Plus Fitness
It started October 4th and it’s time to workout. Maybe this release would have been better timed over new years, but those of us who already enjoy Wii Fit are not complaining.
Wii Fit Plus ($99 with balance board $20 without) is the first upgrade to Nintendo’s incredibly successful Wii Fit system. The new game will feature all new yoga, strength, and game activities. New games include Skateboarding and Kung Fu. New customizable functions will allow users to personalize their workouts like never before. Pick a specific area for improvement and Wii Fit will suggest specific activities. Enjoy one specific exercise? Customize the amount of time you need/want to spend on it.
Wii Fit Plus also includes a new calorie counter for those who take their workout time particularly seriously. But hey, you’re playing a video game as exercise, how serious can you be?
Meet Swinxs
If you are looking for something a little different for the holidays this year, this portable “pod” helps up to 10 kids play physical, creative and educational games at home or on the go. It recognizes players through the use of colorful wristbands that communicate with the unit and track scores and profiles. Unlike the Wii, which also allows for some physical play, the Swinx doesn’t use a screen to create the game atmosphere.
Games can be downloaded for free from Swinx.com and are divided by age and type from traditional hide-and-seek to educational quizzes and adventure games and races.
The Swinx was named 2009 Game of the Year from Creative Child Magazine. The unit costs $150 and comes with 4 wristbands, a USB cable, an adaptor and 10 pre-installed games.
Wii Love Additions
With new Wii games come new Wii accessories.
We’ve already sung the praises of Wii Sports, well now it’s time to talk Wii Sports Resort. This new addition to the Wii Sports line is both fun and expanded, with more sports than ever before. Play Frisbee, go jet skiing, play ping-pong or gold, try archery, rowing, or dueling. The concept remains the same, using the Wiimote to mime the game’s actions, but now things can be more “realistic” than ever.
CTA Digital has produced an 8 pack of add ons for the Wiimote and these new fun activities. From a gold club head, to a white plastic bow for archery now you can really pretend. All together the set is $40, and all are compatible with Wii motion plus.
A-HA video contest links games, learning
AMD and Learning Games Network have announced the winners to their A-HA moment video contest, a competition for students to demonstrate how video game play can result in serious learning.
The contest has two categories–one to create a video explaining how playing video games reinforced something they had learned elsewhere and the other “dream assignment” to describe a game that could be “required playing” for a class at school.
Winning entries ranged from a middle school student connecting her experience with Activision’s Guitar Hero with her growing ambition to learn how to read music and play the guitar, to a high school student discussing how games have enabled him to develop World of Warcraft game-like strategies to tackle class assignments.
Winning entries can be found here.
The competition is part of AMD Changing the Game, an initiative designed to take gaming beyond entertainment and inspire youth to learn critical education and life skills by equipping them to create digital games with social content.
You’re So Genesis
Nintendo and Sony have cornered the handheld gaming market for some time, Sega has decided to gasp for its share of the pie.
The Retro Gen is a handheld console that plays old Sega Genesis cartridges. Even those who have not saved up their genesis cartridges can still enjoy the console with 20 pre-loaded games and the possibility of future downloads.
The success of Innex’s Retro Gen is up in the air, just as most other handheld consoles have failed to make a dent in the market. Yet, at a price of $59 the Retro Gen will be the cheapest console on the market when it is released. So it’s definitely got that going for it.
Playful Additions
One thing Nintendo Wii is never short on is an accessory. Recently some pretty interesting game specific additions have made there way to the market.
If you’re interested in Star Wars (as I definitely am) the “Star Wars – The Clone Wars: Republic of Heroes” will be shipping with the first officially licensed lightsaber add on. The Wiimote slides right into the blades handle and the blade itself glows. If you’re going to be swinging a Wiimote around the room anyway why not go all out? Bensussen Deutsch & Associates have plans to release a Star Wars blaster add on as well.
Nitho will be releasing it’s own set of wiimote additions for the already available Wii sports game. Tennis racket, baseball bat, golf club, all will be included and compatible with Wii Motion Plus. Sure, playing the games will still look ridiculous, but they always have.
Time to Accessorize
The Wii is all about interactivity and CTA Digital is trying to take the reality coupled with the virtual up a notch.
CTA’s bowling ball accessory was presented at June’s E3 conference. Meant to be coupled with Wii’s classic Wii Sports game the accessory will not be short gamers. The ball actually splits in half and the Wiimote can be stuck inside. The ball comes with a wrist strap (which is very important to use in this case). You’re not supposed to let go of the ball, just like you’re not supposed to let go of the Wiimote but it sure gets you a little closer to a real bowling feeling (maybe).
Hand Signals
Multiplayer Games are about to get a lot cooler (if not a better rep in the general public). The Peregrine is set to change the way multiplayer keyboard focused games are played forever.
The Peregrine is an elastic glove set with wires and conductive patches. The idea is that, instead of punching in key commands, you can control character actions through the glove. Press a finger to a point on your palm and a character is healed. It’s almost like having the force (almost). Forget typing all you need is a mouse or a joystick plus the Peregrine. Supposedly it will be released this fall and connect by a USB. The price looks to be over $100, but the idea at least feels more than solid.
Beatle Mania
At the E3 gaming conference this June Rock Band unveiled it’s “The Beatles: Rock Band” to rave reviews. The game won’t be available until September, but it sounds like it will be worth the wait.
It doesn’t just have to be a new set of songs with this game, but a new look with a new base, guitar, and drum controller. The drums look the most exciting with add on cymbals and a classic Ringo Ludwig design. The other instruments are also modeled after those used the Beatles. You can play anything from “I Want to Hold Your Hand” to “Day Tripper” and loads more. The venues are all Beatles inspired as well; The Ed Sullivan Theater, Abbey Road, and Shea Stadium (to name a few). Even without the upgraded instruments the game sounds like an excellent add on to any pre existing band set.
Back in Black
The Wii is the game console of the moment. With its motion controls and Nintendo only games the likes of Mario, the Wii’s latest innovation is less revolutionary and more aesthetically focused. The Wii has finally taken a new look. This summer (August to be precise) the Wii will be coming out in black. The new look was announced in June.
If you don’t already own a Wii now you’ll have a choice. It’s not quite the variation we see in other consoles or MP3’s, but it’s a step in the right direction. We all love variation. There’s no word on if the black Wii will come with any hardware upgrades, but don’t worry, the Wiimote and the Nunchuck will match the black console as well.
