E3: Strange gadgets, new WiiFit among Nintendo's Expo offerings

One exercise in WiiFit Plus bears a distinct resemblance to a Mario Bros game level.

Nintendo unveiled one of the strangest products at this year's E3 Expo.
During the game giant's press conference - which focused heavily on its
new MotionPlus add-on for its WiiMote controller - company president
Satiro Iwata revealed its 'Vitality Sensor'.

"We still have a long way to go to expand the gaming population," said
Iwata. He spoke about Brain Age and WiiFit's respective
success in attracting non-gamers before showing the device - which is a
sleeve that gamers insert their fingers into to have their pulse measured.

The bizarre thing was, Iwata didn't have any game to announce with the
sensor, or any real information to go with it.

One title that will definitely get Nintendo players' pulses racing is
WiiFit Plus, an update of the ground-breaking Balance Board-based title
that leapt to the top of sales lists across the planet, successfully
marketed at those outside of traditional gaming circles.

WiiFit Plus can be personalised to a greater degree than its
predecessor, adding a half-dozen new strength and yoga exercises and
removing the need to sit through interludes between exercises so as not
to break the flow of a workout.

There are also 15 new balance games, including one bearing a striking
resemblance to a level in one of the company's iconic Mario games.
Electronic Arts is also selling a fitness package for the diminutive
console, WiiActive.

MotionPlus, which plugs in to the WiiMote and offers far more accurate
tracking of player movements - got big play during the massive press
conference at LA's cavernous Nokia Theatre.

It will launch a new game Wii Sports Resort to take advantage of
the controller's increased capabilities. This includes canoeing,
basketball, formation skydiving, table tennis, archery and more. When
playing the archery levels, for instance, the player holds the
MotionPlus-equipped WiiMote in the left hand and pulls the Nunchuk
backwards to draw the bow. As the accuracy of the players aim improves,
it further hones in on the target resulting in a better chance of a
bullseye.

Good news for golfers - EA's Tiger Woods PGA 10 will also benefit
from MotionPlus' enhanced control.

Mario, Bowser and Metroid

Amongst the selection of titles for both the DS handheld and Wii was the
spectacular-looking 3D Super Mario Galaxy 2, a frenetic
co-operate or compete four-player version of Super Mario Bros and

Metroid: Other M, which looks to be one of the darker titles in
the Wii world so far.

On the DS were a variety of demographic-crossing titles, including
Women's Murder Club: Games of Passion which immerses players in
James Patterson stories and Style Savvy where players get to run
their own fashion boutique. Eek.

Cop: The Recruit seems like a Fast and the Furious
knock-off, but will offer handheld gamers a high-action open world
undercover cop adventure set around the street-racing world.

Facebook

A social networking feature will be added to the freshly-released DSi
which will automatically upload images taken with the devices dual
cameras to users' Facebook pages.
"While UGC (user generated content) is hot, we don't intend on getting carried away with it," said Nintendo America president Reggie Fils-Amie.



Matt Greenop is a guest of Sony PlayStation at E3