The Wii is the most compact of the next-generation consoles. It weighs just 2.7 pounds and measures 8.5 inches long by 6 inches wide by less than 2 inches thick. It has clean, sharp lines and an Apple-like glossy white finish, though we'll undoubtedly see units in black and possibly other colors at some point.

Like the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, The Wii can be oriented horizontally or vertically, thanks to its angled plastic stand. Once you've positioned it, your next step is to plug in the power supply (which is about the size a laptop brick), and connect the bundled composite audio/video cables to your television. To output content at the Wii's maximum 480p resolution in 16:9 wide-screen format, you'll have to purchase the optional component cable separately.

Next you must set up the included controllers: a Wii Remote and a Nunchuk--a joystick-style controller that connects to the remote for additional game control. I first hooked up the supplied sensor bar to the console and placed it just under the display of my TV. The sensor bar allows the console to communicate wirelessly (via Bluetooth) with up to four Wii Remotes at a time. The Wii Remote works for games within a radius of about 30 feet and functions as a cursor-type pointing device within about 15 feet. In my testing, the on-screen pointer jittered slightly when I tried to use it from farther away. 

The final setup steps are to place two AA batteries into the Wii Remote, rearrange your furniture to clear plenty of space in front of the TV (to avoid "Wiinjury"), and fire up the console.

The tanks game within Wii Play and the boxing segments of Wii Sports require you to plug an extra controller into this remote, and the result is staggeringly intuitive. Picture a ten pin bowling minigame where you literally do a bowling motion. Or an air hockey-type game where you wave your controller around, with the movements replicated on-screen by your paddle. It's delightfully simple and yet adds a genuinely fresh perspective to what otherwise would be fairly unspectacular software.

What's more, when we went along, you could barely wipe the grin off our faces. The software titles that play to the Wii's strengths are tremendous fun, accessible for all levels of gamer and contain plenty to enjoy. Multiplayer can be just awesome.

The box itself is small, lightweight and easily expandable. It'll support old Game Cube games and controllers and it'll also sport the Virtual Console, which we didn't get a chance to play with, where you can buy and download old Nintendo classics for a couple of quid apiece. 

In Summary

Is Nintendo's Wii the revolution its codename was intended to imply? Well, Nintendo's own DS has already targeted casual and older gamers, so there's nothing new there. The Wii brings some social networking technology to the table, but its presentation is perhaps a tad twee for Western grown-ups and hardcore gamers, and will reinforce Nintendo's reputation as a company that targets junior gamers. 

But look beyond all that. Wii introduces an amazing new control system that not only provides players with a fresh take on traditional videogames but creates a platform for a diverse array of new, more physical computer entertainment. Maybe it won't win over folk who dislike console gaming, at least not straight away, but it does present an opportunity to offer something for everyone.