5 Reasons to Own: Wii

It's cheap. It's cheerful. It can help you get fit. And once you've police-escorted your Nintendo Wii home the reasons for owning it extend beyond the hysteria.

After Wii Sports, and most probably Wii Fit, what are you planning next for that little white whirring gizmo? It may seem like a dumb question, but folks buying Nintendo Wii on the strength of health and party games could find the rest of the catalogue somewhat out of line. But if you haven't owned or explored any of the following on your Wii just yet, you really ought to. Like, today!

Let's state the obvious to begin with. Mario Kart Wii is essential. Yes, there are hundreds of daft Go Kart videogames out there, most of them pointless. This doesn't stop Mario Kart on Wii from being terrific good fun and so easy to play thanks to Wii Remote steer-ability. Especially if you've struggled to become great at Mario & Sonic, racing here is a cinch. Just enjoy these thrill rides and play dirty.

There's a change of both pace and scene in Endless Ocean, Nintendo's wonderfully laid-back scuba diving adventure. Usually all that's required is to swim around in the deep blue sea admiring coral reefs and investigating life down there. This is such a gentle and relaxing experience you might find yourself dozing off in front of the telly. But there are some breathtaking missions too in which the creatures become much larger and more menacing. Highly recommended, and especially as it's so cheap.

We'll leave our last choice game on ice while we fess up to our chief non-gaming pastime on Wii: video browsing! Whether it's YouTube or the BBC's iPlayer; channel surfing via the Wii beats hunching over your computer keyboard for obscure clips of your favourite bands, comedians and scenes from old TV shows. In fact internet browsing on Wii via the TV is a breeze all round. Don't let your coffee go cold.

And who says that the best things in life aren't free. The Mii Channel remains a well worn haunt of ours, sharing our latest creations with friends online to appear in our Wii Sports crowds and spectators for Mario Kart. But Nintendo recently upped the ante with the Mii Contest channel (aka "Check Mii Out" in the US), giving us more reasons to create even more hilarious versions of friends and family.

Now, look, we've thought very hard about this and, yes Stephen Spielberg's Boom Blox really is that good. It's a puzzle game based on Hasbro's Jenga, but with magical blocks used to aid or confuse your attempts at building or dismantling. It's primarily a kids' game but adults winding down at the end of a long day will find this engaging too. If you're a casual gamer Boom Blox is a rare and clever treat.

We think this little lot will keep you entertained at least until Christmas... or if you can't hold out that long there's Super Smash Bros due at the end of the month!

 So, do you think that Wii has enough software to keep you attached to the console, or are you pretty much done with it after Wii Sports or Mario & Sonic? Do you own a Wii plus another console to cover all bases, or are you happy just with the Wii?

Share your thoughts below.