Mii and my Wii

We just picked up a Nintendo Wii and after being an Xbox 360 fanatic for so long, I have to admit Nintendo's machine is pretty impressive.

For those not in the know, at the heart of the Wii is the motion detection technology in the console's game controller, which really gets you into the games you play because instead of sitting and using a controller, you have to physically move the controller to affect actions on the screen. For instance, if you're bowling, you have to go through the physical motions of bowling in order for the game to do so on screen.

Also, the Wii is overall a bit more family-oriented. Yes, lots of the FPS (first-person shooter) and other (more violent) games available on other consoles are made for Wii, but Nintendo produces a slew of games rated for everyone. Xbox does, too, but most of the stuff they have is more for the teen and older crowd.

You also create your Wii on-screen self in the form of a "Mii", which is a caricature of yourself that you can use in many of the games. When Joey saw mine, he said, "Hey Daddy, that's you!" I also created one for him, which he thought was pretty cool.

We also bought the Wii Fit, which is a fitness-based add-on for the Wii system that features a motion-sensitive board which you use for a ton of games that help improve strength and balance.

Joey loves a running game in Wii Fit because you have to keep pace with a character on the screen by holding the controller in your hand and jogging in place ... he laughs like crazy while pistoning his feet trying to overtake the Mii character in the game. And he breaks a sweat doing it ... very cool.

The Will's main screen also features a bunch of channels you can peruse, and the other night I found myself looking over the news channel and reading up on world, national and sports news ... again, very cool.

Of course, leave it to someone to have their own take on the Wii and its unique game controller, to which Saturday Night Live's is presented here: