by Alan Noah
May 28th, 2008 -
You got to tip your hat to Shigeru Miyamoto - the guy is a genius. There was a great article in Sunday's New York Times that compared him to a modern age Walt Disney, and quite frankly, they make a good point. The guy has not only created some unbelievably iconic characters (Mario has to rank up there with Mickey Mouse and Superman in terms of internationally famous fictional folks), and not only did he basically turn a company into a juggernaut, but he has been really creative for a very long time. His latest brain child, Wii Fit, has been in stores for a little over a week now, and the reception to the game has been incredibly positive.
The idea of a video game as a workout is relatively new. Gamers have been working up a sweat with various incarnations of Dance Dance Revolution, and anyone playing Wii Sports for a long stretch was bound to tire themselves out. But Wii Fit is different in that its sole purpose is to make you exercise, and more importantly, make you want to exercise.
And it does. Wii Fit combines yoga, aerobic exercises, strength training, and balance exercises to improve your overall fitness. The cynics have cried that these games can’t possibly replace a whole gym, and they are of course right. But the exercises in the game are still exercises, and if you do enough of them, you will be sore the next day. I consider myself to be in semi-decent shape, but in just over a week with this game, I have learned that I have plenty of room for improvement.
First off, I have developed a newfound respect for people who do Yoga. I had never done any of those poses before, and while I am certainly no expert now, I have gotten a little bit better, and I am curious to see how much further I can push myself. The strength training exercises are also very tough, and I have found my arms, abs, and legs to be aching the day after an intense workout. The balance games are also challenging, but extremely engaging, and they offer a nice change of pace from the more grueling exercises. The aerobic workouts are also fun, but I haven’t found myself working up the sweats there that I hoped to. I have been using them more as warm-ups and cool-downs, and they are great in those roles.
The interface is inline with Wii Sports and Wii Play, which is to say that the Miis are used heavily, and the graphics are kept simple. The inclusion of the Miis in various exercises makes for a nice addition to the game, as it is fun to see your friends and funny creations from the Check Mii Out channel cheering you on as you go. The male and female trainers look a little creepy, but they don’t really detract from the overall experience. The talking Balance Board that walks you through the initial set-up is a silly idea, but again, it doesn’t really matter. Both the board and the trainers offer you instruction, give you tips and advice, and commend you when you do good work, which is all very positive, though they are known to repeat themselves a little too much, which can be mildly annoying.
Some people are turned off by the $89.99 price tag of the game, which is high for a Nintendo game. But once you use the balance board, you appreciate the added cost. It functions as not only a controller, but an extremely sensitive way to measure weight and balance. When it asks you to stand still, and your left leg twitches slightly, the board picks it up. It will tell you things about your balance and posture that you may not have realized, and it can be a lot of work to improve the control of your body. But that, in a nutshell, is the whole point of Wii Fit. I have encountered a few times when the board has gotten wonky on me when I am using it for pushups, and it says that my weight has changed dramatically, but those occasions are fairly rare.
My biggest gripe with the game is that there is no “virtual trainer” mode. I’m not entirely sure why such a mode was omitted, except that perhaps Nintendo didn’t want to be crucified by professional fitness experts. But it would have been a nice feature for the game to suggest areas of improvement, combine them with personal goals you have for yourself, and set-up a routine custom-tailored to your needs. While the a la carte selection process for choosing exercises is great, I have to think that some people would be better motivated by having a custom workout to come back to as well. Hopefully that will be included in the inevitable sequel/follow-up.
So, to sum up:
Pros: The balance board, the variety of exercises, the abundant use of Miis, the game’s concept.
Cons: The lack of a custom training mode and the way the trainers can drone on.
Final Verdict: Wii Fit probably won’t turn a morbidly obese guy into Arnold Schwarzenegger circa 1984. Although who knows – maybe in a few months Nintendo will be trotting out their version of Subway’s Jared, who gets himself in shape with Wii Fit instead of 6-inch sandwiches. Regardless, the game functions for most people in a much simpler way – by allowing people a fun way to incorporate fitness into their daily lives in the comfort of their homes. This country has a serious weight and health problem, and any way to get people (kids especially) to focus on their bodies is certainly a positive thing. Wii Fit is easily accessible and quite capable of getting you to drop a few pounds, lower your BMI, improve your balance, and tone your muscles, all while having a good time. It could stand for a bit more personalization in the ways it helps players focus on their individual goals, but at the end of the day, Wii Fit is a great innovation for Nintendo and Wii owners alike.
Alan’s Score: 8.4 out of 10
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