Everything about the Nintendo Wii

Sedentary is just one adjective that comes to mind when describing the lifestyle of video gamers. You are often sitting down when you play most of the video games available in the market today. This has slightly changed with the release of the Nintendo Wii in 2006. Instead of just sitting down and pressing buttons, you are moving the Wii Remote during gameplay. These movements mimic actual game actions, such as hitting the ball with a racquet (simulated by the Wii Remote) during a tennis game.

However, a study published in the British Medical Journal noted the need for exercise among Wii players. Liverpool John Moores University professor Gareth Stratton and his colleagues observed 13-15 year old boys and girls and compared their energy expenditure while playing the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox 360. They noted a 2% increase in energy expenditure among Wii players but they cautioned against using Wii games as substitutes for exercise or sports. However, they noted the console’s contribution in weight management and its promotion of physical activity. The results of this study might be revised after the May 19, 2008 U.S. release of the Wii Fit (April 25, 2008 in Europe).

Wii Fit is the newest Wii-exclusive video game developed by Nintendo. Initially known as the Wii Health Pack, Wii Fit was previewed at the 2007 E3 Media and Business Summit press conference in the U.S. Video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo of America president and chief operating officer Reginald Fils-Aime, and other participants demonstrated the game during the said event.

Miyamoto is popular for developing games based on his hobbies. This was observed in the Pikmin and Nintendogs games. Wii Fit is not different as the idea for the game originated from Miyamoto’s desire to keep himself fit. He revealed that he gained weight after he graduated from college and after he got married. He later suffered from back pains, which his doctor attributed to his weight gain. Miyamoto decided to take up swimming. After swimming regularly, he noted a considerable drop in his weight. He also observed an increase in his overall fitness level. Later, he became interested in a special weight monitoring diet and decided to record his weight on a graph.

Like the other games in the Wii Series, Wii Fit also involves Miis. These are digital avatars that you can create using the Mii Channel. Gameplay also requires a Wii Balance Board accessory, which comes with your purchase of the game. The board measures your weight, center of gravity, and calculates your body mass index.

The game offers 40 activities that incorporate yoga poses, push ups, step aerobics, hula hooping, ski jumping, jogging, and goalie defense. Professional trainer Kaoru Matsui assessed the effectiveness of the training routines.

Wii Fit also allows interaction with other players. You can compare your fitness level with other players through the Wii Fit channel. In addition, you can keep track of your progress, which the game records through the Wii Fitness Age.

Developers are reportedly eyeing the integration of WiiConnect24 functionality in the game. This would allow you to contact your doctor for help or your fitness expert for training exercises assistance.

With Wii Fit, you can now literally get on your feet while enjoying some of your favorite sports and physical activities. Forget sedentary. Active is now an apt description for gamers.

If you happen to have a Japanese Wii Console, you can play Wii Fit For Japanese Console now!

Technorati Tags: Nintendo Wii, Wii Health Pack, Wii Fit

You are finally a proud owner of a Nintendo Wii. You have played all the games in the Wii Sports disc included in your purchase. You want more. When you visit your nearest retailer store, you are overwhelmed by the number of games available to Wii. To help you with your decision, here are ten of the Wii games that received favorable reviews during the past year in gaming websites.

MLB Power Pros

This Major League Baseball (MLB) video game was released in 2007 by North American company 2K Sports of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. and Japan-based game developer Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. MLB Power Pros is based on the Jikkyo Power Pro Baseball series popular in Japan and this version is specifically developed for the North American market. Gamers can enjoy more than a dozen game modes, including the Season Mode and Success Mode. In the Season Mode, you become an MLB team general manager eyeing a World Series victory. You have control over everything related to the team such as training, equipment purchase, and trading. This mode last for 10 years (game time not real time) and offers two gaming options, Major League and Expansion. The Success Mode offers a story-based gameplay with you, the gamer, as a college baseball player aiming for a Major League position. As a college baseball player, you must maintain a balancing act between baseball training and school, while taking part-time jobs and attending social events. Your character is given three years (again, game time) to be approached by a scout/agent.

