If you thought your television is something to passively gaze at when you are too tired to do anything else, Nintendo's Wii altered that thinking by linking interactivity to your TV. Since Wii is a gaming console, there are 208 (at last count) WiiWare games for every age group, interest, exercise level for both adults and children. If your preferred game type is adventure and action-Wii's most prolific--Wii has games for you. Ditto for puzzles, sports, fitness, and racing. The health and exercise games designed for every fitness level can be done in the comfort of your home. Even though the Wii ships with an AV cable, AC adapter, and console stand, there are other accessories that you might want and need. The console and the games are just the beginning of the Wii experience. Accessories are plentiful and enticing for Wii aficionados to add their Wii enjoyment. Many are sold by Wii, made by manufacturers approved by Wii, or made by other manufacturers and are available at stores such as Best Buy, Toys R Us, Target, and from online sources.
Controllers take on a life of their own when it comes to accessories. The Wii Remote Controller (including a "jacket") eliminates the lack of portability of the joystick and gives you free motion. It is motion-sensing for a perfect tennis or baseball swing, is effective up to 10 feet away, and can accommodate up to four players at once. It comes with a speaker and has ports for additional Wii accessories. About the same size as a TV remote but with fewer buttons, it is easy to use right out of the box. There is even an accessory to the controller accessory--the Wii MotionPlus-that gives the player more precision with specific games such as basketball. Wii Sensor Bar also works with controllers for motions made by the arm. Another have-to-have is the Nunchuk that hooks up to the controller, is also sensitive to motion, and provides flexibility in moving characters around during games. Ever expanding the collection of controllers, Wii offers the Classic Controller allowing you wireless connectivity to the console. It may be required for some games and it may or may not be compatible with all games, so a little homework is needed before purchasing. The wrist strap for the controller keeps it securely in your hand so the excitement of the game doesn't cause it to flip out of your hand.
Remember the statement about passively staring at the TV. Wii loves interaction and participation and proves it by an array of fitness accessories. The Balance Board makes it impossible not to participate. It will get you out of your recliner and into exercise. It comes with Wii Fit Plus software and senses your weight, balance, and feet movement as you do your exercise routines. It will give you a reality check (whether you want it or not) on your balance, your Body Mass Index based on your height and weight to determine your fitness or lack thereof, your Wii Fit "age" based on your balance assessment and your chronological age, tracks the amount of activity you do, and customizes routines for you to reach your fitness goals. When you don't have time, don't want to join a gym, or don't want to be embarrassed, exercising in the privacy of your own home is the answer with a Wii. It just might be fun as well as healthy and motivating. You can check the number of calories burned, chart your progress daily, and choose yoga and strength-building exercises. And you can purchase a silicone sleeve to keep the board looking new. An addition is the aerobics step platform that goes under the balance board to raise it four inches for intensive step aerobics. Two-pound dumbbells (remote and Nunchuck required) adds more punch to your aerobics with strength and cardio exercises. Gold's Gym Cardio Workout guides you through cardio exercises including boxing, push-ups, and jogging and uses the board for extra intensity. Boxing gloves enhance the play of the sports and cardio boxing games offered by Wii. Just when you thought there wasn't any other piece of gear to get you moving, someone suggests padded socks to wear when using the balance board. They are flexible, breathable, and secure. Remember activity is in-passivity is out!
Dance pads or mats with a rubber base to prevent slippage are a great way to get people up and dancing by just following the arrows. Two or more dancers will make the party even more interesting so invest in a couple of these. Children love music and dancing so let them come to your parties. Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party game featuring the greatest hits of the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's includes one dance pad. For a healthier workout, add the Balance Board for more intense dancing. This game is as much for couch potatoes as for skilled dancers. It also includes a way to measure the calories you burned. Dancing is great fun and a lot less boring than the treadmill, so put on your dancing shoes and get moving. If you aren't into dancing, a wireless guitar that attaches to the remote through the Nunchuk just might get you into the music.
If racing and driving gaming is your thrill, you need the Wii Wheel to make the games more adventurous. The Wheel is intuitive, accurate, and realistic. It snaps into the remote controller (which is needed for the Wheel to function) and has its own set of games that works with it such as Mario Kart Wii, F1 2009, and Need for Speed: Nitro. Take the wheel and feel the rush of speed and control as never before-from the comfort of your family room. For games involving shooting, the Nyko Perfect Shot looks like a pistol with a sight for accuracy, trigger, and the ability to slide into the remote. As with other accessories, a Nunchuk is required to use the Perfect Shot.
If you haven't gotten the idea that one Wii accessory requires yet another one, there is the Wii Zapper that links the remote controller and the Nunchuk. (As a review, remember that these two are purchased separately.) Assembly is required-just attach the Nunchuk and the remote controller to the Zapper. Since is comes with crossbow training software and since the name says it all, it is particularly handy for games involving shooting and moving. The Zapper is recommended for games such as Dead Space Extraction, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition.
Wii Speak gives people in different locations the ability to chat provided they have Friend Codes with each other. Sitting on your TV, the Speak is a microphone for the Wii console and enables you to talk or send a voice message to friends who also have a Speak. While not Wii accessories, it requires a router and high-speed Internet. Sometimes it comes with the Animal Crossing software where you customize your town and use the Speak microphone to talk to other players online. Not everyone will be fascinated by this accessory, but it gives the feeling of connection to the players.
Then there are adapters and cables. The AC Adapter powers the console and fits any 110-volt outlet while the LAN Adapter connects the console to the Internet in the absence of a router. Cables include the Wii Component Video Cable for connecting the console to an HDTV for enhanced viewing and the Wii AV Cables for connecting the console to inputs on a TV, DVD player, or VCR.
Always having remotes ready for use requires a charge system with either flat cradles or a stand-up model to hold the remotes via magnets with green and red LED lights indicating the status of the charge. Included with the charging system are an AC power cord, covers, and two rechargeable battery packs. Up to two remotes can be charged at the same time giving you fully charged remotes to assure that the competitive spirit of the moment will not be interrupted when a battery fails.
A gaming memory card by SanDisk provides extra memory in case your Wii internal memory is almost full. To stop a game that you want to continue at a later time, the card provides 2GB of memory to save games, and download photos and games from the Internet. Even though you wanted to continue the game but your son's baseball game was priority, you have the peace of mind of knowing that you can pick up the game at the exact place where you were when you stopped playing.
The start-up Wii is about $200 and some gadgets cost upward to $100 with many, however, around $10. Even though some Wii accessories have small prices, accumulating the ones you want might end up costing you a bundle. You can even buy the Wii Lens Cleaning Kit to keep your console operating effectively. Welcome to the wonderful wide world of Wii accessories.
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