by Robert Recker
Senior Editor
Twinsburg -- Released several years ago, the Nintendo Wii home video game system has found a niche with elderly gameplayers because of its simple, hands-on gameplay.
It uses a wireless paddle to control the actions in the game -- "throw" the controller toward the television to launch a pitch in a baseball game, "swing" it to hit a virtual golf ball.
Bowling is the game of choice at Legacy Place Twinsburg, where the Wii has become a popular activity in recent months.
"It's great. You play it here and you go tell everybody to get it for your grandkids," Carmella Gaspar, a 90-year-old resident of the assisted living facility, said during an April 2 Wii session.
Legacy Place employee Susan Farmer said her children let her take their Wii system to work after Christmas. It was not long before the retirement home decided it should purchase a system of its own.
"The residents were very intrigued by it," she said. "Of course there were some people who did not want to try it."
One of those was George Johnson, 80, who said he was hesitant to play because he is in a wheelchair. But he quickly learned the game was accessible to all.
"I'll bowl my 50 just as easy standing as in my wheelchair," he said with a laugh.
A few feet away, Georgia Cargile has run off an impressive streak, picking up a couple of spares and knocking down all 10 pins for a strike.
"If I could do this well in real-life bowling, I'd have it made," said the 72-year-old, a veteran league bowler.
"I just need a little help remembering the buttons," she adds with a chuckle.
Although the game does not require it, she uses a full, authentic bowling motion, taking several steps toward the screen, swinging her arm in a long, slow arc and holding her finish in a graceful pose. During one heave, the controller nearly slips from her hand, but is caught by a safety strap fastened to her wrist.
The game only takes five minutes, and Farmer announces Cargile as the high scorer for the day.
"A 151, that's not too shabby," Farmer said.
Farmer said the top score she has seen this year was a 186 from Sylvia Georgetti, a feisty 85-year-old who does not seem too satisfied with her efforts this day, gesturing furtively at the television when a teetering pin fails to go down.
"What's the matter with you?" she asks the machine. "Now I'm mad."
It's Gaspar's turn, and as she plays, she recounts the days when she used to fling a 12-pound ball down the alley in her real-life bowling league.
"As you get older, it gets tougher to play," she said. "I ended up putting my ball in the garden for decoration."
Cargile gently interrupts Gaspar from her tales, nudging her to continue with her game.
"You hurry up and get your turn, so I get one," Cargile said with a chuckle.
E-mail: rrecker@recordpub.com
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