# XBOX, Playstation, Wii... Pros & Cons...????



## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

We are considering one of the game systems as our family gift for Christmas... we were *SUPPOSED* to get one last year but DH & I could not convince DD that she _needed_ one so we just put it off... and then I did get hubby a Wii for Valentine's and took it back, as he said we did not _*need * _ it... sooooo... Convince me which one of these does the most stuff and has the best games for a girl (11) and her girlie friends. Everyone I talk to gives me so much info I get so confused... If I get all of it on here in B&W then I will be able to compare easier, convince them *and * get what I want!  Thanks!


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## Maxx (Feb 24, 2009)

I think it depends on a lot of things, like the age of the kids, the kinds of games your family likes to play etc. We have a Wii and Xbox. I think the Wii has a lot more family friendly games and I personally like the Wii games better. My DS, who is 15, now prefers the Xbox. He plays all of those violent fighting games as do all of his friends. They can each be at home and play online together. I have not seen very many games for the Xbox that appeal to me as a 40-something woman. My 12 yo DD still really likes the Wii. She thinks there are a couple of games on the Xbox that she might like, but so far she hasn't purchased any or asked for any Xbox games for Christmas or Birthday, but there are many on the Wii that she does play. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about the playstation. I'm sure some others will have some info about that system.


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## Danielleqlee (Jun 21, 2010)

We have all three systems and by far, the Xbox has been used the most. With the most amount of games to choose from, the easiest controller to use and nice graphics, we love it. The Wii, for us, was a waste of money. The sensor that sits on the tv is very weak and is hard for children to use. The Playstation is 'okay'. My husband uses that one a lot, but I don't like the intricate controller and I find it slow to load and confusing to find where I need to be.
I hope that helps.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Hmm, it depends on what kind of games you're looking for. First of all, I don't like the PS3, so I'm not going to be very helpful on that front. The menu system and console just strike me as not very user-friendly and most of the games I like are on the xbox360 anyway. I personally own a 360, and it's my favorite because it has a lot of games I like, the achievement system is fun, and the menus are easy to navigate. However, if you want a lot of family/party games to play, the wii might be better for you. While it can't handle anything graphically intense, it has a lot of silly/fun games to play with a group of people. The 360 has multi-player games too, of course, but it doesn't seem to be what they focus on. 

So basically, would your daughter and friends like less-involved, easy to pick-up games (the wii), or are they more into prettier, involved games that take longer to learn (xbox 360)? Keep in mind that the wii uses motion-control and while the 360 just came out with that as well, most games are not going to use it yet. So if that's something that really interests her, best to go with the wii.

Now, this is just my personal experience and is probably not true for everyone, but I find that people who own a wii play it a bunch for the first month or two until the novelty wears off. Then you begin to realize that most games are pretty much the same (wave the controller in a certain motion to throw a ball/punch/swing etc.) and there aren't many games with a real story behind them. The xbox 360 seems much more exciting long-term. There are always new types of games coming out in all the different genres.


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

Jessica Billings said:


> Hmm, it depends on what kind of games you're looking for. First of all, I don't like the PS3, so I'm not going to be very helpful on that front. The menu system and console just strike me as not very user-friendly and most of the games I like are on the xbox360 anyway. I personally own a 360, and it's my favorite because it has a lot of games I like, the achievement system is fun, and the menus are easy to navigate. However, if you want a lot of family/party games to play, the wii might be better for you. While it can't handle anything graphically intense, it has a lot of silly/fun games to play with a group of people. The 360 has multi-player games too, of course, but it doesn't seem to be what they focus on.
> 
> So basically, would your daughter and friends like less-involved, easy to pick-up games (the wii), or are they more into prettier, involved games that take longer to learn (xbox 360)? Keep in mind that the wii uses motion-control and while the 360 just came out with that as well, most games are not going to use it yet. So if that's something that really interests her, best to go with the wii.
> 
> Now, this is just my personal experience and is probably not true for everyone, but I find that people who own a wii play it a bunch for the first month or two until the novelty wears off. Then you begin to realize that most games are pretty much the same (wave the controller in a certain motion to throw a ball/punch/swing etc.) and there aren't many games with a real story behind them. The xbox 360 seems much more exciting long-term. There are always new types of games coming out in all the different genres.


Great Information this is just the kind of info I need... as I have NO idea what kind of games come on for any of them nor what she would like... SHe is very girlie... but is really into gymnastics, dance, exercise... always jumps rop ewhile watching tv or turns kartwheels on the livingroom rug... I need to know the extras like which can you do "online" which I did not know anything about that until I saw that post... or blu-ray... or netflix... what do they each offer... Thanks for your responses!


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

We have all three.  15 yo DS uses the XBox, 12 yo DS uses the PS3 and the Wii has been a great dust catcher.  My boys just play sports-related games, and as far as I can tell the same games are available for both systems.  The PS3 has been trouble-free; we've had a couple of issues with the X-Box.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Meredith Sinclair said:


> Great Information this is just the kind of info I need... as I have NO idea what kind of games come on for any of them nor what she would like... SHe is very girlie... but is really into gymnastics, dance, exercise... always jumps rop ewhile watching tv or turns kartwheels on the livingroom rug... I need to know the extras like which can you do "online" which I did not know anything about that until I saw that post... or blu-ray... or netflix... what do they each offer... Thanks for your responses!


Ok, the wii has A LOT of dance/yoga/exercise games for it (I bet she would love DDR which is available on all 3 though!), but you can watch blu-rays only on the PS3. Netflix is available on all 3 consoles. The PS3 and 360 are starting to get into motion sensing, but don't have nearly the variety of games that the wii has (but I believe their motion sensing is more advanced and accurate, so it might be better (but more expensive) long-term). I will keep thinking about things that might be important in choosing!


