Used Wii Issues?

March 23, 2009 2:08 AM

Anything to look out for when buying a used Wii? Also Wii related exercise questions.

Is it a good idea to buy a used Wii? I have read that there are some issues with the drive having problems reading discs, but is there anything else major that might break?

I was thinking of buying it for a relative to hopefully motivate him to exercise. Right now he can't stand for long periods of time; would the Wii even be worthwhile? Any recommended games for exercising while sitting down?

Thanks for your help.

posted by pombiki to sports, hobbies, & recreation (8 comments total)

The Wii Fit does not have much sitting down.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 3:19 AM on March 23

But there are a whole bunch of active games which can be played sitting down. You can get a pretty decent arm workout on WiiSports tennis, for example.
posted by ravcasleygera at 4:46 AM on March 23

The wii is being used for rehab, googling "Wiihab" should give you some good information about it.
posted by Grlnxtdr at 7:39 AM on March 23

I bought a used Wii from a Kijiji ad and have been super happy with it. One thing to look out for is people advertising their system as "comes with 8 games!!!" when what they really mean is that it includes Wii Sports (which is 1 "game" disc with 5 different sports) and 3 Virtual Console games of dubious quality. Keep in mind Virtual Console games are not nearly as expensive as packaged games, so including them is not a valid reason to hike the price of the Wii by very much.

In my case, I got lucky - not only was the Wii I bought virtually unused (looking through the play records revealed the person had only played it 5 times in a year), but there was a Virtual Console game and 4500 Wii Points left on the system that the person hadn't mentioned in the ad. I got a great deal and am super happy with the Wii.

I'll let others answer the exercise questions as I'm more of a Smash Bros. Brawl sort of Wii-er.
posted by oulipian at 8:23 AM on March 23

One physical thing to check is the wire between the IR sensor & the wii proper. It's a pretty thin wire, and I just noticed when packing mine yesterday that it got sliced clean in half by a bit of pinching. It's not a plug connection either, so if it breaks you'll need to repair or replace.

Bah.
posted by Lemurrhea at 9:23 AM on March 23

Unless you've found a really good deal, you might just want to buy new. I don't know about online, but I know at my local game store a new Wii is $250 and a used one was less than $15 cheaper.

The 'Wii Sports' package that comes with the system can all be done sitting, or putting too much strain on a person. There's a reason the system has gotten so popular at nursing homes. A lot of people go crazy with the motions, but that's because it's fun, not because it's necessary.

The Wii Fit is another piece of equipment, and runs about $90. Most of it's exercises are designed for standing, but not all of them, and a lot of them can still be performed sitting. like Grlnxtdr noted, it's being used for rehab a lot. I remember reading about people doing the balance games by sitting on the board and shifting their balance (but I may not have that right.)

Wii Music might be a good game too. It's not an exercise game, but it does involve a lot of moving your arms (and if you're like me a lot of goofy dancing around) It's not like guitar hero, there are no 'scores' ... it's a lot more like playing pretend, but I thought it was a lot of fun.
posted by Caravantea at 11:10 AM on March 23

I have lost 20+ pounds using Wii Fit since January, without doing any of the exercises (I work out independently). Their "Body Test" feature - easily accessible if you install the "Wii Fit Channel" - gives you your balance, weight, and BMI in under 2 minutes, and it keeps a graph showing your progress over time. I have found it to be exceptionally helpful and motivating to see the line going down over time; it gives me something that I couldn't get with a bathroom scale. So even if your relative can't yet fully enjoy the workout features, s/he can still get some good value in watching the numbers. And when they are ready for or interested in the exercises, they will be waiting.
posted by AgentRocket at 12:55 PM on March 23

Thanks for the help everybody!
posted by pombiki at 1:59 AM on March 24