• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Wii Mini: Exclusive to Canada | Dec 7th @ $99.99 (No internet, no GC support)

http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/ONIEEqvK1pbPyTbW2lWO6QnPUiqqvuuI

With a New Look, $99.99 Wii Mini Offers an Amazing Value for the Holidays

After nearly 100 million sold worldwide, Nintendo’s Wii console is getting a new look and a new price. On Dec. 7, the new Wii Mini home console launches in Canada at a suggested retail price of just $99.99 and puts the focus squarely on Wii games. The system can play more than 1,400 disc-based Wii games. Wii Mini is smaller than the original Wii system, and comes in matte black with a red border. The system comes with a red Wii Remote Plus, a red Nunchuk controller and works with most Wii accessories.

“There are games in the Wii library for every type of player,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice president and general manager. “Wii Mini is a great gift for the holidays that brings everyone in the family together to play. Wii Mini has a mini price, but it’s all about big fun.”

Wii Mini is designed exclusively to play Wii games. Its family-friendly design has no Internet capabilities and does not play Nintendo GameCube games. It’s a great value for first-time Wii owners who just want to jump in and experience all the great Wii games that helped usher in a revolution in motion-controlled gaming. Wii games are available at a variety of price points for every kind of shopper. Some top Wii games during the past six years include:

• A whole range of value-priced Nintendo Selects games, including some of the top-selling and best-reviewed Wii games of all time, at a suggested retail price of $19.99

• Super Smash Bros. Brawl (suggested retail price of $29.99)

• Donkey Kong Country Returns (suggested retail price of $29.99)

• Mario Kart Wii (suggested retail price of $39.99)

• Wii Sports Resort (suggested retail price of $39.99)

• New Super Mario Bros. Wii (suggested retail price of $59.99)

• Wii Fit Plus with the Wii Balance Board (suggested retail price of $99.99)

Wii Mini is available exclusively in Canada during the holiday season. No information is available about its potential availability in other territories in the future. Remember that Wii Mini features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit nintendo.com/wiimini.

Guess that Canada-only thing is true. For now. Very weird why they would keep it exclusive to only one country.
 
Why are people so worried about Nintendo potentially confusing the market? Do you guys own stock or something?

Who do you think has to educate friends/family when Nintendo doesn't?

Oh shit, I didn't realize they were pulling a PSP Street and taking out the WiFi ... el grande cheapo

A strange decision too since people may have bought it as a very cheap Netflix/Youtube box.


Roku HD is like 80 bucks now..
 
lol, no internet. I can't help but think if it was $20 cheaper and had internet it would fly off shelves. People would buy it as a Netflix box.

As it is, it's for under 5 year olds
 
People thinking its ugly or 'hideous' should probably note that its barely bigger than an actual game disc... this'll make the other consoles (wii included) look like monsters when put side by side. Won't be as cute as OnLive's micro-console though!

Lack of Wifi is seriously silly. I don't want to see it outside Canada unless they put that back in...
 

Hoo-doo

Banned
People thinking its ugly or 'hideous' should probably note that its barely bigger than an actual game disc... this'll make the other consoles (wii included) look like monsters when put side by side. Won't be as cute as OnLive's micro-console though!

The size doesn't bother me, the design does.
 

Pooya

Member
Kifimbo said:
Why would you design a new model only for a single country ?

Obviously they didn't, Wii slim was Europe only too at first then it was released everywhere. It's probably a stock thing waiting for the current stock to sell.
 
Love the look, has that classic plastic console look I was sorely missing (don't judge me).

Canada-only? Wow, a Nintendo console to call our own? WOW! The red makes even more sense then! Then again, wouldn't red and white matching the flag work better then? Still black and red's a great combination!

As said, this should've been the Wii U's design, but in white and blue. Photoshop please?
 

Tovarisch

Member
It's so... beautiful!
tumblr_m4h9ffGVfN1rwcc6bo1_500.gif
 
Wii Mini is available exclusively in Canada during the holiday season. No information is available about its potential availability in other territories in the future.

This part needs emphasis. If it's holiday season only (I suppose in Nintendo terms that's until the end of March?) it could be a nice collector's item somewhere down the line.
 

pargonta

Member
how about this versus ouya for 99.

there is some strong philosophical rhetoric here...

retail vs digital, online vs offline...

for the same 99 bucks as ouya you can get full retail (wii) games.

I love having this option on the market. who said all game consoles had to be connected? what if digital distribution is not the future?
 

