Nintendo Canada is set to release Wii Mini on December 7th. Image credit: Nintendo

Nintendo of Canada is taking a page out of Sony's Playstation 2 playbook this week by re-releasing the original Wii with a major make-over, evoking the popular PS2 Slim. Wii's old tech has a new look, a black matte surface and an even more compact package, as if the first generation Wii were not small on its own.

With the Wii Mini redesign, which includes a red Wiimote plus and a red nunchuck, comes a few caveats. WiFi is no longer included and backwards compatibility with GameCube games has been stripped from the system.

While it is not difficult to purchase a cheap Wii on eBay, this $99 mini-Wii works for those in need of a neo-retro gift, especially considering that a Wiimote plus with nunchuck attachment can still go for $60 on its own.

The Wii Mini is not available in the United States just yet, and perhaps a quiet, limited relaunch is a good thing, saving less knowledgeable parents and relatives from picking up the wrong "new Wii" ( not the new Wii U) and causing Christmas morning disappointment.

Wii U Review: Nintendo's New System Filled With Potential

Some 400,000 new Wii U systems were sold last week, according to Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, on par with the demand for the original Wii back in 2006.

That's good news for the new system, as the original Wii was the second highest-selling home console ever, bested only by the Sony Playstation 2.