Games have definitely changed in the past years. In the past we play games to relax. Then there are hardcore gamers who spend most of their time in front of the TV, playing games. These unhealthy folks usually have unfit bodies. But those days are over now. We see the emergence of casual games and games that can be healthy for the player. Video games became part of one’s exercise regime. Here are the top four games in the Wii that experts say is beneficial for your health. Ready for gaming, exercising, and Wii Fit?

Rock Band

If you say that Rock Band is not a strenuous game, then you haven’t tried being the drummer. One’s calve muscles will have a heavy workout when engaged pounding the Rock Band’s drum set. Drummers have my respect than the slacker guitarists slouching at the couch.

Wii Fit

We all know that Wii Fit’s selling point is its ability to give gamers a fitter body. It makes people jog in play and measure their Body Mass Index. This is one of the best sellers last year but there should be a survey on how many Wii Fits are currently being used.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games

My generation might remember how it’s like to play those track and field button bashing games of years pass. This game is the “improved” version but instead of pushing those buttons, you have to flap your arms to win various events.

Wii Sports

My Wii came with this game. This is actually the only game I played for a week after getting the Wii. After sometime I observed that my wrists are much stronger than before. But what’s the practical use for this, I don’t know. Minute of playing Wii Sports will definitely make you sweat.

Upcoming virtual console games, Disney game, Echoes of Time, new console and the DSi in this week’s Nintendo news roundup.

Rumor: DSi Virtual Console will have Game Boy and GBA
I don’t know if it should still be considered as a rumor because Nintendo has already announced DSiWare and DSi Virtual console is definitely going to happened.

GDC 09: Spectrobes Preview
The original Disney game Spectrobes will be available for the DS this year. It is targeted for the young gamers.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time Review
IGN reviews Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for the Wii and gave it a 6.5 rating. They like the DS version better.

OnLive: Will videogames be changed forever?
There’s a new gaming console out to challenge Nintendo and Sony. It would try to do what iTunes have done to music. To use it, you must download the program to your PC or Mac.

DSi sells over 2 million units in Japan
We’re nearing the launch date of the DSi for the North American market and we have news of the console reaching the 2M plateau in Japan. It is said to have sold at least 14,000 units each day in the Land of the Rising Sun.

I was looking for new ringtones for my Sony Ericsson C902 when I came across Entertonement. The site boosts of a large collection of sound bites, which includes a couple from your favorite Super Nintendo games.

Once you get to the web site, you’ll be able to listen to different sound bites from various Super Nintendo games, such as Street Fighter, Super Mario Bros, Final Fantasy, Donkey Kong Country, Chrono Trigger and a lot more. You could also upload your own sound to the site. All the sound bites can be embedded in various social networking sites including Facebook, MySpace, Friendster and Bebo.

If you want to use the sound bite as your cell phone’s ringtone, you need to register first with the web site. After registration you can send the tone directly to your phone. Entertonement supports all major carriers. I’m using Final Fantasy III Victory Theme Song as my ringtone these days.

Apple’s iPhone changed how people play games. There’s no need to go to the store to buy the latest game. You could download the game directly to your iPhone. It’s no wonder that Nintendo and Sony are going for game downloads as features for their next gen portable consoles.

For their part, Nintendo will be releasing the DSi on April 5 for the North American market. One of its main features is its internal flash memory and a SD card slot. This means gamers can download and store games in their DSi, unlike the present DS version.

Downloadable contents are not really new. Nintendo have already implemented it with its Wii. The success of the iPhone put digital distribution into the limelight. Nintendo is inviting game developers into making games that would be made available through the DSiWare service.

But Nintendo stated that it would not go in the direction of Apple in which there are lots of similar apps competing with each other. Nintendo wants to provide the gamers with quality games that’s worth its download value. OK, so how about a downloadable Scooby Doo game?

If the preorder numbers are to be based upon then the DSi would surpass the DS’ success. GameStop has announced that preorders for the DSi have already doubled that of the DS. Does this mean that Nintendo would not be releasing a next gen portable gaming console soon?

It looks like the waiting list will continue to grow longer as the DSi’s release date is fast approaching. It is the third version of the DS, following the slimmer DS Lite. From the looks of things Nintendo don’t need to hurry the development of the DS’ true successor.

Consumers looking to get their hands on the DSi during its first day of sale in North America should not worry about shortage of units. Nintendo has stated that they can meet the demand come release day. Anyone has preordered a DSi? Maybe you could send us a photo taken from your DSi during launch date.

Do violent video games influence children, selling out, advocates, space race, and releases in this week’s Nintendo News roundup.

