Hello everybody, and welcome to the fourth (and likely last: give us back gifting Nintendo!) Wii Secret Santa event! Anyone and everyone who has a Wii and at least 25 posts is both eligible and welcome to join. If you have any questions, check the FAQ below or just plain ask!
EVENT DETAILS
The event is open to all members who have at least 25 posts. The event ends December 20th. On that date, I will PM you the identity of your Tiny Tim, and a separate list of codes (only one of which is your Santa). Games will be sent out between December 20th and December 31st. Participants will give and receive Virtual Console and/or WiiWare games to their "Tiny Tims." You will never know who your "Santa" is (i.e. the person who gave you the gift) unless your Santa chooses to reveal him or herself to you.
Which game(s) to gift is entirely up to you, although you may request certain titles/genres, and you may ask me for recommendations on titles if you feel that's necessary.
As to how much you need to give, it's entirely up to you: if all you can afford is a $5 VC game, that's cool. If you want to make someone's Christmas by dumping $50 worth of games on them, that's cool too! But remember: this is about spirit and community, so please join if it's at all feasible!
If you want to join, post in this thread and give me the country your Wii is made for, your Wii Code (If you don't know how to find that, click here), and whether or not you own a Classic Controller/Gamecube controller/Balance Board.
FAQ
I have the Homebrew Channel. Can I still join?
I'm not an expert on the subject, but I believe there are ways to access the Wii Shop Channel despite not having the latest firmware. Click here to find out how.
What if I'm going to buy a Wii U?
Because Nintendo not-so-secretly hates us all, it has removed the gifting feature from Wii U's, even when they run in Wii Mode! As a result, see if you can wait until after sending your gift to do the Wii -> Wii U transfer.
What if the person already has the game I want to buy them?
I will include in the PM a link to your Tiny Tim's game collection, so that you can make sure to not buy them something they already have. For that reason, please update your own game collection, including retail copies (Nintendo won't tell Santa to not buy you Link to the Past if you own the SNES or GBA cartridge, for instance...) to make life easier for Santa. If by some chance someone falls through the cracks, don't worry about it: Nintendo will tell you that your Tim already owns that game, and it will ask you to select another. So don't worry about wasting money.
Speaking of money, how much should we spend?
That's completely up to you. There is no minimum or maximum; you can buy your person a NES game, or you can get them Crystal Chronicles. Heck, you can buy them the entire VC catalogue, if you're feeling up to it. Remember that it really is the thought that counts, so if all you can give is $5, or if that $5 game kicks more expensive games' a**es, then go for it!
What if I'm the only person from my country who participates?
Because Nintendo hates holiday cheer, we can only gift games to someone in our own country. Consequently, if you're not feeling up to changing the settings on your Wii, I'll send you a regretful PM telling you that your country-men are a bunch of Scrooges. But I'll still wish you a Merry Christmas! Or Channukah, or whatever floats your boat. Remember kids, Santa and Christmas are both Capitalist, not Christian!
What if I sign up, but later can't participate for whatever reason?
Please just PM me such some time before December 20th, so that I can adjust accordingly. We don't want some poor soul to go without a Virtual Console/WiiWare game this Christmas, do we?
Can I tell other site members about this?
Please do! The more the merrier, even if it will result in my having a logistical nightmare on my hands. But what's a migraine compared to the smile on a child's face?
What happens if my Santa doesn't get me something when they should?
Bad things, my friend.
Bad things.
But don't worry if you're the one left out in the cold. We'll come up with something to cheer you up, although we didn't have a single disappointed soul in the last three years in spite of having over a hundred people join, so I wouldn't worry about this.
