Some things surprise you. A year ago, who would have thought that the best video game of the year would be an electronic version of bowling? Then again, who could have predicted that a gaming console sporting past-generation graphics and a goofy name would capture the imagination of the mass market? Looking back at the past year, the Nintendo Wii stands out as the most exciting development by far, and a simple game of bowling packaged with the system has turned into the most compelling and interesting piece of interactive entertainment released in the past 12 months.

One employee at a Target store said the retailer issues a memo a couple of days in advance of Wii and PS3 shipments and passes the information on to shoppers, who sometimes stand in line to secure their booty. Nintendo’s Wii was selling out fast but reaching stores in greater numbers than the PS3, store clerks said. Wii shortages could ease in the March quarter.

As it geared up to promote its new Wii video game console, Nintendo of America Inc. looked to a group better known for nagging kids to stop playing video games: moms.

The Japanese game company merged viral marketing techniques with Tupperware parties in the months leading up to the Nov. 19 launch of the Wii. Nintendo recruited a handful of gregarious, tech-savvy moms - whom it dubbed “alpha moms” - to share the console with their friends. “Most people were like, ‘I don’t play games,’ ” said Perry, 41, of Venice Beach. But by the end of the night, she said, “everybody was playing it. People were working up a sweat.”

This guy did his best to mod the Wii and make the case look very different from what’s the clean white that Nintendo intended. The result is pretty outstanding and it is only a matter of time before a handful of services start offering some serious modding services to the proud Wii owners. It is only natural, people customize everything so why not make the console unique?