With Nintendo's Wii outselling its competition by a large margin it's no doubt that the Wii has worked it way into the hearts, and homes, of many happy gamers. Still, with articles like Gamespot's recent Metroid Prime 3 focus, it's obvious that Wii has yet to impress some. I grew up as a Nintendo fan and still am, but after getting a Wii for myself I must say graphically I feel underwhelmed.

I've been using my Xbox 360 since near launch and have stepped up to an HDTV (a $250, 720p 19in widescreen HDTV Monitor to be exact) to better display the crisp graphics the system offers. I'm still just using the component video cables that came with they system, but have experience several games at 720p, and I really enjoy it. When I used the included video cable in the Wii, I got a picture that looked blurry. I know the picture would be improved if I switched to component cables, but Nintendo isn't getting another chance for a first impression. Now, you can quote me as saying gaming isn't all about graphics, I know I've said it before, but after struggling so hard to get my hands on this little white box I was honestly expecting more. So, how does this affect my feelings on the Wii? Honestly, it doesn't change much.

Oddly enough I got my Xbox 360 as a gift. My Brother bought it before joining the Marines and when he left he gave it to me. The reason that is important is because in reality I would not be able to afford an Xbox 360, not while keeping up on my mortgage payments at least. While I really enjoyed playing my Xbox 360 on one player, and have even had a really great time playing against strangers online, I have yet to find someone I know in person who has an Xbox 360. As much as Microsoft promotes it system as being very social I find myself unable to play games on it against my family or friends. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part local multiplayer is non-existent in Xbox 360 games. Now, if they all had their own 360 this would not be an issue, but have you ever tried to convince someone to go out and spend over $400 just so you could play games together? It doesn't usually work.

Enter the Wii. This grossly underpowered system virtually begs for more than one person to be playing it. Its low cost makes it an easy purchase for families, like mine, struggling to stay within their budget (though I practically went without food for two weeks to be able to afford mine, something my wife was just thrilled about). Unlike the Xbox 360, there is essentially nothing more required than the Wii, an extra controller, and any old TV to have fun playing games with your family and friends. It even includes a game to make sure you're having fun playing right out of the box. I would feel like I was missing out if my 360 were not on an HDTV with an additional Dolby Digital sound system (which I have from my single days that I spent working in an electronic store, in the audio department). So the Wii is simple and easily approachable by anyone regardless of their knowledge of electronics, and because of that it is universally appealing.

So, anyway, I'm giving my Wii away. Sorry, you can't have it. I'm giving to my parents. Actually that was the plan all along. My 4 siblings still live at home (4 siblings, 4 controllers, Mario Party 8... you get the idea). As a bonus I might get to play video games against some people I could recognize if I saw them and don't have to refer to by their gamertags. They don't have an HDTV and they don't have surround sound and they won't be missing out on a thing. I might actually have to go over to their house to play, but I guess those are the breaks. However I'll still be spending time in my basement playing my Xbox 360, in all its HD picture and 5.1 sound, and be getting schooled by people who have never even worked a full time job and don't know why people complain about the price of video games.

-Z Greenwell