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I had the chance to play with a Wii at a friend's house this weekend. We played Wii Sports and Wii Play, and I was blown away by how fun some of the mini-games were. Sure, not all of them were to my liking, but there were enough keepers in there that the Wii has moved onto my "must have" list.

 

The interactivity of the games is completely addictive. For example, Wii bowling really "feels" like bowling, except without having to put on the smelly rental shoes or trying to find a ball that fits your fingers. All of my bad bowling habits translate exactly into the game (I still hook the ball). It's a lot more fun that real bowling too - especially with multiple players standing in front of a TV, acting completely goofy.

 

Wii tennis is another winner, although unlike bowling, I'm much better at Wii tennis than I ever was in real life (not that I played very much). I teamed up with my friend's son who's about six, and he did great! (No real surprise though - he's a natural at Lego Star Wars.) The games are instantly accessible, and people of all ages can play, and more importantly - play together. What made arcades great for me back-in-the-day weren't so much the games, but hanging out with my friends. The Wii recaptures that sense of fun and camaraderie in video games in a way that I haven't really felt, except on rare occasion, in nearly 25 years.

 

I also played Wii golf, which was pretty cool, although the Wii remote is so sensitive, it seems it would take a lot of practice to be able to control the distance. Wii pool is nothing short of amazing. It's really just like playing pool, except my faulty cue technique doesn't get in the way of having fun.

 

We played some of the other mini-games as well, and what struck me is the potential for really innovative gameplay. Also surprising is just how fine the tracking of the Wii remote actually is. There's a nice piece of technology at work there.

 

It's no wonder Nintendo is cleaning Sony and Microsoft's clock. Once you play with the Wii awhile, it's completely addictive. It really does put you in the game. Plus, you can actually get some (gasp!) exercise! It seems the time has come to put down the gamepad and get up off the couch.

 

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