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Ok, I'm not sure if price is important to you, but with the motion sensing equipment, here are the prices for each console from amazon:

PS3: $400
360: $300 (for 4GB version, $400 for the 250GB, which is probably overkill for your needs)
Wii: $200

Games for each system typically cost new:
PS3: $60
360: $60
Wii: $40-$50

Oh, while on amazon, I found a console buying guide that is much more complete than anything I could come up with! Check it out: here! For info about motion sensing on each console, look here for more info: motion sensing.

My boyfriend just saw what I was typing and wanted me to mention that the PS3 motion sensing would probably NOT appeal to your daughter. Its games are focusing more on shooting things or beating people up. The 360 and wii have more dance/exercise games and virtual pet motion sensing games.


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

Jessica Billings said:


> Ok, I'm not sure if price is important to you, but with the motion sensing equipment, here are the prices for each console from amazon:
> 
> PS3: $400
> 360: $300 (for 4GB version, $400 for the 250GB, which is probably overkill for your needs)
> ...


Wow! Thanks so much for your research! I just had no idea where to even start or what questions to ask... like the motion sensing thing... and tell your boyfriend Thanks for that information, she surely will not be fighting! LOL! Of course DH may want the PS3 for that reason!


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## lonestar (Feb 9, 2010)

We have a Wii, Playstation and and Xbox 360.  My son loves the Xbox and loves the military games.  The Wii started out as a family console but once I found the exercise programs I took it over.  I use Walk It Out, Wii Fit Plus, Golds Gym Dance Workout and Just Dance.  I like Mario Cart but don't play it much.  I know other people that like the Wii for their children.  There are some karaoke games and sports games too.  I have a friend that has two daughters that like Wii.  My daughter likes her Wii (she's grown) and uses Will Fit Plus and Mario Cart.

Good luck with your decision.  If you search on Amazon by console, you can see what kind of games are offered for them.


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## farrellclaire (Mar 5, 2010)

I love the Wii, especially the fitness games, and my children love it too but the motion sensor and controllers can be fiddley and hard to use sometimes.

Everyone (except me really) loves the Xbox in my extended family.  The new Kinetic thingy is a motion sensor and it's meant to work like your body is the controller so I might like it better when we have that, there'll be more fitness and "girly" games.  I'm not sure how it works for you, prices, packages, etc., but we get a lot of use out of the films, sky packages and downloadable arcade games.  

The Xbox is the easiest to use, I wouldn't recommend PS3 at all.  Even my 2year olds can use the Xbox controller, one of them gets up every morning and puts the telly & Xbox on to play music.    

I'd recommend you take a look at the various packages and games available and see what kind of use you'd get out of the different consoles.  If you get a chance to play with some in a shop or a friend's house then go for it, it's the best way to figure out how you'd like it.  I think all of the consoles have something for everyone so whether you choose an Xbox  or a Wii, you're sure to find something fun to do.


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

farrellclaire said:


> I love the Wii, especially the fitness games, and my children love it too but the motion sensor and controllers can be fiddley and hard to use sometimes.
> Everyone (except me really) loves the Xbox in my extended family. The new Kinetic thingy is a motion sensor and it's meant to work like your body is the controller so I might like it better when we have that, there'll be more fitness and "girly" games. I'm not sure how it works for you, prices, packages, etc., but we get a lot of use out of the films, sky packages and downloadable arcade games.


Sky packages (what is this?)Downloadable games? (how does this work?)


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## farrellclaire (Mar 5, 2010)

Meredith Sinclair said:


> Sky packages (what is this?)Downloadable games? (how does this work?)


I'm in Ireland so not sure how it works elsewhere and to be honest my eyes glaze over when my OH explains but instead of using a Sky Movies & Channels box, we use a subscription on the Xbox and we get like MTV and Sky Movies and Nickelodeon. You can also rent new films. I think in the US, you can rent or buy tv series too, not completely sure.

You have to be online though, through the Xbox and have a subscription to their Xbox live services. Once you do, there are demos of games and you can buy points that allow you to purchase downloadable games or add-ons for existing games. We do this a lot because we've young children so games get scratched and wrecked very easily. For example, they play the Sonic games a lot. We've downloaded a couple of them onto the Xbox. There are lots of old arcade games, games like Bejewelled and brand new games too. We have an Xbox with the largest amount of memory though.

I probably didn't explain that very well because I'm not absolutely certain of the details but basically you can buy an Xbox and some games but you can also subscribe to an online account and pay for extras. You have options, I suppose.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I'd personally recommend scratching the Wii off your list.  It cannot handle the graphics the other systems can and therefore ends up with bad ports or just not getting games at all.  The motion controller thing is fun, but now PS3 and Xbox both are doing it better.  We have a Wii, but it just doesn't stand up to the other two in my opinion.  You'll miss out on Mario and such, but it's seriously only worth considering the Wii as a second or even third console once you have one or both of the others.  I'll try to do the next bits in categories.

I do not have a Xbox 360 but I will probably be buying one soon because of Fable 3.  That being said, most Xbox exclusive games also come out for PC like Fable will be doing, so judge accordingly if your PC can handle the games.  It might be worth getting the PS3 then getting the must have games that are Xbox only for your PC.  I do have a PS3 and am more familiar with it of course, but I do kind of follow the industry a bit.

First and foremost you want to look at game availability.  A lot of games, as I've mentioned above, are exclusive for one system or the other.  While most Xbox exclusives do usually make it to PC, PC ports from consoles can also be notoriously bad.  Remember both consoles also have download only titles.  Xbox has quite a few available only in their Marketplace that I really want to get my hands on.  On the other hand, PS3 has quite a few I would miss if I was Xbox only.  This leads me very nicely into my next comparison...

