Saw Soriku posted this in the news section http://news.vgchartz.com/news.php?id=1360, thought I would put some info here as well with pictures both new and old and a different article. More people look at the forum than elsewhere so I thought it might get a few more eyes looking at it here. I hope you might find it in yourself to donate a little bit to Starbright Starbright for their efforts with sick children. Links are already provided in the article. This is a great thing for kids who are leading difficult lives.
Starlight and Nintendo Unveil New Fun Center Featuring the Wii™
Determined to help lift the spirits of seriously ill children and their families, Nintendo of America has been one of Starlight’s most dedicated corporate partners for 16 years. The portable Fun Centers, now featuring the hottest gaming technology – the Wii – will be enjoyed by thousands more hospitalized kids, cultivating fun for families and providing a welcome distraction from the challenges of prolonged medical treatment.
The new Fun Centers feature a Sharp AQUOS™ flat-screen television, a DVD player, a Wii system and a selection of 22 fun Wii games. Fun Centers were created specifically to offer children an entertaining respite during difficult hospital stays.
To help mark the introduction of the new Fun Centers, a special launch event is being held at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles on June 25, featuring appearances by child star Allen Alvarado and video game icon Mario™. Allen Alvarado has had personal experience with Fun Centers, which kept him company and aided in his recovery from a recent automobile accident, when he was hospitalized for several weeks at Childrens Hospital.
“Our patients at Childrens Hospital benefit greatly from the Fun Centers,” said Linda Garcia, Manager, Child Development Services, for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “The Fun Centers serve as a diversional tool for Child Life Specialists to provide to patients and families in the playrooms, at bedside and throughout the hospital, including medical units, clinics and waiting rooms. The Fun Centers promote socialization, mastery and fun. Through this play, children learn about cooperation, positive thinking and problem-solving skills. The Fun Centers also provide opportunities for hand strengthening and finger dexterity, an important therapeutic value for our patients undergoing physical rehabilitation.” Read the full press release.
Learn more about Fun Centers; click here to sponsor a Fun Center.
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I actually am VERY familiar with Starlight Starbright; they do amazing things for sick children, especially those with long term health issues. They take kids with long term health problems to Build-a Bear, to the Zoo, to baseball, soccer, basketball and football games, to make pottery, to visit museums, all kinds of things. I'm very glad to see them doing this.
There have been similar kiosks with Nintendo setups in children's hospitals for years (there are still kiosks for GC, N64, & Super Nintendo at Children's hospitals and clinics all across America), I believe Starlight Starbright provided those as well. I think Nintendo donates the equipment, and SLSB has Kiosks made for them. There is a TV, Nintendo System, & DVD Player all on a cart that can move around the hospital on wheels. In past years they were made of very sturdy metal tubing and Plexiglas casings. Everything is either locked up inside and there are holes in the plexi to reach in and change games out, or in the cartridge days the games were attached via chains. The controllers are attached to the outside casing so nothing walks away. Kind of similar to the Wii Kiosks at GameStop’s and Best Buy.
The Gamecube kiosks had/have Pikmin, Mario Kart DD, Super Mario Sunshine, Super Monkey Ball, Mario Power Tennis, Kirby's Air Ride, Luigi's Mansion & more...
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N64 had/has Diddy Kong Racing, Super Smash Brother, Super Mario 64, MK64, Pokemon Stadium, Waveracer 64, 1080, Star Wars Episode 1 Racer & Mario Party 2.
Super Nintendo had/has Super Mario World, Monopoly, Donkey Kong Country, Yoshi's Island, Starfox, & I believe F-Zero.
The Kiosks are self enclosed and on wheels, they plug them in at common play areas, or wheel them right into kid's rooms and let them play from their hospital beds. In hospitals there are usually quite a few machines per floor, and if all the kiosks are in use they put they kids on a waiting list. They get about three hours of play if others are waiting, or if no one is on the list they can play to their heart's content. It's a very good thing. If you have a little extra money (even a few dollars) to help a child who suffers from long term problems, Starlight Starbright is a great foundation to support.
Wii Code 3456 7941 4060 2924
