Technology: Nintendo Wii & Wii Fit (Part I)

I must admit I am a late newcomer to the Nintendo Wii world but I am totally hooked on it.
I remember being in Paris about this time last year and hearing a story at a table nearby at a restaurant. This friend of the story teller had purchased the Wii. Before that, he had spent about 1500 euro on a nice flat-screen TV. I don't know what game he was playing, I will guess bowling or baseball and he got so much into it that the remote flew off his hand and ended up hitting the TV. Unfortunately, the newly purchased TV was damaged beyond repair. I am sure he was not too happy about it.
Now that I have a Wii myself, I can see how it could happen and it is one of the reasons you get all the warnings about strapping the remote to your wrist correctly so it doesn't fly off. I think because of that story, I have been careful myself.
I must give props to Nintendo for creating this game system that attracts all ages. Games like tennis, bowling and boxing are lots of fun for a party.
Of course, once you have the Wii, you must get the latest gadget, the Wii Fit. As a yoga practitioner, I was a little skeptical about the yoga exercises for the Fit. I figured they cannot replace an actual class at a yoga studio. But I figured I would give it a try.
The first time you start the Wii Fit, you go through a series of steps to determine your weight, body mass and fit age. I am ashamed to admit my fit age was about 15 years older than my current age ;-( That was bad news to hear, but it was not a deterrent to stop right there.
You can select from 4 different types of exercises: yoga, aerobics, balance and strength training. You also get to chose your personal trainer (male or female). The trainer will demonstrate each exercise before you have to do it yourself. This is a step that can be skipped in the future. At the end of each exercise you get a rating (1 to four stars) and points. The better you do, the more fit points you score and after you reach a certain number of fit points additional exercises will get unlock for you to try.

When I didn't use the Wii Fit for a few days, I was welcomed with the message: "Too busy to exercise?" I guess somebody was keeping track, even if I wasn't.

If you are in the market for a gaming console, I would definitely recommend the Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit as it has something for everybody and provides great entertainment for parties!

More to come in Part II.