For the second year in a row Billings shoppers were once captivated by the Nintendo Wii.
Nintendo released the popular console in November of 2006, and retailers say they can't seem to keep it on the shelves.
Matt Thompson, who works at Target, said, "I don't know if it's Nintendo just purposely doing it, you know, I think it drives the demand for it if it's not in stock. And everyone wants to get it all the time. Kids like it, adults like it, everybody enjoys playing. It's a party game, so you can enjoy it with friends."
This year, shoppers were also attracted to Wii Fitness, a version that helps players to stay physically active by requiring them to move around as they play the game.
However, the Fit proved just as elusive for shoppers as the Wii.
Shopper Kraig Kincaie said, "We're looking for the Wii Fit, and you know, controllers, batteries. It's kinda hard to find, everything's going pretty fast. We try to go to the gym as much as possible, but it's just hard. So we figured the Wii Fit would be a good way to work out at home, you know, with the kids, and, you know, save some time in the process."
A large contributor to the Wii's success is it's remote control, which has changed the way people play video games. It requires players to do more than simply push buttons.
Santa Claus brought the Ashmore brothers their Wii last Christmas.
They have quickly become Wii experts, as have their neighborhood friends. The boys like the new element the added movement provides.
Luke Ashmore said, "It's not just clicking buttons. You are actually in the game, using the motions and everything, so it's just lot better gameplay."
The Wii does not protect against sibling rivalry, however: Ashmore's brother Eric said, "One time I went up to get the door and I paused it, and then he unpaused it, and ran down field and scored a goal, and that was the final score, one-zero. So, it should have been a tie game."
One thing is for sure, the Nintendo Wii was the big winner this Christmas.
- Drew Trafton reporting for Montana's News Station
