this point of view

I dropped my Wii Fit for a 24 hr Membership

Dec 03

adminWorking Out 24 hour fitness, fit, fitness, nintendo, wii, wii fit, Working Out, workout 1 Comment

First off, I’d like to apologize for my lack of updates lately.  I have been very busy here in Texas.  I have successfully found a great new job and have also been making some new friends and trying to study for the GMAT.  I’ve also made the decision that my future posts will not include personal rants or anything that may be considered NSFW.

Now for my post.

A few months ago, I wrote a little article here on thispointofview talking about how amazing my new Wii Fit was.  It was going to revolutionize my life and help me drop the pounds!  Nope.  Like most consumers, I purchased this $100.00 item, used it a couple times and then let it collect dust.  I’m not saying that I couldn’t have lost weight using it, I am saying that a combination of laziness and lack of interest in the platform kept me from achieving any goal I set out with the game.

After purchasing the Wii Fit and hearing countless hours of bantering from my buddies with Gym memberships, I made a promise that once I found a new job I would get a Gym Membership at our local 24 hour fitness with my first paycheck.  Holding true to my promise, I purchased a membership and have worked out both days!  

Now, I know what you’re thinking… This is going to be like the Wii Fit.  I will use it for a couple of days and as soon as the novelty ends, I will be wasting $29.00 a month on something I won’t ever use again.  This is where you’re wrong

Oddly enough a very very large percentage of my close friends all have gym memberships and actively work out.  They have taken it upon themselves to make it a priority to make sure I have a workout buddy.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I have the best group of friends in the world.

I plan on doing a weekly update of my progress for anyone interested in seeing if my dedication works.  I’m not going to lie though, I know it’s going to be difficult - and I am currently more sore than I have ever been before in my life.  But the soreness actually feels good, my spirits are up, and I already feel like I have more energy.  It may all just be a more optimistic outlook on life, but whatever it is, it’s working. 

I still plan on keeping my Wii Fit - the games are fun, it’s a great scale, and it is entertaining in small spurts… but as a primary workout tool, it’s just not right for me.  I am in no way knocking the product, it may still be great for others. 

Now, I’m going to go Jam to a little Jack’s Mannequin and catch some Z’s, I have a busy day at work tomorrow.

Oh, btw I met a new amazing girl.. don’t know where it’s going - Apparently she’s a heartbreaker, but I’m willing to take my chances, but that’s another post.

And my favorite quote:

“I want the risk and I want the Gain” - Mark Cuban

75 Things: Beat Super Mario Bros. 2 (S(NES)

Sep 11

admingames, retrospective Mario, nintendo, SMB2, Super Mario 2 3 Comments

I’m continuing along with my quest to beat every Mario in order. I’ve reached my 3rd installment in the series - Super Mario Bros. 2. Technically, this is the third game in the series, but it was the second game released in the United States. This little gem of a game was released on October 10, 1988 in America. For the sake of entertainment value, I played this game on the All-Stars package. Like the lost levels, the game feels much less dated when playing it in all of its 16-bit goodness.

This game is less like any other game in the Mario series because it originally wasn’t even a Mario game. It was a game called Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (DDP). in Japan. Those clever executives at Nintendo thought us Americans couldnt handle the challenge of the lost levels.  They were probably right, seeing as the true sequel was a pain in the ass, but this game became a classic in it’s own right.

Unlike the other games in the series, before each level you get to choose one of four characters.  You get to play as either Mario, Luigi, Toad, or Princess.  Each character has their own individual strengths and weaknesses depending on what level you’re playing.

The premise of the game, and excuse for the variation, is that Mario has entered a ‘dream world.’ and is under a curse from the evil toad king Wart.  In order to wake up, Mario (or the other three characters) must play through the seven different worlds.  

Overall, this is a pretty fun game, but gets repetitive fairly quickly.  It was reminiscent to play through this game one final time.  I enjoyed the ice levels, hated the desert levels, and was pretty indifferent about the other levels.  

Playing through this game brought back a lot of childhood memories, specifically when I reached Mouser.  I remember watching the cartoons as a kid and hating this character more than anything.  It was nice, though brief, to relive kicking his ass one more time. 

I say one more time because although playing through this game was relatively enjoyable, I don’t really see myself taking the plunge into this particular adventure again.  It was always my least favorite game in the franchise and so far.

I’ve finally gotten past my least favorite games in the series.  I have a feeling things are about to start speeding up on this here blog!

Should Mario Retire?

Aug 26

admingames Mario, nintendo, retirement No Comments

My response to an article on MSNBC

While I’m in the middle of my journey through the past stories of Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom, I find it funny to read a this new story suggesting it is time for Mario to retire.  Yes, Mario has been around forever and is by far the best known face in conjunction with gaming. It is true that he has been in countless other games including Mario Party 1 through 1,000,000, and God knows how many other spin-offs.  But at it’s core, every single MARIO game (even super mario sunshine) has become a classic.  Each adventure primarily based around this hero has been a piece of art, created and handled with the utmost attention and care.

I may agree that Mario should stop the spin offs, in order to keep the brand from becoming diluted, but the idea of completely retiring Mario all together is completely ridiculous… on one condition.  The games continue to innovate and push the envelope.  If all Nintendo can do in the future is re-hash old mario adventures, then maybe it will be time to retire the red hat.  But for now, I think the plumber has enough in the take for a few more adventures.

There is nothing more i’d love than to be able to play a brand new Mario adventure with one of my kids.  I hope that will be an option.