We have to admit we were just as excited as the guys when the Wii came out. Oh yes we hid behind our cynical exterior, with the usual “guys are so sad queuing up for a console” but deep down we were as excited as we would be if Gucci announced a 75 percent off sale.

We were therefore beside ourselves when we managed to jump the editorial queue here and nab the Wii for the weekend – something we wouldn’t even dream of doing in a Gucci queue; well we value our lives you know!

Considering how much we were shaking with excitement we were surprised at how easy the console was to set up. You plug in the supplied A/V cables into the TV and stick the pre-stuck wireless sensor - which is what connects the controllers, to anywhere central; we for example, just put it in front of the television.

We had heard the horror stories about Wii controllers flying out of hands and into TV screens, or in our cases ‘accidentally’ into other halves. Therefore we were relieved to see that the controllers - which look more like remotes than console controls, came with straps to tie to our wrists.

The console comes with two supplied games, Wii Sports and Wii Play. Feeling ambitious and rather, uh, sporty we decided to start with the Wii Sport which comes with a range of sports choices. This includes baseball, boxing, bowling, golf and tennis.  Thinking we might magically turn into Anna Kounikova we decided to start with the latter and must say how mightily impressed we were.

Although the graphics are not what you would find on the PS2 or Xbox 360, we liked them; they are simple, yet effective and reminded us a bit of the graphics of the consoles of the 90s.

Playing the tennis game also made us feel like children again, the way that the controllers work means you actually have to do the same manoeuvres you might on a tennis court and if we are honest it really tested our fitness levels; we were huffing and puffing after three games.

The other games, especially bowling, were also as fun and interactive as this. We also recommend the boxing as a good way to get your aggression out – virtually, of course. 

Wii play, although not as good as Wii sports, was fun. Within this program we could play shooting, fishing and also search for our Mii’s – characters such as Ali G, Brad P (!) and Mr Migiaki (who looked surprisingly like Mr Miyagi from the Karate Kid).

These characters were also prevalent in the Wii sport games and caused the mob which invaded our humble abode on Saturday night - Wii news travels fast - endless amounts of fun. It was just a shame we only had two controls.

Verdict: 5  (Orlando  Blooms)

We cannot fault this console - for £180 it gave us hours of fun and fitness. The games and graphics were undeniably basic but this added to the charm. However, one word of warning, if you do decide to buy one of these, keep it quiet, buy dark curtains and learn how to move around in the dark or you may end up playing arcade host to more than a small county.