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Playing Pokemon on Nintendo DS is kind fun, but also a pain. It’s certainly no trip to a vacation home Orlando … or any other vacation home location. That’s because, like too many DS games, the touch screen simply isn’t utilized very creatively in Pokemon Diamond/Pearl.

But you can say that about a lot of DS games; what I appreciate about Pokemon Diamond/Pearl is that it’s the first WiFi online Pokemon title. Now, instead of a link cable or being in the same room in order to play, trade or battle against another Pokemon owner, you can actually do it online.

My main complaint, however, is that it’s a bit of a pain to set up. Nintendo WiFi is supposed to be seemless, but unless you’re in a McDonalds, it’s not as slick as they make it sound. You still have to have your home WiFi network’s 10-digit ID/code to get online, and even after you do that, you have to have your own “Friend Code” as well as a buddy’s friend code in order to find each other online.

Worse, you must wait until you’re about three hours into the game before the game will give you the Pal Pad item that allows to you to do any of this to begin with.

However, once all that’s worked out, Pokemon Diamond/Pearl works well online and is the source of few complaints. It’s worth the time and effort, even if it’s more time and effort than folks have been commonly led to believe.

One thing all gamers need is a comfortable place to sit - or lay - as they play their Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 games. Whether it’s simple folding chairs or a custom gamer recliner with built-in beverage holders and a Dolby 5.1 surround sound system built into the chair, or something in between, every gamer needs to be comfortable to really enjoy their favorite pastime.

Except when it comes to the Nintendo Wii. I mean, sure, the PS3’s controllers have motion-sensitivity also, but I doubt most PS3 games will utilize it as comprehensively as the Wii system. Their remote-and-nunchuk controller design tends to discourage lounging around. With motion sensitivity a key element of Wii game design, laying around will likely mean you’re not playing your Wii.

While not every Wii game will require standing up or an aerobic workout, it’s hard to imagine many Wii owners laying back in a comfy recliner and playing most Wii games effectively. Could Nintendo be concerned about the health of their gamers by building a system that requires one to be more physically active?

Maybe… but more likely is that they just needed something to make the Wii seem diferent, especially since they knew their graphics weren’t going to be even remotely close to the graphics of 360 and PS3 games.