Nintendo has just announced that they are releasing a new Wii Mini as a Canadian exclusive. It is completely redesigned with a new look. It is not backwards compatible with GameCube games, and it does not have any Internet connectivity. Here is the link: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/27/nintendo-makes-wii-mini-official-exclusive-to-canada/

Personally, I think the Wii Mini is pointless, especially right after the release of the Wii U. I think it will just add to the confusion people have about the Wii U simply being a new controller for the Wii.

What do you guys think?

I think it's pointless as well. I can't imagine it getting too many sales unless it's a cheap gift for some kids who wouldn't use the internet anyways without a parental lock code..

But what can you do?

This is 99.9% pointless. No backward compatibility or online features? That's just stupid. Sorry, NIntendo... but why??

What they SHOULD have done is released it at least with online capability! If so, it could compete with other set-top streaming players, like Roku and Apple TV. It could stream Netflix, Amazon, etc. and play Wii games (and VC). That would make the best sense to me.

^This 100%.

I might even argue that it's 99.9999999%. So the number 1 game after Wii Sports cannot be played fully? I believe MK Wii sold some crazy 25-30 million copies and people wouldn't be able to play that online. Also as Hattrick mentioned no VC, Wiiware games.

Someone else commented on this news on another site, but would about that Skyward Sword glitch? If someone got that game and got stuck the NoC rep would say to download the patch, and the user would not be able to get online...

But Netflix is one of the biggest things people have used it for after Wii Sports, so this bundle is just mind-boggling.

Does Nintendo think Canadians don't know how to use the internet? Should have released it in America before Black Friday to confuse the stupid people into buying it. It's a cool looking little console but there is literally no point to it. Everybody already has a Wii.

That is the only thing it has going for it -- looks cool.

At least the GBA Micro didn't throw away the SP's features...

Exactly. If fact you could say it added to them by adding a headphone jack. I always thought it was weird the the SP didn't have a headphone jack.

And sadly that might be what people end up buying it for. I really hope it goes down with the Virtual Boy in the category of stupidest things Nintendo has put out.

Edit: I am sad that the SP couldn't play GB and GBC games or connect to the GameCube to play games like Four Swords Adventures but it was a great little system if you just wanted to play GBA games on it. I didn't get one until last year because I had lost my SP, I knew it didn't have some of the features but I was able to compromise because I had a GB Player for my GameCube that can play every GB game under the sun.

Virtual Boy was awesome, thank you very much!

All I can say right now is thank God this is exclusive to Canada. If this was released worldwide, it would not only be pointless, but it would affect Wii U sales IMO. I mean Wii U already looks similar enough to Wii... I can totally see the consumer confusion on thinking Wii U is just Wii and that Wii Mini is totally new.

But regardless, it's only for Canada. I will say the look is interesting and it's neat to have a smaller console. But I agree in that this is super pointless. No Internet capabilities is terrible! You can get a Wii for like $130 now, right? So for $30 less, you lose a lot of stuff like the Wii Shop, Netflix, online play, etc. Just a really terrible decision IMO. It looks neat, but such a dumb decision to release this.

I think it's 100% percent pointless especially if you already have a wii or a wii u, plus no backwards compatibility or internet connection, which you know is were all video games ar at right now, just pointless.

Has Nintendo stated why it's a CA exclusive? That's the most appalling part about this to me. Like, it's a console redesign exclusive for one country. Not even region exclusive, but part of a region. They do regional exclusives with special colors and stuff, but a whole new redesigned system?

No, but my guess is they are doing it to test it out and see how people react. It's a relatively small population (in comparison to the US, UK, Japan I guess), so maybe they are just making a few to see what the public thinks before deciding to do a world-wide release or not.

Smaller than California. It's like releasing it to a single state.

It is releasing to a single state.

100% pointless!

I just turned it won't have SD card slot, either. How ridiculous! I mean, I guess the need is low because of no online, meaning no shop and downloaded games, but it also rules it out for photos too! This is now upgraded to 99.999% pointless in my book.

I saw that too Hattrick.. So only Wii discs and limited menu options. Did anyone even use the pictures channel? I know I didn't.

Hey Guys!

Nintendo, I think, did announce that the Wii Mini was staying in Canada. I agree with DW, because there are electronics like PS3 Slim and and iPad Mini, and the fact that the Wii Mini looks WAY better than any Nintendo console I have ever seen, people are going to think that the Wii Mini is the new thing, not the Wii U. Also, the price range. Nintendo literally put a terrible edited console in a sleek, downright awesome shell.

Canada isn't a state.