One of the many great features about the Wii is that it is compatible with plenty of old games. Many are already quite familiar with the many Virtual Console games which allow you to play NES, SNES, N64, Megadrive and other platform titles on the Wii. Of course, players will have to use the classic controller in order to play the games properly.

But one great feature of the Wii that is being overlooked is that it can play GameCube games. There are four dedicated ports on the system to plug in the old GC controllers and 2 memory card slots for save file access. No need to worry about the smaller GameCube discs, simply pop them into the disc tray and the Wii will automatically center it for you. If you are asking, ‘what is so good about the GameCube?’ -here is a quick list of our top picks.

Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader

No fan of this generation-transcending work of science fiction can go without experiencing the amazing gameplay that Rogue Leader has to offer. Featuring plenty of amazing voice over work, sound effects that seem to pop right out of the move and a gameplay that truly places you in the heat of the action, this game takes Star Wars interactivity to a whole new level. The game also features a whole array of ships ranging from the well known X-Wing to the more obscure A-Wing as players fly off in missions that coincide with the events of the original trilogy.

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

We have a love-hate relationship with this game. Silicon Knights was given plenty of freedom with the remake of the original Metal Gear Solid game for the Playstation and had it graphically updated for the GameCube. The result is a visually stunning work of art that comes pretty close to the graphics for Sons of Liberty on the PS2. The gameplay has also been adjusted to bring in controls and functions available in the PS2 sequel.

The downside is that the Knights had a little too much freedom with Twin Snakes. While the general storyline has not been changed, minor character details have been adjusted. Otacon has become a Nintendo fanboy, Snake has turned into a bit of an acrobat –among others. While the canon story has not been altered, fans of the series felt that the changes were too out of character. Still, for those who have yet to play the MGS series, this title is a great way to be initiated into the world of stealth based action gameplay.

Animal Crossing

Oh, we already know, there is Animal Crossing: Wild World for the Wii. But somehow, nothing beats the charm and feel of the original AC for the GameCube. Most importantly, this is a great way for old GC owners to continue their towns and their game. The GC version of this life simulation game plays a lot simpler and less stylized than the newer version –which is something that a lot of the older fans of the series would appreciate. In any case, if you have been missing out on KK Slider’s weekend concerts and are not planning to play the new AC game, this might be the best time to take the game out of storage and pop it in for a trip back to your town.

Everybody loves to talk about the many multiplayer aspects of the Wii, how impressive the system is for entertaining plenty of people and how well it functions for the family in general. But for standard two player games – that is an issue that is often unanswered yet much valued by hardcore players. So today, we are giving you our favorite cooperative games for the Nintendo Wii. Of course, with plenty of great two player campaigns available on the Wii, we’ve decided to serve up a pair of titles that will really want to make you work with a friend: a couple of the best horror games.

Obscure: the Aftermath

Survival horror games tend to lose their fright factor when there’s more than one player –take Resident Evil 5 for example. But there are times when even having more company doesn’t take the fright away. Enter “Obscure: the Aftermath”. This scary little masterpiece is a sequel to the original Obscure and introduces players to the two survivors of the first game and a whole new bunch of college coeds.

The game is scary, disturbing and frantic. When a bizarre sexually transmitted demonic plague starts creeping about the school, players must controls various pairs of characters through obstacles and puzzles as they try to escape chainsaw wielding psychopaths, mutated flying monsters and a whole host of other malicious beings. The cooperative aspect really shines through as players must support and protect each other. Gone are the days when you are safely picking a lock on a door (which often opens up a user interfaces that temporarily halts any enemies). In Obscure, you will have to count on your partner to shoot down any nasty things that might be coming up your back. For the ultimate in a two player scare fest, we definitely recommend playing this game.

House of the Dead: Overkill

Normally, when people talk about on-rails shooters for the Wii, the Resident Evil Chronicle titles (Umbrella and Darkside) are among the first to be mentioned. But when you want to have a little more fun shooting down zombies and just enjoying with your buddy, then you will certainly want to pop in House of the Dead: Overkill instead.

This game features plenty of 70’s inspired fashion; grind house movie visuals and enough swearing to make a B-movie starring Samuel Jackson blush. It is funny, witty and still surprisingly dark. The game is considered to be a prequel of all the HotD games –showing players the early beginnings of lead character Agent G –the heavy language in the game comes from the second main character, Isaac Washington. The cooperative aspect of the game mainly involves shooting everything onscreen as fast as possible –which is certainly easier with two players. For bosses however, a little more communication and planning are required in order to get the best ranks.

Alone, players will still be able to enjoy, play and finish these two games. But in two-player mode, players get to experience a rich and fulfilling cooperative gameplay aspect that the titles have been truly designed for. If you have not had the chance to try either Obscure: the Aftermath or HotD: Overkill, then now is the best time to bring your best friend over for some real gaming action.

The Wii gives the game console experience with a whole new twist: turning your favorite Nintendo party machine into a multipurpose hub for the family with its add-on channels. First time users of the system will notice that the main screen of the system OS features a whole swath of empty channels. With the main game channel placed on the upper left corner and the Mii channel on the second slot, one wonders what else can be added. Here’s a quick list of all the great additional content that Nintendo has to offer for your Wii.

