Wii Points are Nintendo’s online currency. That’s really all there is to it, but that wouldn’t make a very good review now would it? I must admit though one of the main reasons for starting this review is the Wii related puns, but to be honest I’m having trouble thinking of more now!
>>> Wii What Now?
Wii users with wireless Broadband or with a Nintendo WiFi USB adaptor can access the online features of the Wii and, at present, most notably the Wii Shop Channel.
I suppose it would be useful to explain what the point (I’m on fire!) of buying Wii Points is before I launch into a full on review of the points themselves, after all its what you’re going to buy with them, not how they look and taste that will influence your decision to buy, and if not then I pity the fool.
The Wii Shop Channel is one of the Channels that comes installed on your Wii and at present, the content available for download can be split into two categories, Virtual Console and Wii Software. The Virtual Console allows you to download classic games from the good old days. Each Friday Nintendo kindly adds more titles to the catalogue and the list of games and the best part is that this isn’t a Nintendo only party. Games are available form the NES, SNES and N64, but also from Sega’s MegaDrive and NEC’s Turbografx (big in Japan). The Virtual Console has plenty of room for other consoles too and there is talk of Neo Geo games being made available in the future. Wii Software is where you can download new Channels and updates for the Wii such as the Internet and Everybody Votes Channels. Many of these are free, but there is scope to make software available to be bought.In essence, RETRO GAME HEAVEN!
>>>Ooohhh I need a Wii (Points)
I remember the first time I bough the 2000 Wii Points Card, it must be all of a few months ago, ahh, the good old days! The reason I remember this day so vividly is that when I went into my local purveyor of Nintendo products and asked for Wii points, aside from being annoyed at how the shop worker looked at me like I was a weirdo, was that I was handed a Wii game sized case.
I was just expecting a piece of card with a scratch off panel, you know like you used to use to top up your mobile phone before we went all Swipey! Anyway, I paid my £14.99 and left the shop to inspect my package (oi!).
>>>That’s a lot of packaging for a Wii card! (Puns getting much weaker!)
As I tore away the shiny plastic wrapping from my white case, I was thinking “have I got this all wrong, are Wii points much more than just a card?” No.
Inside the case is a cardboard cut out Wii game disc, which really has no purpose at all. Also in the case are some booklets. The first booklet is full of Wii games and the now custom cheesy pictures of people holding the Wii-Mote in zany new ways (yawn!) It’s at this point that I start thinking, where are my Wii Points!? My hissy fit is ended suddenly as stuck on the front of the other booklet is my Wii Points Card. The booklet contains 12 different translations of the instructions on how to use the Wii Points Card.
The card itself is thin card with a scratch panel on the back.
I’m not a very Green person. This is not a stand-alone statement; I am going somewhere (slowly). I paid my £14.99 in order to get 2000 Wii points and I was expecting a scratch card. The fact that I ended up with a Wii Game case, a cut-out disc and 2 booklets kind of angers me. I don’t need or want any of these other things and although I can understand Nintendo’s urge to package things nicely, I’m amazed at the waste of packaging used on this. It was at this point when I was feeling quite environmentally friendly that I realised, “Oi, that’s my money!” If Nintendo can package 2000 Wii Points in this nice packaging for £14.99, how much can they sell me 2000 Wii Points without all this gubbins!
Anyway, my high horse is off to get some air and have a beer, see you in five Malcolm, so I’ll carry on with the review.
>>> Hey Shop keep are you taking the Wii (Points!)?
The Wii Shop menu couldn’t be easier to use, and it is set out very clearly as you can see from the picture below. Would you believe it! Slap bang in the middle of the screen is an option to Add Wii Points.This is where the whole process gets tricky! Not! You are presented with two options, to redeem a Wii Points Card or to buy points using your Credit Card. The directions for redeeming your Wii Card Points are literally scratch off the silver strip and enter the code, whereas the Credit Card directions are, choose the amount of Wii Points to buy and enter your card details.
Ah, now that 24 page instruction booklet in 12 languages makes perfect sense as, yes you’ve guessed it, the instructions are scratch off the panel and enter the code, genius!
Whichever method you used, you will get a confirmation of the transaction and your new Wii Points are added to your Wii Points Balance.
>>>Exchange rates?
