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

uDraw -

This was fiddly to set up, and I was worried about breaking the controller by pushing it into the slot. Once it is in though it is fine, but DS2(7) and DD(5) aren't able to slot it in themselves. DS1(8) really enjoys this game, he will sit for hours drawing with it and is far better at it than I am!

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

Lots of fun, although DD(5) got frustrated when she couldn't change colour etc fast enough, so we gave her and DS2(7) longer than a minute to give them more of a chance

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

I quite enjoyed this, and so did DD(5), but DS1(8) and DS2(7) would rather draw things themselves.

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

Lots of fun. We played in mixed teams, with DH and DS1(8) in one team and me, DS2(7) and DD(5) in the other. DH and I played again after the kids went to bed and I beat him

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

We haven't done this properly yet, will report back when we do

Feedback part one -

1. Getting the Wii set up for the first time

This was incredibly easy. THe instructions were clear and there really isn't much faffing about. Even i could do it by myself .

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

Again this was easy as the on screen instructions talked you through it. The only complication was that i couldnt find my security code for mi wi fi

1. Creating a Wii Mii for each family member

GREAT fun, DD1 loved this, kept her busy for hours. Easy to do and fun too.

1. Setting up iPlayer (if on wifi)

I didnt know that you could do this but what a fab bonus feature. Again this was very simple to set up.

1. Adding additional Wii Remotes

I found the wii remotes provided easy enough to add. No major issues.

Alll of the set up experience was problem free.

SORRY! We did some playing then it started doing my head in-and it is too hard to troubleshoot with a 3yr old and a 5yr old (and newly crawling baby) around. Am getting dh to look now and will hopefully start challenges this week.
General - please let us know how you got on with the following:

1. Getting the Wii set up for the first time

Fine -even with excitable 3 and 5 yr olds. Thing stuck on top of telly with blu-tack - sounds pretty standard! Maybe was designed initially to sit on big telly?

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

Havent tried yet though suspect not a prob.

1. Creating a Wii Mii for each family member

LOADS of fun. Ds (3) insisted on being as tall as you can be. We had fun making everyone look as stupid as possible (this will be a theme)

1. Setting up iPlayer (if on wifi)

As above - dh went 'ohhh that would be handy' so might sort that out now...

1. Adding additional Wii Remotes

Hmm... we found this a PITA. Didn't find the two hidden buttons til ages (though dh says he didn't read any instructions).. None of them are working now.

Gonna read through the thread as we have lost our cursor so can't use it at all... perhaps someone has a solution!

Kirby's Epic Yarn - We LOVE this game- it is simple enough for dd1 (7) BUT my dp is an addict lol ~ Some nice features (ie the tags that pull the doors open, scenery back) to a platform game. the only issue i have is the annoying music. A simple sweet game.
Create a beautifully furnished room as a family, using the soft furnishings picked up throughout the game- my dd enjoyed this. I found it pointless, and you do have to collect all the furniture 1st which took dd1 a while.

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

Great fun. Although not great game play! We didn't collect much etc but had a giggle. We kept picking each other up ha ha . dd2 too young to manage controls (3). but we played in pairs.

Aha! Sensor bar is the problem. The cable has snapped or broken or something?!!!
Trying to fix now - can we get a replacement somewhere?

Nope, no fixing it! Seems to have come away from the sensor and dh is unwilling to take sensor apart. Anything you can do? Or do we need to get on ebay?

Just back from holiday and cannot get this flip camera to work! I'm getting less than 3 minutes of filming time before the batteries die and my filming is deleted.

Currently working through the tasks so will add feedback this evening hopefully.

1. Getting the Wii set up for the first time - Well DH demanded that he do it, it was done very quickly and said it was very simple.

2. Connecting the Wii to the Internet (using wifi, if you could) - Again very simple.

3. Creating a Wii Mii for each family member - Very simple and very fun, had a great time making a Mii for each member of the family.

4. Setting up iPlayer (if on wifi) - Easy, although my broadband doesn't like it for some reason, will play for a short while and then I get an error message, need to sit down and have a fiddle with it I think.

5. Adding additional Wii Remotes -Urmm easy but only when I finally read the instructions!

Overall I think the set up is excellent, mostly it was self explanatory and there was no need to even use the instruction manual.

Kirby's Epic Yarn - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges: - Personally I love this game! I'm addicted. Music is terrible although I like the sound effects, especially on the volcano level. DD (3) enjoyed trying to play it, I think with some practise she'll enjoy it even more. DS (5) wasn't too interested, neither was DH.

~ Create a beautifully furnished room as a family, using the soft furnishings picked up throughout the game - I cannot do this! I've managed it twice by mashing the controller and accidentally getting onto the furniture page, but I don't know what buttons to press to get there on purpose! Actually placing furniture once I'm on that menu is easy enough though.

