The Wii.

When the Nintendo Wii was announced, I thought they were joking about the name. It was awful then, and it still is today. What is "Wii?" I was instantly skeptical on the system. The "motion sensing" capability was not new, but it was fresh for the use of gaming. I was afraid Nintendo would go from their standard ways (classic control stick dictating movement), and begin to overuse the motion control. Turns out I was right. A good majority of the games put out today for the Wii are incredibly gimmicky, making prime use of only the point-and-click abilities of the remote. The "Wiimote" itself is unlike any other controller. I would go as far to say it is just a TV remote that emits a constant signal. No shoulder buttons, no central pause button, no Z button, etc. There is a nunchuck add-on, but that's an add-on! You have to buy the nunchuck to use most games to their full extent! Yes, some games do not require it (the ones like My Baby 2), but Metroid Prime 3 does! The new Super Mario Bros. Wii is not playable unless you remove the nunchuck! There is no consistency, and only a few select games like Mario Kart Wii let you change between Gamecube controllers, Classic controllers, remotes, or a combination of the remote and nunchuck. This is unacceptable. Nintendo, stop making more accessories!

Some of the most ridiculous accessories include the Wii Wheel, the Nerf kits, the Wii Balance Board, and the Wii Motion Plus. Soon enough, you'll find yourself up within the price range of an Xbox 360 or PS3 after you buy all these things! Sure, the Wii is only $199 right now...but you'd be a fool to think you're getting a good deal. If graphics are a problem for you, well, do NOT buy a Wii. Think of it as a GameCube+. My biggest gripe is the sheer volume of "garbage games" that are put out by third-party companies! The Wii has some incredibly bogus titles available, and you can go to Wal-Mart to see what I mean.

Now of course, not everything about the Wii is bad. I, for one, love Nintendo's original titles. I grew up playing Nintendo games. I enjoy Zelda, Mario, and Metroid. I believe these games alone make the Wii worth buying. The Wii is perfect for a few things at least:

1. It can play all your old GameCube games.
2. It has all of Nintendo's great flagship games.
3. Some games are now possible with the motion control.
4. Wii Sports is free.
5. The system is cheap if you know what to NOT buy.
6. If you have children, this is your safest bet.
7. The system is compact, quiet, and lightweight.
8. If you're a system collector, well it's not TOO much $$$.

All in all, the Wii is pretty good. I enjoy it quite a bit, but I just would hope Nintendo realizes that most of the money they make is from quality first-party games. If they made more first-party games and had a better online service, the Wii would be a good competitor in the console war. Sadly, it's not even a contender. I have to give the Nintendo Wii a B-.

Please Nintendo, make something amazing next time around.