I realized something today: I have no regrets that I turned my back on my old friend, the video game console, so many years ago.  I loved my NES and my Sega Genesis; but when Sony and Microsoft entered the console market and the race began to see who could squeeze the most buttons and triggers onto a single controller, I decided PC gaming was the right path for me.  I sat back and watched as my friends spent their hard-earned money on the Nintendo 64, GameCube, Playstation, Playstation 2, XBox, and the XBox 360.  One thing I learned from them is that entertainment can’t be measured in buttons or polygons.

When Nintendo’s Wii was originally announced, I was skeptical.  Two controllers per player? Motion detection? Despite the fact that I’ve been gaming since the age of about 5 (my gameing cherry was popped on Burger Time for the Intellivision), I still have trouble with an XBox controller because I gave up on consoles pretty early on in my career as a gamer.  I also had doubts that Nintendo could deliver an affordable, functional motion detection system for a home console.

I had no intentions of buying any of the current generation consoles.  That is, until I watched Steven Colbert box Nancy Pellosi on The Colbert Report.  After that I had to have one.

After two weeks of showing up at Electronic Boutique twice daily to beg for a Wii, I finally wrapped my greedy little paws around one last Saturday, and it was all I hoped it would be.  The controls are completely different between games they are dead simple.  Most games do the standard “training level”  which teaches you the buttons and gestures to use; and, for me at least, I’ve been able to learn hand gestures a lot faster than complicated key combinations like one would use on consoles past.

I have but two complains about the Wii: the first is that playing the Wii in any of the standard relaxed, gaming postures is unbearable with the Wii or simply doesn’t work.  Your arms need mobility to play most games, so you’ll spend a lot of time either standing up or hunched over.  My second complaint is that, though the Wii comes with built in 802.11b/g wireless support and connects to the Internet to download software updates, it has no web browser. Luckily Opera Software will soon be releasing one, and my prayers will be answered.