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Wii workout weights: Cute, but dumb

In case you don't know yet, Wii workouts are the hottest fitness strategy since...Dance Dance Revolution. And, naturally, there are a whole host of entrepreneurs trying to capitalize on the possibility that Wii "athletes" might be willing to shell out some extra cash for Wii-centric fitness equipment.

One blogger even dreamed up a prototype for Wii Weights, a Wii-branded version of those strap-on wrist weights that you occasionally see people using at the gym. The thinking behind 'em is that it'll make your Wii Tennis workout a little more strenuous, and maybe help you lose … Read more

Real retro gaming on the Wii

The Wiimote, Classic Controller, and Wavebird are fine for playing Virtual Console games, but they're still missing something. Maybe it's the lack of wireless, maybe it's the stark white plastic, maybe it's the slightly awkward button placement, but these controllers just can't be the best choice for playing classic NES and Super Nintendo games.

Controller-modding company RetroZone is now selling NES and SNES controller adapters for the Nintendo Wii. One end goes into the Wii's GameCube port and the other connects to the classic rectangle or dogbone controller. You still need the original decades-old … Read more

Fears of a clown

Final Fantasy 6 Advance shipped yesterday, but it actually will be hitting stores today. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, or who started with Final Fantasy 7 on the PlayStation, FF6 (FF3M when it was released in America on the Super Nintendo) was one of the greatest entries in the entire Final Fantasy series. It had complex game mechanics that made each character uniquely useful, a truly epic story, and some of the best graphics a 16-bit system could produce.

Most importantly, Final Fantasy 6 had Kefka. Sephiroth might be popular because of his huge sword and pretty … Read more

Mii madness goes to 'The Office'

There have been plenty of sites out there showcasing how to make Miis, the little avatars for Nintendo's Wii games, for various celebrities, even turning them into Coen Brothers-inspired machinima (Miichinima?) with a re-enactment of a scene from The Big Lebowski. Now it's gone a step further into the pop-culture realm, as I learned on Best Week Ever that someone with way too much time on his/her hands has created a Flickr gallery of Miis for most of the cast members of NBC's "The Office."

CHALLENGE: First person to make an "I'm … Read more

Nokia confirms N-Gage sequel

Nokia has confirmed that a successor to the N-Gage is due by early 2008. The company's FutureWatch blog indicates that developers EA and Gameloft are on board to develop for the updated N-Gage, and that other "leading publishers" will be making games as well.

Perhaps the bigger news is that the next N-Gage won't be a single device, but rather a gaming platform available on certain of its advanced Series 60 models. (Whether a future Series 60 phone will look like the Nokia concept pictured here, however, is anybody's guess.) Instead of buying games on … Read more

Secrets of great games: The 'Zelda' pattern

(WARNING: This post contains spoilers for the Legend of Zelda games.)

I've been playing a lot of Twilight Princess lately, and I can honestly say that it is a great Zelda game. It's possibly the best one I've played since Ocarina of Time, and it might be even a little bit better. It also made me notice an important fact about the Legend of Zelda series: almost all truly great Zelda games subscribe to the Zelda pattern.

The Zelda pattern is this: collect three things in three dungeons, go through a big plot twist (the "Zelda … Read more

News on your Wii? Sure, why not

Wow, you really can do just about everything with your Wii. You can play tennis or baseball, check the weather, fight bad guys...and now, stay informed on what's going on in the world. On Saturday, the "Wii News Channel" will be launching, available on all Wii consoles that have Internet-browsing capabilities through the downloadable Opera browser. News will be supplied by the Associated Press, which has inked a two-year deal with Nintendo. So far, it's just news stories and photographs, but you never know what they might add next. This way, you can take a … Read more

We Crave the Wii laptop

Today I welcome Ryan Block, managing editor of Engadget! He shows us the Wii laptop, one of the best gaming mods I've ever seen. Then, of course, I dazzle him with yet another disco product (are there ever enough?), the Funk Fone. And you'll be dazzled blind by the Diamond Flower, a $24,000 mouse studded with, naturally, diamonds. Last but certainly not least is the Ergopod 500--a great contraption for people who need computer access while they're bedridden, but also a possible earthquake hazard. See you next week!

Nintendo DS hits 10 million in sales

Nintendo has announced that it's sold more than 10 million Nintendo DS and DS Lite systems in America, an average of 9 every minute since the system's United States launch in November 2004. According to Nintendo of America frontman Reggie Fils-Aime, Americans can't get enough of the DS.

"More than 5 million people joined the ranks as Nintendo DS owners in America last year alone," Fils-Aime said. "And right now, they're all saying the same thing--Give me more!'"

While I'm loathe to take any marketer at his word (No offense, Reggie), … Read more