What "productive" games would you advise for the Wii?

Hi all

My kids have just been given a Wii, they've used them before but we've not had computer games in the house until now. Before i get flamed for being bad for not getting them computer games before, to be honest they've enjoyed the outdoors and other activities too much to even think about paying out the cash for a Wii or the likes.

That said, winter is drawing in and as this is a freebee, it will be nice for them to relax and have some fun with it.

I was after some recommendations for the more educational or productive games on the market for the Wii. Of course they'll have their fun games too, but i'm not going to have them sat in front of a mind-numbing game for hours where they don't get anything from it. Not all the time anyway.

We'll have the Wii Fit anyway, but i'm not sure about the range of games there are for it.

They like mystery games, or ones that make you think a bit. Any advice?

Sorry if i sound like a complete technophobe, i've just not had much experience with computer games.

Cheers.

CX.

ill be honest with u.

i have almost every game, and the only one i play is the sports game that came with it.

reply to post by CX


I guess it really depends on how you define "productive" when it's concerning video games. Obviously Wii fit is aimed at helping people stay in shape...but you already mentioned your children were very active outdoors...so Wii fit isn't going to be productive for them at all...unless they're interested in monitoring their body fat index and weight over periods of time.

A few fun games that also force critical thinking would be:

Big Brain Academy

Smarty Pants: Trivia For Everyone


But don't allow stereotypes of video games fool you. There are gobs of video games that force you to think on the fly, others you must plan out or think outside the box...all while associating yourself with a character and having fun.

Legend of Zelda
Tetris

Two of the most time tested beloved video games above....you simply cannot go wrong with them.

Other games are fun for EVERYONE to play. My wife & I play some of the following quite often...and she hates video games

Family Game Night from Hasbro (games like Connect4, Operation, and Jenga)

The new Super Mario Brothers (any super mario game, actually...but this one has the option for 4 players at once, which is a blast!)

Wii Play
Wii Sports
Wii Sports Resort

But, be careful...wii is notorious for bad "Shovelware" which is basically video games cranked out at super human speeds that have no substance and are essentially a waste of money (wii play and wii sports are exceptions to this because they actually have substance and are a lot of fun to play with friends and/or family)

Avoid the "dance" games or the "fitness" games. Believe me...they do not work, and anyone claiming to have lost "40 pounds" while playing wii fit is a bold faced liar.

Many thanks for your advice, i know what you mean about "substance"... i wonder if this is why there are so many Wii machines in the second hand shops here?

CX.