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

Helen We have done some filming, but it was in the early days with just the single controller so lots of squabbling about whose turn it was - probably not what Nintendo have in mind!

Some challenge feedback:

Kirby's Epic Yarn:

I love this game, although I hadn't expected to. It's deceptively complex and a bit addictive (). DD1 loves it too but is only 5 and so gets very frustrated as she can't make Kirby do what she wants him to. She loves the furnishing bit best but often has to get me to help her. We like the whole soft furnishings look to the game. DS loves the bit where Kirby turns into a tank.

~ Create a beautifully furnished room as a family, using the soft furnishings picked up throughout the game
Not sure we're doing the right bit, but we're furnishing the one room flat. As I said, DD1 loves this part of the game but finds the detail of the controls needed a bit beyond her. She also finds it odd that Kirby can sit on the sofa but not climb on other stuff - or maybe we just don't know how yet.

~ Mum and Dad (or another adult) play together (as Kirby and Prince Fluff) followed by the children - the pair with the best score wins
Really sorry but our DCs are too little (5 and 3yo) to both play Kirby. But Dp and I had a fine time playing Kirby together! The multiplayer aspect to the Wii is what really sets it apart from earlier consoles - it really does feel like you're spending time with the person you're on the Wii with, rather than just playing or watching them play alone.

I think this is a game we'll come back to. I think it will reward time spent on it, but the DCs are that bit too young to appreciate it yet.

Hello Mumsnet. This is Mr IHeartKingThistle. The real IHeartKingThistle said I have to answer these questions, as I did the setting-uppy stuff.

1. Getting the Wii set up for the first time

Very easy, took no more than a couple of minutes and most of that was undoing those funny little sandwich bag tie things they always wrap round wires

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

Again, very easy. I didn't realise it had wireless, so much more advanced than the consoles we owned in days of yore

1. Creating a Wii Mii for each family member

Soooo much fun. We had to go back and tweak them a few days later, they're uncanny now. A little more tricky to make accurate Miis for the kids, a lot easier for adults

1. Setting up iPlayer (if on wifi)

Yep, very easy once the wireless was set up

1. Adding additional Wii Remotes

Easy enough, but frustrating to have to do it every time you turn on the Wii. Would be much better if it remembered them from last time, and then you'd only have to change the order if you really need to. Will have to invest in a docking stations too, these batteries are costing me a fortune.

That's it from Mr IHKT, normal service will be resumed shortly. Oh and buy the way I also Heart King Thistle, but I Heart Daddy Pig more :)

IHeartDaddyPig is embarrassed that he can't spell 'by'

I have been dancing with DD all afternoon and my arms feel weak as a kitten! Why is it so hard to get any points on the ABC song?

Mr IHeartKingThistle We've not had to add our additional remotes every time we turn on the wii - they're all part of the system now, not sure why you have to do that because I would find that v. annoying too!

Our camera return envelope arrive today - can I just confirm that it's to be sent to MNHQ?

AnnMumsnet --- I am slowly working my way through the challenges and will be providing feedback, but I wanted to let you know I am in hospital as of tomorrow for about a week for an op so wont be able to do it for a little while.

Is this ok?

I don't want anyone to think I'm not fulfilling my side of the bargain.

Jaquelinehyde - yes, that's fine, hope the op goes well.
IWIWMO - yes, there should already be an address on the envelope? If there isn't and you need our address, let me know

just dance junior

did this one over the weekend,finished yestersay when we grabbed some non family members

the song selections for each person were interesting! but we were quite kind,selecting 'wheels on the bus' for the 3 yr old. its sometimes hard to collect points,but i guess the whole point is to improve co-ordination etc. we all ached the next day!! my older dc loved it as i suspect it was quite easy for them (teens)

teaching a routine. so we assumed this part of the challenge was to help with the screen routine? wasnt sure as the routines are all up on screen ready.

non family member.....we grabbed dc friends. the boy was reluctant to foin in ,but scored highest and he was sat down! dd and her friend (both 15) did best out of it

we have since bought the 'just dance' normal version,harder with better song choice. but enjoyable,especially for the teens. all my boys loved kung fu fighting best and yes,'who let the dogs out'. typical!

