Nintendo Wii

The best family gaming console

The Nintendo Wii ( *Est. $150) can't compete with Sony and Microsoft when it comes to serious gaming, but experts say it's a great choice for younger kids and families. It may not have the most realistic graphics, but the Nintendo Wii has a huge selection of fun, family-friendly titles like "Super Mario Bros," "The Legend of Zelda" and "Wii Sports Resort." A price drop helped make the fun even more affordable.

The Nintendo Wii comes bundled with "Mario Kart," the Wii Remote Plus controller, a Nunchuk controller and the Wii Wheel Accessory. The Wii Remote Plus marries the original Wii Remote with the Wii MotionPlus accessory, which was widely hailed for its ability to improve control accuracy. The Nintendo Wii also includes two USB ports and an SD card slot to view photos on your TV. It connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi to download games, play movies from Netflix or check news and weather.

Most reviewers agree that the Wii isn't the best choice for serious gamers, because the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 have more realistic graphics and a better selection of adult-friendly titles. But reviewers also acknowledge that the Wii isn't meant to be a high-end gaming system -- it's meant to be fun to play for adults and kids alike. In this respect, testers say the Wii succeeds. PCMag.com's Jim Louderback echoes most reviewers when he writes that although graphics look "terrible" compared to the Xbox and PS3, playing games on the Nintendo Wii is "maddeningly addictive" and "intuitive."

The console gets high marks from users, including at Amazon.com, where the Wii bundle has a 4.4-star rating in more than 60 reviews. Many owners say that the new pricing makes it a pretty good value. They also appreciate how much the console appeals to kids. Others like the  variety of games. However, the Wii doesn't play CDs or DVDs, which is a drawback for some owners. Nintendo's online gaming platform is also pretty rudimentary -- especially compared to what's available for the Xbox -- as is its online streaming features, though Netflix support is on board. Even though it has a reputation for being family  friendly, the Nintendo Wii's game lineup does include some mature-rated games, such as "Call of Duty: World at War," but those are a fraction of what's available.