darkSpyro

Ok thanks for the answers on the saving stats/portal issue. I now have one more lot of questions.

I have read through the post below about the problems with the wii version of SF freezing and (more importantly) that there is content available on the playstation and xbox versions that isn't available on the wii (even though the starter packs are the same price). I don't want to pay a truckload for a new Wii U or PS4 or xBox One which leaves me with the 3 options:

Do I stick with the wii version and put up with less content and some freezing, or do I buy a secondhand PS3 or xbox 360? And If I switch should I go playstation or xbox?

Also, does a playstation or xbox portal work with a wii? Like are the portals in the starter packs the same and only the discs are different?

Love to know everyone's thoughts before I go parting with a heap of cash on the starter pack.

360. I believe the Portals are interchangeable, almost certain.

Xbox portals are NOT interchangeable, All other portals are though so you can use a wii portal on a PS3, Wii U, PS4.

PS3 or XBox360 actually depends on what your friends have and your habit to play online with them.
If you want play online on XBox360 then you have to pay extra $60 every year for online play.
Otherwise there is no big difference between PS3 and XBox360 in games - something is better on PS3, something - on XBox360.
And as have been aready said for Skylanders - XBox360 has special portal of power, portals from PS3, Wii or Wii U cannot be used on XBox360.

If you have the cash there's the PS4 / XBOne.

However, I saw a black Friday ad for a brand new Xbox 360 with 1 controller for $100. (Walmart? don't remember)

That's a really good deal right there.

Not the original ad I saw but here's an article:
http://blackfriday.com/articles/136-walmart-xbox-360

go for the ps3 and you can use the wii portals on the older games too... also you dont have to pay to play online(if you get 'little big planet' etc for online gaming), that one is a big bonus compared to the x360 where you have to pay to play online.

I am more of a Nintendo guy. I upgraded from Wii to Wii U.

So if I did go for a PS3, Xbox 360 or stretched myself further and went for the Wii U, what size do I need?

This is mainly for my children who are 5 and 7 so I don't really want them playing online at this stage. We will look at that option when they are older. But I see that the Wii U 8gb is a lot less than the 32gb, but is 8gb too small? Will it eventually annoy me?

And if I go with the PS3 or Xbox 360, what would be the minimum size in those I should be looking at?

It's all a little bit confusing.

if want the ps3, go for the 500gb version and if you want a wii-u go for the 32gb... also both of these consoles have free online so when your kids are ready for online you dont have to fork out more after you buy the games.. the x360 i wouldnt have gotten at all.

I love a good console debate! j/k But if you don't want to go with a nextgen system, given that your children are 5 and 7, I think the Wii U is your best choice. The games that are made for it (not just Skylanders), the price is cheaper (new or used), graphics are great, and there are no online fees. If you do get one, I would suggest the 32GB version. There should be quite a few Black Friday deals to pick from next week also.

I would suggest the 8GB version because it's a lot less. The Wii U has the ability to add external hard drives via USB. So, save the money now and if you really need it buy a cheap external hard drive later. If you use it a lot, then 32GB wont be enough eventually. Better off with an external drive of 1TB for the same price.

Note: I have the 32GB version and am nowhere close to using even 8GB of space.

Defo get the PS3 or 360 version. My son has the Wii version and it is, if not more, as buggy as Spyro Enter The Dragonfly. Constant slowdowns, crashes, freezes and other random issues. The Wii version needs recalled.

Quote: kaosmumishot

So if I did go for a PS3, Xbox 360 or stretched myself further and went for the Wii U, what size do I need?

This is mainly for my children who are 5 and 7 so I don't really want them playing online at this stage. We will look at that option when they are older. But I see that the Wii U 8gb is a lot less than the 32gb, but is 8gb too small? Will it eventually annoy me?

And if I go with the PS3 or Xbox 360, what would be the minimum size in those I should be looking at?

It's all a little bit confusing.

For PS3 initial hard drive space is not very important - you can buy any 2.5" hard drive and replace factory installed hard drive in 5 minutes. So basically see for good price for console itself - recently I saw something like $200 for 250Gb PS3 at Walmart.
For XBox360 you cannot replace factory installed hard drive by another from any vendor - only specially "designed" and way overpriced hard drives "approved" by Microsoft.

Another thing about hard drive space - if you are not going to download tons of games from Playstation Store, it really doesn't matter.

As of Wii U 8Gb vs 32Gb - actually operating system itself on Wii U will use 5Gb of that internal flash memory leaving you only 3Gb or 27Gb for saved games, downloaded content etc.
And take into account the same thing as for PS3 with only difference that hard drive will be external (better with its own power supply - not every external HDD can be used powered from Wii U's USB port only - at least this is what Nintendo says).

Another thing - as you said you have young kids, so I think Wii U is better choice in this case - like Mario, Donkey Kong, Pikmin, etc.

Personally, with kids I would choose the WiiU, hands down. I enjoy the 360 and PS3, but the problem here is both of those have been replaced with newer consoles, upgrading to them at this point isn't wise. They will both get new releases over the next couple years, but as the next gen versions catch on that will dwindle. The WiiU is Nintendo's next gen offering, therefore its core platform. It will continue to get new releases well into the future. You might not get some of the multi-platform games, but are you as a parent of small children all that worried about the latest Call of Duty or sports game? If you were, then it would be for yourself instead, and by that logic one would think you would already have one of those consoles. The backwards compatibility will also mean you can still use your old controllers and games.

If you find yourself really with a hankering for Sony or Microsoft's offering instead of Nintendo, the clear way to go is to bite the bullet and get a PS4 or XBOne. While it is a good chunk of change, it is far more future proof than a PS3/360 and you won't find yourself asking the same upgrade question in a year or two. You will be able to find these in the few weeks or so, Sony and MS are shipping more units regularly like happened with the WiiU - don't be tempted to pay more than retail.

As far as which WiiU to get, the best deal by far is the Mario bundle. Two really good Mario games and the Deluxe model (including the extras like the charge stands) beats the pants off a Basic and Swap Force (which you can get for less than $50 in a week), unless you are really fond of the special Wash Buckler. The Deluxe doesn't offer much more space, like it isn't going to eliminate the need for an external drive if you like downloading full games, but the 27GB available is nice to have if you do want to download a few things and not worry about shuffling around files. If you have a Deluxe and only download VC games and small things, you will likely never run out of space. If you download full titles, you will need an external powered drive.