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Journalism of Courage
For once,you wish there was a more powerful exclamation than just WOW,because thats the feeling you are left with after your first tryst with Wii,Nintendos motion-sensor gaming console. The concept of motion gaming itself is so exciting that when you actually try out the console,you are left awestruck for the initial few minutes.
Nintendos website describes Wii (pronounced as We) as something you dont just play,but experience,if possible with others. You have to try this revolutionary game yourself to believe it and to know what level Wii has taken console gaming to. In fact,it has managed to bring outdoor gaming indoors and make other consoles and mobile gaming look pedestrian. But,unbelievably,though the Wii was launched in India in October 2008,almost two years after its launch in the West,it still hasnt been able to create a buzz like the PlayStation or Xbox.
Magic at play
Imagine flicking the remote to play a backhand shot in a game of tennis or to tee off at the 18th hole. Well,stop imagining,for this is exactly what you do with the Wii. In the tennis game,for instance,you serve as you would on a tennis court; in boxing you punch as you would do in ring and so on,but with the Wii remote,or nunchuk,in you hand. For games like Mario Cart,the remote doubles up as steering,while the nunchuk becomes a joystick in shooting games like Zapper. The sensor actually knows how much force you are exerting to,say,hit the tennis ball and translates the action so accurately onscreen that youll be left awestruck.
REMOTE RENDITION
In the Wii box is a console,a motion sensor bar,a remote,a nunchuck,the Wii Sports disc,AC adaptor and AV cable. Of these,it is basically the motion sensor bar and the remote which do the magic. You connect the sensor bar to the console and put it horizontally in front of your TV set in a way that doesnt obstruct your view. The bar then senses the remotes movement and translates it into your action on-screen.
Sounds simple? It actually is. Just give yourself enough room while playing. The remote should ideally be at a 45-degree angle from the TV/sensor and at least three feet away.
GAMES Wii PLAY
Simplicity is the key with Wii,and there arent too many buttons on the controller. The games are non-complicated,and everyone at home,including those who are not hardcore gamers,can give it a try once in a while. Moreover,up to four people can play a game at a time using four remotes,besides the option of playing with online friends. This is why the company markets this game as one for everyone,and hence the name Wii.
Yes,Wii is revolutionary,but still its console is perhaps the smallest ever. The sensor bar too is inconspicuously small and thin. Also,starting up the game is not tedious though it may take a while for the sensor and remote to synchronise if not placed properly.
DONT JUST PLAY,WORK OUT
Unlike consoles where you sit comfortably and play,with Wii you need to play the games physically,almost as you would on the field. So,it actually becomes a new,more entertaining way to work out. And a 15-minutes boxing bout or tennis match is sure to work up a sweat. And as your skill level goes up,the games get tougher. Moreover,the console keeps highlighting the gaming data every day through the Message Box.
FUN UNLIMITED
With Wii,the fun is not limited to the games. For instance,you can create your or your friends profiles by choosing features like face,hair,eyes,nose as per your choice. The graphics,though,are not too advanced or real-life. The remote has a vibrator to add to the experience and a small speaker thrown in for good measure. That is not all,the Wii automatically shows your last move as a replay you not only get to know how (well or badly) you played,but it also takes the experience closer to live games on TV. You can also load pictures on the Photo Channel and play around with them in puzzle mode. The memory can be upgraded up to 2 GB using flash cards.
The Wii is priced at a competitive Rs 21,990.
The consoles are available at leading electronics stores across India.