Ydahs

Member
Pretty odd decision. The exclusion of WiFi means they're not targeting gamers, but why go with such an unappealing design? Looks awful.
 
Worst thing is that WiiU is easily available in stores in Canada. This doesn't make jack sense.

Giving parents a $99 option for their young kids makes sense to me. There are people out there who are not willing to spend $299.99 but will gladly spend on this.
 
Are there really 1,400 disc-based retail Wii games? o_O

People thinking its ugly or 'hideous' should probably note that its barely bigger than an actual game disc... this'll make the other consoles (wii included) look like monsters when put side by side. Won't be as cute as OnLive's micro-console though!

It can be tiny and still be hideous.
 

MThanded

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
So no wifi means no virtual console,wiiware, or any internet associated channels. No online a la mario cart. Also, I'm assuming it has no sd card slot.

Essentially a dvd player that only plays games and not dvds. Amazing.
 

blu

Wants the largest console games publisher to avoid Nintendo's platforms.
I assume this is nintendo's way of saying 'fuck you' to the Canadian telecom triopoly.
 

Pociask

Member
Code:
While the system has no Internet connectivity options or Gamecube support, it 
features full functionality and compatibility with the Wii’s expansive library of over 
1,300 games and its associated peripherals, totaling nearly 1 billion games sold.

This model is just about the retail games.

No internet means no nintendo channel, no shop channel, no news channel, no weather channel and definitely no everybody votes channel.

Which also means you can't play Mario Kart Wii online either [obviously].

It's almost like Nintendo wants to shut down all internet content for Wii and start again for Wii U.

Hey, let's release a new cheap version of the Wii that can't stream Netflix, won't let people play online games, and also won't allow people to buy our cheap virtual console and WiiWare games! Brilliant!

I think you're right to read this as Nintendo wanting to kill Wii online. Just cheap, cheap, cheap. Why not release a new software revision with the new hardware revision that starts implementing Nintendo accounts with every Wii sold? Throw in online, and you're future proofing your legacy console sales. Rather than deal with that problem, and get the extra revenue from people buying all your digital games, they just yank out online. Not enough facepalms.
 
This part needs emphasis. If it's holiday season only (I suppose in Nintendo terms that's until the end of March?) it could be a nice collector's item somewhere down the line.

I think you are reading that wrong. This looks like an out and out replacement. You don't redesign a console to sell it in a country like Canada for four months.

I actually like this. When I found this out I was smiling at how insane but awesome Nintendo is. This will give the system an old-school console feeling in a weird way that I personally will enjoy.

Yeah its too bad you can't play any Old School games on it without VC and the (Likely not included) Sd card slot.
 

hongcha

Member
Sounds like they're using Canada as a testing ground for this during the holidays. If it sells well, it will probably turn up later in other territories.
 

bryanee

Member
No internet is stupid but god damn I love the look. I can put that next to a NES/Snes and it would fit right in.
 

MThanded

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
I actually like this. When I found this out I was smiling at how insane but awesome Nintendo is. This will give the system an old-school console feeling in a weird way that I personally will enjoy.
You can buy a normal wii and never hook it to the internet. Also you get a game with that one.

Also there is no virtual console. So you can't even play true old school games.
 
Pretty odd decision. The exclusion of WiFi means they're not targeting gamers, but why go with such a non-appealing design? Looks awful.

You're an idiot.
Its a games console that only plays games.

Its focusing on people who haven't bought a Wii yet.
The Wii U is focused on the more active gaming base - hence the BC.

Its aiming at another market entirely from people on here.
Likely at this stage most people buying Wii's are not going to be internet heavy; not like the Wii ever was.

EDIT: Not that I'm not against an updated Wii aimed at being more than just a games console; but thats not what this has been designed to be.
 
Does the no internet part means only no browser, youtube, etc., or does it include no online gaming as well?

edit: whelp, I guess it means no online gaming as well, it has a Wii compatibility list, lol
 

Tempy

don't ask me for codes
No internet connectivity: does it mean no WIFI, but still able to use a USB/Ethernet dongle?
 

The_Monk

Member
Well I did not expect to be exclusive to Canada, that's odd I think. No internet is strange too but PSP Street already did that.

I believe this could sell if only for those who missed the Will launch and wanted to pick up some Wii games.
 

MThanded

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
Does the no internet part means only no browser, youtube, etc., or does it include no online gaming as well?

edit: whelp, I guess it means no online gaming as well, it has a Wii compatibility list, lol
No online functionality at all.
 
Top Bottom