You may have remembered a post on this very site I made about a month ago saying Nintendo was halting production of the Wii. Well, apparently that was only for the Wii proper as Nintendo announced yesterday that the previously Canada and Europe exclusive Wii Mini would be making it’s way to the states.
What is the Wii Mini you ask? Well it’s certainly a Wii, no doubt about that. However, it’s a Wii Wii. This thing is very small and just by looking at it you can see the thing would be a nice complement to your new shiny PS4 or Xbox One if you are a casual Nintendo fan that craves some Mario action now and then but isn’t ready to shell out $300 for a Wii U.
But don’t get too excited just yet. That wonderfully small size comes at a price and that is where this thing becomes much less attractive in my opinion. Below is a list of the features removed.
- Any and all internet connectivity and features
- Gamecube Disc playback (although this was already removed from the Wii proper)
- Digital video output (yes, you can only use the A/V cables that come with it)
So as you can see, you are basically getting a box that can do nothing but play Wii games. The main issue is the internet features being removed which obviously means no virtual console which was one of the best things about the Wii over the years.
On second thought I guess this can fill the niche of those who miss the days of just putting games in systems and having them play without any of the shenanigans that modern systems can have (All those updates).
The thing is going to launch for $99.99. Here is the real kicker however. If you really and I mean REALLY want a Wii, the Wii proper is priced at $129.99 and is still readily available so unless you simply must save that 30 dollars for something special, I see no reason to buy the Wii Mini.