If you plan on doing, or your children doing, a lot of online play (most games now-a-days have an online component) Xbox Live has a monthly fee while the Playstation Network is free to access.  Xbox is actually raising the price of this, or have already, to the following: monthly was $7.99 and is now $9.99, the 3 month plan was $19.99 and is now $24.99, and the annual subscription was $49.99 and is now $59.99.  So Xbox Live will cost your $60 a year while PS3 (and PC) online access are both free.  You may think you don't need this online access, but you'd be surprised.  Even if you don't want to play online there are tons of expansions and updated to download for games.

Motion sensor gaming is a new thing for both consoles so they are still in their fledgling stages with it.  PS3 handles it similarly to the Wii with remotes you hold and are sensed by a sensor near your television while Xbox handles it with a motion detecting camera which I find really exciting.  Both are supposed to be far superior to the Wii so you can't really go wrong with either, but both also have a cost above and beyond the cost of the system (Xbox is $150 and PS3 is $100 but requires additional controllers to be purchased for more players).

I lean toward Xbox on this because you do not need a controller at all, you just move your body and the camera tracks you.  You also control the Xbox itself with voice recognition which is really keen.  This is pretty amazing as even with the Wii you never feel truly like you're playing the game with your body when you are using a controller to be sensed by the game.  The PS3 also uses controllers so it would fall into this same disconnect, but it is still superior to the Wii controllers in every aspect.  The PS3 controller also doubles as a light gun for shooting games which is fun.  If you want more information on both of these, the PS3's is called Playstation Move and the Xbox's is called Kinect.

If you do not have one yet, the PS3 not only plays blu-ray movies but it also plays 3D blu-ray movies (assuming you have a 3D TV... which I do and I can tell you, nothing exciting about it yet unless you -really- like watching Cloudy with Meatballs by yourself.)  But this is definitely a nice extra bonus and even now the PS3 blu-ray/DVD player is very competitive with all of the standalone units out there.  You can also stream Netflix on your PS3 -without a disc- (the Xbox allows it I think, but requires a disc which gets more annoying than you'd think it would) but I will caution you that older 4:3 resolution movies will be stretched out as the software doesn't know how to handle them yet.  I assume this'll be fixed soon.

So the long and short of it... if I were only able to buy -one- system tomorrow it would be the PS3.  In fact, it's already what I've done.  The Wii we have is technically not mine.  The 3D blu-ray and free online are the clenchers for me and they are constantly keeping the system up to date... so much so that it's almost annoying, but I'm glad they're doing it.  With the free online comes all the nifty Playstation Network games and downloads.  The motion gaming for both systems is just too new of a technology to swing my vote yet, but I think a few months down the road might have Kinect nudging me on the side of the Xbox.  All that being said, though... I -am- seriously considering a 360 purchase this holiday season.  It's not a bad thing to own more than one gaming system.

If you have any more questions or need any more specifics on the online and such let me know.  Anything I don't know about the Xbox I can find out pretty easily and I feel like I have a pretty firm grasp on the other two.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

farrellclaire said:


> You have to be online though, through the Xbox and have a subscription to their Xbox live services. Once you do, there are demos of games and you can buy points that allow you to purchase downloadable games or add-ons for existing games. We do this a lot because we've young children so games get scratched and wrecked very easily. For example, they play the Sonic games a lot. We've downloaded a couple of them onto the Xbox. There are lots of old arcade games, games like Bejewelled and brand new games too. We have an Xbox with the largest amount of memory though.
> 
> I probably didn't explain that very well because I'm not absolutely certain of the details but basically you can buy an Xbox and some games but you can also subscribe to an online account and pay for extras. You have options, I suppose.


Ooh I totally forgot to mention anything about downloadable games. The wii and PS3 have these as well - where you buy points, which are then used to download smaller games. I'm pretty sure you don't need to pay the monthly subscription to download games on the xbox. The monthly subscription is just to play games online with other people. It can still connect to the internet without it to download new games or extra add-ons.


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## farrellclaire (Mar 5, 2010)

Jessica Billings said:


> Ooh I totally forgot to mention anything about downloadable games. The wii and PS3 have these as well - where you buy points, which are then used to download smaller games. I'm pretty sure you don't need to pay the monthly subscription to download games on the xbox. The monthly subscription is just to play games online with other people. It can still connect to the internet without it to download new games or extra add-ons.


I'm sure you're right Jessica, I'm totally confused by all the bits and pieces.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

It'd also be helpful to know what sorts of games you expect to be playing. I'll list some genres with examples of each.

*Role-playing (RPG)*: Fable, Dragon Age, Fallout, Final Fantasy
*Multiplayer Online*: Final Fantasy XIV, DC Universe Online, Free Realms
*Action/Adventure*: Assassin's Creed, Red Dead Redemption, God of War, Uncharted, Castlevania, inFamous
*Platformers*: Mario, Ratchet and Clank, Sonic the Hedgehog, Spyro, Mega Man, Braid

*First Person Shooters (FPS)*: Halo, Borderlands, Dead to Rights
*War FPS*: Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, Killzone
*Tactical FPS*: Ghost Recon, Spec Ops, SOCOM

*Racing*: Need for Speed, Burnout, Midnight Club, Gran Turismo
*Sports*: Madden NFL, MLB, NBA Live, Tiger Woods Golf, WWE Smackdown, NHL Hockey, FIFA Soccer
*Fighting*: Street Fighter, Soul Caliber, Marvel vs. Capcom, Naruto

*Puzzle*: Lemmings, Tetris, Cuboid, Lumines
*Real Time Strategy (RTS)*: R.U.S.E., Command and Conquer
*Turn Based Strategy*: Civilization, Disgaea, Magic the Gathering

*Rhythm Games*: Rock Band, Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero
*Sims*: The Sims, My Aquarium, Playstation Home
*Board Games*: Monopoly, Pinball, Chess, Quiz Games, Poker, Pool

And here are some of the top console exclusive games for each console so you can get an idea of what one has that the others don't. Keep in mind that console exclusive does not mean you cannot also play it on a PC.

