You may or may not know that about three years ago, I joined a team of Nintendo Brand Enthusiasts through the Brand About Town agency. My first role as a brand ambassador was to host a Wii Fit Plus yoga party – my, how things have changed with Nintendo since then! I’ve continued on as a Nintendo brand ambassador these past few years, and want to share today a little about Nintendo’s latest, the Wii U.

Now that the holiday season is over and the rush of the Wii U launch has settled, I thought it would be good to introduce you a bit to the Wii U console. Specifically, I want to share with you why it might be a good option for your family. Do note however, that I do not own a Wii U (yet), so this information comes from various sources: friends, online information I’ve read, and information sent to me by the agency.

First, the Nintendo Wii U system launched back in November of last year and includes a new console and the Wii U GamePad. The Wii U GamePad is a new controller with a touch screen that allows for interaction with the games you play. From what I’ve noticed, it provides another dimension of game play and lets another player join the fun through the use of the GamePad.

Wii U Love from Nintendo Brand Ambassadors

Some Nintendo brand ambassadors were able to get a sneak peek of the Wii U before it launched (unfortunately, I was unable to attend the event myself due to other travel I had at the same time), and had the following to say about the Wii U:

“Overall, I think it’s going to be a really neat system that will expand the way we play our multi-player games and add new challenges to Wii Fit. It’s awesome how you can use the pad on its own while watching TV.”

“I’ve never played games where you actually work together, what a neat concept.”

“I have always been skeptical of letting my kids play video games because I was concerned about them interacting with other users online. So knowing that I can set parental controls on the Wii U is great.”

“I have 4 boys who are very competitive and really like to play so usually I don’t get to, but now with the Wii U I get to use the game pad and beat them all!”

Wii U Great for Family Fun, Even Preschoolers!

I also chatted a bit with a friend of mine who is not only a father of three, but a gaming fan as well and owner of the blog Confident Gamers. Chris relayed to me that his older boy (age 3) loves playing with the Wii U and even “instructs” guests on how to play! I love how kids have no fear of telling you what they know. His son’s favorite game is Nintendo Land, which they enjoy playing as a family.

My friend said he thinks one of the reasons his son has been able to pick up playing with the Wii U so easily (despite his young age) is the touch screen aspect. I personally know how easy it is for babies and toddlers to navigate a touch screen interface – my baby boy has been using the iPad since he was only 1-year-old! Chris shared that he is also a fan of the profiles you can set up on the Wii U. His son has his own profile, for which they have limited the access using the parental controls.

I can see that the Wii U is a fun addition for families and one I look forward to trying in the near future. It seems like a great way to have fun with the kids and help you game together as a family! The Nintendo Wii U can be purchased starting at $299.99 for the basic bundle, or for $349.99, you get some bonus accessories and the Nintendo Land game.

Have you tried the Wii U yet with your family?

More Info and Reviews of the Nintendo Wii U:

• A Wii U Review for Dads
• First Impressions of the Wii U
• Fun Features of New Super Mario Bros. U
• Video Review of Wii U Game, Nintendo Land
• Hands-on with the Nintendo Wii U

Photo: Michael Sheehan/Flickr

*This giveaway has closed. Congratulations to the winners!*

My husband has always been into video games. I have too. I can still remember saving up my own money when I was 8 or 9 and going to the store to buy my first Nintendo system – the first one out that came with the duck hunting game and gun. Remember that? It’s no surprise, then, that my husband and I enjoy playing video games together and that this too has become a favorite family activity with our daughter.

However, there’s not that many games available that both entertain and are easy enough for her almost-five-year-old self to play. We end up helping her a lot when she plays games, even those that are supposedly for her age level. Which is why I was excited when I learned of the Sesame Street video games while I was at the Blogalicious 2010 conference. You’ve got Sesame Street characters like Cookie Monster and Elmo, educational games, and even a remote cover (or special pen for the DS version) to help children with their game play.

Our family received Cookie’s Counting Carnival for the Wii system to try out. Right away, our daughter was excited to play the game and couldn’t wait to put the Cookie Monster cover on the remote! I have to admit, I was just as excited and the fact that she was so engaged with the character and idea of it, automatically made me engaged as well. She was able to play the game by herself without much help at all. The mini-games included were appropriate for her age and of course, Cookie Monster’s guidance made the experience fun for her. By the way, have you ever seen Cookie Monster on Sesame Street’s Twitter? You get hilarious tweets from Cookie himself, like this one!

Anyway, it’s really no surprise that she enjoyed the game and as parents, my husband and I were glad that she was reinforcing many skills from preschool through a fun game experience. As adults, though, that play a variety of video games, it was hard not to notice a few things about the game that we wish were improved upon:

• The synching of the voices to the mouth movement was off. See the video below for an example.
• The remote cover actually made it a little harder to play for her. I think it was because it didn’t exactly fit the Wii remote, so it kept sliding around as she played. That may just have been our remote and/or cover; I’m not sure if all are the same.
• The reaction time from pressing a button on the remote and the game recognizing your choice/move was also a bit off at times. This made for very slight frustration on her part as she knew she had the right answer and the game didn’t recognize it!

Sesame Street: Cookie’s Counting Carnival Video Game for the Wii from Melanie Edwards on Vimeo.

Like I said, those are minor details that she didn’t notice while playing the game, but that we did since we’re into video game playing. None of that made for a bad experience in playing the game and each was easily resolved by ignoring it, removing the cover, and using it as a life lesson of “Sometimes things aren’t fair.” Luckily, our baby girl is strong and adjusts quickly, so she was not phased.

