Official GC Nintendo Wii FAQ Thread

[pspcrazy]

This is a Beta for the Wii FAQ thread. Ill be adding to it in my free time. Ill see what i can do Some of it i wrote, some of it i found on the web.

What is Wii?



The Wii is Nintendo's latest console that was released World Wide during the months of November and December. Its known to be fun due to it's Wiimote controller which lets you move by motion rather then a common D-pad.

What is the Wii's Size?
About 8.5 inches long, 6 inches wide and less than 2 inches thick (roughly the size of 3 DVD cases stacked on top of each other).

Is the Wii Backward Compatible?
The Wii is backward-compatible to all Nintendo GameCube games and includes four ports for controllers and two slots for memory cards.

Does the Wii have Wi-Fi?
The Wii console communicates wirelessly with the Internet via wireless or a Wii LAN adaptor. Wii also can connect wirelessly with Nintendo DS.

What Type of Media Does the Wii Use?
A single self-loading media bay plays single- or double-layered 12-cm optical discs for the Wii console, as well as 8-cm Nintendo GameCube discs.

What Type of CPU and GFX cards does it have?
PowerPC CPU (code-named "Broadway"), made with a 90nm SOI CMOS process, jointly developed with and manufactured by IBM; GPU developed with ATI.

Wii Controller Info

What is the Wii Remote?



To make gaming as accessible to people of all ages and all abilities, Nintendo wanted to create a controller that was as inviting as it was sophisticated. The outcome is the Wii Remote. Nintendo fused the familiarity of a remote control with the sophistication of motion-sensing technology to come up with an input device for the ages!

Sporting the size of a traditional remote control, the wireless Wii Remote is a multifunctional device that is limited only by the game designer's imagination. In a tennis game, it serves as your racket you swing with your arm. In a driving game, it serves as your steering wheel. For first-person shooters, the Wii Remote acts as your weapon that you point at an enemy. The list of potential uses goes on and on.

In addition to its pointing and motion-sensing abilities, the Wii Remote also includes a speaker, rumble feature and expansion port for additional input devices, such as the Nunchuk.

What is the Nunchuck?



Contoured to perfectly fit a player's hand, the Nunchuk builds on the simplicity of the Wii Remote and goes an extra step to meet the needs of gamers. The Nunchuk connects to the Wii Remote at its expansion port and is used in conjunction with the Wii Remote.

The Nunchuk contains the same motion-sensing technology enabled in the Wii Remote but also includes an analog stick to assist in character movement. In several games, players will use the analog stick of the Nunchuk to move their characters and the Wii Remote to perform a specific action, whether that's throwing a pass in football or aiming a ranged weapon in an action game.

Along with the analog stick, the motion-sensing Nunchuk also contains two buttons positioned for quick access. Because the Wii Remote and Nunchuk are only relatively dependent on each other, players are free to hold them in whichever hand is most comfortable. The ambidextrous nature of the Wii controllers grants accessibility seldom seen in game controllers.

How Does the Wii Remote send information to the tv?



Using Bluetooth technology, the wireless Wii Remote sends your actions to the Wii console from as far as 30 feet away. As a pointing device, the controller can send a signal from as far as 15 feet away. It seems that the sensor also has somesort of "camera" apparatus that records motions from the wii remote as well. Up to four Wii Remotes can be connected at once, making for some great multiplayer fun!

What is the Wii Classic Controller?



The Classic Controller allows you to play classic games available through the Wii Shop Channel with ease. This controller is sold separately.

Wii Sports

What is Wii Sports:
This is what video games should be: fun for everyone. Wii Sports offers five distinct sports experiences, each using the Wii Remote controller to provide a natural, intuitive and realistic feel. To play a Wii Sports game, all you need to do is pick up a controller and get ready for the pitch, serve or that right hook. If you've played any of these sports before, you're ready for fun!

What are some Wii Sport Features?

• Play Tennis, Baseball, Golf, Bowling and Boxing in the comfort of one's living room. No ball boys scurrying about, no oil from the alleys to get players dirty and no rain to keep anyone from a day at the court, park or course. Use the Wii Remote controller to mimic the actions of swinging a racket, bat or club, roll a ball down an alley or bring the left jab.
• Players can use their own Mii caricatures in the game and play them against their friends' Miis for a more personalized experience. As players improve, their Miis' skill levels will increase, so that they can see exactly how much better they've become.
• People of all skill levels can pick up and play any of the games in the unprecedented Wii Sports package, making this truly a title for everyone!

Wii Menu Info



What is the Wii Menu?
The Wii console will revolutionize how people play games. But more importantly, it will entice new players into the world of video games by offering a variety of entertainment, information and communication channels that add value to the console and make it a device that the entire family can enjoy. The Wii Menu will be the first screen shown on the television, as it easily integrates itself as part of people's everyday lives.

Note that not all Channels will be available at launch.

A List of the Channels and what they do:

Mii Channel:

Fun 3-D caricatured portraits of players, or Miis, created in this channel can be used as characters across a variety of Wii software. In addition to storing Miis on the Wii, several Miis can be stored in your Wii Remote and taken to a friend's house to play on another Wii console. Each member of your family can have his or her Wii Remote personalized with their own Mii.

Forcast Channel:

This channel allows you to access free local weather forecasts after turning on the Wii console. When connected to the Internet, the WiiConnect24 service automatically updates local weather information.

This Channel can only be accessed when the Wii console is connected to the Internet.

