Wii Channels - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The is the top-level menu interface of the Wii

Wii

The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...

game console. It has four pages, each with a 4:3 grid, and each displaying the current time and date. Available applications, known as "channels", are displayed and can be navigated using the pointer capability of the Wii Remote

Wii Remote

The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...

. The grid is customizable; users can move channels (except for the Disc Channel) amongst the menu's 47 customizable slots by pressing and holding the A and B button while hovering over the channel the user wants to move. By pressing the plus and minus buttons on the Wii Remote users can scroll across accessing these empty slots.

Disc Channel

The Disc Channel allows users to play Wii

Wii

and GameCube

Nintendo GameCube

The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...

titles. The Disc Channel displays the name of the Wii title that is present in the drive and plays an introductory audiovisual clip. If a GameCube title is in the drive, it displays the GameCube logo and plays the GameCube's default startup sound. The GameCube titles, unlike Wii titles, do not display game logos or identifying information.

Each Wii System is region locked, which means that it treats discs from another region as unreadable. If no disc is inserted in the drive, the channel displays the image on the right. When a GameCube or Wii disc is inserted into the drive, the pictures of both discs spin until the type of disk is recognized. Once the disc type is recognized, the extra disc fades out and the recognized disc descends into a blue slot. When on the Wii Menu, after a disc is inserted, a disc will slide into the channel icon, with an animation representing the game in the slot. Clicking on the Disc Channel will begin that game.

Wii system updates are required before playing some games, like The Sims 3 (console video game)
The Sims 3 (console video game)
The Sims 3 is a spin-off of The Sims 3 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS consoles...

, Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy
is a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Mario series, after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a...

, Doctor Who: Return to Earth
Doctor Who: Return to Earth
The game was panned by critics. Official Nintendo Magazine, scoring only 19% and branded 'an insult to Doctor Who fans'.However it ranked at 11 on the UK Wii sales charts for the week....

, Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 (video game)
Iron Man 2 is a 2010 video game loosely-based on the film of the same name. It was released on May 4, 2010, days after the film's international release and days before the film's domestic release. The game was published by Sega and developed by Sega Studios San Francisco , High Voltage Software ...

, and certain Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...

and Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...

games. When loaded into the disc slot, an icon on the Disc Channel that says "Wii System Update" appears. After selecting the channel, the Wii will automatically update. If these updates are not installed, the games will remain unplayable until the update is installed, as each time the channel is loaded with the game inserted, the update prompt will appear, and declining the update will return the player to the Wii Menu instead of starting the game. (Note: This is the only channel that cannot be moved across the Wii Menu without the use of third party tools.)

Mii Channel

The Mii Channel is an avatar

Avatar (virtual reality)

In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...

creator, where users can design 3D caricatures of people called Miis by selecting from a group of facial and bodily features. At the Game Developers Conference 2007, Shigeru Miyamoto explained that the look and design of the Mii characters are based on Kokeshi

Kokeshi

, are Japanese dolls, originally from northern Japan. They are handmade from wood, have a simple trunk and an enlarged head with a few thin, painted lines to define the face. The body has a floral design painted in red, black, and sometimes yellow, and covered with a layer of wax. One...

, a form of Japanese doll used as souvenir gifts.

A Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...

interview of Katsuya Eguchi

Katsuya Eguchi

is a game designer and manager at Nintendo EAD. He was born in 1965 in Tokyo, Japan and grew up in the Chiba Prefecture. He began work at Nintendo in 1986 and spent some time doing promotional artwork before starting as a designer on Super Mario Bros. 3. He first served as director for Star Fox in...

(producer of Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing
The Animal Crossing games have garnered positive response. The first three games are among the best-selling for their respective consoles. Animal Crossing has sold 2.321 million copies; Wild World 10.79 million; and City Folk 3.38 million...

and Wii Sports
Wii Sports
is a sports game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch title for the Wii video game console , and part of the Touch! Generations. The game was first released in North America along with the Wii on November 19, 2006, and was released in Japan, Australia, and Europe the following month...

) held in 2006 confirmed that the custom player avatar feature shown at Nintendo's E3 Media Briefing would be included in the hardware. The feature was described as part of a "profile" system that contains the Mii and other pertinent player information. This application was officially unveiled by Nintendo in September 2006. It is incorporated into Wii's operating system interface as the "Mii Channel". Users can select from pre-made Miis or create their own by choosing custom facial shapes, colors, and positioning. In certain games like Wii Sports
Wii Sports
is a sports game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch title for the Wii video game console , and part of the Touch! Generations. The game was first released in North America along with the Wii on November 19, 2006, and was released in Japan, Australia, and Europe the following month...

, Wii Play
Wii Play
Wii Play, released as in Japan, is a party video game for the Wii console. It is a counterpart to the games Wii Sports, Wii Music and Wii Fit. It features minigames that use characters from the Mii Channel. Several of the games featured are from E3 2006 demos such as the Duck Hunt-styled shooting...

, Wii Fit
Wii Fit
is a video game developed by Nintendo for the company's home video game console, Wii, designed by Hiroshi Matsunaga. It is an exercise game consisting of activities using the Wii Balance Board peripheral...

, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, known in Japan as , is a sports video game developed by the Sega Sports R&D Department of Sega Japan. It was published by Nintendo for Japan and by Sega for North America, Europe and all other regions. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic...

