Wii all love to play

This, as much as anything else, is for my information. Though I don't own a Wii and haven't purchased a new console in years — I don't even play video games unless it's with my nephew — the popularity of Nintendo's breakout console amazes me.

Imagine that. Using laser technology as a motion detector of sorts. I knew, you knew, we all knew the day would come. And now, with new games on the forefront — tons of gaming companies underestimated the Wii and only now are developing games for the console — the Wii is here to stay.

A quick look at the Toys n' Joys site shows myriad gadgets and accessories to go with the Wii. I can see how it's very Apple-esque and appealingly ubercool. Santa, can I have a Wii this Christmas?

Interestingly enough, though the Wii is sold out all over the U.S. — a Nintendo store in New York claims to sell out early in the morning every day — my nephew informs me that it's easy to find in Honolulu. Better for me. Or Santa.

Hunt for Kamenrider leads to Toys N' Joys

In my search for all things Kamenrider, it was a pleasant surprise to find Toys N' Joys among the very first links.

Toys N' Joys is a Honolulu-based store that is a real, down-to-earth success story. One of the staples of the store, which recently expanded its original Kaimuki location, is Japanese toys and anime. So many cool things in that store, I find myself wandering around for up to an hour even if I go there for just one item. Or none.

But back to Kamenrider. TNJ has 20 pages of items on its site, from other members of the "Rider" family to Shocker Zukkoke (bad guys) action figures. In all there are dozens of Kamenrider and Kamenrider-related items.

One of the gem is a Kamenrider Cyclone (motorcycle) 1/6 scale die cast. The bike was one of the coolest elements of the show (on KIKU TV) when I was a big fan back in the 1970s. It retails for $299.

Fortunately, the other items are quite a bit more affordable and amazingly varied. It's basically a museum of Rider art, and available for purchase. Though Kikaida will always be entrenched in my memory as the first Japanese action hero, the Kamenrider franchise is easily the most complex and compelling on a broad scale even though in Hawaii, we were exposed primarily to V3.

So go to the Toys N' Joys site and check it out. Here are a few samples.