Present:
*PS3*: Heavy Rain, God of War 3, The Last Guardian, Gran Turismo 5, Final Fantasy XIV, Uncharted 2, inFamous, Little Big Planet, Ratchet and Clank, Valkyria Chronicles, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, Metal Gear
*Xbox*: Fable 3, Halo Reach, Mass Effect 2, Alan Wake, Bioshock 2, Splinter Cell, Crackdown 2, Left 4 Dead 3, Gears of War, Braid, Portal, Banjo-Kazooie, Viva Pinata
*Wii*: Animal Crossing, Big Brain Academy, Bomberman, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Dr. Mario, EA Sports Active, Excitebike, Final Fantasy Chronicles, Harvest Moon, Mario/Kart/Party, Metroid Prime, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Zelda

Future:
*PS3*: inFamous 2, SOCOM, Twisted Metal, Motorstorm 3, Disgaea 4, Ratchet All 4 One, Yakuza, Little Big Planet 2, Killzone 3, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus HD, Dragon Age 2, The Last Guardian, Uncharted 3, Syphon Filter
*Xbox*: Star Wars Kinect, Perfect Dark 2, Project Gotham Racing 5, Mass Effect 3, The First Templar, Gears of War 3, Xcom, Forza Kinect, Kingdoms, Codename D, Project Draco, Steel Battalion Heavy Armor, Dust: An Elysian Tail, Too Human 2
*Wii*: Epic Mickey, NBA Jam, CSI Fatal Conspiracy, Pac Man Party, Harvest Moon Animal Parade, Super Mario All-Stars, Tangled, Hello Kitty Seasons, Combat of the Giant Dinosaurs, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, Doctor Who: Return to Earth, Yogi Bear, Wild West Shootout

Online Downloads:
*PS3*: Fat Princess, Cuboid, Echochrome, Playstation Home, Lumines Supernova, The Last Guy, Pixeljunk Games, Super Stardust HD/3D, Wipeout HD/3D, Flower
*Xbox*: Limbo, Hydrophobia, Braid, Bubble Bobble Neo, Ilomilo, Hexic, Crystal Quest, Geometry Wars, Faery: Legends of Avalon, Super Meat Boy
*Wii*: Despite having one I really have no idea. The online market isn't very robust from what I recall.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Also... keep this in mind. The rumor mongers are rumoring (or mongering) that a new Wii is expected in 2011.

http://www.wiitalk.co.uk/news/1772/new-wii-expected-in-2011/


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Something else I forgot to mention is the controllers.  While I do like the Xbox controller a lot, the PS3 one is pretty nice as well.  The Wii controller can be a bit odd for normal games and you have to buy extra components to make it work for some (the nunchuk controller).  One huge difference between the Xbox and PS3 controllers is that the Xbox controller takes batteries while the PS3 controller is rechargeable.  Yes you can get rechargeable battery packs, but you still have to switch them out when they die.  With the PS3 you just hook the controller up to the system via a USB cord and you can continue to play while it recharges.  On the other hand, PC gamers can usually use the Xbox controller as a PC controller as well.  The Wii is probably worst of the three since when its batteries die you either need a second controller or you stop playing.  They need to be charged by placing the entire controller in a charger.


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## lonestar (Feb 9, 2010)

Scheherazade said:


> Something else I forgot to mention is the controllers. While I do like the Xbox controller a lot, the PS3 one is pretty nice as well. The Wii controller can be a bit odd for normal games and you have to buy extra components to make it work for some (the nunchuk controller). One huge difference between the Xbox and PS3 controllers is that the Xbox controller takes batteries while the PS3 controller is rechargeable. Yes you can get rechargeable battery packs, but you still have to switch them out when they die. With the PS3 you just hook the controller up to the system via a USB cord and you can continue to play while it recharges. On the other hand, PC gamers can usually use the Xbox controller as a PC controller as well. The Wii is probably worst of the three since when its batteries die you either need a second controller or you stop playing. They need to be charged by placing the entire controller in a charger.


My Wii came with the nunchuk. We keep batteries generally as most everything we own either requires AA or AAA batteries. I have never had any problem with the controls for the Wii and like the options of games, work out and educational games.

My son however, loves the XBox. I don't enjoy battle games or the joystick type controls. He has switched to the wireless controls and so his XBox controls now need batteries as well.

I like the fact that he has a game system he likes and so do I. He's old enough now to make his own decisions, but when he first got a PS and XBox, we had trouble finding age appropriate games for him. That may not be the case now.


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

PS3 hands down. I'm surprised at the amount of negativity it's getting in this thread (granted, not from everyone - but several people here seem to be against it).

Sony's slogan for the PS3 is "It Only Does Everything" and that's d*mn near the truth.

Awesome games 
Free Online Gaming 
Blu-Ray Player 
Media Center
Netflix

Wii is a lot of fun, but it's definitely a less powerful system and it's not as versatile.

Xbox 360 requires you to pay an exorbitant (IMO) yearly fee just to play games online, and until recently, it had major reliability issues where it was almost guaranteed to break down on you after a while (google "red ring of death"). I'm not sure if that's still the case though. I'm hoping/guessing not, but it's still something to look into.

Of course, in the end, it depends on what _games_ you actually want to play. If you're hankering for a new Super Mario Bros. game, for example, you ain't getting that on PS3 or Xbox. 

EDIT: To correct what someone said above, $400 is NOT the base price for a PS3. Yes, there's a model with a larger hard drive and the PS Move motion controller for that price, but you can get a PS3 with a 160 GB HD (and NO Move) for $300. (Never mind, the person above did mention that the $400 price was for the Move bundle. My bad. But still, just to clear up any possible confusion, I wanted to highlight the $300 option for you.)