, WarioWare: Smooth Moves
WarioWare: Smooth Moves
WarioWare: Smooth Moves, known in Japan as , is a party video game developed by Nintendo SPD and Intelligent Systems. The game was published by Nintendo for its Wii video game system in Japan in December 2006, and in Europe, North America, and Australia in January 2007...

, Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...

, Mario Party 8
Mario Party 8
is a party video game, the eighth installment in the Mario Party series, and is the first title in the series to be released for the Nintendo Wii. It is also the first Mario Party title to have the ability to use Mii characters. It was released in North America on May 29, 2007, in Europe on June...

, My Pokémon Ranch
My Pokémon Ranch
is a Pokémon video game developed for the Wii by Ambrella. My Pokémon Ranch was released via the WiiWare download service on March 25, 2008 in Japan, in the Americas on June 9, 2008 and in Europe on July 4, 2008 for 1000 Wii Points....

, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Strikers Charged, known in Europe and Australia as Mario Strikers Charged Football, is a sports video game developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the Wii. This game was announced at the 2006 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany as the sequel to Super...

, Wii Sports Resort
Wii Sports Resort
Wii Sports Resort has received generally favorable reviews, with an average score on Metacritic of 80%. IGN gave it a 7.7 out of 10, citing the impressive fidelity of the controls and how the graphics, as compared to the majority of Wii games, were superb. GameTrailers gave an 8.6 out of 10....

, and Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...

, each player's Mii will serve as the character he/she controls in some/all forms of gameplay. Miis can interact with other Wii users by showing up on their Wii consoles through the WiiConnect24

WiiConnect24

WiiConnect24 is a feature of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for the Wii console. It was first announced at E3 2006 by Nintendo. It enables the user to remain connected to the Internet while the console is on standby...

feature or by talking with other Miis created by Wii owners all over the world. This feature is called Mii Parade. Early-created Miis as well as those encountered in Mii Parades may show up as spectators in some games. Miis can be stored on Wii Remotes and taken to other Wii consoles. The Wii Remote can hold a maximum of 10 Miis. The Wii itself can hold 100 Miis.

In addition, Miis can be transferred from a user's Wii to Nintendo 3DS-es

Nintendo 3DS

The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...

and supported Nintendo DS

Nintendo DS

The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...

games via the Mii Channel. While in the channel, pressing A, followed by B, then 1, and hold 2 on the Wii Remote allows the user to unlock the feature.

Photo Channel

If a user inserts an SD card

Secure Digital card

Secure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...

into the console, or receives photos (JPEG

JPEG

In computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....

) or videos (MJPEG

MJPEG

In multimedia, Motion JPEG is an informal name for a class of video formats where each video frame or interlaced field of a digital video sequence is separately compressed as a JPEG image...

) via email, they can be viewed using the Photo Channel. The user can create a slideshow simply by inserting an SD card with photos and, optionally, MP3 or AAC files (see note regarding December 10, 2007 update to version 1.1). The Wii will automatically add Ken Burns Effect

Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns effect is a popular name for a type of panning and zooming effect used in video production from still imagery.The name derives from extensive use of the technique by American documentarian Ken Burns...

transitions between the photos and play either the music on the SD card or built-in music in the background. A built-in editor allows users to add markings and effects to their photos. Mosaics and puzzles can also be created with this feature. Edited photos can be saved to the Wii and sent to other Wiis via the message board. According to the system's manual, the following file extensions (i.e. formats) are supported: Photos (jpeg/jpg), Movies (mov/avi), and Music (mp3/aac).

JPEG files can be up to 8192x8192 resolution and in baseline format. Video data contained within the .mov or .avi files must be in an OpenDML compliant MotionJPEG use some variant of this format for their videos. Photos, even high resolution ones, are compressed and decreased in resolution.

Photo Channel 1.1

Photo Channel 1.1 is an optional update to the Photo Channel that became available on the Wii Shop Channel on December 10, 2007. It allows users to customize the Photo Channel icon on the Wii Menu with photos from an SD Card or the Wii Message Board. It also allows playback of songs in random order. MP3 support is replaced with AAC

Advanced Audio Coding

Advanced Audio Coding is a standardized, lossy compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves better sound quality than MP3 at similar bit rates....

. The update also added support for MPEG-4 encoded audio files in the .m4a extension.

Wii owners who updated to version 1.1 can revert to version 1.0 by deleting it from the channels menu in the data management setup. Consoles released after December 10, 2007 will come with the version 1.1 update pre-installed, and cannot be downgraded to version 1.0.

Owners of Japanese systems can download a Revert to Photo Channel 1.0 Channel from the Wii Shop Channel if they wish to do so.

Wii Shop Channel

The Wii Shop Channel allows users to download games and other software by redeeming Wii Points

Wii Points

Nintendo Points are a currency that Nintendo uses for its Wii and Nintendo DSi systems through the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop respectively...

, which can be obtained by purchasing Nintendo Points cards from retail outlets or directly through the Wii Shop Channel using MasterCard

MasterCard

Mastercard Incorporated or MasterCard Worldwide is an American multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States...

or Visa credit cards online. Users can browse in the Virtual Console

Virtual console

A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...

, WiiWare

WiiWare

WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...

