Update:

I'm back in NYC, and called my brother earlier tonight. My very excited niece announced that her Nintendo Wii package, with all the trimmings, arrived yesterday. She's not allowed to set it up and play with it until the weekend (although I'd bet she'd like to call in sick to 4th grade), but it's there in the house!

To recap, this was ordered online from

EB Games

When they ordered on 11/23, the site said it wouldn't be sent until 1/2/08 or later. However, it actually took only 19 days to show up.

They bought a whole package, with accessories and games which my niece wanted anyway. I don't know if you can just buy the basics separately without having to take all the extra things. My brother said that when he saw the breakdown of the order, the prices for the individual items were the same as in the store.

So, if you're still looking for a Wii yourself, this approach to getting it may work for you.
Zhenya