Wii!

So I was lucky enough to stumble upon a Nintendo Wii console at the small Microplay on Queen St. just west of Bathurst. After some time trying to find one online and following various wiintelligence boards, I was ready to give up until Nintendo got their supply chain in order. Then, during a random stroll, I happen to find one last one in a store, just like that! No early-morning line-ups, no inside scoops, no connections, no voodoo. I was pretty happy and surprised about that. Hopefully I didn't spend all my good karma on a gaming console, but the thing is so much fun that it would possibly be worth it.

The controller and bundled games are really fun to use. I've also rented a few games since I got the console. The Blockbuster near my place doesn't have much of a selection, but I did manage to find a few decent Wii games.

What impressed me the most about this little device are actually the non-gaming features. The news and forecast channels, constantly updating via wireless, are pretty useful and well thought-out, but the free Opera-based "Internet Channel" really blew my mind. The browser is fully functional and can even play movies off YouTube! Who needs cable? Who needs a computer?! With a $250 Nintendo Wii (and free wireless that we downtowners still enjoy courtesy of Toronto Hydro) you get everything you need to function online! When Nintendo releases the rumoured Wii keyboard, making things like Gmail more usable, we'll really be set to roll.

Yay! These kinds of more-than-you-expected gizmos really make me smile.