, or Wii Channels

Wii Channels

The is the top-level menu interface of the Wii game console. It has four pages, each with a 4:3 grid, and each displaying the current time and date. Available applications, known as "channels", are displayed and can be navigated using the pointer capability of the Wii Remote...

sections for downloads. A feature to purchase downloaded software as gifts for others became available worldwide on December 10, 2007. Additional channels that were not released at the console's launch are available for purchase in the Wii Shop Channel. These include: Internet Channel, Everybody Votes Channel

Everybody Votes Channel

The Everybody Votes Channel is the Wii Menu channel that allows users to vote in simple opinion polls and compare and contrast opinions with those of friends, family and voters across the globe....

, Check Mii Out Channel

Check Mii Out Channel

The Check Mii Out Channel, known as the in Europe, Oceania and Japan and Miirame in Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, is a channel for the Nintendo Wii that allows players to share their digital avatars, called Miis, and enter them into popularity contests. It was released worldwide at...

, Nintendo Channel, Netflix Channel

Netflix

Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...

, and the Japan-only Television Friend Channel. Currently all downloadable channels are free of charge.

Forecast Channel

The Forecast Channel allows weather reports and forecasts to be shown on the console from the Internet via the WiiConnect24

WiiConnect24

service. The Forecast Channel displays a view of the Earth as a globe (courtesy of NASA

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...

), with which users can view weather in other regions. The user can also spin the globe. When fully zoomed out, an accurate star map is visible in the background. (The Big Dipper

Big Dipper

The Plough, also known as the Big Dipper or the Saptarishi , is an asterism of seven stars that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial...

and the constellation

Constellation

In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....

Orion

Orion (constellation)

Orion, often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous, and most recognizable constellations in the night sky...

are easily recognizable, for example.) The Forecast Channel features include the current forecast, the UV index, today's overall forecast, tomorrow's forecast, a 5-day forecast (only for the selected country you live in), and a laundry check (Japan only). The Forecast Channel first became available on December 19, 2006. Certain games like Madden NFL 07
Madden NFL 07
Madden NFL 07 is the 2007 edition of the popular Madden NFL series. It is the first in the video game series to be released for the PlayStation 3 and Wii consoles. Former Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander is on the cover.-Features:...

, Nights: Journey of Dreams
Nights: Journey of Dreams
Nights: Journey of Dreams is a video game for the Wii console developed by Sonic Team and Sega. It is the sequel to the 1996 Sega Saturn title Nights into Dreams......

, and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
is a 2009 sports video game developed by Sega. It was published by Nintendo for Japan and by Sega for North America and Europe. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee through exclusive license International Sports Multimedia...

can use the Forecast Channel to simulate weather conditions depending on the player's region.

There are slight variations of Forecast Channel versions in different regions. When viewing weather conditions in Japan, a different set of weather icons is used. Additionally, the laundry index is only featured in the Japanese version.

After the August 6, 2007 update, the Forecast Channel shows the icon for the current weather on the Wii Menu.
Long neglect of this channel will result in the icon not appearing, although the set time is longer than that of the News Channel.

The Forecast Channel is not available in South Korea.

News Channel

The News Channel allows users to access news headlines and current news events obtained from the Internet. News articles are available on a globe view, similar to the Forecast Channel, and as a slide show. The content is automatically updated and viewable via WiiConnect24

WiiConnect24

with clickable news images supported.

The News Channel became available in North America, Europe, and Australia on January 26, 2007. Content is in a variety of languages provided by the Associated Press

Associated Press

The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...

, which currently has a two-year contract to provide news and photos to Nintendo. Canadian news is submitted by the Canadian Press

Canadian Press

Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...

for publication. Japanese news is provided by Nippon Television

Nippon Television

is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...

and the Mainichi Shimbun

Mainichi Shimbun

The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by .-History:The history of the Mainichi Shimbun begins with founding of two papers during the Meiji period. The Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun was founded first, in 1872. The Mainichi claims that it is the oldest existing Japanese daily newspaper...

. European news is provided by Agence France-Presse

Agence France-Presse

Agence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...

.

Starting with the August 6, 2007 update, the News Channel shows a news ticker

News ticker

A news ticker resides in the lower third of the television screen space on television news networks dedicated to presenting headlines or minor pieces of news. It may also refer to a long, thin scoreboard-style display seen around the front of some offices or public buildings...

in the Wii Menu. However, not visiting the channel for a period of time will result in the ticker not appearing, until the channel is viewed. A December 20, 2007 PAL region update increased the number of news feeds to the channel, sourced from a larger number of news resources and agencies, providing more news that is available per country.

As with the Forecast Channel, the News Channel is not available in South Korea.

Get Connected Video Channel

The Get Connected Video Channel (or alternatively known as the Wii + Internet Channel) is installed to Wii console units manufactured in October 2008 or later. It contains an informational video specifying the benefits of connecting the Wii console to the Internet, such as downloading extra channels, new software, Virtual Console

Virtual console

titles, and playing games over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

The is an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo to provide free online play in compatible Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Wii games. The service includes the company's Wii Shop Channel, DSi Shop, and Nintendo eShop game download services...

.

The Get Connected Video Channel is the only pre-installed channel that takes up spare internal memory, and the only channel that can be manually deleted or moved to an SD Card by the user. The channel takes up 1,180 blocks of memory, which is over half the Wii's internal memory space. The large size of this channel is likely due to the fact it is available in multiple languages; three videos in the U.S. versions, and six videos in the PAL versions. Upon connecting to the Internet and running the channel, the user will be asked if they would like to delete it. It cannot be redownloaded or restored upon deletion.

