Hey everyone, it’s Erini… Jenn’s away over at Free and Flawed, so I did a guest post today… thought I’d share it with you here as well!

If you’ve been following us on twitter, you may have noticed a certain topic coming up quite a bit recently. That’s right, my friends, we’re talking Mario Kart. And it all started out innocent enough…

But then…

It’s true. She is. I have no idea how I beat her on my first race against her. But it was awesome. Now, don’t let the Master fool you. Others are sneaky too (looking at you Pham!)… So for this karter, it was time to change my plan of attack…

Now… despite all the trash talking, this is really community building. I mean, Mario Kart is all about team work, good sportsmanship, and blowin’ your opponents’ sh*t up with shells. This ain’t no GTA attacking pedistrians and hookers — though that one Goomba was looking a little loose… Mario Kart is about getting together to destroy your friends and enemies. (And while you’re on your victory lap, you can head back and talk to that Goomba…)

I’m more than excited about having Jenn join our little game. Never disregard the underdog. ‘Cause they’ll hit you will a blue shell every time.

DreamGear has just come out with the Fitness Bundle for the Wii Fit.

For $60 you get a rechargeable battery pack, USB charging cable, jeli sleeve, fitness mat, travel bag and one pair of textured socks. That’s a pretty great deal seeing as how the Wii Fit Silicone Sleeves cost $20 each!

The Fitness Bundle is currently in stock on Amazon. This would make an excellent birthday gift to any Wii Fit user. The balance board can get pretty dirty from bare feet stepping on it. The jeli sleeve or socks would definitely keep the amount of dirt (and germs!) down.

The travel bag makes it easy to transport the game from your home to a friend’s home. The mat is great for yoga poses, as well as strengthening exercises. Especially if you’re playing on a wooden floor!

Source.

Update: Supposedly the deal is only good July 28 through August 17 and only in Miami, San Francisco, Houston, Denver, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and Detroit areas (among others). Naturally there is a limited supply, so if you’re interested, I would start calling about the Wii offers.

Source

I’m not sure if this makes me like or dislike Comcast.

According to an offer from the company, new customers who sign up for Comcast’s Triple Play package (digital cable, VOIP service, and high-speed internet) will receive a Nintendo Wii. Of course you have to sign a two-year contract, but is it worth it for a console that is still impossible to find in stores?

Would you sign up with Comcast to get a Wii?

Source

Boom Blox was designed to be interactive, pure escapism, and fun for kids of all ages,” said Steven Spielberg, who collaborated with EA. “My hope is that it will be a great shared family experience.

There are almost four hundred levels of strategic destruction in this game. Who doesn’t enjoy blowing things up? As you complete one level, the next will unlock. The goal is to use the least amount of effort. Many of the challenges require some thinking and planning. For example, many of the levels will ask you to destroy something in one throw. You’re mission is to figure out which beam or block, when hit, will cause the entire building to crumble. The answer seems obvious, but many of the challenges look easier than they really are.

While in create mode, players can bring their very own levels to life. As you go through the challenges, you win prizes that can be used in create mode. I haven’t dabbled in that just yet, but I am looking forward to playing some custom levels.

It’s easily an addicting game. I spent a little over an hour playing it after purchasing it and now my arm is sore from all of the throwing. Boom Blox is also available for mobile phones:

players will slide on ice blocks, blast blocks with bombs, and bounce off springs to solve brain-twisting puzzles and level the playing field. Enjoying non-stop fun on their phones, players will advance up to forty levels to reach a target score. Once the in-game puzzles are mastered, the game will then expand to a vast, new arena. Custom creations can then be posted online directly from a mobile phone.

So far I’m only about 6 percent through the game. I have a lot more to explore! My initial opinion is that it’s a really fun game for everyone. You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy it. My only complaint is that the hand or bullseye that you move around sometimes freezes and can make navigating a chore.

Be sure to check out the site and watch a video of the game.

I’ve had the Wii Fit for just over a week and have played it nearly every day. So far there have been no major changes in my weight or BMI. My weight has been consistent, but my BMI drops a wee bit here and there. Luckily I am already in the “normal” BMI range so I’m not really trying to lower it much.

I have unlocked a lot of new yoga poses, strength exercises, balance and aerobics games. This morning I unlocked free step. You step on and off the balance board in time with the music. The great thing about this is you can change the channel and listen via the Wii mote. For 10 minutes you just step on and off and can catch up on news, celebrity gossip or The Price is Right. The goal is 800 steps and as long as you’re keeping a good rhythm, you’ll meet the goal.

For the record, I love that room!

