Big Picture Big Sound

If you're in one of the seemingly small minority of US households that resisted the temptation to take home a Wii for the holidays these past two years, then you're in luck.  Because now the popular family-friendly game console has come down in price from $249.99 to $199.99, and it's actually in stock!  And for a limited time, Amazon is sweetening the deal even further with a $25 Amazon.com gift card with each Wii purchase.  This lowers the net price to $174.99 with free shipping.  The $25 gift card offer expires October 3rd. 

• Buy the Wii from Amazon.com and get free shipping

The Wii is that rare gaming device that can actually bring a family together, rather than isolate the younger members from the rest of the tribe.  In most cases, actual physical activity is required, via the interactive, wireless, motion sensitive controls and dynamic games that are fun for all ages.

The Wii console comes with everything you need to get started: the game console itself, a Wii remote and nunchuk controller and the "Wii Sports" game.  Wii Sports features bowling, tennis, golf, boxing and baseball, as well as training games for each sport and even a "Wii Fitness" mode that tests your dexterity, fitness and skill.  With one controller, you can play any game in single-player mode, or hand off the controller to other friends and family members for group play of bowling or golf. But if you want to make the whole Wii experience more interactive (and competitive), then you'll need to buy at least one extra Wii remote, and one extra nunchuck controller. 

We've found the best way to get an extra Wiimote (as it is sometimes called) is to buy the "Wii Play" game.  This game disc, which sells for around $45, includes several fun games including shooting practice (where you shoot cans, balloons, skeet, ducks and pesky abduction-minded aliens), billiards, fishing, tanks (my favorite), bull-riding and pattern matching/identification games.  Wii Play also comes with an extra controller, which sells for $40 on its own so you're getting all these extra games for just a few dollars more.  Some games also require the nunchuk, so we'd recommend getting an extra one of these as well.   

If you really want to get fit, then consider the Wii Fit Plus game and balance board.  This set includes a platform controller along with a series of games and exercise routines that will help you get in shape while you have fun.  Wii Fit even tracks your progress toward your weight loss (or weight gain) goal using its built-in scale.

Big Picture Big Sound's Recommended Wii Starter Pack:

• Wii Console (includes Wii Sports, one controller and one nunchuck)
• Wii Play (includes extra Wii controller)
• Nunchuk controller (required for one-on-one boxing and other games)
• Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board  
• Wii-compatible HD-Link Component Video connector (the best way to hook your Wii up to a Widescreen HDTV)

And if you're looking for more ways to beef up your Wii, check out Amazon's Wii Store.