Nintendo Wii

Bottom line

The Nintendo Wii 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 thanks to its huge selection of fun, family-friendly titles.

Gaming performance

Low rez, high fun. The Nintendo Wii isn't known for high-octane gaming or realistic graphics, and it only outputs in standard definition. That leads reviewers to say that serious gamers should look to the Sony PlayStation 3 Slim (250 GB) (*Est. $270) or Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim (250 GB) (*Est. $300) instead. Still, owners say the Wii is fun, easy to use and a great way to spend time with friends or family. The Nintendo Wii was the first to bring motion control to gaming, and early complaints about its accuracy have been answered with improvements to the technology. However, critics say that Sony's PlayStation Move technology is still more precise.

The Nintendo Wii has a huge selection of games, but most are geared toward younger gamers. Both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have more adult-oriented games. Earlier versions of the Wii were backward compatible with older Nintendo GameCube games, but that capability has been removed in the current model.

A new -- and very different -- Nintendo Wii, the Wii U, is slated just in time for the 2012 holiday shopping season. However, that is aimed at a more sophisticated gaming audience, with technological horsepower and a price tag to match. Once it's available, and reviewers and users have had their turn with it, we'll be posting a review of the Wii U.

Media performance

Limited streaming, but not much else. While the Xbox 360 can play back DVDs and CDs, and the PlayStation 3 can play back those plus Blu-ray Discs, the Wii cannot play back any type of pre-recorded discs -- the drive just handles the console's proprietary disc format.

The Wii can stream content, but the number of partners is limited with only Netflix and Hulu Plus represented among the major providers. The Wii is not DLNA certified, but you can stream content from your PC if you have the appropriate media server software (PlayOn or TVersity, for example) installed on it.

Aesthetics

It's a family affair. In 2011, Nintendo joined the refresh parade by offering a slightly spiffed up version of the Wii. Referred to as the Wii Family Edition, the console now sits horizontally rather than vertically and sports a slightly trimmed down case. The console is currently offered only in black.

Value

For families, it's still the one. The Wii has seen its price drop since first introduced, and that's helped keep its value pretty reasonable for its intended audience -- kids and families. For others, however, even though the Wii costs less than consoles from Microsoft and Sony -- and the new Wii U -- the level of gaming sophistication could disappoint.