Nintendo Wii Fit Bundle : A First Impression Review

Well, I've finally decided to get it. A few days ago, I finally made the difficult decision of purchasing the Nintendo Wii Fit Bundle. Alright I admit it, it's not really that difficult because I got it at a real bargain. When I received the package in the mail, I couldn't contain my excitement. After all, the Nintendo Wii Fit is the latest innovative games and workout machine out in the market today!

What's In The Nintendo Wii Fit Bundle?

As I unpack my Nintendo Wii Fit bundle package anxiously, I notice that there are quite a number of items included. There's the Nintendo Wii game console, the Wii Fit Balance Board and a peripheral of accessories such as the console stand, remote for the games console, nunchuck, AV adapter & cables. Included with the balance board is a disc of software which contains activities or exercises such as the yoga, body balance, muscle building and aerobic exercises and routines.

My Wii game console also came with 5 Wii Sports games for Tennis, Bowling, Baseball, Golf and Boxing. Now, you'll need the Wii game console before you can make use of Wii Fit system. When I was first planning my purchase, I noticed that there were many packages selling at rock bottom prices all over the web. But beware, most of them don't include the Wii game console! You may end up paying more if you buy them separately. If you don't have the Wii game console, the more economic choice will be the Wii Fit bundle as retailers tend to package them at a more attractive price.

My Workout Experience On the Nintendo Wii Fit

After I setup the Wii Fit system, I started working out on it with a heart rate monitor strapped on my wrist. It took a while for me to get used to the menu navigation though frankly, they're pretty user friendly. It may take some time off the workout time but I'm sure that can be minimized once I get more familiar with the system.

What I've noticed was, some of the activities didn't gave me as good a workout as I expected. The soccer heading game was a disappointment and didn't even raise my heart rate above the minimum. And when I compared my statistics across activities such as the Yoga, Strength Training, Aerobic and Balance, the aerobic section stood out.

My favourite by far was the Hula Hoop game. As I tried to balance myself, keeping all the hoops in the air while catching some more, my heart beat was raised to 172bpm. Not only was it a good workout, it was pretty fun and enjoyable.

Perhaps you may be asking "So, do you think the Nintendo Wii Fit is a good way to lose weight?". Personally I don't think the Wii Fit can really help to lose much weight given the nature of the activities involved. Maybe a pound or two a week. But I'm sure they'll be quite effective in another department of your life.

Lifestyle and fun.


Author: Marlene Gardner

Top 5 Video Games

The following is a review of the Top 5 video games searched for on the Internet.
Looking for a game? Looking for a gift for a gamer? Just curious?

Rank 1 Grand Theft Auto IV:

Grand Theft Auto IV is an upcoming sandbox-style action adventure video game. It will be the ninth title (and the first in the fourth generation) in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise. It will be released worldwide on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game will be set in a redesigned Liberty City, based heavily on New York City and New Jersey.

Niko Bellic is Eastern European, between 28 and 32 years of age and has come to Liberty City to pursue the "American Dream". Niko was persuaded to move to Liberty City by his cousin Roman, who claimed in multiple e-mails to Niko that he was living a fabulous life, with a mansion, women, hot tubs and sports cars. Roman's claims turn out to be lies to hide his own failures, however, and in reality he only owns a small taxi business, which he wants Niko to work for.

Roman is the only person Niko knows in Liberty City to begin with, and is one of his major connections in the first part of the game. Niko is a tough character, whereas Roman is friendly. Roman is heavily in debt and a lot of people are after him. He desperately needs Niko's support, hence the reason he deceived Niko into travelling to Liberty City. They are constantly bickering. It is later revealed that Niko has also been avoiding other, as yet undisclosed, problems at home. Both characters are new and there are virtually no returning players.

Price: Approx. $59.99

Game Rating: M (Mature)
Blood
Intense Violence
Partial Nudity
Strong Language
Strong Sexual Content
Use of Drugs and Alcohol

Rank 2 Saints Row:

Saints Row is an action-adventure video game published for the Xbox 360 console. It was developed by Volition and published by THQ. The game arrived in stores in wide release on August 29, 2006 in North America, and on September 1, 2006 in Europe and Australia.
The game has been described as being in the same vein as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in terms of story and gameplay, with the developers referring to it as an emerging genre called "open world"; both games focus on urban gang activity, with the main character attempting to strengthen his gang's standing amongst three other rival gangs. Saints Row makes additions to the genre, adding an extensive character customization feature and online multiplayer modes.

