By: Sarju Shah - Posted on October 20, 2008

　　Nintendo's Wii plays a mean game of hide-and-seek. After two years of constant out of stock notices, you finally found it. Now that you've got it, you're going to have to get it in playable order. We've compiled a top five list to get you started off on the right path.

Wiimotes and Nunchuks

　　Get a few Remotes and Nunchuks You’re going to need some of these too. Group play is the Wii's best quality. A Wii without extra remotes is like having a party with yourself: You might have fun, and all the punch you can drink, but a few more people wouldn't hurt. Extra remotes and Nunchuks cost $60 a set, not exactly cheap. To save some money, have your friends buy their own, or have them bring over their controllers if they own a Wii. Either way, you're going to need a few extra controllers to make the most out of your Wii.

Rechargable Batteries

　　Nyko Charge Station Intec Charge Station Wii Remotes suck batteries dry. A few days of solid playing slurps the juice right out of them. Do yourself, and the environment, a favor by grabbing the rechargeable variety. You'll save money and save yourself the hassle of trucking down to the store every few weeks at inopportune moments. As an alternative, check out the recharging stations from a variety of vendors such as Nyko, Mad Catz, and Intec.

Games

　　Super Mario Galaxy Legend of Zelda Wario Ware Mario Kart Wii Get some solid games to use all of those extra Wii Remotes. Check out blockbuster games such as Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and WarioWare: Smooth Moves. All of them have nearly limitless replay value and work out well when you have friends over. That said, everyone needs alone time. Some great single-player experiences include Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, and Okami.

Virtual Console

　　Metroid Castlevania Super Mario Bros. 3 Nostalgia runs strong with the Wii. The Virtual Console gives you access to a whole slew of games from the '80s and '90s. Be sure to check out the classics, including Super Mario Bros. 3, Castlevania, Metroid, and many other greats from past consoles, including the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, and TurboGrafx-16.

The little things

　　Nyko Wireless Sensor Bar Component Cables Cut down on wire clutter and grab a wireless Wii sensor bar for about $15 from a variety of manufacturers. Furthermore, just because the Wii isn't HD doesn't mean it can't benefit from better cables. Component cables improve overall image quality by allowing the Wii to output video at 480p.

　　Your Nintendo Wii should be the ultimate in party entertainment with these basics. Of course, there's still plenty out there to make your setup even better. Keep on the lookout for new games like Wii Music and peripherals like the Wii Speak and Wii Motion Plus.