Nintendo of Canada has confirmed that not only is their exclusive (at least for now) Wii Mini console missing GameCube compatibility and Internet connectivity but it also lacks an SD card slot, which further limits the system’s functionality.
Nintendo’s Matt Ryan partially explained the reasoning behind the missing SD card slot to NintendoWorldReport, saying:
“… they [Wii Mini and Wii U] are two very different products for a different type of player. It really depends on the experience that players want and their preferred investment in their gaming console. If a player just wants to play Wii games, Wii mini is a great choice at a great price. If the player wants more from their system, Wii U is the latest innovation of fun from Nintendo.”
The biggest problem with Nintendo’s decision not include an SD card slot in the Wii Mini is that it leaves owners without any method to export their save files off the console, or import save files from another full sized Wii system. It also means that there is no option to expanded storage space for save files (which will admittedly impact very few owners) and it takes away the Wii’s Photo Channel.
When rumors of the Wii Mini first popped up I thought it might be a good option (assuming it hit the right price point) for customers who needed the ability to stream Netflix or Hulu Plus to a non-smart TV. After all, if you are in the market for a Roku-type device, why not grab a pint-sized Wii and play some games too? Now that we know exactly what the Wii Mini is, I’m hard pressed to think of any reason why someone would buy it over the standard Wii — which comes with a slightly higher price tag but is also packs in far more features.
Maybe I’m missing something, but I just don’t see the point in this console from a consumer’s perspective.
