wii fit

Nintendo gets social and connected with Wii U, but leaves out price, release date at E3

LOS ANGELES--Nintendo had already unveiled the Wii U well before E3 started, but there were a lot of things going into this show that we didn't know. Nintendo's keynote spent a great deal of time detailing what the Wii U can do, what its online and app services are, and what games we can expect to see. A small amount of time was also spent on the Nintendo 3DS, but today's event was clearly dedicated to the Wii U.

What we didn't get, however, was a date and price. Not surprising, but anticlimactic all the same.… Read more

Wii: Not dead yet (at least for my relatives)

A funny thing's been happening this holiday season: my older relatives are suddenly telling me they're getting a Wii.

I don't know how it happened, or why, and it frankly baffles me. The Nintendo Wii is a system which, in the eyes of many, has jumped the trendiness shark. Systems aren't selling out like they used to, and Nintendo's profits have even been dipping. There aren't that many games this holiday as opposed to other years, although Nintendo's done a nice job with titles such as Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Kirby's Epic Yarn. … Read more

Get a Nickelodeon Wii Fit board and game for $69.99 shipped

Here's a spectacular gift item for your favorite Wii user--especially if he or she is under the age of 10.

Buy.com has the Nickelodeon Fun N Fit board and videogame bundle for $69.99 shipped. That's about 30 bucks less than you'd pay at most places for the traditional Wii Fit bundle.

Nickelodeon's version includes not just the balance board (modeled in fairly hideous colors, I must admit), but also the Nickelodeon Fit game (which, FYI, sells for about $40 by itself). Needless to say, it's a children-oriented title aimed at whipping youngsters into … Read more

Get a Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board for $77

Here's something you don't see very often: a deal on the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus. But check out this offer from Target: the Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board for $77 shipped (plus sales tax in most states). It's available in-store and online.

In case you're not familiar with it, Wii Fit works in conjunction with the Balance Board to give you a fun, customizable workout. It measures your weight, checks your posture, and comes with a number of engaging games (like ski-jumping and Rhythm Kung Fu) to help stave off the inevitable exercise boredom.

I … Read more

What happened to the Vitality Sensor?

A few weeks ago, Nintendo developed a partnership with the American Heart Association. The Wii Fit is one of Nintendo's most successful product/game combinations ever. All new Wiis are now packaged with Wii Sports Resort and Wii MotionPlus, along with an approval stamp from the AHA.

It seemed like the stage was perfectly set to trot back out with the Vitality Sensor Satoru Iwata unveiled at last year's E3 press conference.

So, what happened?

Instead of fitness, motion, and heart health, Nintendo's presser was full of retro games and the 3DS. We're not complaining; far … Read more

Get a Wii Fit Plus bundle for $69.99 shipped

Here's something I can't ever recall seeing: a deal on the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus. But here it is in black and white (and blue, if you count the link): Dell has the Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board for $69.99 shipped.

(Don't have a Wii yet? Dell also has the console itself for $169.99, a price that includes the coveted Wii Sports Resort game and Motion Plus accessory.)

I've been wanting a Wii Fit for some time, but I could never bring myself to spend $100 on it. At $70 it's a … Read more

Navy may be calling on Wii Fit to train recruits

The United States Navy is well-known for its grueling boot camp. But it may be adding a new element to it that might surprise you: video games. The Navy Times first reported the news Wednesday.

According to Navy Surgeon General Vice Admiral Adam Robinson, he wants to use games like Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution to increase the effectiveness of boot camp and prepare recruits for the rigors of getting through the ordeal. He plans to use games to increase recruit "endurance" in the early stages of boot camp, the Navy Times reported.

"There are lots of programs now that people can [use to] become very physically active while they're using interactive computer games," Robinson said. "So, in other words, this isn't about [starting] with computers and stopping [everything else]--because we're not going to do that. This is about incorporating those types of activities into something that people can use to become more physically active."

Robinson's intentions are based on what the Navy believes is an increasingly troubling issue. According to the Navy Times, fewer recruits are coming to boot camp with the requisite physical ability to get through the training. The branch of service has also found that more recruits are getting injured as they attempt to get through boot camp. Video games, Robinson believes, could address those issues.… Read more

The 404 582: Where we give 'em the horns (podcast)

Today's episode of CNET's The 404 Podcast kicks off with breaking news from Nintendo, which just announced a partnership with the American Heart Association.

In an effort to combat the irrefutable evidence that video games will make you fat, all Nintendo retail boxes will proudly display the AHA's heart-shaped logo in conjunction with a Web site offering healthy-lifestyle tips.

It's going to take more than a sticker to encourage kids to engage in an active lifestyle, but the AHA is willing to compromise with "active-play video games" like the Wii Fit and the Wii Vitality Sensor … Read more

Nintendo, AHA: The Wii is good for your heart

What can a game company facing outdated hardware, aggressive and innovating competitors, and game-changing newcomers do to stay afloat in the video game business?

Well, how about getting official American Heart Association branding?

While it may come as a surprise to no one, Nintendo on Monday announced that it has formally partnered with the American Heart Association to promote active play through its Wii and Wii Fit gaming hardware.

What does that mean, exactly? In the long run, Nintendo is promising an upcoming summit with medical, self-help, and other industry professionals to help tackle issues of physical activity in children … Read more

The 404 560: Where Uncle Sam traps Jeff in a dutch oven (podcast)

The IRS gods must have tuned in to yesterday's episode and heard Jeff complaining about the tax system, because he woke up this morning to a very lofty charge from his bank to the tune of $600 owed to the state of New Jersey. We're all doing our best to cheer him up, but it doesn't help that the Devils lost game one of the Eastern Conference quarters to the Arkansas Fliers last night.

On the other hand, if Natali Del Conte Thursdays on The 404 aren't enough to cheer him up, all hope might be lost for our beloved Haterader. The first story on the table is about Amanda Flowers, a woman in the U.K. who's blaming the Wii Fit for an injury that's left with her a rare affliction called "persistent sexual arousal syndrome." Seriously, it's a real thing, not an ironic joke made up by the writers of "Grey's Anatomy." Flowers claims that a fall from her Wii Fit balance board damaged a nerve in her "lady garden" and made her into a nympho, which begs the question: where's the CNET office in the U.K.?

A recent study in Time Magazine shows that spanking leads to aggressive behavior as an adult, but one clever clown in the U.K. is offering alternative disciplinary action. For a small fee, you can hire Dominic Deville to dress up in a horrifying clown costume and stalk your misbehaving kid for a week!

Deville will send "chilling text messages," make prank calls, and set traps warning of an impending attack before the entire operation culminates in a cake to the face. Did we mention the service is supposed to be in celebration of a child's birthday? If the young child manages to "avoid the hit," they are given the cake as a present. Yes, it's all fun and games until your kid grows up to be a serial clown killer.

It's no surprise that 3D TVs are making big waves in 2010, but Natali and her n00b in beta might have more to worry about than those silly glasses. A disclaimer on the Samsung 3D LEDTV site dictates important safety information that warns children, teenagers, pregnant woman, elderly, the sleep-deprived, and alcoholics about the health issues associated with viewing in 3D.

A laundry list of symptoms could potentially occur after long periods of time, including altered vision (duh), nausea, convulsions, cramps, confusion, and more. In fact, we're starting to notice an alarming parallel between those side effects and the ones in those Extenze commercials, and we're praying ED isn't one of them. Click that play button down yonder, and enjoy the show!

EPISODE 559 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more