~ Mum and Dad (or another adult) play together (as Kirby and Prince Fluff) followed by the children - the pair with the best score wins - We tried this but what actually happened was I played and then DD played, DS and DH lost interest. DD and I had a great time... and I won

Mario Kart - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges: - This is our favourite game, all 4 of us love it. Took DS and DD some time to get the hang of steering and pressing the buttons at the same time but even when they were going backwards they enjoyed it! DH and I have had many late night races.

~ An adult (eg Dad, Grandma) and and child race 3 times and record the best of 3 - DS challenged me and I won, he's still not entirely happy with the steering, both of us had a great time though.

~ Race a match blindfold: families divide into pairs, and one must race blindfold while the other directs them - Our DC were too young for this challenge so DH and I tried it. It was fun(ish) on the tracks but very annoying on any race where the kart could 'fall off'. Tried it but would never do it again!

uDraw - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges: Hmm an excellent idea but in reality not that great TBH. Agree that the pen would work much better as a roller ball. I hate putting the remote into the cradle, always feel like I'm going to break either the remote or the tablet and the software itself is dire, it's just boring and the music is awful. The menus are fiddly to use even for me. DS had one go and hasn't touched it since (has used Spongebob and Pictionary though). DD keeps going back to it but I get so fed up of having to change her stamps, colour etc that I end up turning it off. On its own the uDraw tablet is terrible but the other games have made it much more fun.

~ Create a drawing of a designated family member in under one minute - DD drew me - I looked like a potato, cue much hilarity from the rest of the family!

~ Create a drawing made entirely from the stamps provided in uDraw Studio - Again this was left to DD, she really enjoyed it. I did not. Swapping the stamps, colours for her every 5 seconds was very, VERY annoying!

~ Play Pictionary in teams - adults vs children, mixed teams..who wins? We had to amend this challenge a bit, one adult and one child on each time, DC were too young to play alone. We all had fun for about 30 minutes until the kids started to get bored. DH and DS won... they cheated!

~ Create teams and each team creates a Dood - the team whose Dood gets the highest score wins - still trying to convince the DC to try this, will report back!

Just Dance Jnrs - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges: The game is good but could be better, the songs aren't fabulous and it's a bit of a nightmare for my 2 to use. My eldest 2 loved trying it, DD would flay her arms around and attempt to copy the moves, DS has coordination problems and seemed to struggle but still had fun and the baby bobbed around next to them - (had some fab footage on the camera but it got deleted when the batteries died [anger]). Wonder if the adult version is more fun.

~ 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 - we had a lot of fun with this. DS especially loved picking dances for everyone. None of us were great at the actual dancing but still enjoyed it.

~ 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 - great task, we did this during a play date and all the kids LOVED it! The younger ones didn't really get it but just copied the big ones. Will definitely do this again.

~ Each family member teaches a routine to a non-family member. Points don?t matter here - it's the taking part that counts! Did this at the same time as the task above, I managed to do it with one child before they were bored and wanted to go back to the team task and told me to go away!

Really disappointed that the camera has failed us during the tasks for Just Dance Jnrs, had some great footage.

*Wii Play Motion - Challenges - let us know your overall views on the game as well as trying these challenges: We all love the games! Didn't have it long before we went on holiday so have spent most of the day today playing it. All silly and fun.

~ 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 Had difficulty with this as DS has SEN and really struggled with his younger sister being better at him at the games . Should have done it without telling them that we wanted to find a winner for each game.

~ One sibling teaches the other how to play a new mini-game (if possible) - tried to make up for the king/queen mini game fiasco by getting DS to teach DD how to play the ice cream game, they both ended up frustrated, DD could do it and wanted DS to leave her alone .

Overall we all really enjoyed the chance to be a part of this product test. I think ATM most of the games are a bit too complicated for the DC, for us to play as a family without some of us getting bored/frustrated. The DC will love being able to play on it alone though. I think in a few years time we'll have great fun playing the Wii as a family a lot more than we'll be able to do now. It's been nice for DH and I to play together in the evenings, makes a change from watching TV.

Being able to stream LoveFilm through the Wii would make me love it even more... just a suggestion!

Apologies that I haven't been able to film, I have a few clips from the early days of one controller (so lots of squabbling) on my PC that I can send to MNHQ but I have absolutely no footage on the flipcam, due to the battery issues.

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

We really like it. Great fun and, I think, the only game the adults have chosen to play when the children aren't there.

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

Good fun, but the adults definitely had to let their effort levels slide in order to make it fun for young children who wildly oversteer, get upset every time they crash etc etc.

