The Riiflex: Get A Workout, Smash Your Furniture

[Andy Chalk]

The Riiflex: Get A Workout, Smash Your Furniture

Here's a good idea that's bound to end badly: The Riiflex [http://www.riiflex.com/index.html], an add-on for the Wii Remote that turns the wireless controller into an actual dumbbell.

The idea behind the Riiflex is simple: Gamers who want to incorporate some physical activity into their daily lives are madly waving their Wii Remotes [http://www.nintendo.com/wii/what/controllers] anyway, so why not add some actual resistance to the process? By dramatically increasing the weight of the Wii controller, the benefits of playing on the system are also greatly heightened.

The Riiflex attachments are planned to come in two and five pound increments, and are cut to give full access to all Remote functions, including the trigger. The patent-pending devices are not yet available and final pricing hasn't been set, but health-conscious gamers can sign up to pre-order the devices.

There's only one potential problem. Remember back in the early days of the Wii, when people were flailing around like they'd been shot in the ass and Wii Remotes were being your dog [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/66770-Nintendo-Plans-Wii-Strap-Education]. Of course, you might get lucky: Maybe the strap will hold and you'll just dislocate your wrist instead.

via: Gizmodo [http://i.gizmodo.com/5136528/riiflex-weights-make-the-wii-fitter]


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[Cousin_IT]

If people use their wiimotes as flails with those dungbell attachments on; the deserve every breakage it causes

 

[fix-the-spade]

That, actually looks pretty good. It beats sitting around with dumb bells for half an hour a day (in theory),

 

[Jeronus]

You would have to have pretty weak wrists if they break playing wii. I mean if your bones are that weak you shouldn't be playing wii games in the first place as they involve a lot jerking of the wrist.

 

[Yensid]

Cat killed by Wii Remote..news at 11.

Seriously, while it isn't a bad thought, I just see disaster written all over this. Some little kid is going to hit some other little kid with it.

 

[xitel]

Um, I think it would be better if they didn't have those big nubs at the end. If you just wanted extra weight when you were playing regular games, those will make it pretty hard to grip comfortably. Also, the "Riiflex"? Really? I mean, come on, that's just getting stupid.

 

[Yensid]

It sounds like they ment Reflex but they used the sterotype of an asian saying the word Reflex.

 

[bkd69]

Their press copy aside, it seems better suited for fitness titles like EA Sports Active than general gaming titles.

If you want to add weights to your boxing or tennis, you're probably better off with wrist weights, though these do look groovy.

 

[RAWKSTAR]

Someone will die.
Seriously.

 

[Zer_]

This is only a bad idea because many consumers are too stupid to properly grip their Wii-mote.

 

[shadowbird]

Am I the only one who thinks normal everyday wrist weights do exactly the same thing, minus the damage potential?