It was in late November that rumors of a redesigned Wii console, the Wii Mini first surfaced. Expected at below $100, Web sites reported that it was due for release on Dec. 7 and would feature a Sensor Bar, Nunchuk and Wii Remote Plus with Jacket.

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However, with the details of the console now in, many fans have been left disappointed.

In order to ship a $99.99 console Nintendo has cut a number of corners, and unlike its bigger brother, the Wii Mini is no longer backwards compatible with Gamecube games and doesn't include the ports for connecting a Gamecube controller. Additionally, it does not have access to the Internet and, therefore, user won't be able to download any games.

"There are games in the Wii library for every type of player," said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada's vice president and general manager. "Wii Mini is a great gift for the holidays that brings everyone in the family together to play. Wii Mini has a mini price, but it's all about big fun."

Nintendo says that the Wii Mini is a great value for first-time Wii owners who want to experience the games which ushered in motion-controlled gaming. To help with the launch, the company is also making available some of its best-selling Wii games at a low price of $19.99, though it does not name which ones.

However, interested consumers can buy a full Wii console for $160, which means you only save $60 by investing in the Wii Mini. Nintendo has not said whether the Wii Mini comes with a free game, like most Wii packages. What's more, the Wii Mini does not have an SD Card slot, which means gamers won't be able to transfer save games from one console to another.

In many ways, the Wii Mini is an attempt to cash in on the last gasp of Nintendo's former flagship console which has now been superseded by the Wii U.

The Wii U was released only two weeks ago and features the Wii U Gamepad - a tablet/controller hybrid which hopes to revolutionize gaming in its own way. Currently, Nintendo has not announced any plans to release the Wii Mini outside Canada.

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