If you want Move, the $400 package is a good deal. I don't have it myself. 99% of the games on the PS3 work without it.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

As far as I know the Red Ring of Death on Xbox is still an issue.  Oh and something new I learned about Xbox online today...  A friend of mine as a 360 but doesn't pay for the online because he simply can't afford the monthly fee, but he recently got Dragon Age and wanted some of the content downloads to update it with.  So he paid for a month of Xbox live to download all the content... and now Dragon Age does not allow him to play unless he's online.  So he's stuck paying for online access for as long as he wants to play it.  He just sold it and bought the PC version instead.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

CS said:


> PS3 hands down. I'm surprised at the amount of negativity it's getting in this thread (granted, not from everyone - but several people here seem to be against it).


For an 11 year old girl who wants a system where she can play "girlie" games and likes dance and exercise, I honestly don't think a PS3 would be worth it. The only game I can think of that she might be interested in that she would not find on the other systems is Katamari Forever. The newer 360s don't have nearly the problem with the red ring of death that the old ones did, although you do have to be very careful not to bump/move it while a disc is in the system, or it can really scratch up the disc. The PS3 definitely does have the advantage of being able to play blu-rays, but I'm not sure that's worth the extra $100 (it sounds like motion sensing is important to her). I also don't think an 11 year old would be playing many multiplayer games online. From what I read, it sounds more like she wants a console that will have games that are fun for her and her friends to play together in their new game room. This is what I think it comes down to:

PS3:
-most expensive
-motion sensing games require special controller
-motion sensing games are primarily shooting/fighting
-can play blu-rays

360:
-mid-expensive
-motion sensing games require no controller, just your body
-motion sensing games are primarily exercise/dance/sports
-scratches up games if you move the console (so she would need to be careful when using it, some responsibility comes into play here)

Wii:
-cheapest
-motion sensing games require a controller and sometimes a nunchuck
-graphics aren't as good
-a MUCH larger selection of motion sensing games, primarily exercise/dance/sports
-motion sensing is not as accurate

Personally, I would never buy a wii because I'm not into the whole motion sensing thing and most of the games I like are not available on it, but for an 11 year old girl who wants games to play with her friends, it might be the best choice. I don't play games online and a lot of the games I'm into are only available on the 360, so it's the best choice for me. For you, the PS3 is the best choice. I'm not saying any console is better than the other, but different consoles are more suited to different people.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Scheherazade said:


> As far as I know the Red Ring of Death on Xbox is still an issue. Oh and something new I learned about Xbox online today... A friend of mine as a 360 but doesn't pay for the online because he simply can't afford the monthly fee, but he recently got Dragon Age and wanted some of the content downloads to update it with. So he paid for a month of Xbox live to download all the content... and now Dragon Age does not allow him to play unless he's online. So he's stuck paying for online access for as long as he wants to play it. He just sold it and bought the PC version instead.


This doesn't make sense to me. You don't need a gold (paid) membership to buy downloadable content. You only need to be connected to the Internet. Some of the time, gold members will be able to access content sooner, but I don't understand why he would need to buy a membership to download the content. Did he try creating a silver (free) membership first? It sounds like something is really buggy with his live account if it wouldn't let him download extras and forced him to stay online in order to play. That is not at all normal.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Yeah I have no idea what was going on with it, but he's pretty savvy with this stuff so I didn't question him too much about it.  I know that Dragon Age on my PS3 attempts to connect every time I play too in order to check updates, so I'm thinking maybe it checks the validity of your download to stop piracy or something?  It could be only this game does it and it's an issue with the game and not the Xbox, but it was still disconcerting to hear.  I'll give him your suggestions since you know more about the pricing structure than me and see if it works.  Thanks!


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

Jessica Billings said:


> For an 11 year old girl who wants a system where she can play "girlie" games and likes dance and exercise, I honestly don't think a PS3 would be worth it.


Somehow, I completely missed the fact that this is for an 11 year old girl. 

In that case, yeah, I'd go with the Wii.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Yeah, but even then a new Wii is coming out soon.  It'd kinda be a waste to buy one now.  I still see the Wii as a secondary system, even for an eleven year old girl.  Their tastes range wider than you think and eleven now isn't like eleven when we grew up.  Kids are much more mature and worldly by that age.  I really think the PS3 would be best for now with a Wii in the future.  Unless, of course, she's really out to get a Wii.  With the Playstation Move I imagine you're going to see a lot more dancing and exercise games.


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

We have all the consoles ( DH is a collector and has just about every console ever made)

He likes the XBox 360 best, but is sentimental about Mario and loves his Wii.

Personally, I would always recommend a Wii for kids, especially girls. There are far more "girl" games available on Wii than the others. It's a fun, family friendly system and great for a group of kids.

PS.. it drives me insane to see the prices you guys pay for games. You can double those prices down here.



> Games for each system typically cost new:
> PS3: $60
> 360: $60
> Wii: $40-$50


Try $100 - $120 for new games, regardless of system.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Lyndl said:


> PS.. it drives me insane to see the prices you guys pay for games. You can double those prices down here.
> 
> Try $100 - $120 for new games, regardless of system.


Oh my gosh, that's outrageous!!! And here I thought $60 was too much to pay (I usually wait until they go on sale for around $40)...


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

Lyndl said:


> We have all the consoles ( DH is a collector and has just about every console ever made)
> 
> He likes the XBox 360 best, but is sentimental about Mario and loves his Wii.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I am leaning toward Wii for my DD and she just looked at a Target ad today and showed me a RED Wii! Out of nowhere she was just thrilled to show it to me... I think she is finally wantig one!


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

Scheherazade said:


> Yeah, but even then a new Wii is coming out soon. It'd kinda be a waste to buy one now. I still see the Wii as a secondary system, even for an eleven year old girl. Their tastes range wider than you think and eleven now isn't like eleven when we grew up. Kids are much more mature and worldly by that age. I really think the PS3 would be best for now with a Wii in the future. Unless, of course, she's really out to get a Wii. With the Playstation Move I imagine you're going to see a lot more dancing and exercise games.


Well, SHE is actually 11! Acts like an eleven year old... not wordly at ALL. Hyper intelliigent, articulate, sweet, innocent and 11! She sleeps with a stuffed Hippo, carries it everywhere with her and loves to play house... so she is not one of the ones growing up too fast. I am a Special Needs teacher and she comes to work with me a lot and entertains the little ones and reads to them and sits with them in her lap. She is tiny, so if you were to meet her you would think she is 8 or 9... this I think helps her still be a little girl. She showed me the Wii in the Target ad today and seems a little interested. She NEVER has asked us for ANYTHING for her birthday or Christmas... I have a feeling she will ask Santa for the RED Wii... now that she saw it. I think XBOX or Playstation may be my husband's gifts now that you all are giving me such good info! Thanks for all of your help!


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I totally want a stuffed hippo!  And yeah, if she's squealing and bringing you adds with the Wii in it, go for it.  It sounds like the update might just be adding HD?  I'm not sure, but my worry is they will make games for this new Wii that the old one won't be able to play.  I personally feel that would be a bad idea on Nintendo's part, because they do fill an important area where PS3 lacks a bit and Xbox really doesn't focus at all, and that's kids games.  Kids aren't concerned with HD graphics, they just want fun, simple and cute games.  If they're smart the games will just have functionality to look better on the new system while still working on the old one.  Though it seems like these are still just rumors and I've always been of a mind that if you keep waiting for what's next you'll never get it.


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

Wii HD has been a rumor for years. I think it's inevitable, but I really hope Nintendo has a system in place to let people transfer their downloaded Virtual Content and WiiWare purchases onto a new system. I'm not optimistic though. For all of the innovations N has brought to the market, they're woefully behind the times when it comes to online gaming and downloadable content.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

Ms Merry, I hope that you have been helped by the info in this thread.
Great info has been provided.

We have several systems also - and have purchased things from the early Atari Game system to the latest wii.

Have avoided the xbox 360 mainly because of cost and dependability.  There was a serious problem with system failure for a while.  To my knowledge this is now fixed and any new xbox should work great.  This is the online multi gamer choice (although most of my serious gamer friends swear that a "tricked-out" gamer PC is superior.  I have always thought that the dedicated game consoles were best.

All of the systems now have Netflix movie downloads available either standard or as an add-on option.  And some games are now available on all game consoles.  Although some like Mario are still only on one.

The PS3, as has been mentioned, has a bluray player that is considered to be equal to even the newest systems.  And when it came out a blu ray player by itself was hundreds of dollars.  The PS3 (the correct model) will play old PS2 games - for an 11yrold girl something like DDR (Dance, Dance, Revolution) may be special. While all the systems have a "version" of this, the PS3 version is particularly nice.  DDR requires an add-on step pad to play.

The Wii is a nice party game system ......until you add the Fit.  Then it becomes one of the best engineered products I have ever seen.  This combination provides an incredible value.  We have never tired or stopped using it.  Most of the games that are available with the consoles are boring once you have beaten them.  The online multiplayer games require you are online when others of your acquaintance are going to be on.  But the wii provides workout and play that pits you against yourself.

Just sayin.....


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

geoffthomas said:


> The PS3 (the correct model) will play old PS2 games - for an 11yrold girl something like DDR (Dance, Dance, Revolution) may be special. While all the systems have a "version" of this, the PS3 version is particularly nice. DDR requires an add-on step pad to play.


PS2 backwards-compatibility is only available on the original 20GB and 60GB PS3 models and *some*_ 80GB models. Good luck finding any of those now, especially new. The current PS3 models unfortunately do not let you play older PS2 games. It sucks that Sony took away that feature from later models, but such is life._


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

Jessica Billings said:


> Ok, I'm not sure if price is important to you, but with the motion sensing equipment, here are the prices for each console from amazon:
> 
> PS3: $400
> 360: $300 (for 4GB version, $400 for the 250GB, which is probably overkill for your needs)
> ...


I'm not sure where you got that info, but they are not $400 anymore. I got my 250GB Xbox for $299. And I'm sure the PS3 is down to $299 now as well.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

CS said:


> PS2 backwards-compatibility is only available on the original 20GB and 60GB PS3 models and *some*_ 80GB models. Good luck finding any of those now, especially new. The current PS3 models unfortunately do not let you play older PS2 games. It sucks that Sony took away that feature from later models, but such is life.
> _


_ 
Yeah I agree with you. It is limited and now hard to find. And one wishes they had kept that backward compatibility. In our home it has meant keeping the old PS2s alive because as long as they work there is no reason to re-purchase (if you can) the games for the new system.

Just sayin......_


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

geoffthomas said:


> Yeah I agree with you. It is limited and now hard to find. And one wishes they had kept that backward compatibility. In our home it has meant keeping the old PS2s alive because as long as they work there is no reason to re-purchase (if you can) the games for the new system.
> 
> Just sayin......


They have a lot of the older games in the PSN so you can download them there.


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## cargalmn (Sep 29, 2010)

Wow, this is a long thread with lots of advice. Hopefully we haven't completely confused you!

As an xbox and Wii owner (and primary video game player in the family), I have to throw in my $.02...for an 11-year old girl, go with the Wii. I love video games, but I probably have the ability of an 11-year old. LOL The xbox has the Lego series of games (definitely great for an 11-year old and highly recommended) - but a lot of the other xbox & ps3 games are just too "mature" for an 11-year old. I'm guessing she's not going to want the shooting games, the war games, or even the driving games. She'll probably want (as others have stated) the exercise games, which the Wii is GREAT at. Wii also gives you the classic cartoon-y games like Zelda and Mario. The music games are fun too (ie Rock Band), but of course they're available on multiple platforms.

