Today was the official launch day for the Nintendo Wii, ushering in a whole new generation of video gaming, revolutionizing — if you will — the way we use our living rooms forever. For this newest series of home video game consoles, some may say that the Wii is only true “next-generation” system in that it is the only one that is actually changing the way we play. Sure, the PlayStation 3 (complete with its $3,000 eBay asking price) and Xbox 360 (with its exquisite Gears of War exclusive) may boast more powerful engines and flashier graphics, but the Wii is a different beast altogether, not only targetting the hardcore gamer, but housewives, retired persons, and — as the Nintendo stereotype goes — school-aged children as well.

I, myself, am a self-proclaimed Nintendo fanboy. For each generation of video game system, I have stayed Nintendo loyal, having owned the NES, SNES, N64, and GameCube, as well as the original spinach-green Game Boy, Game Boy Advance SP, and — most recently — the DS Lite. Now that the Wii is here, I’m seriously tempted to get that too. But are you a Nintendo fanboy too? Here are the top ten symptoms, compiled by yours truly:

10. You own at least three articles of 1UP apparel (for reference, I have one: a cap).

9. You introduce yourself to people by saying, “It’s-a-me, Mario!”

8. According to you, the Power Glove was the greatest peripheral of all time.

7. Who needs Resistance: Fall of Man when you’ve got Nintendogs?

6. You’ve re-created the Gordon College live action Mario skit.

5. You’re torn on whether you should name your first born child Shigeru or Satoru.

4. You get visibly upset whenever anyone says “Nintendo is just for kids.”

3. You bought a Virtual Boy (and you still think that those 3D graphics are OMG-rific). However, you’re willing to destroy it to get a Wii.

2. You’re seriously considering changing your name to Link or Zelda.

1. You can’t wait until all your friends drool all over your shiny new Wii.

Honourable mention:
– You hated Sonic until he showed up on the DS in Sonic DS.
– You refuse to associate yourself with any PSP owner.
– You scoff at Sony’s attempts to copy Nintendo’s innovations (SIXAXIS vs. Wiimote, analog sticks, etc.)

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