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

Generally well-liked. The 3 yr old gets confused and hasn't yet mastered the controls well enough to play a reasonable two player game, but it's good that there's very little 'peril' and no time constraints so even young children can get a good game going. The 6 yr old likes it a lot, and will happily go through the same levels again and again. I think it's very cute, and will happily help the children get through trickier bits.

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

Done, but the adults weren't very interested in collecting soft furnishings etc, and the boys have no flair for interior design.

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

Some success here, but quite a bit of squabbling and frustration for the children. The 3 yr old is not capable of keeping up with a 6 yr old, and wasn't competitive enough. He enjoyed pootling around the game on his own, just looking at the things and sometimes pressing the right combination of buttons to collect the gems etc.

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

Not very popular, really. I'm the only one that was keen to have a go, DH was too self-conscious to do it properly. The boys have never asked to play it, and every time I've suggested it, they've moaned and had to be 'encouraged'. I don't think they like the music. I don't like it having had a few goes. Seems a bit shoddily produced, and the music is irritating.

~ 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

I was always going to win this, because I'm the only one with the ability and willing to have a proper go. The 3 yr old wasn't able to keep up with the dancing on screen so just shook the controller around and got a low score, the 6 yr old didn't put in much effort when he realised his dad was embarrassed to dance properly so he followed suit, and DH felt like a fool prancing around.

~ 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.

Not much fun to be had here. I enjoyed myself, and I had the 3 yr old on my team so we messed around until our song was over. DH and 6 yr old were far less keen, and it was actually painful to watch them limping through to the end of a routine they didn't want to do.

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

I don't understand how I could teach anyone to do a routine. Friends with children came round, so we put it on, but I felt silly telling them what to do when the whole point of the game is to copy what happens on the screen. Was I supposed to learn a routine by heart and show them before putting the game on? If so, there's no way I would do that. The adult friends didn't want to play at all, so we didn't force them. The 6 yr old was happy enough doing it with his friends ie when we weren't sat there just watching him, and he did have a go at explaining a few techniques to his mates, but the 3 yr old couldn't teach anything to anyone.

Just to let you know we has a request of "Can we play the Wii, Mum?" which must mean that the sun has gone in a bit and DD6 is getting into it. We set up the extra remotes which was really exciting for her, even to the point of learning the + and - on the batteries. (She's never done it before - I told you we were luddites.)
We thought the new controllers lighting up and searching for the signal was like a scene out of the Iron Giant. Great fun. It took a little while to get everything synched up though but we just about averted it going on too long.
WE started on a few of the fun little dances on JustDance. All very age appropriate and fun to do together but I don't think the choreographer took my pelvic floor into account.
DD then spent quite a while on the Yarn thingy, with DH joining in and they had great fun together.

Our extra controllers and other games have now turned up

I am glad to hear it - have fun with them :)

Great MrsSnaplegs - thanks for letting us know - enjoy!

Oh that's good to here Mrs we still haven't had ours, Helen was chasing them for Us. Any news on that Helen?

Just chasing up for you now Bohica

We are going on holiday tomorrow - can I finish adding my feedback about the challenges when I get back next week? Am camping so no telly or computer!

Yes, that's fine scootergrrrl - happy camping!

DH and DD(6) had a little play of the Kirby's Yarn today. DH likes it as it is "gentle" (he is a very gentle man). They did pretty well and are now stuck on a section.

We are getting a bit used to it now and I no longer insists that we all dress in white like the family on the box...

Have just picked up The Motion game from the post office today - I've been away for the last 10 days so will endeavour to use it tonight before i have to send the camera back. I too have failed miserably in using a flip camera.

Overall I find the Wii Games a bit too hard for most of my children - the oldest is 5 and can do some of the Spongebob exercises but gets frustrated about not being able to do them in the time. I find it to hard too. [hopeless emoticon]

My 3 year old has become a dab hand at sword play after a wet afternoon with his dad and seemed to enjoy that a lot more than the draw pad, although he keeps wanting to try it, it's hard to leave him to get on with it. My feelings on it mirror other feedback posters - it's not intutive, the pen should work when held like a pen, though i do like it's responsiveness to rocking, shaking and tilting.

