Wii Rally

Showing that no company is exempt from feeling the pinch of tougher economic times, Nintendo has lowered their earning expectations. The recession that is hitting Europe, Japan, and the United States to be the reason the the projected demand for the Wii will be down. Net income is expected to be $2.6 billion in the year ending March 31 - that’s will be 33 percent lower than what Nintendo predicted in October.

The demand for the Wii in the United States is still strong and was thought by some to be enough to keep the company recession-proof. But with a world economy heading toward recession, it just isn’t enough.

It’s sad news to read that the recession is now affecting video game and console giant Nintendo. Too bad Mario can’t come to the rescue on this problem.

Today I did something I haven’t done in years. I went bowling. Going bowling is an experience from the rented shoes to the greasy food. But with Wii Bowling, part of Wii Sports, I have a better game. So which experience is better?

Like most people, I like to win. Real-life bowling with my 42 score really does a number to the old ego. Plus usually my first game is my best game. Most people like to play at least two games. My second game starts off strong but then turns to the gutter as my wrist gives out.

With Wii Bowling, I have a better game, so it’s good for my ego. And I can have a fun evening with friends in my living room instead of a loud bowling alley. So some points can be made in favor of Wii Bowling to real-life bowling.

Still even though I bowl better with Wii Bowling and can as much fun with my friends playing it as real bowling, it is hard to be the overall bowling alley experience. From the uncomfortable shoes to the TV scorecard mounted above your lane, you just can’t get those kind of memories at home.

Here is an interesting piece I ran across about this guy’s experience with his Nintendo Wii. Basically he doesn’t really play the Wii unless with friends. He has played some other games but feels they have no replay value once they are finished unless you are playing multi-player.

I can see his point about the gaming experience as multi-player is the Wii’s biggest strength. Ever since we got an Xbox 360, we have played more games on it than on the Wii. My husband has even been buying the arcade games available through Xbox Live. Lately all I’ve really used the Wii for is Wii Fit despite having three new games to play on it.

The Nintendo Wii is a great console and has some fun games especially for multi-player. For other games, it’s OK. I have to admit that I will not be buying games that I can also get for the Xbox 360. So many games now can do updates and add game content that is available through Xbox Live.

Also I find playing games with the Wiimote is a little bit of a challenge. I usually play with the classic controller since it is more natural and I do a lot better in the game. Some games become old very fast especially if you are playing by yourself but can keep you occupied for hours if playing with friends.

Our Wii is collecting too much dust, yet. It is all because of Wii Fit since I really haven’t played any Wii games besides that one in about a month. I’m not ready just yet to pack away the Wii as I do believe that our gaming tastes will swing back towards the Wii at some point. It’s just too fun not to ever play again.

So, when was the last time you played a game on your Wii?

There are two new games available today in the Wii Shop - one WiiWare and one Virtual Console.

Niki - Rock n Roll is new for WiiWare. It is 500 points and is for 1-2 players. Roll through each world and find all the ZeLeLi pearls to liberate your village. This game is a tribute to those classic games that had simple goals - defeat all of your enemies to move forward in the game. Niki is rated E with mild comic mischief.

Wonder Boy™ in Monster Land™ - This title was originally released for the Sega Master System. It is also 500 Wii points and is for 1 player. Wonder Boy sets out on a journey to defeat an evil dragon and save Wonder Land. Playing Wonder Boy, you will defeat enemies with spells and special weapons. Wonder Boy is rated E and contains alcohol references and mild cartoon violence.

The Nintendo Wii reaches a sales milestone no other console has been able to reach. In 2008, there were 10 million units sold of the very popular console.

To Wii owners, it’s not surprising to hear this news as we already know how much fun and versatile the Wii can be. The Wii definitely has a far reaching appeal and with a price tag of only $250 is a downright bargain when compared with the pricey PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Sales of the Wii console could also be driven by the very popular Wii Fit. It seems everyone I know either has Wii Fit or is looking for it. Also Mario and other franchise Nintendo characters remain very popular and some of the better games for the Wii feature these beloved gaming icons.

I would also wager that the tighter economy had something to do with it. Wiis cost less than its competition - making at an affordable choice for those wanting to buy a next gen console.

As the inauguration was taking place, The White House staff was busy moving the First Family into their new home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Apparently on the of the items moved was a Nintendo Wii.

The Obamas bought their daughters - Sasha and Malia - a Wii console over the Christmas season. The Wii was set up in the family room of the White House.

