The Bottom Line
If you're looking for a game console to support stress-relieving activities and healthy habits, as well as social bonding, the Nintendo Wii is a great bet. It's advanced enough to appeal to regular gamers, but the kinder, gentler games appeal to people of all ages -- novices included. For the stress relief possibilities it provides, I really love the Nintendo Wii.
Pros
- Can be used to promote relaxation as well as fitness
- Can also promote bonding and togetherness among family and friends, parents and kids
- Many family-friendly, non-violent games are available, many of them educational in nature.
- Many games involve more physical activity in game play, which is great for stress relief and health.
Cons
- The sound and graphics appear less advanced than some other game consoles.
- It can't be used as a CD player, DVD player, or Blu-ray Disc player, as some consoles can.
Description
- The Nintendo Wii's controller senses movement, and can be used to register real moves made by players as part of the game.
- The Nintendo Wii’s networking function lets you send messages to friends, share avatars, and more.
- Wii Sports, which is included, lets you play games like bowling, tennis or boxing solo or with others.
- The console is relatively affordable.
Guide Review - Nintendo Wii: What's All The Buzz About?
The Nintendo Wii has been a sought-after item for a while, and for good reason. It seems that Nintendo has decided to market themselves to people who aren't really into video games, or never thought they'd want to be -- college girls, moms, dads, young professionals, and families with children -- as well as the regular gamers, and it has worked.
I have become a big fan of the Nintendo Wii for several reasons, chief among them being that my Nintendo Wii helps me relieve stress. It does this in several ways:
- Family Time: Like many, I like to relax and escape at the end of the day, and I have a few TV shows that I love. However, I don't always find that watching television is the best family activity, unless perhaps we’re watching educational programming. With the Wii, we're all having fun together. It provides a bonding experience, as well as a bit of an escape. That can relieve stress for the whole family.
- Fitness: The game that comes with the console, Wii Sports, gives you an opportunity to feel like you're really playing various sports as a family. It gives fun exercise opportunities (my 8-year-old works up a sweat with the boxing program), but also levels the playing field for younger family members; their version of tennis allows us all to play without tears of frustration fits from my five-year-old, because it's a bit easier than real-life tennis. Other games (sold separately) let you learn yoga, Pilates and relaxation exercises; set weight loss goals and follow a fitness regime; and track your progress as you go.
- Good, Clean Fun: You can create avatars that look like you, your family members, or anyone you want. And with the networking feature, you can take polls, send messages to friends with Wiis, and do other fun things. It's simple, it's a good distraction from stress, and you're not numbing your mind.
