Top ten things you may not have known about the Wii

by Kyle Orland { Nov 12th 2006 at 11:00AM }

If you've been paying attention to every bit of Wii news and trivia over the past months, you might know all of the following facts about Nintendo's newest system. For those of you not so in the know, here are some factoids we picked up on while tinkering this weekend.

It doesn't play CDs, but it plays AVIs off your digital camera's SD card.
The flaps that protect the Gamecube controllers and memory card slots are removable.
Wii Sports includes training and workout modes.
You can let one remote control all four players in Wii Sports: Tennis.
It takes five pieces of heart to make a heart container in Zelda: Twilight Princess
The box includes two clear plastic holders: one for the sensor bar and another that acts as a stabilizer for the thick, gray console stand
When used as a pointer, the Wii detects how far the remote is from the sensor bar.
The system keeps track of your cumulative play time for all games, and logs it on your Wii's daily message board.
The standard A/V cables that have worked on every Nintendo system since the SNES do not work on the Wii (the system-side input is different)
The system doubles as a great whiteboard.

Tags: blogathon06, factoids, trivia, wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Skycap @ Nov 12th 2006 11:09AM

Hmmm.. No CDs? It is a standard in all CD-ish (now in the Wii's case) video games and drives of all types. But then again, everyone has an mp3 player of some sort. Right? Pfft. CDs are old!

Ben @ Nov 12th 2006 11:13AM

You guys are completely crazy-cool for turning the Wii into a whiteboard. It's brave and daring, and hey, can't do that on a PS3 can ya? (Well, you might be able to, but no one could see it.)

I approve, keep up the Wii Whiteboard jokes. I enjoy them.

RaDd @ Nov 12th 2006 11:15AM

unannounced whiteboard feature!!!!

i'm sold!

Baxayaun @ Nov 12th 2006 11:18AM

I read somewhere that Wii was able to play MP3 files... so, finally, ¿no DVD Movies or MP3 can be played on Wii?

killr0y @ Nov 12th 2006 11:18AM

You forgot point #11: The Wii is a Gamecube with a gimmicky remote, a new name, and much higher pricetag!

Psykechan @ Nov 12th 2006 11:21AM

Heh, the Wii can play MP3 files off of SD cards and even use them as background music in Excite Truck but not play CDs. Looks like you'll have to use something else to rip MP3s over to the Wii.

http://wii.ign.com/articles/733/733464p8.html

http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2006/11/06/excite-truck-on-wii-has-sd-card-access-for-custom-music.htm

By the way, the videogamesblogger link talks about the game Dance Factory which will let you make custom soundtracks. Hmm...

Josh @ Nov 12th 2006 11:22AM

"The standard A/V cables that have worked on every Nintendo system since the SNES do not work on the Wii (the system-side input is different)"

It's because the A/V out is now just one port for composite, S-Video, and component, instead of the separate analog and "digital" outs on the GameCube and the analog-only outs on the previous systems. I welcome the change, personally, because it's simply much easier to have a single cable for hooking up my Wii than the two cables required on GameCube for component and audio out.

T-Bag @ Nov 12th 2006 11:34AM

Feature #12:

Hidden cartridge input device due to the fact that Nintendo never really figured out why consoles moved to CDs and DVDs. They came to the conclusion that the change happened because they just looked cool so they used those tiny ones on the cube, little did they know the space was there for a reason.

http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/article/734/734398/wing-island-20060922032651067.jpg

Ach! Mein retina!

Chris @ Nov 12th 2006 11:39AM

"unannounced whiteboard feature!!!!

i'm sold!"

QFT!

Although... I tend not to have the balls to draw on my consoles, even with dry erase markers. It was hard enough to draw on a glass screen with them so I could cheat my way into beating that bastard wall near the end of Okami...

Maybe it'll be effective for keeping track of things when the release a Mii: Guess Who? game.

SteveZ @ Nov 12th 2006 11:43AM

AVIs off an SD card..meaning DivX =D???

phyl0x @ Nov 12th 2006 11:44AM

any more info on the playing of .avi ? divx xvid?

