A few months ago, when it was just about impossible to find a Wii – check that, it’s still a retail rarity – we reported on the campaign of 25 year old Mickey DeLorenzo, who sought to lose weight by simply integrating Wii Sports into his daily routine.  The guy dropped some 9 pounds in just six weeks, and while that’s impressive even the most devoted Nintendo fan has to admit that the console hardly offers the full body workout of most gym sessions.  Now, one trainer is trying to bring back a peripheral that once did – the Sega Activator.

Never heard of it?  Few have.  The Activator was actually an octagon-shaped device that, like the Wii, used infrared technology to detect movement.  Players stood within the octagon while flailing their limbs in order to match the button combinations of popular Sega Genesis – yes GENESIS – titles, like Mortal Kombat or Comix Zone.

The problem with the device was that it simply wasn’t meant for these games, and vice versa.  Some Genesis titles, and many will remember this, were far more difficult than the games of today.  Having to somehow swing an arm AND a leg in order to match tapping the “A” button was a lot of work with little reward.  While the Activator got gamers off the couch, it inevitably made them horrible at the games they loved.  Thus, commercial failure followed shortly thereafter.

However, in an interview with online publication FitnessGear101.com, professional trainer Leonard Duffy may have found a use for the Activator.  You see, he’s introduced it to gym visitors who’ve already made the choice to get in shape.  When it’s exercise first and gaming success second, then the Activator has some use.  Introducing it to gamers who demand high scores – as Sega did years ago – is not its best use.

Granted, the Activator simply isn’t as fun as a Wii.  Nintendo built their console so that infrared-based movement matched a game’s development.  Sega merely tacked the Activator onto existing titles, and old, 2D ones at that.

Duffy still believes the Activator has use for those who can find them, in second-hand stores or via eBay. 

Although the Wii is being hailed as a revolutionary system, a full body workout it is not.  Athletes serious about integrating serious exercise with a little gaming challenge should make their way down to the nearest pawn shop.

Just steer clear of the jewelry.