My First Wii Challenge - feedback thread (open to non testers too - you could win 2 Wii games)

[AnnMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the MNers taking part in the "My First Wii Challenge" with Nintendo and Mumsnet. You may recall we asked for willing volunteers to try a Wii for 4 weeks and to add their feedback to a thread on Mumsnet. They've been adding lots of feedback already but this is now the 'official' feedback thread.

The families have been playing the following games: uDraw GameTablet with uDraw Studio, Pictionary and Spongbob, Mario Kart, and Kirby's Epic Yarn. They have also just got Wii Play Motion and Just Dance Jnrs.

We have some challenges and feedback questions for you - do let us know how you got on with set up of the Wii and also try the challenges and see what you think and let us know. Do state the ages and genders of your LO's when posting your reply.

General - please let us know how you got on with the following:

1. Getting the Wii set up for the first time

1. Connecting the Wii to the Internet (using wifi, if you could)

1. Creating a Wii Mii for each family member

1. Setting up iPlayer (if on wifi)

1. Adding additional Wii Remotes

Kirby's Epic Yarn - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges:

~ Create a beautifully furnished room as a family, using the soft furnishings picked up throughout the game

~ Mum and Dad (or another adult) play together (as Kirby and Prince Fluff) followed by the children - the pair with the best score wins

Just Dance Jnrs - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges:

~ Each family member to assign a dance to another member of the family. The family must then hold a dance off. The family member with the highest score wins

~ Family forms two teams of two. Each team must perform a perfectly synchronised routine and the other team must score them secretly. After each team has performed their routine the scores can be opened. Each family should decide on some things to award extra points for, such as enthusiasm, the best faces pulled while dancing etc.

~ Each family member teaches a routine to a non-family member. Points don?t matter here - it's the taking part that counts!

Mario Kart - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges:

~ An adult (eg Dad, Grandma) and and child race 3 times and record the best of 3

~ Race a match blindfold: families divide into pairs, and one must race blindfold while the other directs them

Wii Play Motion - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges:

~ Crown each member of the family king or queen of one mini game. The challenge is to find one game that each family member excels at

~ One sibling teaches the other how to play a new mini-game (if possible)

uDraw - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges:

~ Create a drawing of a designated family member in under one minute

~ Create a drawing made entirely from the stamps provided in uDraw Studio

~ Play Pictionary in teams - adults vs children, mixed teams..who wins?

~ Create teams and each team creates a Dood - the team whose Dood gets the highest score wins

If you already have a Wii, please do let Nintendo know what you think of these games and of your use as a family of the Wii - add your views here or try some of the challenges and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one lucky winner will receive two Wii games!

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Wii Play Motion
I've not had chance to play this with the boys yet but DH and I have just had a go for the first time and thought that it was great fun! We've just been invited to the theatre tomorrow so ds's are staying overnight tomorrow with the IL's which means I'm unlikely to get any filming done of this one - sorry.
Good clear instructions on the whole, the only one that we struggled with was the ghost catching!!
Lots of different ways to use the Wii remote, no fiddling around with adding nunchicks or udraws or anything, just good simple fun!

Collision

We've not had an envelope yet, but I've just checked our filmers notes and it does say that they need to be returend to:
Ann McIntyre - Mumsnet
Studio 6, Deane House Studios,
Greenwood Place, Highgate Road,
London NW5 1LB

I was going to hold on a few days and then post it if no sign of an envelope, but as you're away it might be best just to pack it upi yourself and send it there

All this technology is looking very lovely, but with the sun beating down (and reflecting off the TV screen) it's not quite the weather for indoor fun...

Come November (or more like some time next week) when it's cold and dark and I don't have to pull all the blinds to watch something on't telly then we might be getting more use from it.

oh - and we still have to wear white when we play it... We do like to live in Advert-land...

Here's the first bit of our feedback:

1. Getting the Wii set up for the first time. Really easy.

1. Connecting the Wii to the Internet (using wifi, if you could) Easy but takes up a lot of memory.

1. Creating a Wii Mii for each family member. Easy and great fun.

1. Setting up iPlayer (if on wifi) Easy. Why didn't I now you could do this! Would've bought a wii ages ago if I'd known. Takes up loads of memory though

1. Adding additional Wii Remotes The supplied ones were easy but we borrowed an old white one which wouldn't permanently connect to the new wii

The lack of memory is proving an issue. Dood's big adventure has taken up so much we had to delete iplayer, dh is buying an sd card. Would love to have more things to watch, lovefilm etc.

