Wii For Dummies, New Edition (For Dummies (Computers)) [Paperback]

Kyle Orland (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470402970 | ISBN-13: 978-0470402979 | Publication Date: September 29, 2008 | Edition: 1

Just got a Nintendo Wii game console? Thinking about one? Wii offers video games, exercise tools, the opportunity to create a cool Mii character, and lot of other entertainment options. Wii For Dummies shows you how to get the most from this fun family game system.

This book shows you how to get physical with Wii Sports, turn game time into family time, make exercise fun with Wii Fit, and discover Wii’s hidden talents, like displaying photos and browsing the Web. You’ll learn how to:

• Hook up the Wii to your TV, home entertainment setup, or high-speed Internet connection
• Get familiar with Wii’s unique controllers and learn to use the Nunchuk, Balance Board, Wheel, and Zapper
• Explore the Wii Channels where you can shop for new games, play games online, check the news, and even watch videos
• Create Mii avatars you can share, enter in contests, and use in games
• Learn to use your whole body as a controller and get fit while you play
• Identify the best games for parties, family events, nostalgia buffs, and even non-gamers
• Build your skill at Wii tennis, golf, baseball, bowling, and boxing
• Use the Wii Message Board and full-featured Web browser

With tips on choosing games, hot Wii Web sites, how to enjoy photos and slideshows on your Wii, and ways to prevent damage to (and from) Wii remotes, Wii For Dummies makes your new high-tech toy more fun than ever.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Learn to use the controllers, create a Mii, download new games, and more!

Get the most from your Wii! Whether you just bought a Wii game system, are planning to, or already know the basics and want to get more from this revolutionary game system, this book has the answers. Get physical with Wii Sports, turn game time into family time, make exercise fun with Wii Fit, and discover Wii's hidden talents, like displaying photos and browsing the Web.

• Hook it up — connect the Wii to your TV, home entertainment setup, or high-speed Internet connection

• Gain control — get familiar with Wii's unique controllers and learn to use the Nunchuk, Balance Board, Wheel, and Zapper

• Start channeling — explore the Wii Channels where you can shop for new games, check the weather forecast, check the news, and even watch videos

• Your Mii character — create avatars you can share, enter in contests, and use in games

• Who needs a personal trainer? — learn to use your whole body as a controller and get fit while you play

• Find winning strategies — get tips for success with Wii Sports tennis, golf, baseball, bowling, and boxing

• Something for everyone — discover the best games for parties, family events, nostalgia buffs, and even non-gamers

Open the book and find:

• Ways to prevent damage to — and from — Wii remotes

• How to use the Wii's full-featured Web browser

• Tips on choosing games

• How to enjoy photos, videos, and slideshows on your Wii

• All about the Wii Message Board

• Five hot Wii-specific Web sites

• How to customize the Channels menu

• Cool Wii games you can download

About the Author

Kyle Orland is a video-game expert and a regular writer for the premier gaming blog Joystiq.com. He cohosts the NPR video game podcast Press Start (www.pressstartpodcast.com) and maintains Gamespot.com's weekly "PressSpotting" column. He is frequently quoted in articles about gaming.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (September 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470402970
• ISBN-13: 978-0470402979
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #563,764 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book You Never Knew You Needed, October 30, 2008

By 

Bobby Bokista (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wii For Dummies, New Edition (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

Mention the title "Wii for Dummies" to the general game playing populous and you might receive a chuckle. "Wii for Dummies? The Wii is already the most simple thing on the planet!" they might say. But Kyle Orland's book is not for this demographic. It is targeted toward the other group that Nintendo has been trying to woo: people who have haven't ever owned a video game system (or at least not in a while). For these people the Wii is not the intuitive piece of hardware Nintendo claims. It's a complex piece of technology that requires hardware and software setup, has deep system preferences menus, has features that don't explain what they do, and has an array of games that vary in quality. Wii for Dummies covers all these bases.

The Nintendo Wii is easy to learn, but learning implies a teacher. Wii for Dummies is aimed directly at those people who want a Wii but have no one to teach them. It explains (with accompanying photos!) how to set up the hardware on a TV and how to navigate the system's software. It explains the intricacies of creating Miis, how to use the various Channels, how to buy games on the Virtual Console, tips on browsing the web, and even a nice history of the Nintendo company.

Wii Sports and Wii Fit are also covered in great details in Wii for Dummies, two of the games that are the main draw for the non-game buying market. Kyle Orland also makes recommendations on games for different groups: the non-gamer, partis, and families. These mini reviews not only explain a bit about the game but make recommendations on who the game both is and isn't intended for (though some of the reason are tenuous). Between these recommendations and the Virtual Console recommendations, the new Wii owner is bound to find something to make their investment worthwhile.

If you haven't played games in a long time (or ever) and need a teacher, Wii for Dummies is a well written and well organized guide that's sure to answer all your questions.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just For Dummies, November 28, 2008

By 

Joran (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wii For Dummies, New Edition (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

At first, I thought this book was only for people who bought the Wii as their first video game console. This book is definitely aimed at them and includes great information for first time users. There are chapters on how to set up the system (with troubleshooting tips), how to use the controller, and how to choose games, all written in simple, easy to follow instructions. The chapters assume the reader doesn't have any video game knowledge and holds their hands through processes such as reading the ESRB ratings and reading reviews of new games.

However, even with the writing for a new user, there are still nuggets and useful information for more experienced readers. For instance, the section on Channels in the Wii is extremely helpful, uncovering information I didn't know about the console. The list of websites specifically optimized for the Wii and setting up a specific Channel for Wii Fit was information I didn't know and found really fun. The book also includes suggestions for games on both the Virtual Console and Wii for all types of play: party, solo, and in between.

I think the most useful parts of the book for both new and experienced players are the suggested resources that are included in each section. Links to websites that cover kid-friendly games, links to mainstream video game review sites, and tips to find out new information on the console are invaluable for the book and teaches the reader where to find information the book can't cover. It's definitely a good primer about how to become informed about video gaming in general.

I found Wii for Dummies to be chuck full of useful information that both applies to the Wii and gaming in general. The writer does a great job of writing simple to follow instructions that are entertaining and witty. Sometimes I read a section I already knew just to see his funny take on it. I definitely would recommend the book for users who just got the Wii and don't know exactly what to do with it or as a gift for a relative or friend who is not a gamer. For more experienced players, I would still recommend it for all the great content on using all of unexplored features of the console.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book You'd Never Think You'd Need, April 13, 2009

By 

L. Osterritter - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wii For Dummies, New Edition (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

Wii for Dummies might seem a bit redundant at first glance. The Wii has hit critical mass at this point, with grandparents, parents and siblings alike all waggling joyfully with Nintendo's latest masterpiece. With this new system seemingly designed with the technolgically impaired, casual non-gamer in mind, could it possibly warrant its own For Dummies entry?

Short answer: Yes! While Nintendo has made the Wii relatively simple for pick up and play, Wii for Dummies is all about helping you to take the next step. How do make this thing connect to my home network? What accessories are available, and do I really NEED them? What's a Mii and why should I care? This book is all about helping you max out your experience.

Even the seasoned gamer should be interested in this book. Orland includes an interesting (if brief) section about the history of Nintendo, the Wii, and how it all came to be that is very reminiscent of the excellent Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life by Chris Kohler. Additionally, the final section includes some game buying advice, including a selection of downloadable games, and suggestions on games with which to reel in friends and non-gamers alike.