As I was playing Wii Sports today getting in a little bowling action, I thought back to November 2006 when Wii was the hot new thing. Can you believe that it has been nearly 5 years since Nintendo unleashed motion controls onto the masses? The idea was so revolutionary that The Revolution was how we all came to know Wii….before Nintendo turned their console into a wiener joke of course. I kid.

Booting up Wii for the first time, before even popping in a game I was amazed just by watching my hand cursor rotate in tune with the movement of my hand. In short, it was amazing. It was a moment in gaming where you had to sit back and think about how far the industry has come. A moment of ‘wow.’ (more…)

Black, white and bundled is the phrase of the moment at Nintendo these days, as the industry leading company prepares to offer a additional color and a new bundle to consumers shopping for a Wii later this month.

We knew about the black Wii, but today Nintendo tipped the Infendo mailbox with a press release that detailed a new Wii Sports Resort and MotionPlus bundle that will also feature the venerable Wii Sports. The price will remain $200, which is the same as the baseline Xbox 360, although that system, while respectable in its own right, lacks motion controls or a pack-in game (weird aside: I miss the days when pack-in games were the norm).

The $200 bundle, white or black, arrives May 9.

Do you see those arms in the air? That is pure happiness.
You’ve just finished locking up a drug dealer and are in the middle of raiding his home. How do you celebrate?

A) Play Wii Sports Boxing to relieve stress.

B) Play Wii Sports Tennis.

C) Play Wii Sports Bowling.

For police officers in Polk County, Florida the obvious answer was “C,” play Wii Sports Bowling. Officers where caught on a surveillance camera hidden in the drug dealer’s home taking breaks from cataloging items to play Wii Sports Bowling. The incident is currently being investigated and disciplinary measures may be taken.

What’s the worst part of the police officers’ shenanigans? They weren’t wearing their Wiimote straps. Shame on them. You can catch a video of their Wii Sports Bowling skills in action here.

Via WTFV.com

As I was waiting for the evening hour to come around so I could go out on the town and revel in tomorrow’s day off, I decided to pop Wii Sports in and play a few sets in tennis.

Sweet, sweet nostalgia, I thought to myself as that title screen faded into view, the quirky music taking me back to a time in 2006 when waggling was new and Nintendo still had a lot to prove.

But then after that first serve things fell apart. Where was the hit detection? Why can’t I do a backhand hit whenever I want? Where’s the 1:1? I lost in three straight sets as my onscreen Mii’s flailed and flapped about the grass courts like blind men who were, well, trying to play tennis. My pro rating was stripped from me in a puff of smoke (literally, that’s what it does).

And that’s when it hit me: I’m never, ever going back. Kool Aid drinker, obsessed fanboy—whatever you want to call me I’m completely fine with it. I just can’t see myself playing certain games the “old way” ever again. For me, the paradigm shift has happened, probably a long time ago and without my knowledge at the time, but it has happened nevertheless.

With this in mind, I’m kicking myself for leaving Wii Sports Resort at the office on Friday.