First up is the official Nintendo Channel. From here, players can get the latest new on all things Nintendo and more. Previews, demos and video interviews regarding upcoming games and features are updated frequently on this channel. It also allows you to grab very exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming WiiWare titles as well.

Another great channel to have is the Wii Shop channel. This is the place to go for all downloadable content. There are both WiiWare and Virtual Console games, as well as additional channels that can be purchased. From here, players can load up their account with Wii Points as well as send gifts to the people on their Wii friends list.

Of course, once you have downloaded your favorite games, it is time to play them! The Virtual Console not a single channel but a multipurpose tool that emulates the Neo Geo, the old NES, SNES and N64 consoles, Sega’s Genesis and even the TurboGrafx 16 system. Each game for the various consoles will appear on the main screen as a separate channel.

Going back to your Miis, there’s a great way to enjoy your personal avatar outside of the default Mii channel. Enter the Check Mii Out channel. This is the place to go to if you want to see other people’s creations, to compare avatar designs and to compete in special weekly challenges (usually a create-a-Mii with a theme). If you did not get to join the competition, you can still join the fun by becoming part of the judging system.

And while we are on the topic of socializing with other Nintendo users, the Everybody Votes channel is one interesting polling system. Here, various questions are asked of the population in general. It’s a great big giant survey machine for the Nintendo community and is a great way to see how far or similar your view is from the public opinion. The statistics are provided in a daily basis and there are new polls to answer each week. The great part about this is that if you have got questions of your own, you can also add them to the poll.

The Nintendo News channel is a great way to introduce your non-computer savvy folks (or roommates) to the power of RSS driven news content. There is local and international news coverage on a wide range of topics (politics, science, sports, entertainment and more). Most of the content is from Reuters so users can be assured of the accuracy of details. Be warned however, as most news is often bad news -so some parents might keep their children from this content until they reach a certain age of comprehension.

Last on our list is the photo channel. From here, users can access image content stored on an SD card to view the content on the TV. This works best for system using component cables in order to achieve the best image quality. Also, the Wii will detect any MP3 music files on the card and play it as a background to your slideshow.

If you have not added any of these amazing channels on your Wii, now is the perfect time to set up your WiFi connection and experience all the useful and fun functionalities that the console has to offer.

The Wii is taking the concept of friendly get-togethers into a whole new realm with its motion gaming controls and multiplayer functionalities. Of course, figuring out which titles to go for is not exactly the easiest thing to do –especially when there are hundreds to choose from. Here are four of our most recommended titles to help you figure out which games would best your party needs.

Super Smash Brothers Brawl

Sometimes, there is nothing that can hold down the hyperactive needs of a preteen boy –let alone four of them. Fortunately, Nintendo’s four-way beat-em-up 2D fighter promises plenty of fast paced action to keep even the most hardcore player of the bunch focused on the game. Smash Brothers brings back a great lineup of Iconic Nintendo characters such as Mario, Samus, Fox, Zelda and more into a free spirited battle tournament. Parents watching on will appreciate many of the old and new Nintendo franchise cameos ranging from the Game and Watch era to the more recent Animal Crossing and Nintendogs title. Metal Gear Solid fans will also be happy to see Snake pop up as a playable character.

Boom Blox

When EA announced that Steven Spielberg was working on a game, we were wondering what kind of fantastic stories he would be bringing to interactive life. Nobody expected that the man would spearhead the creation of a game that would later take spotlight of any party: Boom Blox. It sounds silly and even the concept is hard to take seriously: you throw balls at blocks. But give the game a quick whirl and after five minutes, you and your friends will be addicted.

The game pits you against your friends in turn based ball-throwing battles where you each pit your accuracy and skill at strategic block knocking. There are various gameplay objectives such as blowing up a specific number of blocks or knocking off blocks in a certain order to win. Highly replayable, intuitive controls and an overall fun gameplay experience makes this title a must have for parties.

Wario Ware Smooth Moves

Of course, when it comes to motion gaming, you have to bring out Wario Ware Smooth Moves. Players take turns as they each try to do various motions in order to achieve the various stage objectives. Each stage only lasts a few seconds or so you players have to think fast about what to do. On a multiplayer game, you and your friends have to communicate fast in order to pass the WiiMote (you only use one) around to the next player. Fun, frantic and certain to tire payers out within an hour or two; this is the best way to whip up an appetite before serving the hors d’oeuvres.

Wii Sports

It is old and comes free with your Nintendo Wii, yet Wii Sports is still a much recommended title for those who want to have various activities without having to change discs a lot. Players get to participate in various sports such as tennis, boxing, billiards, air hockey and more. The best part here is that you can get your friends to make custom Miis to use prior to the game –as each player can select their own Mii avatar to play.

The next time you become the designated host of a party and are stumped on what to do; do not hesitate to fire up the Wii and buy some new batteries for the controllers. This little home console will solve all your entertaining needs.

No other console in the gaming industry has closer to becoming the absolute party system like the Nintendo Wii. With its wide range of local multiplayer games, motion based controls and comparatively affordable price tag (as compared to the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony Playstation 3), the Wii quickly made carved out its niche in the video game industry when it launched in 2006.