MarioKarts has been fun and we alll enjoy driving rather hopelessly. If Ninetendo is hoping these games will work for younger children they need to have a slower setting to reduce the frustration and enable them to 'win' more quickly.

oh I also meant to say I never got Dance jnrs which was disappointing as i thought it was the game my dd would most enjoy

mario cart

Well this has been a favourite with us all!

Adult and child best of 3... Did this over and over with all combinations. As I'm only adult I had to substitute a teen as an extra adult. So competitive, bur not too much in the way of bad losers. Takes ages for everyone to choose character/bike/car. A very basic track which is 'easy' would be great, as my 3 year old can't keep up

Blindfold challenge.... We were looking forward to this and we all spent a rainy afternoon having a laugh. Last everyone, but good fun.

Love the game, can't fault it really. The wheel doesn't seem to help with scores tho, I still come in last!

As DP is playing Wii motion with the girls another thought struck me - many of the games rely on scoring in terms of points or time & some of that is way beyond their understanding. DD1 scores so few points on Dance juniors for example, that it doesn't really register on the 'box' - even though she has a few hundred points. It adds to the frustration

Just Dance Jnrs - 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 - Ds1 and I had loads of fun doing this but I would win every time (and I'm not much of a mover!) if I didn't stop using my right hand for half of the song!. DH is painful to watch - he doesn't like this type of game at all, so barely puts any effort in. DS2 is 3 and enjoys jumping around like a loon but can't keep up with the dances very well

~ 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. - This is a bit tricky with the ages of our ds's (5 and 3) as we're still way off having any perfectly synchronised routines but we did have fun making up categories for scoring points - the best hula hips and furthest poking out tongue (DH does this when he's concentrating!) were my favourites!

~ Each family member teaches a routine to a non-family member. Points don?t matter here - it's the taking part that counts! We've not had anybosy round to visit since this game arrived so couldn't try this one

Mario Kart - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges: This is by far the favourite game in this house. DS1 would play it all day every day if he had the chance! Oddly ds2 is happy just to watch or hold an extra controller that's not included in the game at the time. DS1 is very competitive but is getting better at not being such a brat quite so upset when he doesn't win.

~ An adult (eg Dad, Grandma) and and child race 3 times and record the best of 3 DS1 (who's played this rather a lot) challenged DH (who hasn't!) and DS1 was thrilled to win!

~ Race a match blindfold: families divide into pairs, and one must race blindfold while the other directs them Another tricky one as our dc don't know left and right reliebly yet! DH and I tried but we were much too slow at giving and following instructions to make it work very well. It wasn't so bad on tracks where you couldn't fall off, but still extremely frustrating!

*uDraw - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges:) The tablet was very fiddly to get the controller to fit in (dc couldn't manage it) and the pen had to be held vertical to get it to work which is awkward, especially for small hands.

~ Create a drawing of a designated family member in under one minute This could be done, but not very accurately in that time as we found the swapping pens, nib sizes and colours alla bit fiddly - all of ds1's drawings of people look incredibly similar!

~ Create a drawing made entirely from the stamps provided in uDraw Studio This is ds2's favourite part of this - lots of pages filled with different vehicles are his favourite

~ Play Pictionary in teams - adults vs children, mixed teams..who wins? Adults every time as ds's can't read the clues and don't know what a lot of the things are even in the junior section. This game will become much more fun as they get older.

Kirby's Epic Yarn -

we are really having problems getting into this game. DD(5) isn't remotely interested in it, which suprised me as I expected her to be the "target market". DS2(7) started playing it when it first came but has lost interest.

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

This was quite simple to do, and DD did start to suggest things, but she soon got bored and had trouble using the controller to do it herself. It was just a struggle to get them interested!

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

Again, they just weren't that interested. DH was bored by it very quickly, as were DS1(8) and DS2(7). DD(5) just can't get the hang of it. I even waited until it was chucking it down with rain outside in the hope that they would welcome something to do, but DS2 actually switched it off so that he could read his book! They just aren't that interested in it.