Wii bowling seems to be a favorite with many Wii owners, but when you have a bowling alley in your home, how can the video game compete? But there are plenty of other games that are available for the Wii that would be perfect for the Obamas. With their workout ethic, Wii Fit might be a good choice on those days that it’s just impossible to make it to the gym.

So, which games for the Wii would you recommend for the First Family?

Here is an interesting Yahoo! article on the Nintendo Wii and how the video games for it are up to standard. Apparently a lot of Wii games have scored low points from video game critics. Almost half of the games reviewed since 2006 have had a rating below 65% - about 1/3 of all Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games fall below that number.

Does this really mean anything? I take video game reviews with a grain of salt. Some factors that might cause a game to get a low score have very little to do with how fun the game might actually be. And for Wii owners, it’s all about the fun. I bought Carnival Games because I thought it would be fun. It is fun but the controls need a little more work. Of course, I see that a lot in these mini-Wii games. But these types of games aren’t necessary about beating the game but just about having fun.

The article goes on to say that these low scoring games are big hits on the Wii - like Carnival Games and Boom Blox. Having written for a video game review site, I can tell you that some reviewers are video game elitists. If the game doesn’t use the latest technology, have impeccable graphics and sound, then they care nothing for it. I know a lot of people with a Wii. For some it’s the only console they own or have owned in years. They want fun games. Boom Blox was on sale after Thanksgiving and quickly sold out at one store. It took me about a month to find Carnival Games in stock to buy it.

I don’t mean to sound too critical of video game reviewers because a lot of the time they are spot on when it comes to a game. But - just like the article suggests - they must not get the appeal of Wii games to Wii owners. If they did, then they might judge these games with a different criteria - overall family or group fun.

Last year, I bought about 8,000 Wii points on clearance. The lowest I paid for 2,000 Wii points was $5. I thought I had finally used most of the points but I have found another points card. Now I’m looking to buy some more WiiWare games.

It’s amazing that I have all these points and can’t find games that I’m just wild about playing. At least new releases come out every week. I’m sure there will be something soon I want to play.

I did buy Dr. Mario a few weeks back. We used to love that game, so it was fun to play it again on the latest Nintendo console.

I might look at the Virtual Console games, too. There might be something of interest there although I’d rather have some games from WiiWare.

I’ve been back using Wii Fit for about two weeks. I have unlocked more games and am finally getting the hang of it. The strength training is an area I’ve yet to explore but hope to as soon as I have the floor space to do it.

One of my favorite Wii Fit games is boxing. It’s exhilarating to play and is so much fun. I wish there was an advanced boxing and that the moves were changed up with each game.

The step aerobics is another favorite. The free step is a lot of fun and a lot of work as you are challenged to take 800 steps in 10 minutes!

So far I’ve lost about 3 pounds. That’s about a pound a week and while I would like to see more fall, I’ll take it as long as it keeps going down. I am using Weight Watchers for dieting and right now Wii Fit is my only exercise.

Even though the Nintendo Wii has been available for a couple of years, this awesome console seemed to be at the top of a lot of people’s Christmas wish list. Even in early December there seemed to be a mad scramble to find the Wii in stock to make sure it had a place under the tree this year.

In the fall it seemed that the Wii was becoming pretty commonplace to find in local stores. You could find it and Wii Fit without much thought. Then everything changed with Black Friday as the ‘official’ Christmas shopping season began.

With so many stores clamoring for your hard earned money this year, there were plenty of bargains to be had. Many of these deals involved video games. Target had some Wii video games for as low as $11 on Black Friday. The Nintendo Wii remains the cheapest of the three next gen consoles even though both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 have come down in price. Also new Wii games are at least $10 cheaper than their Xbox 360 and PS3 counterparts. It doesn’t take an economist to see the appeal in the reasonably priced Wii and Wii video games.

Those who already had a Nintendo Wii seemed to be asking for one game more than others - Wii Fit. Not only were people looking for Wii Fit but they were busy buying Wii Fit accessories like silicon gloves and Yoga mats. Maybe those Wii owners are looking to the New Year with a new desire to get fit. Wii Fit is a good choice to help you get some exercise.

Many folks woke up Christmas morning to find a Wii under the tree and spent the day enjoying this fun console. For those who had to settle for a rain check for the Wii, here’s hoping to a speedy delivery of the funnest game console ever made.

This year we bought an Xbox 360 on Black Friday. Target had a nice deal that when you bought one then you also received a $60 gift card. We figure that might be the best deal that we see in a while for one. So we buy one and finally get an update to run on our Internet satellite.