News Channel:
You can access the most up-to-date breaking news from around the world, organized into a variety of topical categories using this channel. When connected to the Internet, the WiiConnect24 service automatically updates this free channel.

This Channel can only be accessed when the Wii console is connected to the Internet.

Wii Shop:
This is where you go to download video game content, including classic video games originally played on the NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis and NEC TurboGrafx platforms. Buy Wii Points with a credit card or redeem a Wii Points Card purchased at retail to add points to your account, then redeem points to download these Virtual Console games. You can also use points to download the Opera browser used in the Internet Channel (when available).

Internet Channel:
When available, this channel will dramatically change the relationship between your home, the television and the Internet. After downloading the Opera browser with Wii Points, you can surf the Internet right from the comfort of your couch. You can do quick research while watching a television program ("What was that actor's name again?"), or book travel plans and shop during commercials. The service is compatible with Macromedia Flash and also runs AJAX software.

This Channel can only be accessed when the Wii console is connected to the Internet.

Disc Channel:
This channel allows you to play either Wii game discs or any of the entire library of Nintendo GameCube discs you may own.

Photo Channel:
This channel allows you to retrieve digital pictures from an SD memory card inserted into the Wii console and display them on your television screen. You can also manipulate the photos in a variety of fun and creative ways, such as zooming into details or creating mosaics, puzzles or slide shows. You can even add an MP3 tune from your SD memory card to your slide shows. It provides a fun and easy outlet for you to edit and show off your digital pictures.

Wii Message Board:
Forget hand-scrawled notes tacked to the refrigerator door. You can leave messages for other family members on a calendar-based message board. You can also use WiiConnect24 to send messages to people outside your home as well. Even better, you can trade photos and text messages with cell phone users. The service also allows for incoming game-related information. Games can constantly be updated, which extends their replay value.

Virtual Console Channel:
After you download Virtual Console games from the Wii Shop Channel, each game will appear in the Wii Menu as its own Virtual Console Channel. To play the game, simply select the game's channel.

What is the Wiiconnect24 feature do?
The Wii console can communicate with the Internet even when the power is turned off. The WiiConnect24 service delivers a new surprise or game update, even if the system is idle. When you turn your Wii on each day, you'll never know what to expect! (Internet connection required).

Virtual Console Information

What is the Virtual Console?

In addition to new titles, Nintendo is making the greatest video game archive in history available for download to its Virtual Console. 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. Wii Points can be purchased online or at retail at an MSRP of $20 for 2,000 points. Additional hardware accessories, such as the Classic Controller, may be required to play Virtual Console games and are sold separately.

Controllers Compaitiblity with VC?



Platform Wii Remote Classic Controller GCN Controller
NES Yes Yes Yes
SNES No Yes Yes
N64 No Yes Yes
Genesis Some Yes Some
TurboGrafx-16 Yes Yes Some

What Games are on the Virtual Console?

• Altered Beast Sega Genesis
• Baseball NES
• Bomberman '93 TurboGrafx-16
• Bonk's Adventure TurboGrafx-16
• Columns Sega Genesis
• Donkey Kong NES
• Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine Sega Genesis
• Dungeon Explorer TurboGrafx-16
• Ecco the Dolphin Sega Genesis
• F-Zero SNES
• Golden Axe Sega Genesis
• Gunstar Heroes Sega Genesis
• Ice Hockey NES
• Mario Bros. NES
• Pinball NES
• Ristar Sega Genesis
• Sim City SNES
• Soccer NES
• Sonic the Hedgehog Sega Genesis
• Solomon’s Key NES
• Space Harrier II Sega Genesis
• Super Mario 64 N64
• Super Star Soldier TurboGrafx-16
• The Legend of Zelda NES
• Tennis NES
• Toe Jam & Earl Sega Genesis
• Urban Champion NES
• Victory Run TurboGrafx-16
• Wario’s Woods NES

These will be out by December.

[Crawler]

Awesome faqs Vahid! This is the first faq that actually kept my attention long enough to read the whole thing. I have some more info on the Wii sensor bar. The sensor bar isn't a reciever and hte wiimote isn't a transmitter. Instead the Wiimote has cameras in it that detect the LED lights from the sensor bar. You can't see the light without putting your eye right up to the sensor bar but if you record the sensor bar no matter how far away you are you will see 6 white dots 3 on each side. Go on youtube and look for home made Wii clips and you will know what I'm talking about.


Information on the Channels

Weather Channel

On December 19th the official weather channel for the Wii was launched. The weather channel is downloaded through the Wii's WiFi capabilities. You can view the world as a 3D globe and zoom into any location to find out the weather there. This channel is very usefull to people that wake up in the morning and wait untill the news channels finally show how the day is going to be like. There will be other updates for this channel later in the future so keep your eye on this thread.

[pspcrazy]

Thanks i added that in.

[Crawler]

Nooo lol the sensor bar has absolutely nothing to do with sending informatino to hte Wii console. All the sensor bar does is send LED lights that the Wiimote reads using tiny cameras (not normal cameras duhh lol) and then the Wiimote sends the information straight to the Wii. The only reason the sensor bar is connected to the wii is for power.

You don't need a sensor bar to play. You can either get a flashlight or multiple flashlights for smoother play and turn them on and put them all close to eachother or take a few remotes for your tv (about 3 or 4) tape them together and somehow tape or jam a button down on each controller or have someone hold a button down on all the controllers.

I know so much about the Wii and I don't even have one yet!