In the good old days I was always well ahead of the times. Meaning that from a pop culture perspective I have stayed well on the cutting edge. I know this doesn't make sense for the people who know that I wear t-shirts that are older than Facebook, but just think of it as the fact that I wear ironic, vintage t-shirts that were purchased when they were neither ironic nor vintage. Anyway, all this is just my way of saying that I am now part of Nintendo Wii nation.
Joining the Wii nation is not something I expected. While this might be a bit of a shock I have never owned a Nintendo anything in my life. I have primarily been a PC gamer with Playstation as my console system of choice. Nintendo always seemed to be too childish and too focused on Italian plumbers for my own liking. But all I have heard about the Wii is how much fun it is and that it can be used to help get you in shape. That is reason enough to buy a gaming system.
(By the way, while the Wii has launched its own vocabulary (Miis, the Wiimote, numchuck being used in a manner that does not involve ninjas) I still have to say that it is the absolute worst name ever for a system. You have no sense of what it means, it is spelled bizarrely and it makes you sound like a six year old at a county fair every time you mention the name. Can't we go back to having consoles have names like Jaguar and Lynx?)
Anyway, I now have a Wii and a Wii Fit and apparently the body of a fifty four year old. It is one thing to have an inamitate object tell me that I am overweight; my scale does that all the time. It is quite another to have a computer go, "Wow. Maybe you should just try to stand for five minutes at a time without tipping over to one side." Apparently my sense of balance is not one to be desired. But I am looking forward to trying out yoga (with the trainer who asks if you want to view her from behind, which is rather interesting) and working on my balance and overall fitness.
I will say though that I freaking kick ass at boxing. Now if there is one sport that I enjoy -that most people would not even think I ever watch - it is boxing. I grew up in a boxing family with a former world champion in my lineage so I actually have some natural skill at the pugilistic arts. My lack of muscle tone, overall fitness and no real desire to get punched in the face for a living has kept me from pursuing it as a career but I do fancy the idea of being a boxer. So Wii boxing is great fun as I went undefeated leaving a group of beaten boddies in my wake. The fact that a number of my punches seem to fall below the belt can be best explained by the fact that I grew up on the south side and that is just how we learned to fight.
However, when I woke up this morning I discovered something. My shoulders were absolutely killing me. Yes, a few bouts of boxing had turned my upper body into a quivering mess. I wasn't even wearing the boxing gloves while fighting (which would make for an even better workout due to the added weight.) Just throwing that many punches left me tired and achy. That is one of those signs that you are getting old. Even playing video games all day leaves you sore and not wanting to get out of bed in the morning. Maybe I'll just have to hire a personal trainer to help me deal with my virtual trainer.
Also, if Wii Sports Resort is any indication I have the potential to be a pro wakeboarder. I was getting some serious hang time while pulling off some gnarly tricks. This in comparison to the jet ski where I believe that my Mii endangered the local wildlife, ran into several parked yachts and nearly drowned. I will keep this in mind when I plan my next trip to Cancuun.
Best of 120 Minutes: Time to return back to my college days. At least then I could play video games without risking serious injury.
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