Nintendo's $99 Wii Mini Console Headed to the U.S. in November
Nintendo's Wii U console isn't selling as well as the company might have hoped, but luckily for Nintendo, it has other game systems that still garner plenty of interest. Among them is the original Wii, and in an effort to breathe new life into its last generation game system, Nintendo announced it will launch a Wii mini console on November 17 in the U.S.
The Wii mini will debut at $99.99, thereby offering a "tremendous value for families" and an alternative for parents who may not want to spend hundreds of dollars more on a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One console this holiday shopping season. In addition to price, the Wii mini has the advantage of a vast games library out of the gate -- it supports all original Wii titles, of which there are more than 1,300 games. And to kick things off, it will come with Mario Kart Wii, plus a red Wii Remote Plus controller and a red Nunchuk controller (the console itself is matte black with a red border).
"Wii mini offers the same fun experience as Wii, which has been enjoyed by millions of people around the world," said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "And it comes packaged with Mario Kart Wii, a multiplayer Mario racing game that is one of the best-selling Wii games. At such a great price, it is an extraordinary value for shoppers this holiday season."
At that price, there has to be a trade-off compared to the regular Wii, right? You're correct to be skeptical. The Wii mini lacks Internet access, meaning no online multiplayer matches or downloadable content. However, Nintendo says it does support mulitplayer locally.
This is an interesting release for Nintendo. Sure, the Wii is old at this point, but since it will only set parents back a Benny, it's conceivable that it could end up a popular holiday gift item even in homes that already own a Wii. If little Johnny and big brother Billy are constantly fighting over who's turn it is, the Wii mini could solve that problem at an affordable price.
The Wii mini will debut at $99.99, thereby offering a "tremendous value for families" and an alternative for parents who may not want to spend hundreds of dollars more on a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One console this holiday shopping season. In addition to price, the Wii mini has the advantage of a vast games library out of the gate -- it supports all original Wii titles, of which there are more than 1,300 games. And to kick things off, it will come with Mario Kart Wii, plus a red Wii Remote Plus controller and a red Nunchuk controller (the console itself is matte black with a red border).
"Wii mini offers the same fun experience as Wii, which has been enjoyed by millions of people around the world," said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "And it comes packaged with Mario Kart Wii, a multiplayer Mario racing game that is one of the best-selling Wii games. At such a great price, it is an extraordinary value for shoppers this holiday season."
At that price, there has to be a trade-off compared to the regular Wii, right? You're correct to be skeptical. The Wii mini lacks Internet access, meaning no online multiplayer matches or downloadable content. However, Nintendo says it does support mulitplayer locally.
This is an interesting release for Nintendo. Sure, the Wii is old at this point, but since it will only set parents back a Benny, it's conceivable that it could end up a popular holiday gift item even in homes that already own a Wii. If little Johnny and big brother Billy are constantly fighting over who's turn it is, the Wii mini could solve that problem at an affordable price.