Nintendo: Game Over? Time To Sell, Deutsche Bank Says
Deutsche Bank assessed that Nintendo has reached its peak and that investors should sell their stocks. It states that if the company fails to come up with new and innovative consoles then it would be downhill for the gaming giant.

Too violent for the Wii ones?
A concerned parents group expressed their disgust on the release of Gran Theft Auto on the DS, stating that Nintendo seemed to have forgotten their mission of providing quality games for the youth. Not only that, they also disliked MadWorld for the Wii. What these parents don’t realize is that these M rated games are made not for their kids for mature gamers. That’s the meaning of M. If they don’t like their kids to get their hands on the games then don’t buy it. It’s that simple. Parents should have an active participation on their kids’ lives and must not rely on gaming consoles to give the kids something to do while the parents are too busy with other things.

Activision Bringing Space Camp to Wii, DS
Space Camp is another mini game compilation that’s set to be released for the Wii and DS. Maybe the parents concerned their children’s welfare should get this game. Space Camp is made in the joint effort of Activision and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

European Q2 Release Schedule Revealed
There are lots of good titles coming soon for the Wii and DS. Games such as Punch Out!, Rhythm Paradise, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Pokemon Platinum, My Sims Party, MadWorld, PES 2009, and a lot more.

Nintendo is in cloud nine these days. The DS and Wii consoles are enjoying record breaking sales. Then here comes the news that the patent lawsuit filed by Fenner Investments against Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft has been dismissed by the courts.

The firm claimed that Nintendo has breached their 1998 patent with regards to the monitoring of the position of analog joysticks in the GameCube and Wii. Right from the start the lawsuit is kind of shady. To start with, Nintendo has started using analog joysticks since the N64, which came out in 1994. That’s two years before Fenner Investment’s patent.

With one lawsuit out of the way, Nintendo lawyers can focus on other lawsuits. One such patent lawsuit involves Wall Wireless LLC’s Method and Apparatus for Creating and Distributing Real-Time Interactive Media Content Through Wireless Communication Networks and the Internet. The long patent title simply relates to someone or something that sends messages having aural or visual content that is generated by the operator using handheld apparatuses such as mobile telephones.

Companies try to capitalize on other more successful companies by suing them over trivial things. Nintendo is an easy target because of the success it is enjoying these days.

After cooking, Mama wants to try her hands at gardening. Every casual gamer’s favorite chef will get her hands dirty while planting flowers, vegetables and fruits in the new Gardening Mama game for the Nintendo DS.

Gardening Mama will transform the DS stylus into a gardening tool that will be used to plant, nurture, and harvest different types of plants. Players will manage their gardens through each phase. You need to do a lot of caring for the plants to produce good quality items.

There’s a multiplayer mode wherein friends compete to grow the biggest harvest among them. Then there’s the Treasure Box mode that lets the players share their produce to their friends via the DS Wi-Fi. Gamers can also customize Mama’s clothes and screen design.

Gardening Mama is fresh take on the Cooking Mama. It will ship just in time for spring. Expect more gardening games to come out. Oh wait, I forgot about Harvest Moon but I do think that Gardening Mama’s gameplay will be different from Harvest Moon.

Gran Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is already out in the market today but some gamers have already been enjoying the game for a week now. Someone got hold of an advance copy and shared it over a few torrent sites.

Rockstar, one of the staunchest enemies of piracy, has placed added protection on Chinatown Wars that prevents it to be played on flash carts. Pirates managed to figure out this layer of security and released a crack version of the game.

It makes me wonder sometimes why game publishers such as Rockstar still bother with anti-piracy measures. Well it’s the same company that placed DRM on its Gran Theft Auto IV PC game. I know they they’re just protecting their profits but if gamers really want to play their game, they’ll buy it. No need to place added security when in just hours after release pirates can crack it.

Gran Theft Auto is a good game and piracy can hurt the Rockstar. You could download the game to try it out first. If you like the game, buy it. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas cheat and codes PS2.

Ubisoft can’t think of anything catchy and simply named it as Grey’s Anatomy: The Video Game. It would be available for the Wii and DS. Based on the television series, The Video Game gives the fans a chance to be part of the cast of the number one drama series in TV.

The Video Game takes place in Seattle Grace Hospital in the time when the hospital faces a crisis. Players would have to make some personal and professional decisions that can have an impact on the outcome of the game.

Being a medical game, players will have the chance to perform delicate surgeries using the Wiimote or the DS’ stylus. The storyline is written in collaboration with the TV series’ writers to give it feel like you’re part of the series’ cast.

The Video Game is already out in the market.