November 19, $250

Nintendo also released a few details on the Virtual Console - NES games will cost $5, Super NES games will be $8, and Nintendo 64 titles will cost $10. Only a handful of first-party titles were announced - The Legend of Zelda (NES), Super Mario World (SNES), Super Mario 64 (N64) and the original arcade classic Donkey Kong - but the company pledged to release 10 games per month for the entire first year after the system's launch. Keep in mind that you'll be able to plug in your existing GameCube controllers or buy the spiffy new "classic" controller for that old-school feel.

The other big reveal was of the Wii Channel interface. It's the main menu for the machine, offering software options, internet access, digital photo viewing, a gateway to community elements like message boards and text messaging, even local news and weather. We'll have an in-depth report on how the Wii Channels will look and work shortly.

September 14, 2006