Price: Approx. $29.99

Game Rating: M (Mature)

Rank 3 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas:

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and video game developed by Rockstar North. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and fifth original game overall. Originally released for the PlayStation 2 in October 2004, the game has since been ported to the Xbox and Microsoft Windows, and has received wide acclaim and high sales figures on all three platforms.

Set in late 1992, the game revolves around the main character, Carl "CJ" Johnson returning home from Liberty City to Los Santos after learning of his mother's murder. CJ finds his family and his old gang, the Grove Street Families, in disarray. Over the course of the game, CJ gradually unravels the plot behind his mother's murder while reestablishing his gang and exploring his own business ventures.

Grand Theft Auto series is rich with controversy, the most notable for San Andreas was over the "Hot Coffee" minigame, which was disabled but left in the code, which caused San Andreas to be re-rated briefly as an adult game and pulled from shelves. Since its re-release the game is rated as follows:

Price: Approx. $19.99

Game Rating: M (Mature)

Rank 4 Guitar Hero II:

Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. It is the second installment in the Guitar Hero series and is the sequel to Guitar Hero. It was first released for the PlayStation 2 in November 2006 and then for the Xbox 360 in April 2007, with additional content.

Like the original Guitar Hero, the player uses a guitar-shaped peripheral to simulate the playing of rock music as notes scroll towards the player. Most of the gameplay from the original game remains intact, with new modes and note combinations being the major additions. The game features more than 40 popular licensed songs, many of them cover versions recorded for the game, spanning five decades (from the 1960s to the 2000s).

Since its release, Guitar Hero II has been met with both critical and commercial success, helping the Guitar Hero series become a cultural phenomenon.

Price: Approx.

Bundle with Guitar $79.99

PS2 $39.99
Xbox $49.99

Game Rating: Teen

Rank 5 Mortal Kombat:

Mortal Kombat (commonly abbreviated as MK) is a popular series of fighting games made originally by Midway Manufacturing Company. Mortal Kombat began as a series of arcade games, which were picked up by Acclaim Entertainment for the home console versions. Now Midway exclusively creates home versions of Mortal Kombat. It is especially noted for its high levels of blood and gore, including, most notably, its graphic fatalities - Finishing Moves, requiring a sequence of buttons to perform. These were so extreme that they, in part, led to the founding of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) 1 Mortal Kombat is available in PS2, Xbox, Mobile and PC.

The original Mortal Kombat was developed as a reaction to the popular fighting game Street Fighter II, with digitized graphics of real game actors as opposed to animated cartoon graphics. Critics said the game's graphic violence was only included in order to generate a public outcry and controversy that would gain publicity for the game. Although highly controversial, the mix of realism and violence propelled Mortal Kombat to widespread and historic renown.

Price: Approx. $19.99 - $39.99

Game Rating: M (Mature)

1. Descriptions in large part by Wikipedia.

Wikipedia - The biggest multilingual free-content encyclopedia on the Internet. Over 7 million articles in over 200 languages, and still growing.

Author: amerlino

Valentines Day Gifts. Buy your loved one something different this Valentineas Day!

Choosing the Right Christmas Gifts for Men

With Christmas just around the corner, many people are talking about what kinds of gifts to get for men. A lot of people have various ideas on what to get the men in their lives. Whether it is a gift for a husband, a father or other family or friend, there are many types of gifts that are available. One man that I know says that shopping for a man depends on his tastes and his likes and dislikes.

So, as we prepare for Christmas, it would be a good idea to start paying close attention to the men around us and make mental notes about the things they like. Getting ideas ahead of time about the things they use and talk about should give people a lot of ideas for gifts. For instance, if the man loves the outdoors, then take notice of what they like to do outside. Or if the man is a professional businessman, then see what kinds of things he has and might need. If the man likes to watch television or play video games, then you know which direction to head.