All that being said, how about you give the games a try yourself and see how your kids like them? The Sesame Street folks have provided one each of Sesame Street: Elmo’s A-to-Zoo Adventure for the Nintendo DS and Sesame Street: Cookie’s Counting Carnival for the Nintendo DS. That means, that two ModernMami.com readers will win! Here are the descriptions for each game, as well as a video trailer with more information:

• In Sesame Street: Elmo’s A-to-Zoo Adventure, kids head to the Zoo with Elmo, Zoe and their animal friends, as they explore fun games including letter identification, rhyming, letter sounds and color and shape identification. Kids can also explore fun Zoo habitats including the Aquarium, Savanna, Jungle, Wetlands and the Arctic.
• In Sesame Street: Cookie’s Counting Carnival, kids join Cookie Monster and Big Bird at a fun-filled carnival, through gameplay steeped in math skills that include number identification, counting, shapes and pattern recognition. Kids journey through the game in the many areas of the carnival such as The Grandstand, Midway, Petting Zoo, Food Court and the Arcade.

In case you don’t win a game, or need one for the Wii or PC instead of the DS, you can also take advantage of the 10% coupon code they’ve provided. Simply go to sesamestreet.org/videogames and enter promo code MOMMY at checkout. Coupon details:

• End Date: December 20, 2010
• Type of Discount: 10% off any Sesame Street Video Game
• Promo Code: MOMMY

Reader Giveaway

Two (2) of you will win a Sesame Street video game for the Nintendo DS: One will win Elmo’s A-to-Zoo Adventure and the other Cookie’s Counting Carnival.

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this contest, simply leave a comment below telling us if your younger kids enjoy playing video games and if so, which are their favorites.

Extra entries (optional):

Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on twitter.
2. Tweet the following: Win #sesamestreet #videogame at @modernmami for Nintendo DS! Ends 12/14 http://bit.ly/ssgame #giveaway #contest #sorteo #holidays #preschool
3. Receive post updates by subscribing to our RSS feed. You can do so either via email or through a RSS reader. Leave a comment saying you did so or are already a subscriber.
4. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
5. Like ModernMami.com on Facebook.
6. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing your favorite childhood video games or those your kids enjoy. Be sure to include details of this contest with a link back to this post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.) Winner will have 24 hours to respond and claim prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: A video game copy was received for facilitating this review. No compensation received.

Photos and video game trailer provided by and used courtesy of Sesame Street.

Disclosure: As a Nintendo Brand Enthusiast through Brand About Town, I received a copy of the Wii Fit™ Plus game and the opportunity to host a Wii Fit Plus yoga party free of charge. No other compensation received. In addition, Nintendo has given me a Wii™ system and the Wii Fit Plus bundle (Balance Board™ & game) which I am giving away for this contest.

A few months ago, a few of my friends and even some family, got together on a Sunday morning and headed downtown to have a Wii Fit™ Plus yoga party. This was my first duty as a Wii Fit Plus Brand Enthusiast. It’s such a hard job. I swear. Ok, fine, I can’t lie. I just get to have fun and bring you along with me for the ride.

I wasn’t sure what to expect since all I had been told was that we’d have a yoga session and get to learn about the new features of Wii Fit Plus. I already owned Wii Fit™ and loved it, so I was excited to get together with friends and do some yoga together. When I arrived, I started giggling like a school girl when I saw this:

My husband rolled his eyes so far up that I’m surprised they didn’t get stuck in the back of his head. My mom on the other hand, giggled along with me. She’s awesome.

Once inside, I couldn’t help but keep smiling. The set-up was NICE! There were cushions, yoga mats, and 10 TV/Wii Fit stations with each one having a Buddha statue and candle underneath. It was very peaceful and soothing and the party hadn’t even started. There were also the most adorable fruit smoothies in shot glasses, which was good because many hadn’t eaten breakfast. The guests, I mean. Not me. {ahem}

Our party started with an awesome trainer guiding us through the new options of Wii Fit Plus and later showing us some yoga poses that we’d try out as a group. What I love is that you can now create your own exercise routine, track your calorie burning, and customize your workout based on what you ate. Then we broke out into partners.

We saluted the sun.

We were trees.

We were warriors.

After a break for lunch, we had a chance to play the new balance games. I love love love the Rhythm Kung Fu and Rhythm Parade games. I also like the multiplayer function that’s now available. Add some mimosas to the party and we definitely had a fun time trying to balance ourselves.

It was a lot of fun and all who attended had a great time. We all want to know when we can have another party!

Oh, and did I forget to mention that all attendees received their very own Wii Fit Plus bundle? Imagine their surprise when the boxes came out!

Thanks Brand About Town and Nintendo for the awesome party and opportunity to share with friends and family! The trainer and entire team were wonderful and need to come to my house to make sure I work out regularly. Just saying.

Now for your very own fun!

Giveaway

You too have a chance at trying out the new Wii Fit Plus and its features! One of you can win not only the Wii Fit Plus bundle with a board, but also a Wii SYSTEM. The winner will receive both. That’s right ladies and gentlemen…LOVE ME!

Find out how to enter…

How to Enter

• If you’d like to enter this contest, leave a comment answering the question: “How will you fit some fit in with Wii Fit Plus from Nintendo?“

All entries must be in by Monday, April 5 at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry so I can contact you.)

Additional Contest Rules

• The prize will be awarded together as one gift to include (1) Wii system and (1) Wii Fit Plus to a single individual.
• Contest is only open to U.S. residents over the age of 18.
• Contest is not open to my family members and/or Nintendo employees.