The same video presentation contained in the channel can also be viewed on Nintendo's official website. Furthermore, several gaming stores such as GameStop

GameStop

GameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...

carry this channel in their Wii stations.

The channel is also available in multiple languages. Unlike the other channels, the video in the channel is not translated digitally, but is presented in multiple dubs, which means there are multiple copies of the same video in a single channel. The language of the video is presented is respectively according to the Wii's language setting. Available languages are English

American English

American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....

, French

Canadian French

Canadian French is an umbrella term referring to the varieties of French spoken in Canada. French is the mother tongue of nearly seven million Canadians, a figure constituting roughly 22% of the national population. At the federal level it has co-official status alongside English...

, and Spanish

Mexican Spanish

Mexican Spanish is a version of the Spanish language, as spoken in Mexico and in various places of Canada and the United States of America, where there are communities of Mexican origin....

in the U.S. versions; English

British English

British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...

, French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

, Spanish

Castilian Spanish

Castilian Spanish is a term related to the Spanish language, but its exact meaning can vary even in that language. In English Castilian Spanish usually refers to the variety of European Spanish spoken in north and central Spain or as the language standard for radio and TV speakers...

, German

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

, Italian

Italian language

Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

, and Dutch

Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...

in the PAL version. The availability of multiple dubs is a likely factor that contributes to the large size of the channel.

Internet Channel

The Internet Channel is a version of the Opera

Opera (web browser)

Opera is a web browser and Internet suite developed by Opera Software with over 200 million users worldwide. The browser handles common Internet-related tasks such as displaying web sites, sending and receiving e-mail messages, managing contacts, chatting on IRC, downloading files via BitTorrent,...

web browser

Web browser

A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...

for use on the Wii

Wii

by Opera Software

Opera Software

Opera Software ASA is a Norwegian software company, primarily known for its Opera family of web browsers with over 220 million users worldwide. Opera Software is also involved in promoting Web standards through participation in the W3C. The company has its headquarters in Oslo, Norway and is...

and Nintendo

Nintendo

is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....

. On December 22, 2006 a free beta version (promoted as "Internet Channel: Trial Version") of the browser was released. The final version (promoted as "Internet Channel: Final Version") of the browser was released on April 11, 2007 and was free to download until June 31, 2007. After this deadline had passed, the Internet Channel cost 500 Wii Points

Wii Points

Nintendo Points are a currency that Nintendo uses for its Wii and Nintendo DSi systems through the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop respectively...

to download. though users who downloaded the browser before June 30, 2007, could continue to use it at no cost for the lifetime of the Wii system. An update (promoted as the "Internet Channel") on October 10, 2007 added USB keyboard compatibility. On September 1, 2009 the Internet Channel was made available to Wii owners for no cost of Wii Points and updated to include improved Adobe Flash Player support. A refund will be issued to those who paid for the channel in the form of one free NES game download worth 500 Wii Points.

The Internet Channel uses whichever connection is chosen in the Wii settings, and utilizes the user's internet connection directly; there is no third party network that traffic is being routed through. It receives a connection from a router/modem and uses a web browser to pull up HTTP and HTTPS (secure and encrypted) web pages. Opera, the Wii's web browser, is capable of rendering most web sites in the same manner as its desktop counterpart by using Opera's Medium Screen Rendering technology. For most Internet users, the Wii offers all of the functionality they need to perform the most common Internet tasks.

The software is saved to the Wii's 512 MB internal flash memory (it can be copied to an SD card

Secure Digital card

after it has been downloaded). The temporary Internet files (maximum of 5MB for the trial version) can only be saved to the Wii's internal memory. The application launches within a few seconds, after connecting to the Internet through a wireless

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...

LAN

Län

Län and lääni refer to the administrative divisions used in Sweden and previously in Finland. The provinces of Finland were abolished on January 1, 2010....

using the built-in interface or a wired

Ethernet

Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....

LAN by using the USB to the Ethernet adapter.

The Opera-based Wii browser allows users full access to the Internet and supports all the same web standards that are included in the desktop versions of Opera, including CSS

Cascading Style Sheets

Cascading Style Sheets is a style sheet language used to describe the presentation semantics of a document written in a markup language...

and Java

JavaScript

JavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles....

. It is also possible for the browser to use technologies such as Ajax

Ajax (programming)

Ajax is a group of interrelated web development methods used on the client-side to create asynchronous web applications...

, SVG, RSS

RSS

-Mathematics:* Root-sum-square, the square root of the sum of the squares of the elements of a data set* Residual sum of squares in statistics-Technology:* RSS , "Really Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary", a family of web feed formats...

, and Adobe Flash Player

Adobe Flash Player

The Adobe Flash Player is software for viewing multimedia, Rich Internet Applications and streaming video and audio, on a computer web browser or on supported mobile devices. Flash Player runs SWF files that can be created by the Adobe Flash authoring tool, by Adobe Flex or by a number of other...

8 and limited support for Adobe Flash Player 9. Opera Software has indicated that the functionality will allow for third parties to create web applications specifically designed for the use on the Wii Browser, and it will support widgets

Widget engine

In computer software, a widget engine is a software service available to users for running and displaying applets on a graphical user interface, such as that of the desktop.The widget model in widget engines is attractive because of ease of development...

, standalone web-based applications using Opera as an application platform. The company has also stated that some Wii video games may implement the use of the browser.

Everybody Votes Channel

Everybody Votes Channel allows users to vote in simple opinion poll

Opinion poll

An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...

s and compare and contrast opinions with those of friends, family, and people across the globe.

