Nintendo Wii Mini leaked ahead of 7 December launch

A miniature version of Nintendo's Wii console has been spotted on retailer Best Buy's Canadian website, with a release date pegged at 7 December -- next Friday.

The listing for the new micro-console doesn't take you to a product page, so there's very little information available. The picture, however, indicates that it will -- unsurprisingly -- sport a smaller body than the existing machine. It will be decked out in a flashy red and black outfit and come complete with at least one Wii-mote.

Pricing, UK availability or indeed any further specifications haven't been announced, but Nintendo told me it wouldn't comment on rumour or speculation.

It's not clear exactly what a smaller version of the Wii would offer. The existing model has already been made smaller from its first outing and with a price starting at only £90, it's not as though it needs to be made considerably cheaper to appeal to families.

Perhaps the point is to separate the old Wii from the new Wii U, which to a layman might look like merely a new controller for the old machine. Due to go on sale in the UK this Friday, the Wii U pairs a beefed-up Wii with a tablet-like gamepad for multi-screen HD funtimes. It's certainly an unusual approach, but one the Japanese firm will be hoping turns its sloping share price around.

With a supposed launch date less than a fortnight away, we shouldn't have long to wait to find out more about the Wii Mini. In the meantime, let me know whether the micro-console excites you in the comments below or over on our Facebook page.