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

Far too stressful for the children to be blindfolded, so us adults were. The children found it more fun to steer us in the wrong direction and to crash into everything. Enjoyable, but not something we'll do again I don't think!

at taking so long to get round to this!

1. Set it up with no trouble, despite being an utter techno-twit.

1. Haven't managed to do this yet as the wifi isn't working atm.

1. This was v v v fun for all concerned - even 12mo DS has his own Mii (created by DD obv) as do all 9 other members of our extended household. Everyone really enjoyed trying to get the best likeness she could and they are all recognisable as 'themselves'. Still giving almost endless entertainment round here, making Miis for visiting children and changing features all the time.

1. N/A as wifi not working - as soon as it is though I will be getting iplayer working as thats something that would be great to have.

1. Again, easy even for me to manage.

More to follow....

We're having problems with Mariokart atm - it seems to be when the controllers is used as part of the steering wheel. We can't use the B button to get the prizes from driving through the pretty boxes, the car just does a little jump instead.

Anyone got any ideas what causes this and how we can fix it?

Iwish I think it has something to do with choosing a manual or automatic car to drive. Manual uses the B button to jump & the 1 button I think to shoot prizes & Auto uses the B button to shoot prizes again I think it's that way round

1. Getting the Wii set up for the first time

Very easy, even with a 5 year old yelling in my ear to hurry up!

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

Not done that yet

1. Creating a Wii Mii for each family member

Very easy to do, and caused great amusement with DS (5).

1. Setting up iPlayer (if on wifi)

See number two

1. Adding additional Wii Remotes*

Fairly easy, though don't know whether I had a faulty remote as it broke after about a week of not very intensive use. Just back from hols, so will get to work on the challenges over the next week

Hello MN! Am posting back my camera today, after the final filming session (grandmother and me having a go at MarioKart, embarrassingly). However we have not received Just Dance yet - I feel bad for chasing as we have had so much already, but we can't review it!
Hope our little films are ok, and more challenge feedback is on its way!

Sorry satine - I've asked Nintendo about your missing game and will get back to you when I hear from them

Satine - your game should be with you in 3-4 working days, sorry for the delay

Just Dance Jnrs - Challenges - Overall, this is a catchy little game. The songs are a bit naff and tiresome (would have prefered more pop tunes), but the children liked it. Hilsrious watching them hee hee. It is not a game i would chose to buy or play.

~ 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. Erm we not manage this. DD1 a bit self conscious on this game, dd2 too young to follow it and dp well no chance. . We all tried the happy birthday though to see wht could get the highest score. DD1 won.

~ Family forms two teams of two. Each team must perform a perfectly synchronised routine and the other team must score them secretly.
we tried this in pairs, It was a giggle but again dd2 (303 couldn't follow the directioins. It was funny when we gave/lost points for various reasons of our choosing.

~ Each family member teaches a routine to a non-family member. DD1 taugh he nanny a dance. Hilarious watching her try to keep up.

Just Dance Jrs - general comments:

As others have said, it would be fab if there was a better scoring system, which remembered each player's score and tracked their improvements. This would be great for us as DD is getting better and better but still not able to beat the adults, so never gets the high score. Being able to get a higher 'Personal Best' would be great I think. I would also second the point about it being difficult to score unless you move the remote really vigorously - I've seen DD do moves perfectly and score zero because she's not doing it 'strongly' enough, which she finds frustrating.

Having said that, we LOVE this game and it is being played every day, by ALL of us! I think part of the draw for DD (4) is that the dancers on the screen are real people she can 'look up to' - she's very into dancing and is putting loads of effort into getting the moves right. It's very cute to watch! DS (2) also loves it and knows a surprising amount of the moves to his favourite songs already. I find it fantastic exercise (I don't get much!) and thoroughly enjoy it, even the cheesy songs! I like that there's a mix of difficult and easy routines, and the songs are catchy and interesting. I don't think it's poorly put together; it's obvious that a lot of thought has gone into the arrangements of the songs and the variety of moves.

Basically, we love it. Everyone who's been to the house in the last couple of weeks has been forced to play it with us too and it will definitely be up and running at our next party!

Thanks Bohica - it does seem to happen when ds1 sets it all up himself so this is a distinct possibility!

NEWGIRL HELEN - I never got Dance Jnrs either though i did get Dood

Feedback -didn't like Kirby's at all it seemed really pointless. Haven't tried it on my 5yo yet but i think it will appeal to her.

Really enjoying MarioKarts although i must be hopeless as i can't play it against other people. I found the double screen too confusing

Quite enjoy the Sports Challenges but again my hand eye coordination is hopeless. Can I report back in 3 months to see if I've improved?