Wii Sweat

Nintendo does it Tony Little style...

Well if you’re able to use Wii fit you might be in for a treat, if you’re like a large percentage of America you may want to think about passing this one up. The balance controls and measurements are spot on and you do actually get the feeling of working out after a bit but is being called fat by your Wii really worth it?

If you have a Wii then you know you get to create the magical looking person, thing or whatever called a Mii. Well the first thing that happens once you start up the Wii fit software and begin to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) and you weight and all that fun stuff. I wont lie to ya I’m a big guy and I got on the balance board and after a few seconds to calculate all the things that it needs then your Mii changes to match your real body. My Mii put on a few extra pounds and then frowned as Wii Fit told me I was fat.

I was ready to cut it off then and there but then after a moment to realize what was going on I admitted to myself that it was just being honest. So I start the workout assessment program and after a rousing session of Yoga, a few push-ups, some game where you shift your balance to drop balls in holes and then a really cool rhythm boxing/ Tae Bo type aerobics deal I’d worked up a good sweat.

The game encourages you to check in frequently for body tests and training, providing the incentive to stick with the program that is lacking in many conventional workout routines. Your calendar can be stamped daily with each test, and you'll be rewarded with new stamps over time. The animated Balance Board will even, to your chagrin, ask you why you've put on a couple pounds since your last test, and even suggest possible reasons for a weight discrepancy and advise you on how to avoid this sort of fluctuation. It's all sound advice, and it comes across in a way that doesn't feel too preachy, even if it is brutally honest.

Then I tell the program how much weight I wanted to loose and in how much time it wont let you loose 50lbs in a month because apparently that’s unhealthy. The software then computes how often you need to work out to attain your goal based on your abilities or something. While Wii Fit does get serious at times it goes without saying that it wouldn’t be much of a game if it didn’t have some well, games.

Incorporated with the software are a variety of Wii Sports type games that get you fit while you play. If its hula-hooping, or Skiing, or my personal favorite soccer ball heading you are actually improving your center of balance while you play. Don’t think that you’re going to be alone in your pursuit of high scores while you’re ripping down the mountain the leader boards are going to make you want to come back and try and beat your friends so you can brag about who’s the fittest.

While you should really only have one person stand on the Balance Board at a time (trust me), Wii Fit is designed in such a way as to promote physical activity across an entire household. Up to eight profiles can be created with ease, each tied to your personalized Mii creatures. Each profile comes equipped with a personal Piggy Bank, which collects tokens for each minute, that you spend exercising. As you accumulate more coins, you unlock new exercises, and these are unique to that specific profile. It can be fun to show off advanced exercises that you've unlocked, giving your friends and family a goal to reach towards during their own play session. While using Wii Fit in a group setting is perhaps the most fun way to use the product, those who may be hesitant to share their BMI with others can lock their profiles behind a numeric password to keep their information private.

Alright I’ve talked on and on about how the game is good, and it does have good points but with every game, not everything can be perfect.

Most of us know that the key to burning calories is getting your heart rate up, well I guess the guys at Nintendo didn’t. The activities take a miniscule amount of time to complete and then you’re going to have to click through a menu to find the next exercise, no way to make a routine that goes through and then take breaks at specific times that would better suit your workout regimen. I would have liked to been able to create a routine and then share it with my friends so they could see what I’m doing, I could see what’s working for them etc.

I’ve got a Wii Fit story that I’m going to tell you here. IF you’ve seen a box for Wii Fit it says that you can’t use the hardware if you’re over 330 lbs because the board can’t handle it. I’ve got a friend I work with who had this happen to him. In my opinion he doesn’t look that heavy, but I guess to Wii Fit he’s to big. Now he’s shelled out his 96 some odd dollars and can’t even use the thing. I guess Nintendo only wants certain people to get fit.

Ok now for my biggest gripe about Wii Fit. When I get on the board it says “OUCH!” I mean that is just so annoying. It’s like being slapped in the face for breathing. Ok while it might not be that serious. It is annoying.

The software uses the balance board as a scale to measure your weight, and this weight is compared to your height to arrive at your Body Mass Index (BMI). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. Additionally, BMI is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems."

I’ve been asked if I will use Wii Fit a lot. To be honest I can’t say that I will, is it fun? Yes. Is it engaging? Yes. Is it easy to use? Yes. Do you get a good workout? Yes. Is it worth the price? Yes, that is if you get it for the MSRP not some outrageous price from some online store. I have a Gym membership and I use it a lot, if only just to go and shoot hoops or chat up the ladies on the treadmill. For those who don’t want to shell out $25 monthly but still want to get Fit the Wii Fit may be a good option.

The Rough:
Concept: Well the words out, Japan knows that America is fat now, but we’re too lazy to do anything about it. Wait… now there’s a weight loss video game? Gimmie! (9)
Graphics: As with the vast majority of Wii games this is a non issue (N/A)
Sound: Annoying chimes and a board that says “Ouch!” when you get on it (4)
Playability: Well the Wii strikes again at the heart of Casual Gamers making this one an easy play, given you don’t weigh over 330 (6)
Replay: Well it’s a Mini Game compilation, and if you want results you’re going to have to play often so it’s a forced value of Moderately High

Overall 7/10
~Ride Hard, Game on!