The Sims 2: Castaway

The Sims 2 was one of the strategic life simulation games developed by Maxis for computers. Castaway is the third console spin-off published by Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) and it was released in the U.S. on October 22, 2007. Game involves the creation of sims who will travel on a yacht and who will be marooned in an uncharted tropical island. The game’s objective is survival, which you can achieve through completion of goals that include boat building, island exploration, and ship rescue. You can opt to finish the game by going home or by staying and exploring the nearby islands.

Guitar Heroes III: Legends of Rock

Legends of Rock was published by Activision Inc., which acquired the original series publisher, RedOctane, in 2006. The Wii version, released on October 28, 2007, was developed by Neversoft. The gameplay remains the same for all Guitar Heroes titles though the soundtrack varies with each title. Legends of Rock offers 71 playable songs, some of which are Rock and Roll All Nite by Kiss, Sabotage by Beastie Boys, and The Metal by Tenacious D. The Career Mode gives you a chance to play against Lou the Devil, Slash, and Tom Morrello. The story-based Co-op Career Mode allows you and another player to choose your guitar (lead, rhythm, and bass) and join a band. The Battle Mode allows you to play against one or more players. Wii-exclusive features include the utilization of the console’s rumble feature and internal speaker.

Trauma Center: New Blood

Trauma Center: New Blood is the third installment from the Wii-exclusive surgery simulation series, Trauma Center, published and developed by the Japanese company, Atlus. The game, released on November 20, 2007 in the U.S., is set in Concordia Medical Institute in Los Angeles ten years after the events in the first game took place. This title boasts of new features such as the widescreen option, Challenge Missions, and Cooperative Mode.

Medal of Honor: Heroes 2

Heroes 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by EA. It is another instalment in the Medal of Honor series set during the World War II. In this game, you are OSS Operative Lt. John Berg who must complete seven missions involving acquisition of documents, planting charges, and using weapons such as M1 Garand and M1911. The multiplayer mode, which includes DeathMatch, Infiltration, and Team DeathMatch, allows you to play online with other gamers.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Released in 2006, Twilight Princess is the thirteenth title in The Legend of Zelda series developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development (EAD). The game features the transformation into a wolf of the series’ lead character, Link. This only occurs when he enters the Twilight Realm, a void that threatens to conquer Hyrule, the land where Link came from. In Twilight Princess, Link’s human and wolf forms allows him to acquire different skills and abilities.

Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure

This is a Wii-exclusive game published by the Japanese company Capcom Co., Ltd. (Capcom). The Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure is a third-person video game featuring Zack, whose movements you control via the Wii Remote. In this game, Zack, accompanied by his friend Wiki, must restore the body of the legendary pirate, Captain Barbaros. For their efforts, the captain will take them to the Treasure Island and give them his Legendary Ship.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Another Wii-exclusive game is this tenth instalment of the Metroid game series developed by Retro Studios. Corruption, released on August 27, 2007 in the U.S., is the last game in the Metroid Prime trilogy. Here, you are still Samus Aran, the bounty hunter who battles the Space Pirates while being corrupted by a mutagen called Phazon. You control her actions through the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk. Corruption features new gameplay features such as the Phazon Enhancement Device, Spring Jump, and a revised checkpoint system.

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

Published and developed by Capcom, Resident Evil 4 is the sixth title in the Resident Evil series. The game was initially available for other game consoles in 2005. A year after the launch of Wii in 2006, the Wii version of Resident Evil 4 was released. The game involves the rescue of Ashley Graham from the Los Illuminados cult and characters from other Resident Evil titles, such as Leon S. Kennedy and Ada Wong.

Super Mario Galaxy

The game was developed by Nintendo EAD in Tokyo and published exclusively for Wii on November 2007. It is the thirteenth title and the third 3D platform game in the Mario series. Super Mario Galaxy is set in outer space, where Mario travels through different galaxies to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser. You control Mario’s actions through the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. Also introduced in this title are new control schemes such as the Star Pointer and Pull Stars and the two-player option, Co-Star Mode.

We hope you enjoyed our Top 10 Wii Games and have a wonderful time playing! Choose these or other Wii Games for lots of great fun!

Technorati Tags: Top 10 Wii Games