Yesterday I unlocked a couple balance games as well as Advanced Aerobics (I’m not sure if that’s the real name). It’s pretty fun. Trying to get a “perfect” steps motivates me to keep trying. The balance games are pretty fun, not my favorite though – only because I have crappy balance! There’s one where you’re a penguin on a sheet of ice and you have to rock left to right trying to catch fish without flying off the ice.

There’s also ski jump, skiing, snowboarding and oh! I also unlocked boxing today. You step on and off the board while throwing punches. You also have to keep a steady rhythm. Step on when the trainer does, throw a punch when he does, etc.

I’m curious to see what other games I unlock this week. I haven’t toyed too much with the yoga and strengthening just yet. I’ve done a few, but they don’t keep me as entertained as the other games. I know I will have to tackle those eventually because I’ll need them to unlock new things.

Anyone else here have a Wii Fit? If so, how are you liking it? If not, what are you looking forward to the most about getting one?

Over the weekend I added two new geeky gadgets to my collection. Last week I was pretty bitter about KMart screwing me out of the Wii Fit. To my surprise, they called on Friday and told me they had some in and I better get my Wii-ass over there to pick it up. I was there within minutes.

Un-boxing it was like unwrapping a present on Christmas morning. Despite the humidity, I set it up and played for a solid hour.

I think it’s my new favorite game ever. I immediately was impressed by it. Because I go to the gym I already knew what my weight, BMI and body’s age was. Before getting to all the good stuff, the game takes a fitness test and records your weight, BMI, etc. I was surprised how accurate it was. It was off by a pound or two and my BMI was 1 percent lower. I think I’m in love!

It didn’t take long before I was hula hooping up a storm. I love that I can hula hoop in a video game! Yoga is pretty difficult believe it or not. The position itself isn’t, but maintaining your balance during it is. You are shown a small circle and need to keep your pink dot inside that circle. It blows my mind how easily the balance boards picks up on shifts and movements.

I’ve gone through almost all of the exercises and even unlocked a few. I think this was the best $90 I’ve spent in a long while. I’m hoping to play every day and see how fit I am at the end of 30 days. If you’re thinking about getting it, I recommend it. It’s fun, keeps you active and really makes you laugh.

If you live in America, the answer is no! Nintendo is fooling nobody with its “we never anticipated this much demand” BS. It’s no surprise that the Wii Fit is sold out across the country. I waited an hour and a half Sunday morning to get one only to find out the store didn’t have any even though they advertised that they did. I’m still bitter.

It seems that Nintendo is redirecting units of Wii Fit to Europe to capitalize on the strength of the Euro. This demonstrates one of the many consequences of the weak dollar. Companies are ignoring their largest market because they can make a larger profit elsewhere. Not cool!

The ladies over at PetSugar and GeekSugar were lucky to get their hands on a Wii Fit. Jealous much? (Yes!)

As it turns out, the game isn’t just for humans anymore. Below is a photo of one of the PetSugar gal’s pups, Samson. Isn’t he adorable? He’s a French Bulldog – the very breed of dog I want!

I am taking a mini Wii hiatus but you better believe I will be enjoying Wii Fit when it comes out on May 21st. Even though Wii already incorporates your upper body in most of their games, Wii Fit allows the rest of your body to join in the fun. The game will cost $90 and include a balance board. The board will be used in an array of activities, including aerobics, yoga, muscle stretches and games. These activities are focused on providing a “core” workout, which emphasizes slower and more controlled motions. You can pre-order it here on Amazon.

Today I read that the Westin Hotels will be offering complimentary Wiis to their guests. They’re even going as far as teaming up with Nintendo and adding Wii Fit and Wii Sports to its WestinWORKOUT program.

This is a fantastic idea in my opinion. The Wii allows you to have fun while still remaining active. You’d be surprised how sore one can get after a couple rounds of Wii boxing.

Only a handful of Westin Hotels will receive the Wii: The Westin Hilton Head, The Westin Crown Center, Kansas City, The Westin Harbor Castle, Toronto, The Westin Diplomat, Hollywood, The Westin St. Francis, San Francisco, The Westin St. Louis, The Westin Galleria, Houston and The Westin Savannah Harbor. More will follow depending on the feedback from the guests.

You better give good feedback folks! I want the Wii here in Chicago! Though I guess it doesn’t matter since I have one at home

My Mii kicks ass. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t be made into a 4-inch tall sculpture.

How do you do such a marvelous thing?

Go to MiiSculptures and send them a photo of your Mii and your Mii number. Pay $75.

It is handmade and will take around 3-4 weeks to ship. There’s also a bobblehead option.

Anyone who wants one of my Mii sculptures to put on their desk at work or at home, let me know!

Woody Allen’s Mii