For all you Guitar Hero fans, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is coming out for retail release on June 29! Go order yours now, because we hear this is supposed to be pretty awesome.

Check out the trailer below:

The great folks over at Make Magazine posted an article about a wii-mote controlled robotic arm – in this case, that is controlling that old 2-axis labrynth-marble-concentration game. Check out the video:

I just read an article in Make Magazine about a Netherlands-based composer, Tom Tlalim, who uses eight Nintendo Wii controllers to create and manipulate real-time sound. Tlalim connects his wiimotes to his body, and each controller senses a different part of his movement to his sound software “Supercollider,” as he (or she, of course!) dances, walks, or otherwise moves through space.

Check out the photo gallery on Tom Tlalim’s website.

Your editors at WeKnowWii.com, as well as anyone who uses the Wii Fit, might notice that doing some of the exercises on the Fit have a tendency to really beat up the knees – especially when you have to get down on the floor. We have a hardwood floor that gives new meaning to the term “hard,” so a mat or some sort – preferably a Yoga mat – is essential.

The question is, however – do you pay the the nearly thirty dollars for a Wii-branded yoga mat, or is your typical yoga mat perfectly fine?

Checking out the Wii Fit Yoga Mat on Amazon, you’re going to pay $27.99 for a mat that seems to be just like your typical yoga mat.  The description of this item says that “this mat can be used for actual Yoga or other fitness class.”  Gas is currently at around $4.10 per gallon average right now, so if you’re a gamer, you might be interested on how to save a dollar here or there like we are.  If you’re a Wii Purist and can only purchase Wii-or-Nintendo-Branded Items, then by all means, get the Wii mat.  If you’re not a go-zillionaire and want something that is a little cheaper, check out some of the other yoga mats.  Amazon has a ton.

For example:
The Valeo Yoga and Exercise Mat

Extra Long Yoga Mat

Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat

What is most important here to you?  The most important piece of information to consider is the width of the mat – the Wii Fit is approximately 20″ long, so you want a mat that will accommodate this width.  Most of the mats I’ve checked out here are between 24″ and 30″, which is a pretty optimum dimension.  For exercises like the Pushup and Side Plank, I need extra length to make sure I don’t roll my ankle on the hard floor in my house.

Hopefully this helps – the economy is suffering, and any little bit helps.  Especially for us gamers who spring hundreds of bucks for game consoles, games, and accessories.

Endless Ocean by Nintendo is a game that is apparently getting a lot of that underrated buzz. It’s one of a series of earlier games, and it is most definitely not a game that you will expect to have button-smashing, hand-to-hand combat and bloody battles.

As a matter of fact, it is quite opposite. It’s very chill. It’s calm. Say what?

You have command of a ship, the Gabbiano, and a diver – really, that’s about the general premise of the game. But the exploring – that is the main function of this title. You are a diver in the vast sea. The sea is huge, and you have the ability to explore it. With the creatures and inhabitants of the ocean, you can interact, swim, explore, see, learn… You can even add your own soundtrack via SD card to the game, or just guide your diver to a chaise lounge on deck of the Gabbiano and relax.

Sound exciting? Well, not really, but it’s something that should be a must-have for all Wii owners.

The interaction with the sea’s fauna isn’t as exciting and dangerous as we think it could be – sharks and blue tangs kinda react the same way to a gentle poking – but it is an easy game to put on and get lost in as you swing the vast body of oceans.

Check out Endless Ocean over at Amazon – it’s under thirty bucks. A must-have.

We might be a little behind the curve on this post, but my co-editor just bought Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party for Wii, and I must say that as skeptical as I was about this game, I quite enjoyed watching her play it.  The beats weren’t too terribly cheezy, and it was a decent sweat-maker.  Along with our Wii Fit, this is an excellent addition to our health-conscious lifestyle – plus, it’s dancing!  Come on!

Check out Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party on Amazon.  I think it’s going for about $69.99 as of today, which includes the game and the dance pad.

For those of you that now have Lego Indiana Jones for Wii – you might have seen the advertisement on the backs of instructional booklets about Star Wars: Clone Wars Wii. LucasArts and producer Ken Fox have been talking about the game and the lightsaber action – what is apparent is that the game won’t be a lightsaber ‘simulator,’ per se, but as the player moves the wiimote from side to side, so will the lightsaber in the character’s hand.

When asked about the usage of the light saber in the upcoming game, Ken Fox explained:

” I wouldn’t describe what we’re doing as one-to-one in the way that you might picture, but we really tried to make it feel like you get to swing your Lightsaber ‘manually’. In short, it feels like the most natural and convincing sword type experience I’ve had on the Wii. And on top of that, it not just a sword, it’s a lightsaber.”

On the Nunchuk, the analogue stick will move the character around, and the buttons will allow the palyer to force, block, and dodge attacks and hits.

Look for Star Wars: Clone Wars coming in the fall from LucasArts.

Have you gotten any of the Star Wars themed Wii games yet? We’ve found Lego Star Wars, the Complete Saga (which we love, by the way), and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

And for those of you who haven’t heard or seen this accessory, check out the Wii Glo Sword. This thing comes in four colors (so far!), check it out!
Wii Glo Sword accessory, “Scorching Red”
Wii Glo Sword accessory, “Cool Blue”
Wii Glo Sword accessory, “Fire Orange”
Wii Glo Sword accessory, “Power Green”

Thanks Nintendic for the article!

In lieu of all the critical acclaim, EA LA and Steven Spielberg’s action packed, physics-driven puzzle title Boom Blox for Wii was bought only 60,000 times during its first month out in the US, we heard from GameDaily.

Boom Blox was only purchased by 0.6% of the 10.2 million Wii players in the United States.

Even though in actual sales Boom Blox kinda bombed so far, “It has met our expectations internally,” EA CEO John Riccitello said while at the William Blair Investor Conference, as relayed by MTV Multiplayer. “It’s continued to sell well. It did break into the top 10 for the Wii, and the advertising is doing exactly what [our] team expected to drive sales.”

NPD analyst Anita Frazier, meanwhile, blamed the game’s low sales on market “noise.”

“It’s still really hard for new IP to breakthrough the noise in the market, and there has been a lot of noise so far this year,” she explained. “The game was really well reviewed so I’m suspecting the marketing just didn’t break through the clutter to the extent that they were hoping for.”

The game gets good reviews and 4.5 stars on Amazon – check it out.

(thanks Shacknews for the article!)

Amazon has a deal going right now where you are given a $10 Amazon gift card with your Super Smash Bros. Brawl purchase. Looks like this offer is good until June 26. Jump on it!

Founder and Co-Editor of WeKnowWii.com turns 30 today!  Happy Birthday!

Mari Kart codes for us – add us, we’ll do the same!  Let’s race!

Jim:     2191 8421 7688
Leia:    5284-2299-1184

We have to apologize up front for our absenteeism…  But we’ve been plastered in front of the Wii!
Wii Fit, Mario Kart, Dance Dance Revolution are keeping us busy!

Look for some reviews, updates, and otherwise info-filled blog posts coming up!

It figures that we’d start telling our friends about this site, then both get taken down by bronchitis and not make any updates for a while. Fortunately, being sick gave us time to check out some new (to us) Wii games. We’ve been playing No More Heroes, Sims 2: Castaway, and EA Playground between naps and trips to the doctor. Now that we’re on the rebound, more regular posting will resume.

We’ve added a big page of release dates for Wii games to the site, with extensive lists of games coming out in the coming months for United States players. Check it out and let us know which games you’re excited about.

FIRST POST! Thanks for checking out our new site.