Oh no, postman knocked with a Nintendo package, children were actually playing Dood when it arrivd & they all squeeled with excitement at Just dance Jnr finally arriving & it wasn't in the package,
Wii play motion & red controller were in the package though so thank you.

Did Dance Jnr & motion arrive in seperate packages?

No, we got everything altogether.

Got my envelope this morning which was fab timing. Camera has been posted so I hope some footage is usable.

kirbys epic yarn

furnished the room with a flower throne,crystal and chandelier,as well as afountain! sat for a nice rest on the throne,and fell asleep. kirby was snoozing,much to ds 1 and 3's delight! cute

i played with dd,and was an epic fail! ds1 who is 12 and ds2 age 3 won easily. ds1 seemed to know what to do very quickly,probably skills he has picked up off xbox.

this game is popular with my boys! no comment about the girly pink packaging. once the game is on,everyone loves it,but faced with a choice of games from our selection,it doesnt seem to get chosen!! its quite tricky. the teens play it for ages because they just wont be beaten!

Bohica.....yes,ours arrived in two seperate packages

Phew thanks ILove The DC have only just gone up to bed after a dinner of fish & chips & an hour trying to beat their dad on the ice cream tower Wii motion game.

I'm pleased that their was an option to choose right or left handed on the stone skimming & Wii port resort as DD is struggling with a few games due to her being left handed.

We furnished a room on Kirby today but DC wern't that bothered about doing it & I have to go through the game & find some furniture for them. They love the general wandering around the game but don't understand that the coins & items are essential to winning

General -

1. *Getting the Wii set up for the first time

Very easy to set up, didn't encounter any problems.

1. Connecting the Wii to the Internet (using wifi, if you could)

Again no problems with this

1. Creating a Wii Mii for each family member

The kids loved doing this and despite their ages managed to choose all the features they wanted. They love being able to play games with their wii mii's!

1. Setting up iPlayer (if on wifi)

This has been a fabulous feature especially being able to download things like BBC iplayer. Again this was really easy to use and figure out.

1. Adding additional Wii Remotes

Not as straight forward to do without checking the instructions which DH doesn't tend to do once we followed the instructions all was clear!

Right - back from a quick trip to find the remaining games and blue & red remotes; am relieved there's no pink in there as that would probably lead to endless squabbles as to which DD (nearly 3 and nearly 5) would get to use it

1. Getting the Wii set up for the first time: very straightforward; no problems to report and nothing to say about that really*

2. Connecting the Wii to the Internet (using wifi, if you could) easy, but disconnected again as don't really have any need to use it this way and don't want to use iPlayer too much (we have a very basic broadband package)

3. Creating a Wii Mii for each family member Good fun; now need to add lots more people that we know so that we get our friends on the baseball team and avoid bearded Mike

4. Setting up iPlayer (if on wifi) see 2

5. Adding additional Wii Remotes completely straighforward after reading the instructions; not quite so easy trying to do it by instinct; we were a bit mystified as to why the remote numbering was shuffled around. Would have made more sense to remain in the order that they were added - so boring black remote would have stayed the 'master' remote, rather than the funky blue one which is obviously preferred by the kids

One more general oddity we found is that there is no intuitive way to exit the discs easily & quickly. The "home" button does the trick, but why have an "exit" button on screen that doesn't actually let you exit.

Lots of rain tomorrow, so will have a crack at the challenges - today was far too sunny to spend watching a screen

Tester, although might have namechanged since testers were conformed.

I have 3 DS's - DC1 (5.5yrs) DS2 (4yrs) & DS3 (2yrs)

Kirby's Epic Yarn -
The older two kids absolutely loved this game! They . My have played Super Mario Brothers at their cousin's previously and they liked that this game was similar in that they could complete different levels and go into different worlds. The only downside to this is that it is only a 2 player game, this isn't a problem at the moment as DS3 is too young for this one.

Just Dance Jnrs -
This is great for all ages, I was amazed to see my 3 DS's all stood in a row following the dance moves (My boys can move). My youngest could play because he could copy the screen. Fab because it is a 4 player game which saves arguments.