Once you have watched the men in your life and made some observations about important interests and things in their lives, then you can begin to creatively think of ideas for each. The benefit of starting your observations before Thanksgiving is so you can start finding great gifts on sale that might be perfect for the men in your life. If you find that one of your men likes to watch television and movies, then you start to watch for sales on videos and things that would be beneficial to someone who likes watching movies.

It is a good idea to try to find out what kinds shows they like to watch, like old movies, television series, comedies, romance, action or dramas. It is beneficial to have a month to watch for sales on videos or DVDs so you can get more for your money so you can get old television show DVDs, like All in the Family, Bonanza, M*A*S*H, Forest Grump, Liar, Liar, Contact, Air Force One, or even Gunsmoke or Star Trek.

If you discover that one of the men in your life loves the outdoors, then it can be fun to see what kinds of things they already own and use. Is it a sporting interest, a camping interest, or hunting or fishing interest? There is a very large sporting goods store, called Bass Pro Shops that has anything that you could imagine to give to the man who loves the outdoors. If you are not sure what to give, then a gift card is always appreciated by a sportsman.

For those who are professional businessmen, there are some great personalized items that are sure to be big hits. Things Remembered is a good store for business equipment, as well as Office Depot and eve Wal-Mart. Some of the things that are sure to be appreciated are the man’s name engraved on a fine pen, a card holder, a portfolio, a desk set, clock or mug and warmer. Something personal and thoughtful is always appreciated by someone who is proud of what they do.

A great gift for gamers is a gift card to a local game store. That allows the man to buy a video game that they want or some kind of video accessories. Gift cards are a great idea for almost any man although there are some who think they are not very personal. I know that we enjoy getting gift cards for entertainment because we would not normally go to various places unless we had a gift card. For young men, clothing gift cards are a good idea as young people have a different taste in clothes and styles.

Shopping for a man depends on his tastes as I said, but if you can not determine what their interests or taste is and have no idea and can not get any ideas from looking around them, then you can always go the traditional route of Christmas presents. Some men will like monogrammed hankies, electric razors, or tools. Of course there is always the gift card for movies or restaurants that allows the man to use his gift to enjoy a night out with his wife or girlfriend. That is one way to give two gifts at once, and is sure to be appreciated and enjoyed.



Author: CD Mohatta

Nintendo Wii Bundles

So what exactly is a Nintendo Wii bundle and what are the benefits of buying one? Usually when you buy a gaming console, stores sell you an incomplete package. By incomplete, this means that you will need to buy one or more games and/or accessories before you actually get that amazing gaming experience promised. A Nintendo Wii bundle will include the console and one or more games and/or accessories necessary to enjoy your new console from the start. When you buy a Nintendo Wii bundle you get the complete deal!

For anyone thinking of buying a Nintendo Wii console, it would be a good idea to consider buying it as a bundle for several reasons. A bundle deal will enable you to plug in and play right away, so you wont have to wait to get started. Buying as a bundle will also save you money in terms of; if you spend a little more you actually get the games cheaper than the retailers usual full selling price. After all you will obviously be buying at least one game to go with your Nintendo Wii. What use would the console be on its own? You could check the bundle price against individual prices to see just how much you could save.

If time is an issue, buying a bundle will also save you hunting around for games or other necessary extras, which would otherwise add to the time and hassle spent on the buying process. Additionally, a Nintendo Wii bundle will give you a great start to building up your library of games.

Where to find Nintendo Wii Bundles

Many large retailers and gaming stores especially, sell Nintendo Wii bundles, all at varying prices depending on how many games or accessories are thrown in with the deal, and each are competing for your business. Often retailers have special offers or reduce prices by just a few pounds to increase sales. This kind of competitiveness is good for the buyer.

Online stores are a good place to look for bundle bargains as they do not have as many overheads to cover as with physical stores, so great savings can be found. Also many online stores offer free delivery so, no only will you save time on a shopping trip you will not have to pay for the privilege either!

There are obviously many benefits of buying a Nintendo Wii as a bundle deal. Its the most cost effective, time saving and hassle free way of buying your new console and will allow you to have the ultimate experience right away. If you are going to buy a Nintendo Wii console, the best advice would be to consider buying a Wii bundle, shop around and compare prices.



