VIDEO game fanatics will be staying up late tonight to get their hands on the must-have console of the year.

Gamers in Huddersfield are expected to be among the first trying to to buy the new Nintendo Wii between midnight and 2am.

One of the first stores to stock the games system will be Gamestation on New Street, Huddersfield.

Les Cammack, area manager for the company, said: "The launch of the Nintendo Wii is big news for gamers.

"Our midnight opening means gamers can get home, plug-in and start playing as soon as possible."

Nintendo hopes the Wii, designed to be more accessible than rival machines, will boost its fortunes.

Nintendo has decided to opt-out of the "arms race" of the round of consoles, that has seen Microsoft and Sony play a game of brinkmanship with their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 machines.

Both firms have positioned their consoles as home entertainment hubs, offering high definition gaming and film playback, along with digital downloads and high-specification graphics and central processor chips.