Nintendo Wii Fanboy

We're always happy to hear about someone getting in on the Wii experience for the first time. New adopters who might have been turned away from gaming at one point in the past or are in on the activity for the first time warm our heart, because it shows the impressive power of the console. But, what was that we said about hunting one down?

Columnist Mark Morford works for the the San Francisco Gate and recently did something he's never done before: got up at the crack of dawn to track down a Wii. He got in line at his local Best Buy to get a system and, sure enough, he got one. It wasn't just for him, but for his little sister. Such a selfless act can only make us appreciate the fellow more.

What was great about this particular story is that despite it being so close to Christmas, and the Wii's unavailability still, the line was full of friendly and calm people. There wasn't any of the crazy Black Friday stampeding or selfish shoving in line, but people who had come to experience something wonderful. Playing is believing, sure, but these stories make us believe in something else: humanity.

Have any of your experiences in hunting down a Wii been different?

Well then, who saw this coming? Certainly not us. With a console being scarce and incredibly popular for a whole year now, we never would've figured that consumers would be angry they could not find one. The nerve!

But, in all seriousness, we feel your pain. It's been tough trying to get a console ever since it released and when stores like, oh we dunno, EB Games tell you that they're getting stock in on a certain day and you show up that day to try and get one and they say "Sorry, we don't have any,"we'd be pretty ticked off too.

And Robert Whitted is the latest casualty, stating "They [EB Games] said they should be getting in a shipment this week, went by there on Tuesday of this week when the shipment was supposed to arrive and they're telling me now what they don't have any in stock." Thing is, they did get the console in, but they're not selling them until Black Friday. "They're telling me that the message from the store should be that they're not selling them until Friday."

Robert feels cheated, going on to say "They're telling me a lie, they're telling the community a lie, that they do not have them in stock and we all know that they will no be getting them in Thanksgiving Day or the morning before they open."

With Black Friday just around the corner, you're likely doing some last minute sharpening of all your swords and battle testing your armor against your little brother. It's going to be crazy out there as you try to procure a Wii for your loved one or, even worse, yourself. We feel for you.

But, odds aren't looking that good. Considering that the Wii was the gift to have last year, as well, this year isn't looking any better. Retailers are having trouble keeping the console on shelves and Nintendo is having trouble making enough for those shelves. It's a unique situation, in that popular holiday gifts often change from year to year, but the Wii looks like it has the staying power.

What's your plan of action for procuring a Wii this holiday season? Do you have any friends or family trying to get their hands on one?

We apologize for the lack of quality in the above image, but when you take into account the news it brings, the image doesn't really matter. See, if you're the brave type to go out and about on Black Friday, then you might want to hit up your local Circuit City, where Super Mario Galaxy will be available for the discounted price of $34.99.

Anyone plan on picking up a copy on the cheap? Maybe as a gift for a friend or loved one this holiday season? Or, maybe you haven't had the dough to get it yourself yet?

[Thanks to everyone that sent this in!]

As one of those irritating "Black Friday" deals that gets desperate people outside at 4am, Best Buy will be offering four Wii games at a discounted price of $19.99 on Friday and Saturday. The selection includes enough of interest to make it worth leaving your family on Thanksgiving night to go camp out in front of an electronics store! If anything is.

We won't speak for Rapala Tournament Fishing! or Brunswick Pro Bowling, although if you're going to buy those, you might as well do it at a reduced price. More likely to be cared about is Sonic and the Secret Rings, which might well be $20 worth of game. The best deal is Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition, which, at $20, is about what you'd pay for a new copy of RE4 on the GameCube. If you don't see these on the shelves, just wait until a blueshirt comes by with the "last one" of the game you're looking for.

[Via GoNintendo]