Wii Fit Will Make You Cool; Possibly Skinny

Maybe I’m not the norm.

I like (okay, love) video games. I admit it! I think it goes back to childhood when I was forced into playing (but, mostly watching) them with my brothers. But let me tell you, after a good 15 years of playing everything from Super Mario to the underrated (and hilariously ridiculous) Burgertime, I know a thing or two about gaming.

And yes, while there are certainly hundreds of games that feed into the typical male shoot-‘em-up mentality, trust me, there are games for the girls that will blow your mind.

Like what, you ask?

Wii Fit! I know, we’ve mentioned it before, but it’s totally worth another discussion. It’s not scheduled to be released until 2008, but Steve and I got to play a demo of it yesterday and my inner-geek was overjoyed!

Fit is undeniably Nintendo’s most exciting upcoming game, however, I use the word “game” loosely. It’s more of a series of exercises and ‘mini-games’ that improve your balance, coordination, and core. Let it be known, this is not the kind of game you throw on during a lazy Sunday afternoon. You have to be up and active…and it’s perfect!

During the demo, we were told that Wii Fit was to be looked at as a way to get up off the couch and engage in physical activity while still keeping a kind of gaming mentality. When it’s released, Wii Fit will be able to asses your progress over time, your individual skill level, and even your BMI. Very cool stuff for a video game.

First, Steve tried yoga. Yoga is hard enough, but on a platform, in your socks, with a room full of strangers watching, it looked…well, fun!

I got to hula hoop which, I must say, is one of my talents in the real word. On the Wii? I was awful. In fact, I felt like an idiot swiveling my hips around while simultaneiously reaching for “hula hoops” that were being “thrown” towards me to “catch”.

But all told, it didn’t even matter, and that’s what is really the greatest thing about Wii Fit…and the Wii in general. It’s a social thing. It’s about gathering your friends and all feeling like idiots together!

Gone are the days of humoring your boyfriend while you watch him play Metroid for three hours. Get yourself a Wii and play together! I’m pretty sure he’ll be down for it. In fact, upcoming titles like Mario Galaxy have a “co-op” option that allows two people to play as one (Steve and I are a good team) which was as novel as it was difficult.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m excited to show some of my technologically-challenged friends what the Wii has to offer.

After over a decade of gaming…I just might be cool.

Finally.