CLShortFuse @ Nov 12th 2006 11:44AM

Not reading CDs keeps costs even lower. The gamecube discs, and wii discs (dual layered or not) are all DVD discs. gamecube are just mini-dvds and use the same reader. This way you don't need a CD reading laser inside the wii. I see no problem with this. I don't think the gamecube had a CD laser in it. I wonder if it'll play mp3s off a dvd though.

paul haine @ Nov 12th 2006 11:45AM

"It takes five pieces of heart to make a heart container in Zelda: Twilight Princess"

What? That's fucking outrageous.

Dan @ Nov 12th 2006 12:00PM

Wait, white board action too? So, I can leave a meggage on the side telling my dirty roomate to keep his freakin hands off my system, and to get cat food? SOLD!

CLShortFuse @ Nov 12th 2006 12:04PM

wait, yeah, AVI's? I remember nintendo released a MP3 and MPEG-4 player that worked on the GBA a while back

http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/573/573438p1.html

MPEG-4 = XviD/DivX4+
XVID = SWEET!

I could speculate, or you guys at joystiq could just tell us.

brad drac @ Nov 12th 2006 12:10PM

-> 6.: You forgot point #11.5 - You're an artard! We really don't give a shit that you don't like the wii. How about you just don't buy it, and quit whining. Mm'kay?

-> 14.: Remember, 70 hours long. Making heart fifths rather than quarters just means they can have them more frequently without link ending up with thousands by game end. This is good, because it is always nice to find a heart segment.

Good blog post. I thought I knew pretty much everything by this stage, but there were a few suprises.

LiNK @ Nov 12th 2006 12:25PM

Five Pieces of Heart to make a Heart Container? BLASPHEMY!

Josh @ Nov 12th 2006 12:29PM

I love the change with heart containers! It should make the game more difficult, which is something I sorely need after Wind Waker. ;)

bc @ Nov 12th 2006 12:37PM

FACTOID QUESTION: Can you transfer (exisiting) GC saves from a GC memory card onto internal flash memory/SD card? Can the two interact at all, or are they held separately? My GC card is out of room, and damned if I'll buy another...also would like to resume having the ability to back up game saves to my computer via SD card.

PapaZeb @ Nov 12th 2006 12:41PM

Quick question - I can never find any articles to confirm.

The Wii has USB ports - could y'all at Joystiq try plugging in an external hard drive and using it similar to the SD card?

Cheers!

John C. @ Nov 12th 2006 12:43PM

5 heart pieces now to form a heart container? bring it on!

F'ing awesome, this should be the hardest Legend of Zelda ever! :D

EliteGamer @ Nov 12th 2006 12:45PM

This was just posted on another site word for word....

FinalDelerium @ Nov 12th 2006 12:46PM

Hey killroy how is it a gamecube? Different shape (not a cube at ALL, omg), higher processing speed, lower power output (Nintendo goes green!), gimmicky remote (which works pretty well, is good fun, i've tried it, have you?), more games (VC and Gamecube, plus Wii games) and is pretty and white.

T-bag. How's it going? Not really sure what you were trying to accomplish with that link there. Nothing wrong with that image as far as i can see. But keep em coming. You are, if nothing else (and i believe that's probably the case), entertaining.

FinalDelerium @ Nov 12th 2006 12:48PM

Oh, and whiteboard functionality? That's cooler than playing with the speech function on my macintosh.

"hey computer, what you thinking about"

"Stewie...Is...Cool..."

"YYYAAAAAAAAAAAYY"

Person @ Nov 12th 2006 1:00PM

Wii question: Does the Wii scratch disks if its orientation is changed during use (ie, 360)? I would hate to think that moving my Wii could potentially destroy my precious "Twilight Princess".

Sloan Ranger @ Nov 12th 2006 1:04PM

Thanks for the tidbits!

Please ignore Killroy, his hatred is tired.

Finally, I didn't want to add post #200+ to the point-counterpoint on Zelda, but I thought it was some of the weakest and most pathetic post-bait writing (on both sides) that has been published on this site. I love and appreciate most of what I read here, but was really disappointed that you stooped to that level. It reminds me of the "huge announcement!!!" post earlier this year. Please edit articles so opinions presented have at least some substance to back them up.

