Then came the Nintendo Wii – and suddenly, it all changed – and even people who didn’t normally like video games were suddenly picking up controllers and playing along.

What’s the charm of the Wii? Well, the graphics aren’t as intense and the storylines of the games aren’t as complicated as they are on other gaming systems. But where the charm lies is in the interactive nature of the Wii.

After all, there aren’t any other gaming systems, really, in which you become the central part  of the action. When you’re playing a baseball game, you’re swinging the controller to simulate a bat. Bowling involves actual bowling-like moves, as does golfing.

And what other video game system offers games like Wii Fit and  Jenny McCarthy’s Your Shape, which not only allow you to work out in the comfort and privacy of your own home, but actually reports factors such as your weight, fitness level and much more?

The differences between Wii and other video games have led the machines to be highly in demand for adults as well as children. And is there any wonder?

Last Christmas, inquiries on IMshopping for the Wii grew by the day. The machines were in short supply, and shoppers were using all avenues to find them for themselves and their children.

Since that time, the Wii has become more available, but the prices have remained steady.

While most visitors to IMshopping are interested in getting the best buy for the Wii, naturally, Nintendo sets its prices on the game console, just like other video game companies do. Currently, bundles start at about $200, but can cost more if there are video games included.

Games for the Wii, which are really a great deal of fun, range from the fitness games to the oh-so-fun Mario games, and much more. They generally cost about $50, but prices do drop after the games are on the market for a while.

So why not make family game night more fun than it ever was, and maybe make yourself more fit than you’ve been in years?

In a stroke of modern day hilarity, there is actually a series of websites called WiiTracker.com. I don’t know who hosts these websites, or why they would want to, but the sites are up and running for the benefit of those frantic shoppers in search of the holy grail of gaming systems: the Wii Console. The websites typically have the prefix of WiiTracker, then their personal domain name, then the dot com. If you Google Wii Tracker, you will come up with a list of several to choose from. Some are more closely monitored and more routinely updated than others, so while a site such as this does not prevent the shopper from having to compare notes, it does cut down on much of the legwork.

The premise of Nintendo Wii Tracker is that there is continuously a shortage of Wii consoles at the holiday time of the year, so these websites are set up to aid the shopper in finding a Wii locally, in stock, and at the best price possible. Most Wii Tracker sites include links to Amazon.com, Ebay.com and NintendoShopper.com. NintendoShopper.com is useful in itself, as it is a blog site where gamers post alerts on the latest gaming rumormill news, and generally help each other out with issues regarding gaming.

Nintendo Wii Tracker is really useful during the holiday season, in particular, when Nintendo is making public announcements that it has fallen short, once again, in production demands. The Wii Tracker websites contain postings of which local retail stores have a Wii Console in stock, and also where you purchase online. A word of caution: some of the sites do not include dates of last update. In one case I had to read almost the entire tirade against Nintendo posted by the website host before I could really tell if the site was referring to this Christmas season or last Christmas season.

Hopefully, with resources like Wii Tracker available, Santa will manage to make everyone on his “nice” list happy this season. Happy hunting!

Wii Starter Bundles come in a variety of gamestyles, but all include the Wii console unit, one standard Wii wireless controller, Wii Sports (this is the standard game with every Wii purchase, no matter which bundle you select), the Wii game that is specialized to the bundle you selected and a specialized remote for enhanced gameplay with that video game. Ranging in price from $390 to $500, the Wii Starter Bundles are actually less expensive than purchasing the components separately.

Wii Standard Starter Bundle – Available for about $520
This is the original Starter Bundle available for Wii, and does a great job appealing to all kinds of gamers and drawing in new fans to the gaming world.
In addition to the Wii Console, the pack includes the Wii Sports game, Alien Syndrome, Showtime Boxing, M & M’s Kart Racing, Chicken Shoot, Balls of Fury, Super Mario Galaxy, a Nunchuck Controller, a Wii Remote and a 1 GB Memory Card.

Wii Action Starter Bundle – Available for about $520
In addition to the Wii Console, the Wii Action Starter Bundle comes with Wii Madden 07, Wii World Series of Poker and Wii Super Monkey Ball. Also included are an Extra Wii Nunchuk Controller, a Wii Remote Controller, and a 1GB Sandisk Memory Card.

Wii Sports Starter Bundle – Available for about $385
For the sports fan, this Wii Starter Bundle includes, the Nintendo Wii Console, an A/V Cable, a Wii Stand, the Wii Sports game, a Nunchuk Controller and a Wii Remote. Also included is an extra Wii Nunchuk Controller, a1GB Sandisk Memory Card and the Wii Madden 07 game.

Upon release the Nintendo Wii retail price was $250.00. In most markets it still runs for that same price. The reason being is that other next-generation systems released at similar times were priced over double the price of the Nintendo Wii. Over time, these consoles have been forced to dramatically alter their pricing. And even with these alterations the Nintendo Wii retail price is still the most affordable.

What you get for your 250 bones is what makes the system so exceptional. A lot of other consoles would have you purchase their system, and then in order to get the full experience you would have to buy several more components and accessories in order to run the system to its potential. Not the Wii. No unnecessary hardware need be purchased for this system. It comes with a “Wiimote” (the Wii’s wireless controller, shaped like a television remote) allowing immediate play of your favorite games. The Wii is also backwards compatible. This allows playing of your favorite Nintendo Gamecube games as well. In addition, the system allows for up to 4 controllers to be plugged in, so you can use your old generation system’s controllers. How cool is that?

The Wii also has fantastic selection of games. Right off the bat you get a sports type game, which is included with your purchase of a Wii (a $30 – $40 game that comes with $250 Nintendo Wii retail price? A steal.). After that there are classic adventure games to get, fantastic sport titles, notable first person shooters, and a plethora of others that meet the desire of every gamer. Even games that would usually be rudimentary have an added twist to them thanks to the use of Nintendo’s Wiimote.

Overall, you’re getting some great bang for your buck. Especially when compared to the exaggerated prices of overrated features on similar systems. The Nintendo Wii retail price started out at $250, hundreds of dollars cheaper than the competitor. Even now, 2 years later, it’s at least $100 cheaper than the competitor.

The biggest decision you’ll make when it comes to video game consoles is the price, luckily this one is a no-brainer.