Agree with WiiNetter, if you could use your mii characters for this it would improve the game.

As parents we liked that they could create their own playlists and it encouraged them to move about and exercise. My DH would prefer it if the songs were sung by the actual artists. He actually joined in with the boys dancing, he couldn't resist. Another family hit

Mario Kart
The two older boys love this game, my youngest holds a remote and thinks he is playing . DS2 (4yrs) particularly likes any of the games with Mario in them and has now taken to sleeping with a mario figure held tightly in hand! Again a game for all the family, it can get confusing for the younger ones remembering which screen is them when playing more than 2 players.
Myself & DH also enjoyed playing, it can get quite addictive and i've had to intervene when DH was getting a little too competitive

I'll be back with our feedback for udraw tablet and wii motion......
My two older DS's love colouring and I thought they'd be desperate to get going on the udraw but they haven't bothered with it so far.

We operate a system of colours in our family so we all know whose is whose for clothes hangers, towels etc. I now need to buy wii remotes and steering wheels in different colours for the boys to prevent arguments!

Not conformed, confirmed

Firstly, can I say wow, and then wow again generally at this whole wii trial - I have been blown away by it. I've got two children - dd aged 7 and ds aged 8.

To answer the specific questions first:

1. The wii was really easy to set up. The 'quick set up' guide is very handy when surrounded by bouncing children just desperate to have their first go, and the diagrams of what goes where are very easy to follow. Just plug three wires into the TV, plug the wii into the power socket and bob's your uncle!

1. Connecting to the wifi Internet took a little longer (of course you don't have to do this, you can play all the games happily without being connected). it wasn't hard, but there were lots of steps involved. I'm still unclear as to the big advantages of being connected whilst playing games, but I guess you may be able to compete with other people in some more grown up games.

1. We all loved creating wii miis and in fact the children often return to tweak theirs slightly (when dd noticed that she had gained some freckles after a day in the sun one of her first actions was to add them to her wii mii). Unsuspecting guests have been coerced into making them, too!

1. Iplayer was an unexpected bonus (and is why I connected to the Internet, actually!) and again was easy enough to set up, if a little long-winded! No more watching stuff on the lap top!

1. The new wii remotes are easy to set up - you press two buttons simultaneously, one on the console and one on the remote to sync them. Just a tiny suggestion - it would be nice if something beeped just to confirm that the sync had been successful. I still have no idea whether I have to press them for 1 or 20 seconds!

I'll post my challenge feedback later, but I will say that overall, the wii has surpassed all my expectations. I hadn't bought one because I had thought that a) it would be a 5 minute wonder, b) that the games would be too violent or solitary (being a typical middle class mum I thought I would fret that the children weren't outside in the fresh air etc) and c) I didn't want a huge console with controllers and wires all over the place but we all play together quite often, and the children play together on it with hardly any bickering, the games are quite physical and not at all violent and the console is very discreet indeed!

My boyfriend and I spent a very happy couple of hours yesterday playing lots of the sports and wii motion games, and that's with no children in the house! I'm really thrilled with it.

Right, games feedback.

Kirby's Epic Yarn.

This is the big hit of the package - much to my surprise and frustration. The kids love it to the point of obsession, dh is a seasoned pc gamer of old and has spent countless hours helping the dc with difficult bits etc.

I've found it a bit frustrating because I imagined the 'wii experience' to be about the family leaping about doing team games together but this has been more like old fashioned gaming. As I said on the other thread, if I hear "just let me finish this level" one more time I will gnaw my own limbs off in frustration. That said, it was fun watching the kids trying to teach Nanny and Grandad how to play yesterday.

dh says the graphics, music and fun bits are great for the dc and especially important is that if you can't do the tricky bits you can still move on with the game.

Aagh just got back from holiday and seen the thread! So much Wii-ing to do!

Will be back...

We got a Wii last months and DS plays Mario Kart A LOT! He is 4.

Getting the Wii set up for the first time was no problem and was quick to do. We haven't tried to connect the Wii to the Internet as DS is too young for that, in our opinion. We have created a Wii Mii for each family member, which DS figured out how to do on his own and he often sits making up new ones just for fun!
We only have the one remote and so haven't added another.

Mario Kart is excellent and the seemingly limitless amount of tracks and games keeps DS amused for hours.

