The Wii Gift Guide

If you're not a Beatles fan I pity you, because you can't fully appreciate Harmonix's brilliant rhythm game, "The Beatles: Rock Band," even though you might admire the game's meticulous attention to detail, the typically excellent "Rock Band" level design and the incredibly cool ability to do vocal harmonies. But if you're not a Beatles fan, you won't be thinking every track in the game is great. You won't find the ability to play these songs as incredible as those of us who have listened to them hundreds of times. You won't understand why every Beatles fan thinks that this is the best band game ever made. If you are a Beatles fan, and you don't have this game yet, I envy you. Because you have something great to look forward to.

Whenever Nintendo releases new hardware they also release a game to show it off, and Wii Sports Resort does a great job of showing off Nintendo's MotionPlus remote add-on, which is bundled with the game. The MotionPlus adds accuracy to the Wii remote's motion sensing capabilities. A collection of sports mini-games, the game lets you play table tennis, basketball, archery and other sports in a way that, more than ever, makes your remote feel like authentic sports equipment.

Don't listen to those old-schoolers who insist the best way to play Punch-Out!! is to hold the remote sideways and push buttons like you're playing the game on an old SNES. Played the Wii way, using the remote and nunchuk in your hands to punch and the balance board under your feet for dodging, Punch-Out!! is a remarkably immersive game. It is also brutally aerobic, which is why it made number one on my list of the Wii's best exercise games. As someone who hates working out and has no interest in boxing, a game that makes me combine "boxing" "workout" and "fun" in my head is an amazing accomplishment.

One of the most interesting Wii games of 2009, Deadly Creatures is proof that there is more to the console than mini-game collections and children's games. An action game involving fierce anthropods (a.k.a. bugs), the game is original and fun. It's also a bit of an overlooked classic, meaning you've got a better than average chance that the recipient doesn't already have it.

The greatest failing of the Wii is the lack of a rechargeable remote, which is why so many peripheral makers have created chargers that let you use rechargeable battery packs to power your Wii remotes. The best of the lot is Nyko's Charge Station IC, an elegantly designed, two-remote charger that simply works better than any of its competitors. The IC is an inductive charger, meaning you can charge your remote without removing its protective silicone sleeve. You can also charge it without removing attachments such as a nunchuk or the MotionPlus adapter. Everyone needs a way to free themselves from the slavery of constantly changing batteries; Nyko offers the best solution to date.

A Wii skin lets you modify the look of your Wii. Like buying clothes for someone, buying a Wii skin as a present requires some knowledge of the recipient's taste; you don't want to buy a Spongebob Squarepants skin for someone who would rather have their Wii look psychedelic. Choose well.

Don't know what to get someone even after reading my article on how to buy a game for someone? Let them make their own choice with a Nintendo Points Card. Online shopping for the Wii is done through a points system, and with a points card you can buy WiiWare titles like Tales of Monkey Island: Launch of the Screaming Narwhale or Virtual Console games like the ever-popular Super Mario Bros. 3 (you can also buy games for the Nintendo's handheld DSi). Always preferable to buying that bargain bin shovelware title with the colorful cover.

A nifty little cordless keyboard useful for browsing the Internet on the Wii's Internet Channel or for use in games that allow text chatting (as is reportedly the case in [i]Animal Crossing: City Folk[/i]). If you're buying it as a gift, just make sure it's for someone who actually web browses or text chats on the Wii, or this item is fated for regifting.

While Wii Fit has fun mini-games and offers a friendly, rather goofy approach to exercise, EA Sports Active is the exercise game that is most likely to actually get you in shape. It's not quite as effective as working out at the gym, but it's the closest thing to it you'll get on the Wii.