At last we have something to celebrate with the long-awaited US release of Namco's We Ski & Snowboard (WSS) - the followup to the popular We Ski/Family Ski. Longtime balance board fans will no doubt remember We Ski which was released in May last year and was one of the first third-party balance board-compatible games. Whilst it was a fun family game, there was one obvious omission - no snowboarding.

The original Happy Ski Resort is gone, replaced with 7000 vertical meters to explore over two mountains (Mt. Angrio and the Jamboree Snow Resort). Unlike We Ski, which restricted you to the runs, WSS is a fully-explorable environment so you can do whatever you want, wherever you want. There's also a new Fun Park with a half-pipe and rails for snowboarding tricks.

While I've enjoyed playing Shaun White Snowboarding, it's definitely more of a 'gamers' game whereas WSS just adds that element of family fun. The original We Ski was fun but never quite delivered. This latest version is the family ski game we were always hoping for. Get yourself a copy - you won't be disappointed.

Check out the official We Ski & Snowboard website for videos, screens and more details.

Let's face it, it was only a matter of time before somebody jumped on this bandwagon. I'm just surprised it's taken this long. First we had parents up in arms because their children were being labelled 'obese'. Then we had reports of increasing numbers of Wii-related injuries. Now we have fitness guru, Michael Torchia, who's on a mission because he feels that adults and children are being brainwashed by Nintendo's marketing into thinking that Wii games (specifically Wii Fit) are a safe and effective way to become fit.

According to Torchia, "Nintendo is contributing to the epidemic of obesity. Young and old are putting away their gym clothes and shying away from going outdoors to play sports, because the addictive appeal to the Wii game products. Just as the tobacco companies created such a false image of their products and hid the potential dangers, so is Nintendo."

Wow – comparing Wii to tobacco advertising – that's pretty strong talk, but I think he's taking things too far. Yes it's true that as a fitness tool, Wii Fit may not be as good as the hype may have led us to believe, but for many it's a great starting point. Wii Fit has also done a great deal to generate awareness of exergaming and paved the way for future fitness titles such as Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum and EA's Sports Active. Of course there's no denying that improper use of Wii Fit can lead to injuries and yes, some people (a minority in my view) may see Wii Fit as an alternative to outdoor activity but why the need for this negative crusade and the knee-jerk reaction to sue.

Obviously Torchia has a lot to gain by all this increased attention but surely if he really had people's best interests in mind he would follow the example of fellow fitness pros like Bob Greene (currently endorsing EA Sports Active) and focus on the positive effects of Wii Fit (or does he consider that as selling out?). So Wii Fit can lead to injuries – why not use your years of experience and do more to show us how best we should warm up or what the best form should be for the various Wii Fit activities. So Wii Fit stops people from outdoor exercise – surely there's room for both – how about creating some fitness programmes that can incorporate both.

Instead, Torchia has decided that suing Nintendo is the best thing to do. Is that really the answer? Does he really think that this is what we need to help us get off our couches and physically active and healthy? Or maybe he's just upset that nobody offered him the chance to be the face of a Wii fitness title and now it's payback time.

Call me old fashioned but I've always enjoyed Tetris. There's something mesmerising about those coloured blocks that can keep me occupied for hours. I've been waiting for a Wii version ever since I first got the console so Hudson's latest offering, Tetris Party, was a welcome addition to my collection.

First the good. Yes, it is a more 'cutesy' looking version than the original arcade game and at starting levels, it really does seem a bit slow but once you get beyond level 10 things do hot up and you'll find yourself sweating to keep up. Playing against the console is also great fun and you'll find yourself taking great pleasure in clearing lines that are then passed over to your opponent's matrix. There are also a few variations to the original Tetris such as Field Climber, Shadow and Stage Racer but I personally didn't find them to be particularly exciting.

Where this game really comes into its own is in multi-player mode, hence the Party in Tetris Party. In Battle mode up to 4 players each get their own matrix which you try to clear in the usual way, with cleared lines passed over to your opponents. In addition, you can collect 'items' which you can use against your opponents to temporarily freeze their tetrominoes or even blank their screens - it's loads of fun.

Now for the not so good. Balance board support in this game is what I would call 'dumbed down' Tetris. Obviously it's single player only or versus the console but it uses much bigger 'kiddie size' tetrominoes which makes it far less challenging. You control your blocks by leaning left or right, forward or back to drop and use a squating motion to rotate right. I found these controls to be a bit finicky and maybe I was just being impatient but after a short while I just got frustrated and went back to using the Wiimote.

So the bottom line is, if you enjoy Tetris then this game won't dissappoint. It's a fun new take on an old classic and is especially fun in multi-player mode. If you were hoping this game would give you reason to dust off your balance board I'd have to say don't bother - there are better balance board games available now.

Good news balance board fans - Amazon.com is offering $20 off your next video game purchase when you buy a copy of Wii Music. Ok, true, Wii Music is not as exciting a release as Shaun White Snowboarding or Skate It but it will be enough to keep you occupied until those titles are released next month. So, get your copy of Wii Music at Amazon before October 31 to claim your bonus.

And while I'm on the subject of Shaun White Snowboarding, Amazon.com are also offering a $10 bonus if you pre-order a copy before November 15 so why not also pre-order SWSB at Amazon for a total bonus of $30 towards your next games.