Everybody Votes Channel was launched on February 13, 2007, and is available in the Wii Channels section of the Wii Shop Channel. The application allows Wii owners to vote on various questions using their Mii

Mii

A is a digital avatar used in Nintendo's Wii and Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles. They allow users to capture a likeness of themselves and others. After creating one using the Wii's Mii Channel or the Nintendo 3DS's Mii Maker, they can be used as playable characters in various titles for the...

as a registered voter. Additionally, voters can also make predictions for the choice that will be the most popular overall after their own vote has been cast. Each Mii's voting and prediction record is tracked and voters can also view how their opinions compare to others. Whether the Mii is correct in its predictions or not is displayed on a statistics page along with a counter of how many times that Mii has voted. Up to six Miis can be registered to vote on the console. The channel is free to download. Each player can make a suggestion for a poll a day.

Check Mii Out Channel

The Check Mii Out Channel (also known as the Mii Contest Channel and the WatchMii Channel), is a channel that allows players to share their Miis and enter them in to popularity contests. It was first available on November 11, 2007. It is available free to download from the Wii Channels

Wii Channels

section of the Wii Shop Channel

Wii Shop Channel

The Wii Shop Channel is an online shop for the Wii video game console that allows users to download Virtual Console and WiiWare games, and new channels. Downloading may require redeeming Wii Points. The channel launched with Wii on November 19, 2006...

.

Users can post their own Miis in the Posting Plaza, or import other user-submitted Miis to their own personal Mii Parade. Each submitted Mii is assigned a 12-digit entry number to aid in searching. Submitted Miis are given 2 initials by their creator and a notable skill/talent to aid in sorting.

In the Contests section, players can submit their own Miis to compete in contests to best fit a certain description (e.g. Mario

Mario

is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...

without his cap). After the time period for sending a Mii has expired, the user has the choice of voting for three Miis featured on the judging panel, with ten random Miis being shown at a time. Once the judging period is over, the results of the contest may be viewed. Their selection and/or submission's popularity in comparison to others is displayed, as well as the winning Mii and user.

The Check Mii Out Channel sends messages to the Wii Message Board concerning recent contests. Participants in certain contests can add their user and submitted Mii to a photo with a background related to the contest theme. This picture can then be sent to the Wii Message Board.

Nintendo Channel

The Nintendo Channel (also known as the Everybody's Nintendo Channel in Japan) allows Wii

Wii

users to watch videos such as interviews, trailers, commercials, and even download demos

Game demo

A game demo is a freely distributed demonstration or preview of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version....

for the Nintendo DS

Nintendo DS

. In this capacity the channel works in a similar way to the DS Download Station

DS Download Station

DS Download Station is an in-store demo service launched by Nintendo in early 2006. As the name implies, these are stations that can be used to download game demos and trailers to a Nintendo DS. The range of a Nintendo DS Download Station is approximately 65 feet...

. The channel provides games info pages and users can rate games that they have played. A search feature is also available to assist users in finding new games to try or buy. The channel has the ability to take the user directly into the Wii Shop Channel for buying the wanted game immediately. The Nintendo Channel was launched in Japan on November 27, 2007, in North America on May 7, 2008, and in Europe and Australia on May 30, 2008. The Nintendo Channel is updated with different Nintendo DS demos and new videos every week; the actual day of the week varies across different international regions.

An updated version of the Nintendo Channel was released in Japan on July 15, 2009, North America on September 14, 2009, and in Europe on December 15, 2009. The update introduces a new interface and additional features, options, and statistics for users to view. However, the European version is missing some of these new additional features, such as options for choosing video quality. In addition, a weekly show known as Nintendo Week
Nintendo Week
Nintendo Week is a weekly entertainment and news series that reports on the latest and upcoming video games and news concerning Nintendo platforms, including Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS...

began airing exclusively on the North American edition of the channel, while another weekly show Nintendo TV, is available on the UK version of the channel.

A few shows appear on Nintendo Channel and are no more than 20 minutes long:

Nintendo Week
Nintendo Week is a show on the Nintendo Channel. The hosts are Gary and Allison, but other co-hosts appear as well like Dark Gary, Daniel, and others. Please go to the Wikipedia page about Nintendo Week for more information.

Ultimate Wii Challenge/New Super Mario Bros. Wii Challenge

The Host are David and Ben. They try to beat each others time in Nintendo Games like New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and Kirby's Epic Yarn. In a few episodes, Ben and David Work Together to levels of a few games.

Additional channels

These channels are those that can be acquired through the usage of various games and accessories.

Wii Fit Channel

Wii Fit
Wii Fit
is a video game developed by Nintendo for the company's home video game console, Wii, designed by Hiroshi Matsunaga. It is an exercise game consisting of activities using the Wii Balance Board peripheral...

allows users to install the Wii Fit Channel to the Wii Menu. The channel allows them to view and compare their results, and those of others, as well as their progress in the game, without requiring the game disc to be inserted.

The channel is essentially a stripped down version of Wii Fit
Wii Fit
is a video game developed by Nintendo for the company's home video game console, Wii, designed by Hiroshi Matsunaga. It is an exercise game consisting of activities using the Wii Balance Board peripheral...