1. Getting the Wii set up for the first time

It looked very easy. DH is pretty familiar with the back of the TV, so it was a quick and painless process. I might have taken longer to suss it out, but I know I could have done it on my own.

1. Connecting the Wii to the Internet (using wifi, if you could)

Slightly troublesome, we had to look some instructions up on the internet because our wireless router seemed to be of an unusual sort, but once we had solved the problem we could get connected quickly.

1. Creating a Wii Mii for each family member

Fun, and the children love seeing themselves on the screen. My Mii has mysteriously widened since I approved it.

1. Setting up iPlayer (if on wifi)

No problems once we'd sorted out the wireless router, and the children like watching CBBC through it.

1. Adding additional Wii Remotes

Not as easy as we imagined, so we had refer to instructions. I'm not sure why, but one of the remotes kept being dropped off the list, but it seems to have stayed on there for a week or so now without disappearing so perhaps we did something different the last time.

MN and Nintendo - I'm sorry but we're giving up with the filming. We tried again today with a new set of batteries and straight away the battery ligth on the camera was on red so we get about 10 secinds of filming before the camera switches itself off.

Just Dance Junior is a hit here - but ds1 (5) really dislikes the childrens songs - he finds them just too childish. DS2 really doesn't care what songs he dances to, but is copying ds1 a lot atm so now refuses to do any of the more child orientated songs!

The more adult songs that they are trying are too quick for them really, If I play with them I win (and I'm not much of a mover!) unless I stop moving the hand with the controller for about half of the song!! It would be good to have bigger picture prompts of what actions we're meant to be doing ds's hadn't even noticed the small ones that are there until I pointed them out.

Why aren't they the original copies of the songs - I think it would seem far more professional if they were.

I agree that being able to use our Mii's would really make this game!

1. Getting the Wii set up for the first time

This was actually a bit of a challenge for us as it didn't work on our main television. We have had to set it up in our bedroom - thankfully we have a second TV, if we didn't this would have been a major issue. The problem we have with the main TV is it is an older, rear projection one which we have to use a universal remote for. Not normally an issue and we have a DVD player set up so we know the SCART sockets all work but it wouldn't connect to the Wii for some reason. i think this has impacted the wholes way we as a family have been involved in this project as having it in the bedroom means it doesn't get as much use. I know my husband has shown little interest, only really on the first day and as he and the children spend most of their time donwstairs or outside it isn't in plain sight as a prompt to be played. Also having it in the bedroom means the times of day it would be easy for my DD and i to do so together without worrying about the baby (ie when he is asleep) just can't happen because of the noise she makes we worry about waking him.

1. Connecting the Wii to the Internet (using wifi, if you could)

No problems at all with this, simple and easy to follow instructions.

1. Creating a Wii Mii for each family member

Again easy to do, my 5 yr old Dd loves doing this and as it was during the tour de France we have one called Cav after Mark Cavendish - she saves him for cycling!!

1. Setting up iPlayer (if on wifi)

Again easy to do, however not really used it. Only for listening to radio shows we have missed whilst we are ironing.

1. Adding additional Wii Remotes

Didn't receive any so can't feedback on this - again I think this would have helped as only having one controller has meant only 1 person playing at a time with the others sat around watching

Kirby's Epic Yarn - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges:

~ Create a beautifully furnished room as a family, using the soft furnishings picked up throughout the game

slowly working our way through but DD gets very frustrated when she can't do something, she will only play games with me as DH not interested so she has to wait for me to get home from work or weekends

~ Mum and Dad (or another adult) play together (as Kirby and Prince Fluff) followed by the children - the pair with the best score wins
Only one controller so couldn't do this

Just Dance Jnrs - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges:

Didn't receive Just Dance juniors, a real shame as I thought this one would be the most fun however as the Wii is in the bedroom not a huge amount of space

Mario Kart - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges:

~ An adult (eg Dad, Grandma) and and child race 3 times and record the best of 3
only one controller

~ Race a match blindfold: families divide into pairs, and one must race blindfold while the other directs them

DD and I have both struggled with the coordination required for Mario, I'm ok but she is terrible, really struggles to grasp the concept of how to use the wheel and hence drives off the track all the time, comes last and then decides she isn't enjoying it so asks for something else on

Wii Play Motion - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges:

Think I have missed something - not sure we have this - we got Wii Sports resort.

uDraw - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges:

This has been by far the most popular game/ add on. DD will always ask for this first and loves playing pictionary with me. Spongebob again ot a huge success as she can't do the challenges so makes me do them for her.