Author: K.Bennett

Halo 3 Review: Was It Worth The Wait?

Halo 3 is the third installment, and the most anticipated, of the very popular Halo game series created by Bungie Studios. Halo is currently the hottest game on the Xbox 360, and with the holiday season coming up I would expect it to stay just as hot. If you aren't familiar with Halo 3 it is a first-person shooting game much like Gears of War, or Counterstrike. Released September 25, 2007, this game is making big waves. Halo 3 is supposedly the last chapter of Microsofts most successful series to date.

The Storyline

Halo 3 begins as Master Chief returns to Earth, with the ultimate goal of finishing off the fight that was started long ago. Earth is occupied by the Covenant and almost all its forces were beaten and battered. Cortana, an AI and is Master Chief's companion, was under the captivity of The Gravemind. Civil war is on the horizon.

Graphics/Cinematics

As far as artistic vision is concerned, Halo 3 is as superior as it's always been. The graphics and sounds were crafted perfectly and get across the desired effects. The framerate is smooth and I do not recall any slowdowns. The images are sharp and the lighting is exceptional, and generously applied. Needless to say, the game’s special effects are at its best.

There are several environments to experience in Halo 3. Your battles take place on snow, desert sand, and under the jungle canopy. You will also do battle inside the buildings and on the open roads. Even the enemies look a better in Halo 3 than it did in the first and second parts, mainly due to the Xbox 360s superior graphical power. The programmers and the designers have to be commended for the great job they did in creating a game with such strong visual impact.

Weapons

Halo 3 has a good number of new weapons. And there are hordes of items to use as well. An example of a new brute weapon is the Gravity Hammer. The Gravity Hammer was actually shown in Halo 2, but players never had the chance to use it then. This weapon is very large and has the innate ability to wipe out several enemies with a single swipe.

Surprising improvements were made to the Energy Sword. However, this weapon is not popular during the single player campaigns. Yet, it is still a good choice in multiplayer mode. One new animation never gets old. When two players are equipped with the energy sword and try to kill each other, the swords will clash stunning the holders for a short time. To be victorious in such battles, practice pressing the melee button with perfect timing.

The Brute Spiker is another notable weapon in Halo 3. It is a type of mechanical pistol that fires at enemies swiftly and easily. This weapon is so good the player who holds one in both of his hand has higher chances of destroying his opponents with little effort.

But the default weapon, not only in Halo 3 but also in the rest of the series, is the ever-popular battle rifle. This weapon is mostly regarded as the 26th centurys M16. Players should also check the Mauler. This weapon is also best used for up close battles. However, because of its size, this one-handed gun can affect the players speed.

Vehicles

Halo 3 wouldn't be complete without the distinctive Halo vehicles. Experience the ride of your virtual life with the extended vehicle battle sequences in this game, which eventually leads to on-foot action. The Ghost is still the primary craft of choice. The Ghost is a floating vehicle that can accommodate one person at a time. The Brute Prowler is another Halo 3 improvement. It is a two-person vehicle with turrets to boast about.

Generally, all vehicles are fun to use, but you cannot say the same for AIs. They have yet have to learn how to drive. So if you are trapped in a vehicle with any of them, you are better off minding the wheel rather than thinking about weapons.

Multiplayer

A stellar addition to the Halo multiplayer gameplay is Forge mode where you get to edit the map. You can easily move, spawn, and remove both items and objects and everything happens in real time. When you push D on the game pad, you pop out of the edit mode and resume your game. Pushing D again puts you back in the edit mode. Discover exciting things as you experiment with the positions of the different objects of the game.

Level of Difficulty

For hardcore Halo gamers, who have played the series since day one, are better off starting their Halo 3 campaign on a higher level of difficulty. Having played Halo for six years, the games normal mode would just be a walk in the park for them. Also, the enemy AI is not as aggressive on the lower difficulty settings, so intermediate and advanced Halo players may find it too easy and boring.

Overall, Halo 3 is the must have game of 2007 and Bungie Studios lived up to most, if not all, of the fans expectations, making it all worth the wait. On my review scale Halo 3 is a 10/10. On a non-biased review scale the game is a 9.5/10.


Author: Drew Schwarz