For an 11-year-old girl, I'd definitely go with the Wii and not the other two. And definitely get the red one - how fun! 

*ps, DEFINITELY go to the day-after-thanksgiving sale at Gamestop* (find your nearest location) as they have a used buy-2-get-1-free promotion every year. My sister & I ALWAYS stock up. Last year we wasted an entire day on Thanksgiving weekend "playing" (make that singing) American Idol Karaoke, much to my husband and cat's dismay.  Highly recommended for stocking up on a few games to give her with whatever system you choose!! (go Lego games! LOL)


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

That's the one thing that irks me about Nintendo, they seem to try to be different for the sake of being different.  Don't get me wrong, the whole Wii movement controller thing was fabulous and an amazing innovation at the time (I still find it terribly hard to control though, maybe it's just me) but they also held on to cartridge games while other systems were doing discs.  I think this is when Nintendo started to fall to the back of the pack.  Then they came out with the GameCube that used those silly mini-CDs while others were moving to DVDs and now they have a system without HD while every other system out there is pushing technology as far as they can.

They're amazingly innovative with their games, but I almost wish they would do like Sega and get out of the console war and make those amazing games for the other amazing systems.  Now the Wii doesn't even have motion controllers to itself and it's only a matter of time before the PS3 and Xbox move beyond what content they have for it (Because lets face it, not many games make a lot of use of those controllers.)  I agree on the amazing content for kids on the Wii, I just can't get behind it as a primary gaming system.  It sounds like you're thinking about a PS3 or Xbox for your husband, though, so that'll even things out.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

monkeyluis said:


> They have a lot of the older games in the PSN so you can download them there.


This. A lot of the PS3 games (and maybe Xbox, no idea) that you're going to find that are very kid and family friendly are on the network for download. They're also almost always under $20 which is pretty awesome.


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## cc84 (Aug 6, 2010)

If you want to get her the red Wii, i think it's only out for a limited amount of time because it's 25yr anniversary of Mario.  

We have the Wii and it is great. Much better though if the rest of your family are gamers. My mum got the Wii for the fitness games, and the Wii Fit, she soon got bored but she's not a big gamer. So i end up playing it by myself and i wish my family played more! 

The games advertised, the fitness games, dance games etc are great but there's so many more games you just have to look (Amazon is great for browsing games!). Personally, i dont mind the graphics on the Wii, there are some great games with great graphics. Okami is one of the best games for the Wii. If your daughter likes cooking, i recommend Order Up, i play that a lot, it's fun  Another great game is Animal Crossing City Folk (or Lets Go To The City if you live in Europe) I know adults who love the Wii just for this game. 

Anyhow that's my thoughts, hope we manage to help


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

RorySM said:


> My family loves the wii. It's the first time my wife has shown any interest in video games since Tetris on the supernintendo. In fact, she pretty much makes me play an hour a night with her. My son is 4 so he likes pretty much anything so I wouldn't take his advice on anything.
> 
> The wii has lots of family orientated games. Wii Party and Mario Party are pretty much the same thing: a video game take on traditional board games, where instead of just rolling dice you play some really fun mini-games (the only difference really is that Mario party uses mario characters and wii party uses your mii's--the avatars you create to represent yourself). Other games like Disney's Guilty Party are pretty cool too. Although that one would probably work just as well without the motion controllers if it's x-box or ps3.
> 
> ...


My MIL loved our Playstation (original) when my husband and I used to play it in the late 90s Sheplayed football and Bass fishing with me and we all had a blast. Since we have not played ANY of the other games since, graphics and stuff are not going to matter too much as whatever there is NOW is much better than back then! 
Balance games will appeal to her and cartoony works for us!


cc84 said:


> If you want to get her the red Wii, i think it's only out for a limited amount of time because it's 25yr anniversary of Mario.
> 
> We have the Wii and it is great. Much better though if the rest of your family are gamers. My mum got the Wii for the fitness games, and the Wii Fit, she soon got bored but she's not a big gamer. So i end up playing it by myself and i wish my family played more!
> 
> ...


OMG! She LOVES to cook! We watch Food Network LOT! AND the red one is probably what we will be getting since she has NEVER been interested before and she showed me the ad so I think she really wants it... she never asks us for anything... not even a candy bar at the store! We ask her and she just says "No thank you" with a sweet grin on her face. I am SO Blessed!


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

cargalmn said:


> Wow, this is a long thread with lots of advice. Hopefully we haven't completely confused you!
> 
> As an xbox and Wii owner (and primary video game player in the family), I have to throw in my $.02...for an 11-year old girl, go with the Wii. I love video games, but I probably have the ability of an 11-year old. LOL The xbox has the Lego series of games (definitely great for an 11-year old and highly recommended) - but a lot of the other xbox & ps3 games are just too "mature" for an 11-year old. I'm guessing she's not going to want the shooting games, the war games, or even the driving games. She'll probably want (as others have stated) the exercise games, which the Wii is GREAT at. Wii also gives you the classic cartoon-y games like Zelda and Mario. The music games are fun too (ie Rock Band), but of course they're available on multiple platforms.
> 
> ...


