The gaming industry is expanding day by day; and today, its latest addition is the Nintendo Wii. It is basically a console that is very small, and is equivalent to the size of 3 DVD cases placed together. It has a front loading disc assembly that accepts not only the regular CDs, but also Wii discs and smaller Game Cube discs.

It can be said that the Nintendo Wii is essentiallya much stronger version of the Game Cube, and can very much replace it. The Nintendo Wii is run by a PowerPC Processor from IBM and comes with a contemporary onboard graphics engine with a 512 mb flash memory. If required, there is also a provision to use an external memory card if you need additional space for storage.

The Nintendo Wii also comes with a Bluetooth so that you can use a maximum of four cordless Wii controllers at a time. This provides for complete entertainment to the whole family by encouraging them to play together. If you prefer corded play, the Wii also has a Game Cube controller jacks on the top of the console to provide for this. There are also 2 USB ports for using additional peripherals and 2 Game Cube memory card ports with which it is possible to load and save Game Cube games to and from the Wii.

Another benefit of the Nintendo Wii is the internet access it provides and it's USB. With the help of an Ethernet adapter and the Wii network capability you can easily gain access to any of its online features. Of all these benefits, the greatest benefit that the Wii offers is its backwards compatibility.

With this feature, it is possible to use the Wii to play practically all games that have been developed by Nintendo. So if you had owned a Game Cube or Nintendo DS previously, it is possible to play its? games on the Wii. Moreover, the Nintendo Wii also helps in family matters as the whole family tends to stay together with the Wii. With this increased interaction, the Nintendo Wii lets the whole family play games together.

Parents can use the parental control feature found in the Wii, which is available with an update. This feature prevents youngsters from playing games not suitable for their age. Once a child attempts to play such a game, the Wii automatically reads the content rating in the games data. Once the rating is larger than the age limit on the Wii system, the game is not loaded till a stipulated password is entered. However, this feature is ineffective in games specially designed for the Game Cube.

So if you are deciding on the best gaming console to buy for your family, the Nintendo Wii is the most desireable choice for you. This is a gaming console that produces games that both adults and children can play. And with its parental control, you can control what games the kids play.