A glitzy press conference, complete with Henman and Rusedski tennis cameo, couldn't hide the fact that the Wii is overpriced in Europe. £179 takes the console away from impulse purchase territory and when you consider the US and Japanese prices it is a slap in the face for European consumers. Which is a shame as an initial play on some of the launch titles - Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Golf and Bowling, Zelda and Tony Hawks - confirms the Wii as a hugely promising machine. Galaxy in particular was a highlight with a genuinely beautiful look and feel but the sports games too had enough subtlety to suggest they will last longer than you may expect. Sadly the Zelda demo still didn't convince me - the twitchy controls detracting rather than drawing me into my most anticipated game of the year. Let's hope it feels different in December.
Despite these niggles and the high price the Wii remains hugely appealing. Your gran may remain unconverted but sceptical partners should certainly be tempted to play Wii Sports etc. Assuming you don't mind stumping up a little more than you may have expected to buy at launch, of course.
