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The Wii Is A Brutal Physical Workout

After some hands on play with Nintendo's latest console dubbed the Wii, I have a lot of positive thoughts about it. So far I've played Red Steel and Wii sports. Bowling is a pretty fun game, and in two player mode the competition heats up. Tennis is the other sports game that has a very close resemblance to real life. After playing my friend in both bowling and tennis for 8 hours or so, my arm and shoulder started to ache. By the next day it was hard to play any bowling, even putting a shirt on hurt. Who would have thought that playing a video game could hurt so badly? I'm not alone in the extreme workout the Wii requires.

Ryan Mercer, a customs broker in Indianapolis, lifts weights several times a week. But that hasn't helped much with the Wii. After playing the boxing game for an hour and a half, his arms, shoulders and torso were aching. "I was soaking wet with sweat, head to toe -- I had to go take a shower," he says. And the next morning? "I had trouble putting my shirt on," says the 21-year-old avid gamer.

-- Computers.net

Other issues people are having are with the Wiimotes flying off and breaking things. However I don't foresee this being an issue for the majority of gamers. Granted the strap is thin, but it should never slide out of your hand. I removed the strap after my first 30 minutes of game play. I find it gets in the way when you're playing just about anything. If it slips out of your hand, you're using it improperly.

The other game I've had a chance to play is Red Steel. At first the game is a bit awkward to control, as the cursor slips off the screen at times. A trick I use is to hold the Wiimote like a pencil. You can fire with your index finger, which makes it much easier to aim. To change weapons simply use your middle finger. The graphics on Red Steel are far from perfect, but they get the job done. I'd rather a fun easy to play game than top of the line graphics.

I think the Wii is definitely a great console despite its lack of superior graphics. The Wiimote is definitely a "revolution" in gaming. I just wonder why nobody has done this before since the technology was so readily available before this. It was definitely worth waiting in line for a few hours.