NAPP Newswire Exclusive!
Adobe Photoshop CS Wii
By Bryce Smith

The folks at both Adobe and Nintendo did a spectacular job of keeping this under wraps. And after playing with it for about a month now, to say I've been eager to write this is a major understatement. Adobe Photoshop CS Wii is nothing short of remarkable...and absolute tons of fun. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if it didn't open the way for Wii gaming systems to become legitimate business tools in the not-too-far-off future.

When Adobe Photoshop CS Wii was first handed to me to test and review, I can't say I didn't have reservations. After all, the Nintendo Wii system comes with a very child-friendly "Photo Channel" that allows you to draw cheesy mustaches and put goofy glasses on your photography subjects. If anything, I just assumed Adobe Photoshop CS Wii was going to be a slightly improved version that just carried the Adobe name for marketing purposes. But, about 10-minutes after loading the disc, those initial assumptions were shattered...pleasantly so.

Plain and simple...if you can do it in Photoshop CS3, you can do it on Photoshop CS Wii. Essentally, the Wii controller (or "Wiimote") and the peripheral Nunchuk take the place of your mouse and/or Wacom tablet. Specific menu selections are controlled with the Nunchuk's thumb stick, and frequently used hotkey combinations can be programmed as button/Wiimote movement combinations. Photos and images (as well as brushes) are loaded into the system via SD card or USB storage device, and you can print directly from the Wii through your home or office wireless network.

Okay...I'll admit that working in Adobe Photoshop CS Wii is a bit slower than using the standard version. And, I won't sat that it isn't without its bugs here and there (making anything more than simple selections can be somewhat frustrating unless you have a surgeon's hands or infinite patience). But once you get the hang of it, it makes retouching photos and putting together designs a lot of fun...especially if you have an audience.