."
On launch day, players
who wanted to play a Wii
game or a Nintendo
GameCube game simply pop
in the disc, aim their
motion-sensitive Wii
Remote at the Wii Menu
and click on the Disc
Channel to start the
game. It's that simple.
But some of the real fun
with the Wii Menu comes
with customization. The
Mii Channel lets users
create caricatures of
themselves (or anyone
else) that can be used
first in Wii Sports, a
collection of five
sports games packed in
with the Wii system. Up
to 10 Mii characters can
be stored in a single
Wii Remote, and players
can carry them to a
friend's house and
populate multiple Wii
systems.
Using the Photo Channel,
users can explore their
creative talents by
developing a slide show
or showing off their
best shots in an easy,
fun way. With an SD
memory card from a
digital camera, users
can display their photos
on their televisions and
perform basic editing
and manipulation.
The Wii Shop Channel
serves as Wii's online
storefront, where
visitors can redeem Wii
Points(TM) to download
games or other items.
Users need a high-speed
Internet connection to
access the Wii Shop
Channel and choose from
at least 12 classic
Virtual Console(TM)
games that will be ready
to play on launch day.
Some of the games a
player can download
include: Donkey Kong(R)
(NES(R)), based on the
arcade game of the same
name; SimCity(R) (SNES(TM)),
where players get to
build a city from the
ground up, being
responsible for each
decision they make;
Super Mario 64(R), the
first-ever true 3-D
game, which changed the
face of gaming forever;
Sonic the Hedgehog(R) (Genesis(R)),
the fastest blue
hedgehog on Earth whips
through hair-raising
loop-de-loops and into
dizzying dives; and
Bomberman(R) '93
(TurboGrafx16(TM)), the
exciting, powered-up
version that followed
the original Bomberman(R).
More Virtual Console
games will become
available weekly every
Monday following launch
and by year's end,
gamers will be able to
pick from a library of
30 or more classic games
from the Nintendo
Entertainment System(R),
Super NES(R), Nintendo(R)
64, Sega Genesis(TM) and
TurboGrafx16 consoles.
Users buy Wii Points at
retail or with a credit
card in the Wii Shop
Channel and redeem their
Wii Points to download
the classic games. NES
games start at 500 Wii
Points, Super NES games
start at 800 Wii Points
and Nintendo 64 games
start at 1,000 Wii
Points. Sega Genesis
games start at 800 Wii
Points and TurboGrafx16
games start at 600 Wii
Points.
The Wii Shop Channel is
also where users will go
to download the Opera
browser that will let
them surf the Internet
from the comfort of
their couches on Wii's
Internet Channel. More
information about the
availability of the
browser will be released
in the coming weeks.
On Dec. 20, Nintendo
will roll out the
Forecast Channel. Users
will be able to access
free local weather
information, which is
continually updated.
Users can access
worldwide weather
information by browsing
a 3-D globe. Weather
information will be
supplied by Weather
news. A high-speed
Internet connection is
required to access the
Forecast Channel.
Then on Jan. 27, the Wii
Menu News Channel will
make headlines with the
latest news from around
the world provided by
the Associated Press. A
high-speed Internet
connection is also
needed to access the
News Channel. For more
information about Wii
and the Wii Menu, visit
Wii.com.
The worldwide innovator
in the creation of
interactive
entertainment, Nintendo
Co., Ltd., of Kyoto,
Japan, manufactures and
markets hardware and
software for its
Nintendo DS(TM), Game
Boy(R) Advance and
Nintendo GameCube(TM)
systems, and upcoming
Wii(TM) system. Since
1983, Nintendo has sold
nearly 2.2 billion video
games and more than 387
million hardware units
globally, and has
created industry icons
like Mario(TM), Donkey
Kong(R), Metroid(R),
Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R).
A wholly owned
subsidiary, Nintendo of
America Inc., based in
Redmond, Wash., serves
as headquarters
for Nintendo's
operations in the
Western Hemisphere. For
more information about
Nintendo, visit the
company's Web site at
http://www.nintendo.com.
Note: Game and system
trademarks are
properties of their
respective
owners.