. It allows users to view statistics from the game including users' BMI

Body mass index

The body mass index , or Quetelet index, is a heuristic proxy for human body fat based on an individual's weight and height. BMI does not actually measure the percentage of body fat. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing...

measurements and balance test scores in the form of a line graph, as well as keep track of the various activities they have undertaken with a calendar. Users are also able to weigh themselves and do a BMI and balance test with the channel once per day. However, if the player wishes to do any exercises or play any of the aerobics games and/or balance games, the game prompts the user to insert the Wii Fit
Wii Fit
is a video game developed by Nintendo for the company's home video game console, Wii, designed by Hiroshi Matsunaga. It is an exercise game consisting of activities using the Wii Balance Board peripheral...

game disc.

Wii Fit Plus Channel

Wii Fit Plus
Wii Fit Plus
is a fitness video game by Nintendo for the Wii console. The game is an enhanced version of Wii Fit and was announced at Nintendo's E3 2009 media briefing on June 2, 2009. The game was released in Japan on October 1, 2009 and in North America three days later on October 4. It was released in South...

allows users to install a Wii Fit Plus Channel, that acts similarly to the Wii Fit Channel, but includes newer features added to Wii Fit Plus. Much like the Wii Fit Channel it allows users to view statistics, balance test scores, and the various activities that user may have done recently. Included with these features, users can weigh themselves, weigh their cat or dog, or do a balance test, though the user has to insert the Wii Fit Plus game disk into the Wii console.

Mario Kart Channel

Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...

allows players to install the Mario Kart Channel on their Wii

Wii

console. The channel can work without inserting the Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...

disc into the console, but to compete in races and time trials the disc is required. The use of the Mario Kart Channel allows for a number of options. A ranking option lets players see their best Time Trial scores for each track and compare their results to those of their friends and other players worldwide, represented by their Miis. Players will have the option of racing against the random or selective ghosts, or improving their results gradually by taking on the ghosts of rivals, those with similar race times. Users have the option to submit these times for others around the world to view. Players can also manage and register friends using the channel and see if any of them are currently online.

Another feature of the channel are Tournaments, where Nintendo will, on a regular basis, invite players to challenges similar to the missions on Mario Kart DS
Mario Kart DS
is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo. It was released for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in North America, Australia, and Europe on November 14, 2005, and in Japan on December 8, 2005. The game is the fifth installment in the Mario Kart series of video games, and the first to...

. Players are also able to compare their competition rankings with other players.

Jam with the Band Live Channel

The Nintendo DS

Nintendo DS

game Jam with the Band supports the Jam with the Band Live Channel (known as the Speaker Channel in Japan) that allows players to connect their game to a Wii console and let the game's audio be played through the channel. The channel supports multiple players.

Wii Speak Channel

Users with the Wii Speak peripheral are able to access the Wii Speak Channel. Users can join one of four rooms (with no limit to the number of people in each room) to chat with others online. Each user is represented by their own Mii

Mii

, which lip-syncs to their words. In addition, users can also leave audio messages for other users by sending a message to their Wii Message Board. Users can also photo slideshows and comment on them. The Wii Speak Channel became available in North America and Europe on December 5, 2008.

Rabbids Channel

A channel created by Rabbids Go Home
Rabbids Go Home
Rabbids Go Home, known in France as Les Lapins Crétins : La Grosse Aventure , is a "comedy-adventure" video game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and published by Ubisoft for the Wii and Nintendo DS. The game was released in North America on November 1, 2009, in Australia on November 5, 2009 and...

. When the game is started up for the first time or when the player goes to the player profile screen, the player may install the Rabbids Channel, which will appear on the Wii Menu after downloaded. Players can use the channel to view other people's Rabbids and enter contests.

Virtual Console Channels

Virtual Console channels are channels that allow users to play their downloaded Virtual Console games obtained from the Wii Shop Channel. The Virtual Console portion of the Wii Shop Channel specializes in older software originally designed and released for home entertainment platforms that are now defunct. These games are played on the Wii through the emulation

Video game console emulator

A video game console emulator is a program that allows a computer or modern console to emulate a different video game console's behavior. Emulators are most often used to play older video games on personal computers and modern video game consoles, but they are also used to play games translated...

of the older hardware. The prices are generally the same in almost every region and are determined primarily by the software's original platform.

WiiWare Channels

Functioning similarly to the Virtual Console channels, WiiWare channels allow users to use their WiiWare games obtained from the Wii Shop Channel. The WiiWare section specializes in downloadable software specifically designed for the Wii. The first WiiWare games were made available on March 25, 2008 in Japan. WiiWare games launched in North America on May 12, 2008, and launched in Europe and Australia on May 20, 2008.

The WiiWare section is being touted as a forum to provide developers with small budgets to release smaller-scale games without the investment and risk of creating a title to be sold at retail (somewhat similar to the Xbox Live Arcade

Xbox Live Arcade

Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...

and the PlayStation Store

PlayStation Store

The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...

). While actual games have been planned to appear in this section since its inception, there had been no official word on when any would be appearing until June 27, 2007, when Nintendo made an official confirmation in a press release which revealed the first titles would surface sometime in 2008. According to Nintendo, "The remarkable motion controls will give birth to fresh takes on established genres, as well as original ideas that currently exist only in developers' minds."

Like Virtual Console games, WiiWare games are purchased using Wii Points. Nintendo handles all pricing options for the downloadable games.

Television Friend Channel

The Television Friend Channel allows Wii users to check what programs are on the television. Content is provided by Guide Plus

Guide Plus

Guide Plus+ , TV Guide On Screen and Guide Plus+ Gold or G-Guide is an interactive electronic programme guide system that is used in consumer electronics products, such as television sets, DVD recorders, personal video recorders, and other digital television devices...

