Nintendo Wii Fanboy

We're not vain people who fret about occasionally looking silly (a quick peek inside our wardrobes would more or less confirm this), so stretching, swiveling and gurning on the Balance Board in front of others was never a huge deal for us.

However, our indifferent attitude might yet be tested by G1 Jockey. Koei announced today that its horsey sim would also utilize the Balance Board, allowing players to adjust the position of their on-screen jockey as they "whip" their invisible steeds with the Wiimote. Picture somebody playing that game for a moment; doesn't it sound just a little too ridiculous? Apparently not. "Assuming a jockey crouch and powering to victory should brighten up even the longest of faces," lies the press release.

Fortunately for us, we are just about vain enough not to be seen in public purchasing a copy of G1 Jockey.


[Via press release]

Harvest Moon Heroes producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto posits that a farming sim is far more entertaining than actual farming, and we're forced to agree -- unless you're one of those freaks who actually enjoys yard work and such. However, if you want to get close to the real thing without breaking a sweat or sliding around in the byproducts of pork futures, then the Wii version of the long-running Harvest Moon franchise is just what you need.

In designing the latest installment in the series, Hashimoto says they worked to walk a fine line between work and play. After all, if the game is too much like work, then why play? Why not trundle into the backyard, shovel in one hand and spade in the other, and make your own garden? Harvest Moon Heroes works to get as close to that as possible, albeit without the added bonus of fresh tomatoes or peppers. But it sounds like the game will be a perfect illustration of the Wii's ability to translate the gaming experience into reality, or at least a semblance thereof. Sounds like a sign a great things to come.