Wii Mini Release Date Coming Next Month For Canadian Gamers, But No Word On Other Markets

The gaming-only system will cost $99.99 and does not come with the Internet capabilities that the regular Wii features. It launches on Dec. 7, but only for players in Canada. The red-and-black colored Wii Mini originally surfaced on a Canadian Best Buy website on Tuesday morning before the console was officially announced later that day.

The smaller system is compatible with more than 1,300 Wii games but does not play GameCube titles. However, gamers can bolster their collection by grabbing some Nintendo Selects games which start at $19.99. Classic Wii favorites such as “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” and “Donkey Kong Country Returns” will be priced at $29.99, while other must-haves such as “Mario Kart Wii” and “Wii Sports Resort” will launch for $39.99.

Other popular titles like “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” are a little pricier at $59.99 and the “Wii Fit Plus” with the Balance Board bundle costs just as much as the mini console at $99.99.  While the console isn’t meant to be a full substitute for the standard Wii, Nintendo describes it as “a great value for first time Wii owners who just want to jump in.”

“There are games in the Wii library for every type of player,” Nintendo of Canada Vice President Ron Bertram said in a statement. “Wii Mini is a great gift for the holidays that brings everyone in the family together to play.”

The Wii Mini comes with a red Wii Remote Plus controller in the box along with a red Nunchuk controller. Best Buy Canada has said that it will begin accepting pre-orders for the device later today.

The standard Wii console, however, isn’t much more expensive than the Wii Mini. The console is currently on sale at Best Buy in North America for $119.99, and the regular price is $129.99. Some games that are more expensive on the Wii Mini also cost less for the regular Wii. For example, “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” costs $39.99, but the Wii Fit Plus bundle is priced the same.

Nintendo’s more commercial release, the Wii U, has already sold 400,000 units in its first week on shelves. While the Wii U may be considered Nintendo’s flagship product for quite some time, the gaming company can now compete with Microsoft’s rumored Xbox Lite when (and if) it is released and Sony’s PS3 Slim.

There has been no word on whether or not the Wii Mini will be available in other markets, but we’ll update this article accordingly if announcements are made.