Nintendo Wii (without any funny in the headline)

Today I went over to the Nintendo World Store in Rockefeller Center and hung out with the Nintendo Wii. It was a pretty small setup. There were only 2 (two) units playable – both of which came equipped with their very own Nintendo cheerleader of sorts who kept throwing little catch phrases that ranged from the straight forward like “Look . . . when you swing – she swings too!” and then moved more to the “zany” side of the fence when they would tilt the “Wii-mote” on it’s side during the game selection screen and say “Watch out . . . that cursor is tilting . . . tilting . . . it is turning on it’s head!” – both of those examples are paraphrases of the things that I think that I heard – I was honestly as giddy as a bear cub at a honey convention . . . and I was also distracted by the cursor ‘turning on it’s head.’

While I waited in a remarkably short line (only two people in front of me when I got there) I got to watch a businessman bowl, a young child play tennis and an older teenager play baseball. If you haven’t figured it put – the only game on display was “Wii Sports” – probably because it was the easiest game where they could move people in and out the quickest.

All of the games that I saw from “Wii Sports” were very simple (like mini-games) – but seemed to have good solid mechanics and also, they looked really fun to play. As the business guy cradled the “Wii-mote” like a ball and made a “throwing the ball” bowling motion, he really seemed thrilled whenever he picked up a spare or bowled a strike. The young tennis-pro got to serve the ball and then volley with forehand and backhand as his mother kept asking the Nintendo representative “When does this come out again? How much will all of this cost?” peppered in with her saying to her kid “Good hit! Next time move further to the side and hit it with your backhand . . .” and other helpful tips that only succeeded in making the boy cringe. Mister baseball got to “swing” the bat – hitting what I though were far too many “Home Runs” – but again these were simple and fun little games and then he move to the mound where he showed that he was a true double threat by throwing a no hitter.

When it was my turn – I got lucky because the Nintendo rep had just gotten the second part of the “Wii-mote” which allows it to take the form of “Nun-chuck.” None of the other games that I had seen needed the second part of the controller to work . . . but I asked – in my own eloquent way to “do the boxing one – please” at which point he said that I was going to be the first to do that. But the first what?! Of the day? In the store? In – possibly the world?!?! – It was almost too much to think about as I had to start punching (using both hands), bobbing from side to side (by dipping both controllers to the side that I wanted to go to) and covering my face/stomach (by putting both of the controllers in the appropriate spots). I went 3 (three) rounds and knocked the computer guy down 3 (three) times – at which point I thought that I had won – so – exhausted from 4 (four) minutes of punching, bobbing and weaving, I started taking off the “Wii-mote” (which is held onto your arm with a little cord) . . . and then the jerk got back up and started to fight some more. I almost knocked him out for the 4th (fourth) and what surely would have been the last time . . . but then the fight ended and I was ushered away to make room for the next guy. Winning by points is lame in boxing . . .

All in all – it was really really fun – even if I did hate having/getting to “box” in front of all of those people hearing their “look at him punch . . . he sure does punch a lot . . .” comments as I fought. I wish that there would have been more games to try out – but I am glad that I got to see as many as I did – and figure that I will just check back a couple of more times before launch (November 19th (nineteenth)) to see if there are any more games . . . but until then . . . I give it a good times – great games award (which I possibly just made up).