T-Bag @ Nov 12th 2006 1:05PM

- FinalDelerium,

"You are, if nothing else (and i believe that's probably the case), entertaining."

My dear friend, anger, no matter how displayed, is still anger. I am no more here to peeve you than I am to enlighten you. So please, try not to get too frazzled over such meaningless things. After all, it really disrupts this facade of a character you're trying to put up.

crono141 @ Nov 12th 2006 1:07PM

Ditto on the USB question. Let me extend it further, can you use USB thumbdrives? I've heard that USB HD won't work, but the jury was still out on USB thumb drive.

Kevin @ Nov 12th 2006 1:12PM

Doesn't really bother me that the Wii can't play CDs or DVD movies. I'm buying it to play games, and that's what it's going to be used for. :P

FinalDelerium @ Nov 12th 2006 1:18PM

T-Bag, failing to see how you spotted any anger in my previous comment. Was merely curious as to what you were trying to achieve with that image link.

Also, "I am no more here to peeve you than i am to enlighten you"? Well you do neither, so i suppose that's true.

And "Facade of a character i'm trying to put up". There is no character, champo, your ramblings are just entertaining. I havent enjoyed internet messageboards this much in a long time. Reading your posts keeps me entertained while i'm working my nightshifts here, so, like i said before, keep em coming.

CLShortFuse @ Nov 12th 2006 1:26PM

Please comment on the Wii's ability to play AVIs and MP3s from an SD card. Must the AVIs be ASF or will MPEG-4 files work? DivX, XviD, AC3 all interest me. Also, do VBR formatted MP3s work?

DG @ Nov 12th 2006 1:52PM

The AVI function from SD is exciting. I bought a $250 DVD player for Xvid functionality, so the promise of using the Wii for even easier playback (SD instead of burning to CD) is very cool.

1up_clock @ Nov 12th 2006 1:52PM

1. Whatever, I'm getting this to play games. But, it can play mp3s off an SD card, and if it can actually use these mp3s in the background, then hey, I can play the first GOOD-looking Sonic console game in 10 years and play it with a DECENT soundtrack. WOOT.

2. NOOOOO! THE GAMECUBE'S DEFENSE HAS BEEN BREACHED! DEPLOY WARHEADS!

3. Neato. Now my first attempt at playing it won't result in utter embarrassment.

4. That's a lot of passing. Let's hope the ball doesn't go that fast. No, wait, I want it to, I want it to be a challenge.

5. WHAT? 5 PIECES? BLAAAAAASSSPHEMYYYYYYYY- whatever. That just makes it a harder game, and after the near-cakewalk that was Wind Waker, I welcome difficulty with open arms.

6. WHAT THE WHAT.

7. Spiffy, if used in the right way. Like, it would be all "Come closer" and then WHAM! SCARY IMAGES! LOUD NOISES! Dang. I do believe Nintendo just made those prank web sites all the more effective.

8. They're on to me. I just know that they're watching me. Soon they're gonna let the whole world know that I regularly lock myself in my bedroom and play the original Pokemon Red (which, fanboys, is actually an OK game if you look past all the commercialism surrounding it (CURSE YOU 4KIDS)).

9. Since it involves the past, and I don't know how to respond to that point, I'm just going to whip out a grade-A TIME PARADOX.

10. Does that mean I don't have to get some duct tape, write "Revolution" on it, and stick it on the side?

Mr. Khan @ Nov 12th 2006 1:52PM

@ Crono141, i've had the same question. Nintendo specifically said FLASH MEMORY ONLY, not SD CARDS ONLY and Thumb Drives qualify as that (flash memory)

I find it funny that they essentially post 2 Flamebaiting articles, back to back, and the Anti-Nintendo article gets Waaaaay more hits

I also find it funny that most of today's posts involve Wii...

And finally, i find a non-controversial article about the Wii refreshing, thanks, Kyle!