. The channel is said to be "very fun and Nintendo-esque". A "stamp" feature allows users to mark programs of interest with a Mii-themed stamp. If an e-mail address or mobile phone number has been registered in the address book, the channel can send out an alert 30 minutes prior to the start of the selected program. The channel tracks the stamps of all Wii users and allows users to rate programs on a five-star scale. Additionally, when the channel is active the Wii Remote can be used to change the TV's volume and channel so that users can tune into their shows by way of the channel. The Television Friend Channel launched in Japan on March 4, 2008. It is not going to be launched outside Japan, as most countries, unlike Japan, have a guide built into set-top boxes and/or TVs.

Digicam Print Channel

The Digicam Print Channel is a channel developed in collaboration with Fujifilm

Fujifilm

is a multinational photography and imaging company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.Fujifilm's principal activities are the development, production, sale and servicing of color photographic film, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color paper, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging...

that allow users to import their digital photos from an SD card and place them into templates for printable photo books and business cards through a software wizard. The user is also able to place their Mii

Mii

on a business card. The completed design is then sent online to Fujifilm who print and deliver the completed product to the user. The processing of individual photos is also available.

The Digicam Print Channel became available from July 23, 2008 in Japan. It will be available in Europe, Australia, and North America in the future.

Today and Tomorrow Channel

The Today and Tomorrow Channel became available in Japan on December 2, 2008, and in Europe, Australia, and South Korea on September 9, 2009. The channel was developed in collaboration with Media Kobo and allows users to view fortunes for up to six Miis across five categories: love, work, study, communications, and money. The channel also features a compatibility test that compares two Miis, and also gives out "lucky words" that must be interpreted by the user. The channel uses Mii birthdate data but users must input a birth year when they are loaded on to the channel.

Wii My Room Channel

A video on-demand service channel was released in Japan on May 1, 2009, it will also be released in North America in the future. The channel is a joint venture

Joint venture

A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...

between Nintendo and Japanese advertising agency Dentsu

Dentsu

is one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. Its headquarters are located in the Dentsu Building in the Shiodome district of Minato, Tokyo....

. The channel's interface is built around a virtual living room, where up to 8 Miis can be registered and interact with each other. The virtual living room contains a TV which takes the viewer to the video list. Celebrity "concierge" Miis occasionally introduce special programming.

Demae Channel

A food delivery service channel was released in Japan on May 26, 2009. The channel is a joint venture between Nintendo and Japanese on-line food delivery portal service Demae-can. The channel offers a wide range of foods provided by different food delivery companies which can be ordered directly through the Wii channel. A note is posted to the Wii Message Board containing what had been ordered and the total price. The food is then delivered to the address the Wii user has registered on the channel. It is only available in Japan.

BBC iPlayer Channel

Wii access to the iPlayer

BBC iPlayer

BBC iPlayer, commonly shortened to iPlayer, is an internet television and radio service, developed by the BBC to extend its former RealPlayer-based and other streamed video clip content to include whole TV shows....

was interrupted in April 9 2008, when an update to the Opera Browser turned out to be incompatible with the iPlayer. BBC chose not to make the iPlayer compatible with the upgrade. This was resolved on November 18, 2009 when they released the BBC iPlayer Channel, allowing easier access to the iPlayer.

BBC now offers a free, dedicated Wii channel version of their iPlayer application which is only available in the UK.

Netflix Channel

A channel released in the United States and Canada on October 18, 2010. This channel allows Netflix

Netflix

subscribers to use that service's "Watch Instantly" movie streaming

Streaming media

Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...

service over the Wii with their regular Netflix subscription fee, and replaces the previous Wii "streaming disc" mailed to Netflix customers with Wii and PlayStation 3

PlayStation 3

The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

consoles from February–October 2010 due to contractual limitations involving Xbox 360

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

exclusivity. The channel is free to download in the Wii Channels section of the Wii Shop Channel. The channel displays roughly 12 unique categories of videos with exactly 75 video titles in each category. The TV category can have many seasons of videos (i.e. 15-100 episodes) associated with each title. There are also categories for videos just watched, new releases, and videos recommended (based on your netflix subscription history).

Kirby TV Channel

The Kirby TV Channel launched on 23 June 2011 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The channel allows for viewing of the Kirby TV series

Kirby: Right Back at Ya!

Kirby: of the stars, known in Japan Kirby right back at ya!', is an anime series based on Nintendo's Kirby franchise. The series was produced by Warpstar Inc., a company formed between a joint investment between Nintendo and HAL Laboratory, Inc.The series, which takes place in a village called...

for free in limited time.
The channel launched by Kirby TV Channel.

Hulu Plus

Hulu Plus is a upcoming channel for Wii

Wii

and Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo 3DS

, also as announced in Nintendo Updates on Nintendo Channel. Hulu Plus includes classic shows, and other Hulu included shows (e.g., Dancing with the Stars, Glee

Glee (TV series)

Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...

)

Message Board

The Message Board allows users to leave messages for friends, family members, or other users on a calendar-based message board. Users can also use WiiConnect24 to trade messages and pictures with other Wii owners, conventional email accounts (email pictures to console, but not pictures to email), and mobile phones (through text messages). Each Wii has an individual wii.com email account containing the Wii Number. Prior to trading messages it is necessary to add and approve contacts in the address book, although the person added will not get an automatic notification of the request, and must be notified by other means. The service also alerts all users of incoming game-related information.

