Are You Ready for a Wii-lationship?

Relationships are hard work. In order to avoid heartbreak or the silent treatment, here's a handy guide on how to and feed your Nintendo Wii.

Whether you're a die-hard PlayStation fan, or a long-time PC gamer, chances are you've heard of the Nintendo Wii. The final wave of next-gen consoles has hit the stores and though the financial figures aren't all in, it's looking likely that the Wii will come out on top (that's what happens when you've got the supply to meet demand -- hooray for high school economics). Given that and the fact that you might have a kid brother or sister who is about to take the plunge into video games, you might just consider getting your hands on a Wii -- even if you've already got that PS3 on your TV stand. Read on for some helpful advice from the GamePros on making your transition into the future of Nintendo a little less hazardous.

Do not fling the Wii-Mote

Despite contrary information, the Wii-mote does not magically teleport itself into your ceiling fan, wall mirrors, or TV screens. Those little white remotes will go flying quite far if you should happen to hurl it in the general direction of your TV. Try to remember it's called "virtual" bowling because it's not real bowling so you don't actually have to put your weight behind the roll.

Wipe your hands

The Wii-mote wrist strap is the last line of defense, not the first. So if you tend to get a little moist in the palms, wipe off your hands on your shirt between turns or levels. And if you don't trust your sweat glands not to go clammy in the middle of an invasive operation via Trauma Center, consider playing behind a Plexiglas shield. Your HDTV will thank you.

Occupational Hazards

Those warnings in your Wii manual (y'know, that little booklet you never read?) aren't joking when they advise you to clear a space to move around in when playing the Wii. So put away the stacks of books, clean up the fast food wrappers, and put your fine china in another room when you decide to get down to Wii business. Also, if you've got a furry friend -- a dog, a cat, a hyperactive chinchilla -- who likes to play, know where they are when you take on the evil Zant in Twilight Princess. You could be mid-fight, swinging your arms wildly to perform Link's secret skills, when suddenly your Nunchuk is ripped from the Wii-mote by a set of claws thinking they've caught a long white mouse. ("Bad kitty" doesn't even begin to describe this crisis.)

You want to punch your opponent -- not your new HDTV.

You want to punch your opponent -- not your new HDTV.

Invest in Double A Batteries

Perhaps the largest draw back to the Wii is the need to swap out batteries when the error message wails at you during a game. You can prolong the life of your Wii-mote's life source by taking the batteries out of the Wii-mote when you won't be playing for a while (hey, everybody's got to sleep sometime). Also, don't chuck the Wii-mote onto the couch when you've switched off the power -- a light tap on the A button will wake the Wii-mote from sleep mode and drain the juice from the batteries.

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