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It's April, and I'm guessing that there are currently as many reviewers with grand opinions on the Nintendo Wii as there are enamoured gamers, anticipating the chance that they might actually own one. Admittedly, I am both of these. My last month in Europe was spent waiting for the day that I could finally grasp that revolutionary, ivory colored plastic rod, and shake it until I completely forgot the pleasures of rubbing a traditional stem or pad. I am enamoured by the Wii. To the pessimists out there that deny its potential as a competitive console, I say shush (graphics schmaphics, hard drive schmard drive, but never fun schmun). In fact, it's so much fun that it throws me into a state of worry.

I couldn't help but notice that when first playing on this system, I was being trained. Even after I had mastered bowling and tennis, each new activity, each new game were pulling me inward, forcing me to adapt to its revolutionary ways. Was this any different than Super Mario Brothers and the first moment that holding down 'A' actually felt like running, or with Star Fox for SNES when slamming down 'Y' actually felt like rolling? Some may think not, accepting the infiltration of movement translating technology into their lives. Yet others like myself may be a little more cautious, though seemingly hokie in their evaluation of it.

I view the Wii as another step in the fragmented evolution of technological superiority, patiently yet persistently replacing the perceived reality of our conscious existence (I say perceived because that is all that we as individuals can be absolutely sure of). Now I may seem like I'm losing it, but anybody reading this review need only to ponder the means by which they are able to do so. Social networking sites are streamlining the process by which we find, and maintain relationships with each other. Within our speedily growing society, time is becoming somewhat of a commodity. While our free time becomes more scarce it's value increases, leaving technology to do the job of re-calibrating our perception of time with our allocation of it. Because of the Internet, we can find exactly what we want to find fast, providing more time for enjoyment. Deep inside I know that I only really want to work for four days, and relax for three. Yet because of clocks and calendars, I must work for five days, and relax for two. Without spinning this into a dissertation summary, I'll rope this in

We should be very conscious of these elements of technology because of the fact that they are fragmented. The Internet, and social networking sites are training me to organize my time. Videogame consoles are training me to physically move to their parameters. Television and film are teaching me to believe and internalize what I see on a screen. I'm not saying that there is a conscious, and concerted effort by technology to create these stimuli, in order to enslave the human race. What I am saying is that as a human creation, our own technology may be moving to the point where it will outsmart its creators. Forget battlefields strewn with humanoid, gun toting robots, marching towards the last outpost of natural human civilization. As long as we get smarter, our technology will follow. The more cunning we get, the more cunning our technology, to the point that we wont even notice or care that it has dominated every minute of our 24 hour day. I am not proposing that we abandon our achievements, to return to a life devoid of technology. It's just that every time that Wario Smooth Moves forces me to turn a key, pick up a telephone, or jump a rope I tend to return to this realization, cautious but excitedly intrigued.

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