First off, John's been working his butt off doing overtime for the last couple of weeks to get his drums paid off, and unbeknownst to me, was saving up for my Mother's Day gift.

JOHN GAVE ME A Wii!!!!

I am one happy mom.

:o) :o) <-- see?

This thing does everything but play DVDs and cool my energy drinks. It's backwards compatible with the all GameCube games (until now was, in my humble opinion, the finest gaming system available in terms of graphics, sound and overall game experience). The Wii games are standard disc size and loaded via a bay in the front and needs no separate loading bay for the GameCube games. I have mine lying on it's side, but it can also be used in a standing position like the PS2, which is a great space saver if you have multiple gaming systems (either in standing or lying position). The unit is about the size of a hardback book and hooks up literally within about two minutes. The left side has four ports for GameCube controllers and two memory card slots. It has additional ports for your iPod and games available for download online (including lots of old favorites), and supports wireless connectivity with the DS (*shriek of girlish glee*). Third party online gaming is expected to be available for the Wii by the end of this year. Right now the console offers 'channels', which provide an array of downloads, voting and information with an internet hookup. I have not utilized this yet; mainly I'm working on getting acclimatized to the Wiimote.

The Wiimote is a two piece unit; a remote styled controller with a wireless sensor attached via a cable to a sculpted Nunchuck (stick) controller. It communicates with the console via a thin sensor bar that sits atop the television. Because most gamers *myself included* are used to handheld controllers, getting accustomed to this new approach takes some practice and coordination. Pitifully, right now I'm about as coordinated with this thing as a blind dorkfish.

Standard controllers are available for the Wii that attach to the Wiimote, but it is my understanding that the Nintendo Wavebird GameCube controller is a great option, as it works with all of the games and is wireless. I haven't tried it for myself, though, so I can't really say, but I've heard good things. I also have not attempted to use the GameCube controllers with Wii games so I don't know if they're at all compatible, but I intend to try them out later.

The graphics and sound quality really are mindblowing. John gave me three games to go with the system and I was immediately impressed by the slick look, realistic action and gorgeous pallette. 'Sonic' has an almost 3D look to it. There are also more camera angles used than I have seen in other systems and it really helps you get into the story and action of the game. The only word for it is beautiful.

I am so loving the Wii! It's making me all kinds of nerd-happy. I have yet to reach nerd-vana, but I'm assuming that coveted plateau is achieved after one becomes less inept with the Wiimote. I'm mostly there, though. Just a few more days...

In other news...

It seems that Nintendo's patent for the original platform and Super Nintendo platform ran out a couple of years ago, and practically the moment they did, developers latched onto the technology with lightning speed and began developing more readily available, less expensive systems. I did the research and found that the FC Twin system was getting great reviews online (some at Amazon). I was reluctant at first to try it out, but John has a bunch of NES and SNES games and no system to play them on, and I was looking to get back into some Friday the 13th. It was the first game I ever managed to beat, so it's kind of a nostalgia thing for me.

The Twin turned out to be a great investment. It's an affordable system, the graphics look great and the gameplay is just the way I remember it. The sound is not perfect, but it's pretty damn close and setup takes about as much time as the Wii (two minutes - if that). It's more streamlined than the original systems and switching between the 8-bit and 16-bit games is a breeze, done via a single switch at the front/top. The Twin is single and two-player compatible, with ports for two controllers in the front. It also has two separate cartridge ports to accomodate the 8 & 16-bit games, and the controllers are lightweight and easy to use.

The console is also extremely durable. Trent & Zoe have knocked it off the shelf twice and it didn't even twitch.

I'd recommend this system to anyone who still has a bunch of the old games but is reluctant to invest in an original system. I checked into several of those that are available online via Amazon, Ebay, etc., and in some cases the cost of a vintage system is higher than the cost of the newer (non-Nintendo) versions, and there's no guarantee how long these older consoles will work or even IF they're still operational. To me, the risk outweighs the possible benefits. I haven't used any of the other second generation systems, but I can definitely say the Twin was a great investment.

John and I both love this system! We've pooled our games and have been having a great time with it.

Gotta go!