If I'm buying a Wii

[FurbysMakeSexNoises]

Give me some very basic advice please. Thinking about buying a Wii as a joint present for DS8 and DD6- there are some great bundles on eBay for second hand ones with loads of games and had thought of getting one.

However I see there's a Wiiu on the block as well which will come with fewer games and have some kind of upgrade in March.

We are not techno savvy and usually spend under 100 on each kid but DS very into computers and I love the idea of us being able to play games as a family and games DD would love.

Speak slowly for a dimwit- top tips please?

[dementedpixie]

You can play Wii games on the Wii U too. We have both and the Wii U is played more as you can play on the handheld screen even when it's not being used on the tv

[DeviTheGaelet]

Both are good.
Personally I would get a wiiU as the game pad can be used as a handheld console which is amazing when one wants to play/one wants to watch TV. You can also get Netflix on it which is handy if kids are ill.
In terms of games, lego star wars is great. Pikmin 3. Mario cart.

[atticusclaw2]

Do not buy a wii. Its now obsolete and you cannot buy the 99% of new games for it. likewise the WiiU is also about to be susperseded (new Wiiconsole coming out in march/April) and so you will be in the same position with that with fewer and fewer games being released for it.

There is a very good reason why it's cheap.

Buy a PS4 or an Xbox

[atticusclaw2]

If you must get one of them get the WiiU. It will be more expensive in the short term but will have more life in it.

[MilkTwoSugarsThanks]

Get the WiiU. It's the upgraded version of the Wii so more games available and probably easier to get, you can also play online.

I think Nintendo have a new coming out so the WiiUs are coming down in price now.

Make sure you have a lot of batteries for the controllers.

[Geretrude]

The advantage of a wii U over a wii is that the wii is now pretty old so any new games (from 2014-5 or so?) won't work on it whereas wii games work on the wii u.

The other thing is that the wii u comes with a thing called a game pad which is like a mini console so someone can play a game on that while someone else is watching the telly.

Both need hand held controllers and nunchucks to play games so factor that into your budget.

[FurbysMakeSexNoises]

Thanks for all the responses- is it even worth getting a wii or would an Xbox or DS be better?

[500internalerror]

In my experience, most x box games are for older kids - we got a second hand PlayStation3 for a reasonable price, & can pick up games cheaply. I have a wii (not that I ever have time to use it), & I like it much better, but the kids aren't as keen.
I refuse to let them play online on the PS3, as its just another thing to have to monitor.

[SloanePeterson]

We love our wiiU. Plenty of age appropriate games for our dc, and they love Mario so it was a no brainer really. We bought ours second hand two Christmases ago and it's still going strong

[atticusclaw2]

You'll get far more game choice on the Xbox (latest one) or PS4.

[atticusclaw2]

There is nothing wrong with the wiiU apart from the fact that its about to be superseded.

[bruffin]

I wouldn't got a ps4 as the choice of games for younger children are very limited, not sure about the xbox. The Wiiu would be more suitable.

[user1470997562]

We have a Wii and a Wii U. We like playing Wii Party as a family - 4 can play. You each need a remote control thing though. Don't buy the nunchucks and controls cheap on amazon - we've had fakes that don't work at all.

We also like the wii lego games (2 players). My favourites are Harry Potter, Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean. Although The Hobbit is growing on me now.

I am clueless but I look up how to play them online, with the walkthroughs. Once you know the basics, they're really good.

[atticusclaw2]

PS4 doesn't have limited games. Most new games can be played on the PS4. Its only mario and other nintendo specific games that can't and there are plenty of alternatives.

Disney infinity 1, 2 and 3
all of the lego games
all of the skylanders games
minecraft and Minecraft story mode
Rayman

etc etc

[bruffin]

Atticus
There isnt really an etc when it comes to games on ps4. Wiiu will have a much bigger range for the ops age group. Not all the lego games are out on ps4 yet.
The HP has been rereleased, but you can pop into cex and probably get the old lego on wii games to play on wiiu.
The majority of ps4 games are not suitable for 6 and 8 year olds.

[atticusclaw2]

Well a 2 minute check on amazon shows all those Ive posted plus

Battle crashers
Rocket league
Garden warfare
putty squad
monopoly
last Tinker
Little Big planet
Adventure Time
Escapists
Moto GP
Fifa
Track Mania
Rachet and Clank
Snoopy
Transformers
Gianna Sisters
Terraway
Toki Tori
Plants v Zombies
Just Dance
Lumo
Super Dungeaon Bros
Lego Movie
Shovel Knights
and there are lots more

If you played all on that list at age 8 you'd be 12 by the time you'd finished anyway...

Anyway, buy what you feel comfortable with OP. There will be games around for the WiiU for a while yet but within a couple of years all of the new games (about which the children get excited in the playground) will be unavailable and only available on the new nintendo console and so you're buying a machine that you know will be obsolete in the not too distant future.

[Geretrude]

I suppose it depends if Mario and Zelda are non-negotiables which they are in our house.

[Palomb]

I wouldn't get a Wii now. They're so out dated. Ime all kids that age want to be playing on is Minecraft!

If your budget doesn't stretch to a PS4. I'd probably buy a PS3 or Xbox 360. Tons and tons of games you can buy second hand from Amazon for less than a fiver. We got all the HP Lego games for a couple of quid each.

[dementedpixie]

There isn't proper backwards compatibility between PS3 and PS4 so you can't just put a PS3 game in the PS4 to play it so you are very much limited as to which games you could play on the PS4.

[LeavesinAutumn]

we are going for xbox one, should be some good deals soon ( hopeful) and has lots of games for this age - mine are 9 .

There are loads of games, loads for it.

[LeavesinAutumn]

I have heard on disney infinity toy box speedway is good? its supposed to be like mario cart.

[TreehouseTales]

We're thinking of getting an old wii (8 and 5 year olds) as actualky all playing together appeals to me. I dont want them individually watching TV /playing games just yet (fine when older!). Id rather they played toghter or turn taking

There are tons of v cheap games suitable for young children so it would take ages to exhaust them. They look the sort my kids would like.

As a second hand bundle they look reasonable, plus a few games. When they're older we can get whatever is the "thing" then.

[MalcolmFucker]

The new Nintendo console that is being released in March will not be a 'Wii' console. It's totally new and will not be backwards compatible, it takes cartridges not disks. There won't be any new games released after this year I think.

The Wii U is great but unless you specifically want Mario games I would get an Xbox One. We have both.

[MalcolmFucker]

If you do get a Wii definitely get Mario Kart, so much fun to play that together, you can get it in CEX for about £20, seems a lot for a second hand game but worth every penny.

Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U is amazing too, will cost a lot more tho

[LeavesinAutumn]

when people say "play together" you can do this on xbox one no?I mean we have to buy another thingy?