Nicole @ Nov 12th 2006 2:27PM

Do you know how sensitive the Wii remote is? A friend of mine wants to get a Wii, but because of a medical condition her hands shake all of the time. She wants to know if this will affect the gameplay.

mss @ Nov 12th 2006 2:31PM

AVI is not Xvid or Divx. If they have AVI support it doesn't mean that they have Divx or Xvid - AVI is just often used as extension for divx or xvid for Windows.

FinalDelerium @ Nov 12th 2006 2:33PM

Sensitivity can be adjusted, however, depending on the severity of her condition, the wiimote, particularly any pointer style games, may not be the best option for her. The gesture stuff, ie sword swinging, shouldnt be a problem though. Hope that helps.

FinalDelerium @ Nov 12th 2006 2:35PM

Too many commas in my comment above. It seems that the less i sleep, the more i punctuate.

david @ Nov 12th 2006 2:52PM

what sort of codecs are supported on the avi's?

Agrajag @ Nov 12th 2006 3:34PM

Go killr0y and T-Bag! Take down that bastard company!

FinalDelerium @ Nov 12th 2006 4:01PM

Messageboard trolls frighten easily, but they'll be back. And in greater numbers.

devon @ Nov 12th 2006 4:08PM

Another few interesting factoids I picked up from playing at my local gamestop.
-The controllers for the Wii kiosks at gamestop are programed to only work with that kiosks consol.
-You can save Miis to a contoller then bring it with you to use your own personal Mii on someone elses consol.
-If you put an Xbox360 and a Wii kiosk side by side 90% of the time the person playing the Xbox360 is staring at the Wii trying to act uninterested.
-Michal Jackson it suprisingly easy to make with the Mii.
-The Mii you use has red pants.
-Excitetrucks is basicly a very hackneyed game, except your playing it with what can only be described as a 3 demensional controller making it challanging, exciting, and endlessly entertaining.
-Girls are automaticly better at the Wii then guys are. I watched a freind of mine (casual female gamer) beat me 23 to 5 wins in excite truck, then dominate over the Gamestop staff, then every person who challanged her.

BTW, anyone who has any doubs in the Wiis amaingness, has not played it yet. I've now collectively playing it for over 6 hours at the same kiosk, me and a freind have converted hardcore Xbox fanboys to Wii in a matter of seconds with the 2 consols side by side.

Jamie Martin @ Nov 12th 2006 6:41PM

oh my god stop writing on the system!

tracked @ Nov 12th 2006 6:47PM

Hmm I think not including DVDs could have been a smart thing. If has I suspect the Wii can play large AVI files. It means that all you have to do is download some movies/tv shows put them in SD Cards (they range in Gigabytes) and Voila. You can watch Battlestar Galactica on your TV.

that is if Ninty didn't go uber cheap and didn't get codecs.

daveynin @ Nov 12th 2006 8:35PM

Will Gamecube component cable fits on Wii?

Asok @ Nov 12th 2006 8:52PM

#7 When used as a pointer, the Wii detects how far the remote is from the sensor bar.

Dangling modifiers, you gotta love them. :)

FuzzyPickles @ Nov 13th 2006 12:04AM

">>#7 When used as a pointer, the Wii detects how far the remote is from the sensor bar.

Dangling modifiers, you gotta love them. :)"

I lol'd.

"This system sucks! It's not responsive at all!"
"Um... buddy... you might wanna try using the remote as the pointer... and not the console..."

Burnt Meatloaf @ Nov 13th 2006 1:10AM

*CLShortFuse: "Not reading CDs keeps costs even lower. The gamecube discs, and wii discs (dual layered or not) are all DVD discs. gamecube are just mini-dvds and use the same reader. This way you don't need a CD reading laser inside the wii."

You're on drugs. The drive firmware just has to re-calibrate the laser to read CDs. Or, do you think every DVD-ROM has a CD laser inside?

*DG: "The AVI function from SD is exciting."

And yet, DVD functionality doesn't matter?

Please note that AVI is a format, not a compression algorithm. AVIs can (and do) use any codec, so not all AVIs will work.