~ Create a drawing of a designated family member in under one minute
Easy to acheive although I am sure I don't look like that!!

~ Create a drawing made entirely from the stamps provided in uDraw Studio

• This was one of the first things she did and we have lots of "fairy lands" with toadstools and butterflies. Really easy and fun

~ Play Pictionary in teams - adults vs children, mixed teams..who wins?
Although DD can't read fluently this has been great, we just adapt so the adult does the drawing and she has to guess. She is great at guessing even the most bizarre drawings! She has tried doing it so she reads the lcue herself to do the drawing but it kind of gives the game away when you acan here her spelling it out phonetically and then saying it alouds to herself when she gets it!

~ Create teams and each team creates a Dood - the team whose Dood gets the highest score wins

again we don't seem to have found this bit on pictionary - will look for it later

Overall I don't think this has been the success we thought it would be, we certainly haven't "played together as a family" mainly I think due to the location of the Wii in the bedroom. I think if the children were older and could play on their own with it then it would be fine but at 5 nearly 6 yrs old she needs someone to help her play most things. For a family that haven't really been into the computer games thing it has been a real challenge to get into it. She will happily play on her Ds on her own and I think if she had older cousins or siblings around to help her it would be fine. We live miles fromother family and grandparents so only get to see them twice a year and most of her friends are her age or younger so all need help. The biggest success has been the Udraw once she got the hang of it as she can do that on her own without a grown up, anything else she has to wait for me to help. The one we have enjoyed "as a family" which I think will be better when we can get other controllers is the Wii Sports, even my DH joined in that one! We have tried each of the sports and as our coordination gets better it gets easier.
The other thing I noticed was at one point we did have to limit time on the Wii as it seemed the more DD played on it the more "difficult" she got, lots of answering back, not doing what she was told, general naughtiness. Once time on it was limited we got our good little girl back! Probably not what Wii want to hear but at least we are being honest.

Videoing - we seem to have had the same battery problem as others, we have done some videoing, DD then managed to delete a load and when we went back to use it the batteries were flat. We need to replace them again to see if we can get it to work. Have to say good job we were not reveiwing the camera otherwise it would have got a real slating!

Collision - has your bag arrived yet? I've just asked the client when these were all sent out.

IwishIwasmoreorganised - sorry about that, will let Nintendo know that you haven't been able to film

Tester, DD 2&4 (nearly 3&5): Just Dance Jnrs I really want to like this game and it does provide some good fun. However, the concept of it is less than perfect. Points seem to be scored by how vigorously the remote is moved around: with 2 little ones their range of movement is limited and doesn't seem to be sufficient to trigger any points, even if they do the moves well. Any family contest is thus really frustrating as DD1 dances her heart out and only gets a few points.

At one point she gave up and watched me dance (ok, that is hilarious) while swinging the remote from the strap round her wrist - SHE OUTSCORED ME!! As others have said, the idea is excellent - but many missed opportunities

The challenges are a non-starter as DD's really only enjoy it at the most superficial level and interest only lasts 4 songs or so

Kirby's Epic Yarn The music drives me mad, but it seems to be the game that grabs the attention for longest. DD2 is mesmerized watching DD1 and DP play. DD1 really needs the help to get through and both get a bit frustrated at times. Sofar they've only moved up to level 2 (or whatever it is called) but have managed to furnish Kirby's flat with a fluffy sofa, a chandelier and some other bits.. it looks like an awful lot more time will need to be spent on this to get any decent scores/snazzy apartment and I'm afraid I don't have the patience for it...

MrsSnapLegs We're on holiday for a couple of weeks from the end of this week. Do you want me to post you our Just Dance Jrs so you can have a go with it? I can't understand why you havent got one though. It all seems a bit random.

Scooter thanks but we'll be okay just would have been nice to try the extra controllers and such but we will be away visiting family soon, thank you anyway
It is dd birthday next month so we plan to get some games she may be more interested in eg Rio, Tangled etc she seems very keen on them when we are out so will plan that into birthday spends on her