Best Nintendo Wii Gift Ideas for Christmas or Otherwise: Great Accessories Available for Less Than 50 Dollars
Chances are, there’s someone in your life who enjoys video gaming. With the overwhelming popularity of the Nintendo Wii, there’s an equally good chance that person owns one.
For those unfamiliar with the gaming world, finding gifts for the gamer on your list can be a difficult and confusing process. There are so many games, accessories, and various other pieces of merchandise out there that it can be quite difficult to find something appropriate, something that you know the recipient will enjoy.
Having spent many years in video game retail, I can tell you that there are several “can’t miss” gift ideas for the console. Practically any Wii gamer will be pleased to receive any of the great Wii accessories on this list, provided they haven’t already bought these fantastic items for themselves.
Wii Controller Charging Station
Constantly replacing Wiimote batteries is a pain, but rechargeable controllers are something many gamers probably haven’t purchased, preferring instead to spend their money on new games.
Most charging stations, like Nyko’s Wii Charging Station, come with battery packs and a base upon which you simply place your controllers when you are not playing.
The controllers charge automatically, ensuring you always have a full charge when you’re ready to dive into some Super Mario Galaxy. The Nyko station comes with two battery packs and a cord that plugs directly into a wall outlet, allowing for faster charging than other models that use a USB plug.
The Nyko Charging Station currently retails for around 25 dollars on Amazon.
Wii Remote Controller and Nunchuck
Speaking of controllers, with a system like the Nintendo Wii, you can never have too many. Many Wii games are meant to be played as a group, or in a party setting, and everyone who wants to play is going to need their own controller.
The Wiimote retails for around 35 dollars on Amazon and is a great gift all by itself. For those wishing to go the extra mile, there is also the Nunchuck plug in for the controller. For another 20 bucks or so, you’ll ensure that your intended recipient has everything he or she needs to play any game in their library.
Another option is Wii Play, a game that comes with a Wiimote included, free of charge. It’s a little more expensive, around 50 dollars, but you get a full game and a free controller for a discount price. Wii Play is one of the best selling Wii games of all time, largely because of the controller pack in.
Wii MotionPlus
The Wii MotionPlus is one of the newest Wii accessories released by Nintendo. With it, the Wiimote becomes capable of sensing true 1-to-1 motion fidelity. So, when you swing your Wiimote in a game of Wii Sports Resort, your on-screen avatar is going to swing his sword at the exact same angle and velocity, making for incredibly accurate control.
Not every game uses this accessory, but anyone who has played Wii Sports Resort can tell you, it’s a lot more fun when you’re not playing by yourself. If you know someone who already has a MotionPlus-compatible game (such as Wii Sports Resort or Tiger Woods 2010), you can’t go wrong with a second MotionPlus.
It’s also a very inexpensive gift, retailing for just about 20 dollars.
Wii Component Cables
Like the charging station, component cables are an accessory most people would like to have, but typically don’t go out and purchase themselves when they are on a budget, as you can play the system without it.
If there’s a gamer on your list that has a flat screen television and is still using regular composite cables to connect their system, a set of component cables is a fantastic gift idea. The difference is instantly visible, and your gift will improve the quality of every single game that is played on the system. Not a bad deal, especially considering you can get them for less than 20 dollars.
Wii Classic Controller
The Classic Controller is a great gift for any gamer that loves to download games for the Wii’s Virtual Console. These retro classics are unplayable with a standard Wiimote/Nunchuck combination, and require the Classic Controller (or a Gamecube controller, if you can find one used) to play.
The Classic Controller plugs directly into the base of the Wiimote and mimics the features of the controllers from the systems upon which Virtual Console games are based. It also works for Gamecube games, all of which are compatible with the Wii.
The Classic Controller is another great value, retailing for just under twenty dollars.
Some gift buyers know exactly what their intended recipient is looking for. Others may have more of a general idea, and are searching for something their loved one is sure to enjoy.
Any of the Wii accessories on this list would make a fantastic gift for that Nintendo Wii owner on your list. Each is useful for a multitude of games, and all are available for less than 50 dollars.
