So yes, I got one. In spite of all of the tummy-sickening silliness surrounding console launches, I was brave enough to go hop on line in Times Square, NYC, initially as part of the "Wii Love You" project (run by two sweet kids at SVA, if you were there and remember 'em, feel free to drop them a line and say hi), but then since I was working the line till 2 a.m. or so, figured I'd pick up a Wii or two. And Zelda. And sure, an extra Wiimote.
Boy was it worth it - both the system and the experience. It was the polar opposite of all the PS3 horror stories, with the two Wii Love You kids (Michael and Sumayya, read about 'em here and butt cushions, coffee in custom printed sleeves, cookies, buttons, and lots of cheer in the chilly night while people were anxiously waiting around the block. You can see the whole set of photos by clicking here.
Since getting the damn thing home, it's been nothing but fun. The main source of amusement has been the plethora of hacks that are appearing for both the hardware and the software, including:
- Home-made Component (YPbPr, a.k.a. 480p a.k.a. HD) Cables , which look like hell but work just fine. Did I mention the cables alone are going for $130+ on eBay and are completely unavailable?
- Hacking the Nintendo Store Channel to point the version of Opera that powers it out to the rest of the web!
- Using two CANDLES?!? as a sensor bar replacement
- Making the sensor bar Wireless!
- Trying to figure out a reliable way to keep this from happening.
Overall, the thing has been a joy. The wife and our pals love it. Zelda is amazing (though I was concerned it was going to be to kiddy when I was catching fish to feed to kittens to get the slingshot to...), and surprisingly dark. Trauma Center is fantastic, but more or less a clone of the DS version. All in all, for $250 hard earned clams, it's way more fun than 40% of a PS3. Nintendo will be releasing 4 million units by 2007, so don't sweat it if you haven't found one yet. But consider it strongly if you do see one.