Thanks! I really appreciate all of the help. I have been away for a few months and I see a lot of new people posting which is nice to see so many helpful people in one place. I am LOL at your Karaoke story. 


cargalmn said:


> Wow, this is a long thread with lots of advice. Hopefully we haven't completely confused you!
> 
> As an xbox and Wii owner (and primary video game player in the family), I have to throw in my $.02...for an 11-year old girl, go with the Wii. I love video games, but I probably have the ability of an 11-year old. LOL The xbox has the Lego series of games (definitely great for an 11-year old and highly recommended) - but a lot of the other xbox & ps3 games are just too "mature" for an 11-year old. I'm guessing she's not going to want the shooting games, the war games, or even the driving games. She'll probably want (as others have stated) the exercise games, which the Wii is GREAT at. Wii also gives you the classic cartoon-y games like Zelda and Mario. The music games are fun too (ie Rock Band), but of course they're available on multiple platforms.
> 
> ...


Not too confused  OK... maybe a little... though... Thanks for telling me about the game sales I never would have known about that as I have never even been in a game store.... I don't see her doing the rock band kind of stuff, she is really calm and does theater , so she is more artsy... but all of this information is helping me A LOT! Besides there is probably someone else out there in the market also and everyone is being so descrpitive about the games that this thread will help others with different gaming interests.


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

geoffthomas said:


> Ms Merry, I hope that you have been helped by the info in this thread.
> Great info has been provided.
> Just sayin.....


Thank you Mr. Thomas!  She will be so shocked! It will be from Santa... yes, she STILL BELIEVES! And I will go ahead with the RED! She has become really involved with her girlfriends outside of school these days and I feel that this system will keep them all entertained as they are all still young girls (no makeup, boyfriends etc.) and love to get together with us and play board games... but with Middle school coming up next year I am hoping to have it all worked out that the girls come to our house since we only have one child and they all have sublings... helps me keep an eye on what MY girl is doing and helps the other girls' parents @ the same time. Just sayin...


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

monkeyluis said:


> I'm not sure where you got that info, but they are not $400 anymore. I got my 250GB Xbox for $299. And I'm sure the PS3 is down to $299 now as well.


I clearly stated that those are the prices with the motion sensing bundles, which is what she is interested in. Also, I stated that those are straight from Amazon.

Meredith, you should also look into the game Cooking Mama for the wii!! It is a ton of fun and absolutely hilarious to play.

Here's a short list of some wii games I definitely recommend:

Dance Dance Revolution - you will have to buy a dance pad (or two!) for this, but it is great exercise, lots of fun, and a great party game
Mario Party - very fun party game. I know it was mentioned earlier, but it's basically a board game made up of lots of mini-games
Mario Kart - another fun one to play with friends and very easy to pick up
Wii Fit - requires the purchase of a wii fit board, but I bet she would love the yoga and exercise games on this one
Wii Sports Resort - another one that requires you buy an extension to go on the controller, but offers more accurate motion sensing games like archery, fencing, and some water games. Lots of fun!
Lego Harry Potter / Indiana Jones - if she's a fan of either movies (or even if she's not), these are super popular games
Cooking Mama - very silly cooking game where you act out the cooking of recipes from around the world

That's all I can think of at the moment, but I'll add more if I think of them. I am so excited for her!


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## lonestar (Feb 9, 2010)

I would add Just Dance to the Wii recommendations.  Fun game.


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

Jessica Billings said:


> I clearly stated that those are the prices with the motion sensing bundles, which is what she is interested in. Also, I stated that those are straight from Amazon.


Fair enough. For someone who is having a tough time making a decision though it's better to start off with the base system for one of them and go from there adding the Kinect for Xbox or the PS3 motion system (I forget what it's called). Investing in a full on system bundle I think is a bad start.

Based on what I'm reading in the posts though, the Wii or the Xbox 360 seems like a better option for the OPs needs. Wii though has become stagnant as of late. My son (7) uses his xbox more than the Wii. We only use the PS3 for blu-ray movies, I hardly play games on it. I think for most the PS3 is going to be the best bang for your buck. It has great games for all age ranges, from the Xbox live arcade games, to older xbox original games to the most recent best and brightest like Call of Duty.


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## cargalmn (Sep 29, 2010)

fyi - if you're interested in the Wii Fit Plus and the Balance Board, it will be just $67 at Target the day after Thanksgiving.

http://bfads.net/Link/2036


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## lonestar (Feb 9, 2010)

Wii Fit Plus can be loads of fun.  Hoola Hoop is a riot.


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

cargalmn said:


> fyi - if you're interested in the Wii Fit Plus and the Balance Board, it will be just $67 at Target the day after Thanksgiving.
> 
> http://bfads.net/Link/2036


WOW! Thanks!


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

Jessica Billings said:


> I clearly stated that those are the prices with the motion sensing bundles, which is what she is interested in. Also, I stated that those are straight from Amazon.
> 
> Meredith, you should also look into the game Cooking Mama for the wii!! It is a ton of fun and absolutely hilarious to play.
> 
> ...


OH! great! Thanks Jessica. YOu are a wealth of information. I LOVE Harry Potter & Indiana Jones... she is still scared of HP...  A REAL 11 year old! But I will love all of those for our family. I appreciate you adding things as you think of them. You are a great help.


lonestar said:


> Wii Fit Plus can be loads of fun. Hoola Hoop is a riot.


  Sounds fun!


lonestar said:


> I would add Just Dance to the Wii recommendations. Fun game.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

It might not be as cutesy and fun, but if you want a real exercise with your Wii and get tired of the balance board and yoga of Wii Fit, I find that we use and enjoy this one a lot more, but both are really good and if it makes you exercise when you otherwise wouldn't, even better. But I do find I prefer this one as do most of my friends who suck at balancing. I can't speak for part 2 of it which also seems double the price.


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

*Punch-Out*

This is an out of the box recommendation fitness wise, but it will give you a workout if you use the Wiimote and Nunchuck.



*Don King Boxing*

I've also heard this is good from a fitness standpoint (the game itself is not very highly regarded though), but I don't know for sure. I bought it on the cheap but haven't tried it yet. It seems to be compatible with the balance board, but I have no idea how well that works. It's hit-or-miss with some games, I guess.


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