Message Board is available for users to post messages that are available to other Wii users by usage of Wii Numbers with WiiConnect24

WiiConnect24

. In addition to writing text, players can also include images from an SD card in the body of messages, as well as attaching a Mii

Mii

to the message. Announcements of software updates and video game news are posted by Nintendo. The Message Board can be used for posting memos for oneself or for family members without going online. These messages could then be put on any day of the calendar. The Wii Message Board could also be updated automatically by a real-time game like Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing (Wii)
, known in Europe and Australia as Animal Crossing: Let's Go to the City, is a 2008 life simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii console and the third game in the Animal Crossing series....

.

Wii Sports
Wii Sports
is a sports game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch title for the Wii video game console , and part of the Touch! Generations. The game was first released in North America along with the Wii on November 19, 2006, and was released in Japan, Australia, and Europe the following month...

, Wii Play
Wii Play
Wii Play, released as in Japan, is a party video game for the Wii console. It is a counterpart to the games Wii Sports, Wii Music and Wii Fit. It features minigames that use characters from the Mii Channel. Several of the games featured are from E3 2006 demos such as the Duck Hunt-styled shooting...

, Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...

, Wii Speak Channel, Wii Sports Resort
Wii Sports Resort
Wii Sports Resort has received generally favorable reviews, with an average score on Metacritic of 80%. IGN gave it a 7.7 out of 10, citing the impressive fidelity of the controls and how the graphics, as compared to the majority of Wii games, were superb. GameTrailers gave an 8.6 out of 10....

, Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy
is a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Mario series, after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a...

& Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first announced at E3 2009 and is the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. It was released in North America on May 23, 2010, in Japan on May 27, 2010, in Europe on June 11, 2010, and in Australia on July 1,...

use the Message Board to update the player on any new high scores or gameplay advancements, such as medal placements in the former two titles, completions of races including a photo, audio messages, and letters from the Mailtoad via the Wii message board. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a first-person action-adventure game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the tenth game in the Metroid series, and the final entry in the Metroid Prime trilogy—excluding two spin-off titles. It was released in...

, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros Brawl, Elebits
Elebits
, known in PAL territories as Eledees, is an action/first person shooter game developed by Konami Digital Entertainment and published by Konami for the Wii...

, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Dewy's Adventure
Dewy's Adventure
is a video game for Nintendo's Wii console by Konami. It was developed by the same team that developed Elebits, another Wii exclusive.The player takes control of the main character of the game, Dewy, a young water droplet imbued with the power of the Tree of Seven Colors, who has to set out on a...

and the Virtual Console game Pokémon Snap
Pokémon Snap
is a first-person rail shooter and simulation video game developed by HAL Laboratory with Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is part of the Pokémon series, and one of the first console games based on the Pokémon series...

allow players to take screenshots and post them to the Message Board to edit later or send to friends via messages. Except for Nintendo GameCube

Nintendo GameCube

games, the Message Board also records the play history in the form of "Today's Accomplishments". This feature automatically records details of what games or applications were played and for how long. It cannot be deleted or hidden without formatting the console itself.

Subsequent system updates added a number of minor features to the Message Board, including minor aesthetic changes, USB keyboard support and the ability to receive Internet links from friends, which can be launched in the Internet Channel.

SD Card Menu

The SD Card Menu is a feature made available with the release of Wii Menu version 4.0. This menu allows the user to run Virtual Console

Virtual console

games, WiiWare

WiiWare

games, and Wii Channels directly from the SD card, making it possible to free up internal memory. Applications can now be downloaded to the SD card directly from the Wii Shop Channel as well.

When running an application from the SD Card Menu, it is temporarily copied to the internal memory of the Wii, meaning the internal memory still must contain an amount of free blocks equal to the application's size. If the internal memory does not have enough space, the Channel will run an "Automanager" program, which clears up space for the user in one of many ways (selectable by the user).

The manager can place the largest channels on the user's Wii in the SD card, put smaller channels on the SD card until enough space remains to run the channel, clear channels from the left side of the Wii menu to the right side, or from the right side to the left until there are enough blocks to run the channel.

Wii system updates

The Wii is capable of downloading updates to its core operating software. These updates may include additional features, patches/fixes, or support for newly released channels. When an update becomes available, Nintendo notifies users by sending a message to their console. Updates are included with certain Wii games, both requiring one to be fully updated in order to play and providing the update should one lack the necessary internet connection.

External links

Wii Menu from Nintendo.com
Introducing Wii Menu from Wii.com

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Disc Channel

Mii Channel

Photo Channel

Photo Channel 1.1

Wii Shop Channel

Forecast Channel

News Channel

Get Connected Video Channel

Internet Channel

Everybody Votes Channel

Check Mii Out Channel

Nintendo Channel

Additional channels

Wii Fit Channel

Wii Fit Plus Channel

Mario Kart Channel

Jam with the Band Live Channel

Wii Speak Channel

Rabbids Channel

Virtual Console Channels

WiiWare Channels

Television Friend Channel

Digicam Print Channel

Today and Tomorrow Channel

Wii My Room Channel

Demae Channel

BBC iPlayer Channel

Netflix Channel

Kirby TV Channel

Hulu Plus

Message Board

SD Card Menu

Wii system updates

See also

External links