By Jenni Hammitt

January 13, 2009

I have been sucked in by technology again. I really should know better. Just about every time I decide that something is overrated and just isn’t for me, I end up eating my words. This time I have fallen victim to the Nintendo Wii.

When I was a kid, I loved my Nintendo. Of course in the summer, we were outside all day. In the winter, it wasn’t so easy. It was usually cold and there was only so much fun we could have in the snow. In the winter time we played Mario, Zelda, Tetris and any other game we could get our hands on. We later got a Sega, but after Sonic, I pretty much lost my love of video games.

A few years ago, I did develop a taste for Grand Theft Auto…but only it I had most of the cheat codes in and mainly it was just for stress relief…and that went away once I got out of my abusive relationship. Since then, I have had zero interest in video games. I just never gave it too much thought.

Then people starting raving about the Wii, Rock Band, Guitar Hero and other games. Still I wasn’t interested. I watched the news stories about how stores were selling out of the game consoles almost as soon as they were in stock. I was sure that the Wii was a good gaming system, but I just wasn’t interested. Then Christmas came, and there was a Wii for me under the tree. My parents had bought my sister one and one for me. I torn. You see I knew how happy my mom was to buy those. It was the equivalent of finding a Cabbage Patch Kid in 1984. I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, because I wasn’t. I wasn’t like I explicitly did NOT want one. I just really was indifferent about it. My mom who is notorious for buying the perfect yet practical gift went and bought me something I had never mentioned wanting. I just didn’t know how to react. First, I wasn’t even sure my older than dirt TV would work with the Wii, and once again I’m not all about the video games. Even when my sister hooked her’s up at the parents’ house, I still wasn’t impressed. I just didn’t get it.

I brought my console (and the gift receipt) back to Indiana. My mom told me I could return it, but I knew it would hurt her feelings. I was going to at least see if it would connect to my archaic TV. It did, and so I fired it up…and that was the beginning of the end.

I’m still not sold on Rock Band or Guitar Hero, but I’m warming to the Wii. Really, it is easy to set up. My TV took a little more work, but any new TV should be have an easy set up. I like Wii sports because you are actually “doing” something as opposed to just using the controllers. I’m using the boxing feature as my after work workout, and I’m already seeing results. It is great cardio, and I am using my whole body as I box. Even the bowling has you being active, and that is a big draw for me. You can train and chart your fitness using the game, and after just a week, I’m hooked. I love that it is a new way for me to work out. I’m not always comfortable in the gym and my apartment isn’t exactly big enough for most exercise and work towards my fitness goals. It looks like there are other games with the same interactive component. I’m looking forward to finding new ways to be active and have fun.

If you think the Wii is just another gaming system, maybe give it another chance. You may find that it has something you’ve been looking for.

© 2009, Jenni Hammitt. All rights reserved.

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