The Wii Points Card follows the old principle, you can have as many Points as you like as long as its 2000 (£14.99)*. *I may have changed the principle from Black Automobiles to suit my purposes but what are you going to do!? When using a Credit Card though, you have the option of 1000 points (£7.00), 3000 points (£21.00) or 5000 points (£35.00). Simple maths will indicate that buying Wii Points with a Credit Card is cheaper, almost 50 pence cheaper for every 1000 Wii Points.
In keeping with the ideals behind the Wii, making gaming available to everyone, it is great that Nintendo have given people the ability to choose how they want to buy their Wii Points. Firstly, parents can control the amount of money their kids are spending in the Wii Shop. To aid with this the Wii Shop has an Account Activity section that lists all downloads, all Wii points purchased, and whether this was by Wii Points Card or Credit Card. Secondly, not everyone has a Credit Card. Again this will mainly be younger gamers but as the Wii Shop only allows you to use Mastercard or Visa there are also a lot of other gamers who only use Switch or Solo type cards.
Thirdly, the more conspiracy minded gamers may not want to enter their Credit Card details to a system that has no real internet security. Finally, the Wii Points Card can be given as a gift so you don’t have to break into your mates house while they are out, write “I Love You” in lipstick on their bathroom mirror, load up their Wii and use your Credit Card to buy them Wii Points. Trust me, for some reason this kind of behaviour is not usually welcomed!
As with all currencies Wii Points have an exchange rate, and this changes depending on how you bought your Wii points. I did ask at the Post Office for an exchange rate and I was asked to leave.
Wii Points Card (WPC) - 1 Wii Point = £0.0075
Wii Points -Credit Card (CC) - 1 Wii Point = £0.0070
This probably looks a little pointless, but if you apply the exchange rates, you can see how much games will cost. Depending on how much you use the Virtual Console you can see that it makes quite a big difference.
N64 games 1000 Points - £7.50 (WPC) or £7.00 (CC)
NES games 500 Points - £3.75 (WPC) or £3.50 (CC)
SNES games 800 Points - £6.00 (WPC) or £5.60 (CC)
Megadrive games 800 Points - £6.00 (WPC) or £5.60 (CC)
Turbografx games 600 Points - £4.50 (WPC) or £4.20 (CC)>>>Spending Points
So, you’ve bought your points and you’re ready to spend them. The great news is that it couldn’t be easier. Once you open the Virtual Console you are given more choices than you could possibly know what to do with! You can view games by the console on which they originally appeared, or you can see them listed alphabetically by game title or you can just choose to see the latest additions. When you select a game it will give you some useful info about the game, including what controllers you can use to play it. Whether you decide to buy the Classic Controller or not is a different issue all together!
>>>Conclusion
As explained earlier the choice between Wii Points Card or buying directly using Credit Card is very much a personal choice dependant on personal situation and preferences. I’ve personally used both methods a couple of times and I will use them both again in the future.
Wii Points are only ever going to be as good as the content available to download from the Virtual Console. As such Wii Points have a great future based on a great past. The catalogue of games available grows by 2 to 3 titles every week and already there have been some real gems. (mrten_8 has downloaded almost all of them so if you want some advice he’s your man!)
In that regard the Wii Points Card could be printed on a scabby old fag packet and packaged in old sticky sweet wrappers and I’d still buy it as it’s the juicy gaming goodness inside, not how the Wii points Card is presented, that really matters. Yes, I’d be happier if every penny I spent bough Wii points didn’t pay for packaging but in the grand scheme of things that is really just splitting hairs! That’d be like me giving a bad review to a 42 inch Plasma TV because it came in a brown box with a little too much polystyrene for my liking!
Nonsense.
Yes I did taste the card and I can confirm that Nintendo have NOT made any effort to flavour the Wii Points Card!
>>>Other info
Nintendo are planning some link between their UK website and you can link your console with your Star Points account through the Wii Shop. (The Star Points are a loyalty scheme used on the Nintendo website where you gain points by repeat visits and registering Nintendo products). My understanding is that before too long Wii Points will be available to buy from the Nintendo website using Star Points, but at the moment there are no details as to when or how!
The Specfic Criteria questions don't seem to be very relevant so I've just picked anything, just ignore this bit!
I need to spend a penny..... 
Great review