I'm not sure what the general feeling is, but I was somewhat disappointed by Wii Music. For me, the best part of the game is being able to play drums using the Wii balance board. That's why when I first heard about We Rock: Drum King (think Guitar Hero for drummers) a few months back I was quite excited that this would be a pretty good game for wiiboard fans.

At the time there was no mention of the game having balance board support so I thought I would wait and see before mentioning it here. The game's publisher, 505 Games, recently released some PR for the game which is scheduled for European release this April and the bad news is that there's still no mention of balance board support which is a real shame. I've tried to contact 505 to confirm this but had no response so it looks like wiiboard fans will have nothing to look forward to.

It's not all bad news though. If you still feel you need to beat the hell out of a set of drums and don't want to buy Wii Music you could always download Wii Drum High, a free download that will let you connect your wiimote/nunchuck/balance board to your PC via bluetooth to control a full drum kit. Pretty cool!

Looking to get a little more out of your Wii Fit step workout? It seems you can now get a balance board add-on call the RIISER Aerobic Step which raises your wiiboard by 4 inches to give you a better step workout. (Thanks Jas for emailing me about this.)

Of course you could just put your balance board on a pile of books (joke) but I'm not sure how safe that would be. The RIISER looks pretty secure but at $79.99 it seems like a lot to pay for 4 inches.

Anyway Jas is considering buying one and was wondering if anybody's bought one yet and has a review or comments.

Already grown tired of your Wii Balance Board? Not interested in any of the other balance board compatible games on offer (not even Shaun White Snowboarding) and ready to sell your Wii Fit? Well according to information published by VideoGamePriceCharts.com, depending on how much you initially paid for your Wii Fit, selling it online may actually make you a profit.

According to their figures (based on eBay sales) Wii Fit tops their Top 10 Games By Resale Value chart with an average resale value of $139.78. That's 55% more than the MSRP of $89.99. I have to say I was a bit sceptical so I did some digging of my own on eBay. For the most part their average seems to be pretty accurate although I did see some 'gently used' Wii Fits going for $100 to $115. Bottom line is that taking shipping into account, if you do decide to sell your Wii Fit on eBay you should at least get back what you originally paid for it - unless of course you paid over the odds to begin with.

Interestingly, for those of you still keen to try out the balance board without having to buy Wii Fit, I also saw a few listings for the balance board only, going for less than $80. May be worth considering.

For those of you in the UK who've been wondering about the next version of Kororinpa, scheduled for release in the US on March 10th, Konami has confirmed that this wii balance board compatible game will be released in the UK this April.

Instead of being called Marble Saga however, the European version is called Marbles! Balance Challenge but it is the exact same game. See Marble Saga Kororinpa for more details about the game.

Back in July last year I blogged about a study by the American Council on Exercise to measure the potential fitness benefits of Wii Sports. As I said back then, the results of the study weren’t earth shattering - yes, playing Wii Sports is better for you than simply sitting on the couch. As this study was done prior to the launch of Wii Fit, I mentioned back then that a similar study on Wii Fit would be interesting.

Later this year our questions regarding the effectiveness of Wii Fit may be answered scientifically when the results of a study by the University of Mississippi are finally published. The six month study which started last fall is tracking eight families who have been loaned Nintendo Wiis and will be evaluated for fitness, physical activity and body composition. The effectiveness of Wii Fit itself will be determined by comparing results taken in the first three months without Wii Fit in the home to the last three months with Wii Fit in the home.

It's a bit difficult to assess the study without having the exact details behind it and the results could vary significantly depending on numerous factors. If during the three months with the Wii Fit, the families are given specific strict training routines to follow then I would expect to see some improvements in overall activity and balance (maybe even body composition if diet is involved). If however the families are simply given the console and left to their own devices, the results may not be that great and that wouldn’t really surprise me. I've always maintained that Wii Fit was never intended to be a proper fitness tool, but rather a way to market the Wii Balance Board and create opportunities for third-party developers.

Case in point would be EA Games with their forthcoming EA Sports Active title scheduled for release in May. Now this is shaping up to be a full-blown fitness tool and EA is going all out to promote it with endorsements from fitness pros Bob Greene and Carmen Bott. Personally, I'm less interested in the results of the Mississippi Uni study and more interested to see what users have to say once this title is released. Could it be the Wii exergame we've all been waiting for?

In a recent post this blog reported on a new phenomenon that is occurring as a result of extensive and widespread usage of the Wii and the Wii Balance Board. To recap, as more people use the Wii as an exercise tool, they are sustaining injuries in their knees, back and wrists because of overuse and proper planning. Here are a few ways to use the balance board injury free.

First, treat the balance board as any other form of exercise. Warm up and stretch before any session lasting more then a few minutes, and don't do more then you are capable of. After each exercise, remember to cool down and stretch again.

Second, know your limits. You're probably not as in good shape as you were 10 years ago, and you will feel it if you're not careful. Work within your limits to get a good experience from the balance board without hurting yourself.

Third, give yourself time in between games. Play games 3 or 4 times a week instead of everyday, and make sure you get a good nights sleep before playing a game.

Fourth, consult your Doctor. Tell him you are beginning a routine that involves different exercises and stress on the joints (specifically knees, back and elbow). Ask him what suggestions he/she has regarding this type of exercise.

Finally, have fun - realize that the Wii and the balance board specifically are physical games that are new and require some getting used to. At the same time, they are designed to be fun. Try and find the proper balance between the fun part and the exertion part and you will end up having a much better Wii experience.

About the author
When she's not on her balance board, Maya Richard is blogging. Right now she is writing about high speed internet for Cable Modem Help. You can reach her with questions about Internet, Wii and blogging on mayarichard@gmail.com