Now, half a decade later, the Wii is still among the most played console systems. For the most part, the system has a steady following among die-hard Nintendo fans. With exclusive games under the Super Mario, Pokemon, Metroid, Zelda and other first-party franchises, the core fan base of the Wii will always have something to stick around for. There is no doubt that the iconic value that Pikachu, Samus, Link and many others provide draws in a definite charm that is hard to deny (the massive Nintendo crossover game, Super Smash Brothers Brawl sold over 9 million copies).

Aside from the main Nintendo series games, the Wii is often the top choice for family-room consoles. Many of the games on the system (both first and third party titles) allow multiple players to play together at the same time, either cooperatively or competitively. This makes many Wii games as excellent party choices for entertaining guests and there are no messy piñata bits to clean up either. Boom Blox, Mario Party and Wii Party are just some of the few games that are sure to liven up your get-togethers.

While many hardcore gamers are focusing more on titles being released exclusively for other next generation console, it is important to point out that the Wii also gets its share of some pretty impressive games. Sky Crawlers is an impressive and challenging flight simulation game from the Namco Bandai’s Team Aces (developers of Ace Combat) which allows players to use the Wiimote as a flight stick. The Resident Evil Chronicles titles (Umbrella and Darkside) provides players with a solid point and shoot gaming experience that relives many important events in the RE storyline. Grasshopper Manufacture’s No More Heroes series takes on the 3D hack and slash genre to a whole new level with its stylish delivery and innovative use of the motion controller.

Aside from having a great game lineup, the Wii itself is a pretty good console in terms of hardware. Available in white, black and red, buyers have options on being able to choose the visual style that suits them the most. It also comes with a stand which supports the system in an upright position (for those who are saving up on space or simply feel that it looks better that way). In terms of functionality, there is plenty to do on the system. First off, the Wii’s basic OS allows players to add functional channels such as web browser or a picture viewer. Thanks to the console’s WiFi features, going online is as simple as setting up your router information. Additional channel functions such as news readers and the official Nintendo channel can also be downloaded as well.

The system internally stores game saves and channel data files into pre-set ‘blocks’. In terms of data file size, this is roughly 512 MB. Not that big, but fortunately, the system supports certain brands of SD cards for backing up data. Aside from playing Wii games, the console can also load up the much older Nintendo GameCube games. In order to play these, users will have to hook up the old GC controllers to one of the four specially designated ports on the console. There are also two GC memory card slots on the Wii which will allow players to store their GC game saves.

If you love having friends and family over, have roommates who are fun to play with, or simply love to play video games but do not have the time (or resources) to invest in hardcore games, then the Wii is your number one choice. It offers easy and fun to play games, innovative controls and a great range of functionality that would make any type of gamer happy.

At the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo, Japanese video game developer and console manufacturer Nintendo has confirmed that they will be unleashing a brand new home console system that will rival the power and capabilities of the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. While it sounds impressive, it is also a signature of Nintendo: hardware is not everything. Sure, the new system will be powerful –compared to the 360 and the PS3 which were released several years ago.

The famous Nintendo motion gaming system, the Wii also faced a similar situation many years ago when it was first launched. The system came out ahead of its competitors at Microsoft and Sony and enjoyed plenty of sales. When the 360 and the PS3 came out months later, critics stated that the Wii’s lower spec graphics would be the downfall of the system. Now, many years later, the Wii is still performing strongly in the market.

There is no doubt that the hardcore market has long moved on from the Wii -with the system often playing second fiddle to owners of the PS3 or the 360. But it is this market position that makes the system so strong. Among casual gamers, the Wii is the number one system of choice. For hardcore gamers, the low price point and entertainment value of the Wii makes it an ideal secondary system to own. This meant that most PS3 owners had a Wii as a secondary console and the same applied to 360 owners. There were fewer gamers who bought an Xbox and a PS3 –let alone those who have all three systems.

Sales and distribution are not the only things important to a game console. A system’s game library is always among the most important factors to consider for any person choosing to purchase a system.

Right off the bat, it is pretty obvious that the Wii has a significantly younger target market. If you are planning to purchase a system for a preschooler or a grade-schooler, then the Wii should be the first choice on your list (and you might consider getting a DS as well). With plenty of games that focus on light tasks, bright colored visuals and simple storylines, the Wii makes for a perfect children’s console.

For slightly older audiences, the Wii has some pretty good titles that should not be passed up. Dead Space, Mad World and No More Heroes are just a few of the hardcore titles in the Wii’s library. There are also some interesting ports of old games such as Obscure, Resident Evil 4 and Okami that have been brought to new life with the motion controls. It may not be a first choice for the discerning, hardcore players, but if you are looking for a secondary system, it is hard to go wrong with the Wii.

In the end, the Wii has plenty to catch up on in terms of capabilities mostly due to its lower spec hardware as compared to later generation systems. But the Wii was never meant to take up the niche currently occupied by the PS3 (or the 360); instead, the Wii was developed to bring the joy of video games to a much broader audience –something that other systems would find difficult to achieve.