After the start up of the Xbox 360, you are prompted to choose an avatar or a starting point for your persona. Once you’ve chose from a selection of characters, you can then change features much like you can on your Mii. My first reaction was is the Xbox 360 trying to be more like the Wii? What is up with this?

Apparently these avatars are used in Xbox Live to represent players. Also, players will be able to buy apparel for their avatar sometime next year.

So, does this mean that the Nintendo has influenced Microsoft? Who knows. It is very interesting and will have to keep a watch to see how ingrained the Xbox avatars become in future games.

The day I saw Wii Fit at our local store and bought it was one of the happiest days of this year. Well, it ranked up there anyway. I played non-stop for a few days and then quickly put the balance board on the shelf where it remains today. What happened to all my plans for Wii Fit?

When it comes to dieting and exercise, I always have an excuse. Whether it’s time or money, I can come up with some reason to put it off until another day. With January fast approaching, I’ve been thinking that it might be time to make the same New Year’s resolution to lose weight but to actually have a plan in place.

I’m not sure relying solely on Wii fit for exercise will help me get in shape or lose weight. But using Wii Fit to ease into exercising might be a better plan. From past experiences, I know that dieting will only get me so far in losing weight. To keep it off, I really need to exercise. I can lose weight by cutting back but I always gain it back. With exercising at least I will be burning more calories and hopefully will be able to maintain any weight loss. Plus I need to keep up with a very active three-year-old. You would think running after her all day long would drop at least a pound or two.

Each Friday, I plan to post my progress of how long I’ve spent exercising using Wii Fit. I hope to keep an exercise diary that will keep me on track and accountable. This weekend I plan to dust off the balance board and get reacquainted with the game.

Two new WiiWare and on Virtual Console game are now available in the Wii Shop. Here’s a quick glance at what they are:

WiiWare -

SPACE INVADERS GET EVEN (Taito, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points) - The classic game is back and the aliens are out to get even. Take control of the UFO and unleash the alien fury on tanks, fighter jets, and more.

Pit Crew Panic! (Hudson Entertainment, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points) - Ever thought that you could handle the pressure of being part of a pit crew? Now here’s your chance. Not only will you be facing challenges like refueling, tire changes, and standard maintenance but you will also have to handle Whatsits. These repairs will test your pit crew skills for sure.

Virtual Console -

METAL SLUG 2 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen-Blood and Gore, Violence, 900 Wii Points) - This classic side scroller puts your right in the middle of military action. Invite a friend along to stroll down video game memories with this action/adventure.

Two new WiiWare games and two Virtual Console games are added to the Wii Shop including the latest installment of a very popular Internet icon.

Strong Bad Episode 4: Dangeresque 3 (Telltale Games, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older – Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points) - Strong Bad must stay one step ahead of a bad cop and save the girl in this fourth episode.

Target Toss Pro: Bags (Incredible Technologies, 1-16 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points) - Here is a game that is based on bean bag toss.

SPACE INVADERS: The Original Game (Super NES™, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points) - Now here is a title that I spent many quarters playing in the arcade. Space Invaders is one of those games etched in video game history. And now it’s available for us to play again.

FORGOTTEN WORLDS (SEGA GENESIS, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone – Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points) - This is a 1-2 person side scrolling shooter from CAPCOM. This is another arcade import that keeps its roots on the Sega Genesis. Two warriors from the Forgotten World - or a little place known as Earth - are raised to take on the invaders and reclaim the land.

Cooking Mama is one of those games that seems tailor made for the Nintendo Wii. Your Wiimote is transformed into one of many cooking utensils from knives to spatulas to bowls. While Cooking Mama is a good choice for the Nintendo Wii, does it deliver a fun and wonderful game experience?

For me, the answer is no. I enjoyed Cooking Mama for the DS much better as it is way easier to control it. With the Wiimote, it is harder to carry out the tasks in the game.

The premise of the game is to make a recipe from Mama’s cookbook. You’ll do various tasks during the cooking process from peeling the vegetables to stirring the food to serving it on dishes. What was most frustrating is that these tasks were not easily carried out with the Wiimote. Maybe I was at an awkward position to the sensor bar but it just seemed like it registered my movements slowly - if at all.

If you don’t complete a task, Mama will fix it so that you can move on. Some tasks you might even do better than Mama. That’s always comforting and makes me feel that I might actually get the hang of this game one day.

There are special Wiimote kitchen tools you can buy. I’m not sure if having a spatula and other Wiimotes will improve game play. For right now, though, I think I will stick to the DS version as the controls are really solid on it. There will be another Cooking Mama title released for the Wii in the near future that hopefully will have better controls. This is a fun franchise and definitely worth a second look.