What is it that is so appealing about making our Wii remotes look like ping pong paddles when we play table tennis or attaching a blade when we go sword fighting? Is it simply the way playing cops and robbers with a water pistol is preferable to playing by sticking out your finger and shouting "BANG!"? Psychologists might be able to explain that mysterious drive to emulation I can only convey how much satisfaction can be derived from Penguin United's Sports Resort Bundle, a set of Wii attachments designed specifically for Nintendo's Wii Sports Resort.

Read the rest of my review of Penguin United Sports Resort Bundle.

Certain people go crazy with their Christmas lights, but it seems unlikely anyone will best Ric Turner, a lighting specialist who managed to turn his Christmas lights into a playable Guitar Hero display. Just watch the video and give up on the idea that anything you do will ever impress the neighbors as much as this does.

via 1Up.

I've always liked the idea of having a walking stick that turns into a sword, but the closest I've come so far is Nyko's Wand Action Pak, a Wii remote that turns into a pistol.

Read the rest of my review of Nyko's Wand Action Pak.

I've never been a big fan of the Super Mario Bros. platformers, so I had my associate Erica Stein check out the game for me.  She says if you're a fan of the other games this is pretty much the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Read Erica's review of Super Mario Bros.

While less impressive than Walmart's deal of a $50 gift certificate with a Wii console purchase, Target is offering a semi-competitive $30 gift certificate if you buy a Wii console from them from December 13 to 19.  They've also got a couple of Wii games on sale.  It's difficult from the press release to tell if this sale is both in-store and online; if it's online then that would be the one aspect that beats out Walmart's deal.

Through Slippery Brick I've learned of a kid's Exercycle for the Wii.  It's a small exercise bike with a Wii wheel attached to the handle so you can play Mario Kart Wii or other racing games while you peddle.

Unfortunately, peddling has no effect on the game, so I expect most kids are more likely to just sit there and play without peddling, unless parents stay in the room and shout, "PEDDLE!  PEDDLE!"  What's really needed is a bike that generates power for the TV; stop peddling and it goes off.

While I hate to sound like one of these curmudgeony old guys who talk about how things were when they were young, an exercycle seems like a bizarre thing to give a ten-year-old kid.  They should have a real bicycle,  and they should ride around the neighborhood on it.  I was a complete couch potato, and I still rode my bike to school.  If your kid needs exercise so badly that you're thinking of getting him or her an exercycle, what you really need to do is get them OUT OF THE HOUSE.

Since I'm always complaining about publishers putting out unambitious Wii titles, I have to give a shout out to Ubisoft for their upcoming Wii games.  Today I went to a demo where I saw No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, a promising action game (I only played the combat part, but they claim that the awful non-combat of the first game has been fixed) and saw a little more of Red Steel 2, which still looks excellent.  I also tried out a promising casual sports title, Racquet Sports, which is devoted to ping pong, tennis, squash and whatever other racquet sports exist; it has both MotionPlus support and a camera mode that, if you have Ubisoft's webcam attached, lets you play by swinging your hand in front of the camera.

Good going guys!  It's nice to have something to look forward to.

The year isn't quite over, so I may have to bump something on this list for something better in the next few weeks, but for those who use top 10 lists when choosing Christmas presents I'm writing my top 10 now. Think of it as a work in progress.

Read my choices for the top 10 Wii games of 2009.

Life would be so much easier if I had my own shape-shifting blob. When I needed to change a light bulb I could turn my blob into a ladder, when I needed to exercise I could turn it into barbells. I never knew I needed a blob until I played the puzzle game A Boy and His Blob, but now I feel my life is not complete without one.

Read the rest of my review of A Boy and His Blob.

From December 5th through December 12, Walmart is offering a $50 gift certificate to anyone who buys a $199 Wii (while supplies last). And from now through December 24 they have a few Wii games discounted to $40 (Rock Band: Beatles, Lego Rock Band, MySims: Agents and Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympics).  So you can go to Walmart, buy the console, get the gift certificate, turn around and walk back to Walmart's game section, grab a game and use the certificate!  The console offer is in-store only, but you can buy the games online through December 20th.

Sounds like a decent deal to me, although if anyone knows of a better deal, let me know.