Wii Fit (2008)
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Purchase Date: 07/08/2008
Disclaimer: "Warm Up Not Included"
After spending two evenings with Wii Fit, I can safely say that it's not a serious work-out software. Well, this is not necessarily a bad thing. The impression that I am getting from it so far is that Nintendo is definitely honest when it comes to its message of healthy living. It's just that the execution of it all is somewhat sloppy.
There is an option to view the actual weight count as well.
The Balance Board itself is a joy to use, sturdy, and well-designed. It is able to detect slight balance shift of a player's body quite accurately. During the initial start-up, the player has to create a profile and go through a Body Test to determine the player's Body Mass Index and Wii Fit Age. These will become the basis of how progress is measured. The program would then show the healthy BMI range for the player. Then, the player needs to set a goal amount of BMI loss and the time frame committed to achieve that goal. This part of the program is informative, encouraging, and well-presented. What comes afterward is what makes Wii Fit a little too thin on its promise.
It's fun to run alongside your Mii creations.
Once the profile is created, Wii Fit doesn't provide any recommendation at all to what the player needs to do with the 4 type of workout activities it offers: Yoga, Balance Games, Strength Training, and Aerobics. The player can mix and match activities and the game track the time spent during one session of exercise. The way these activities are segmented is a bid odd and they desperately need some sort of structure. There is no way to automatically string different workouts together and the player has to keep going to the menu screen after each selected activity. Take Yoga for example, the player can only choose one pose to work on at one time and since each pose is quick and relatively painless, it's frustrating to get through all of them in one sitting because of the constant pauses of the action. The game also locks a majority of the activities available and the player can only access them after accumulating enough time points. The unlockables should have been limited to background graphics, music, or extra games that are non exercise-related.
The balance games are silly but fun.
Don't get me wrong. I do enjoy the time I spent so far working out with Wii Fit. Time goes by faster playing this than Yourself!Fitness because of the focus on fun. The graphics are clean and pleasant and I like how my Miis show up during the exercises. I just wish that it is tightly structured. It is perfect as a supplemental routine but if you are looking for a true workout program, go with Yourself!Fitness. I will write a full review for this game after using it for a month or two.
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