Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of the Land of Gamespot.  I hope this warm night finds you well.  :)

I figured I should sit down and try and answer some of the questions I've been asked about the Wii in recent times, just to help some of you with your life-altering decisions about obtaining yourself Nintendo's new Console.  I had a couple of queries myself when I was considering it (briefly), before I decided to go ahead and join the Revolution...  I mean Wii.  *grin*

Firstly, this one is gonna be quite long, I suspect - so bear with me.  So here's a few general points:

1)  Is the Wii backwards compatible with Gamecube titles?

Yes, but with some restrictions.  Any Gamecube title I've played on the Wii has worked just fine, but if you wish to save your progress to a memory card, you'll need a Gamecube card to do so.  So far (in my experience), the Wii memory seems to be reserved for Wii savegames.

Also, to play a Gamecube title requires a Gamecube controller.  Having said that, the Waverbird seems to work just fine - no conflicts with the Wii wireless controllers - so you have the option of wired or wireless Gaming.

2)  Just what do you get in the Wii Play pack?

Well (in Australia at least), the Wii Play pack comes with a Wii remote (Wiimote?  Is that the right term?), and a copy of the Wii Play Game.  Wii Play is a simple set of mini-games that teach you the various techniques involved in using the Wiimote.  Most of them are quite fun, but tend to involve a single technique (pointing the Wiimote, twisting the Wiimote, and so on...)

Please note, in the PAL Wii Play pack, there is no nunchuk controller - this must be purchased separately.  Annoying, but not the end of the world.

3)  Can the Wii be used online?

Sorta.  :)

The Wii has an inbuilt wireless adapter - which is kinda nice given I have a wireless network set up at home - which enables you to connect to WiiConnect24.  This seems to be Nintendo's version of X-Box Live, but it is still in it's early stages.

Almost immediately after connecting, I downloaded several updates for the Console, and I suspect I will be downloading more over the coming weeks and months.  Much like the X-Box 360 has regular updates sent across X-Box Live, the Wii firmware will be updated on a semi-regular basis.

At this stage, I have no online Games for the Wii, so I am unsure as to whether multiplayer online Games will be supported.  I suspect that the answer to that one will be a big Yes, but I don't know how and when that will happen.  (Twilight Princess doesn't seem to have a big online multiplayer mode, so I'm gonna have to wait a while until some other big titles come out to confirm this one...)

4)  What the heck are these "Channel" things?

The Wii startup screen has a whole bunch of "Channels" you can select using the Wiimote.  These channels (currently) include:

• Disc Channel
• Mii Channel
• Photo Channel
• Wii Shop Channel
• Forecast Channel
• News Channel

Now at this stage, the News and Forecast channels have no content associated with them in Australia.  The Disc Channel is basically the Game launch area, where you can launch a given 'Cube or Wii title.  The Mii Channel (more on this one later) is where you can create your Mii's to run around and play with on the Console.  The Photo Channel is where you view and edit photos from an SD card - either from a mobile phone or camera. 

The Wii Shop Channel is the X-Box Live Arcade for the Wii.  Here is where you can purchase (and spend) your Wii Points, and get hold of some classic Nintendo Games (and also some from other Consoles).  At this stage, I have not downloaded any Games, although I have my eye on a couple - so I'll have to get back to you on what they're like.  The Classic Controller I purchased with my Wii - which I believed (incorrectly) would substitute for my 'Cube controllers - is all set and ready to be used with these classic titles.

The Wii startup screen has four pages worth of Channels, and each page seems to hold more than ten Channels each.  So obviously Nintendo intends to release further Channels in the future.  More on this one when I find out what they are...

5)  What's a Mii?

A Mii is a lil' avatar you can create for yourself on the Wii Console.  It is possible to create as many Mii's as you like, and you can tweak their appearance to suit your own personal desires.  They can be tall, short, skinny, fat, have funny eyes, a moustache, kewl glasses - whatever you like.  In Wii Play and Wii Sports, the Mii is used to play the Game - for example, when you play Baseball, your Mii is the character holding the bat.

Mii's are kinda kewl, because they can "Mingle" with other Wii Consoles.  When two Wii owners play a Game together, it is possible your Mii will go and visit their Console and hang out in the Mii Plaza with that owner's Mii's.  You can also store up to ten Mii's on a given Wiimote, so you can take them around to a friend's place and let them invade his / her Wii while you play Games together.

Personally, I've found it kinda kewl that my friends and I have all been able to create a Mii each, so that when we play the multiplayer Games, we can recognise who is who quite easily.  Each Mii tends to keep track of your various settings (such as your left or right handedness) for a given Game as well, which is nice.

6)  Does the Wii have Achievements like the X-Box 360?

Again, sorta.  So far, the minigames I have been playing have been allocating Medals for various achievements.  Hitting a certain number of home runs, or returning a certain number of balls tends to earn you Medals - bragging rights amongst your mates.

The Wii Message Board also tends to keep track of these achievements, and other moments of note.  Whenever you use a new Mii for a Game, it records it in your Messages.  It also lets you know when you earn a Medal, and what activities you've been up to on a given day.  (My fiance seems to think she'll use this to keep tabs on how much I play on the Wii...  :))

It's still early days, but I suspect I will be able to send messages via WiiConnect24 to other Wii owners and keep in touch that way should I so choose.  (Just gotta find some other Wii owners out there - would any of you like to be a Wii Friend?  *grin*)

That'll do for tonight.  I'm sure there will be more I think of in times to come, so check back for more updates on my experiences with the Wii, K?

And if any of you have any further questions - feel free to ask.  I may not know all the answers, but I'll be happy to find out if I can.  As time goes on and WiiConnect24 develops somewhat, and as more titles comes out, I'm sure my experiences with the Wii will grow, and I will enjoy it even more than I do now.

(I mean, you gotta love the controller.  A wireless controller which is motion sensitive AND has a nunchuk style attachment which is also motion sensitive?  How kewl is THAT?  You gotta try hitting the punching bag for a bit in Wii Sports with both controllers and see if you build up a sweat like I did...  *grin*)

NEhow, I should go and get some sleep.  Busy day shopping and packing again tomorrow.  (And hopefully I'll make it out of Level 20 and into some new territory finally).  You take care of yaselves out there people, and don't forget to...

GAME ON!  :D