Though I’ve seen Wii Fit plenty of times since it was announced, I never really had the opportunity to try it for myself. At a recent Nintendo event, I finally got the chance, and I quickly learned a couple of things. First, pretending to use a Hula Hoop is at least as ridiculous as actually using a Hula Hoop. Second, don’t pretend to Hula Hoop immediately after eating a big lunch unless you have a death wish. Well, maybe not a death wish. How about a cramp wish?
In case you haven’t heard, Wii Fit is a collection of fitness-styled minigames and routines that all use a new piece of hardware called the Balance Board. It’s a rectangular, scale-like device that you step on. When you’re up on it, you lean around in different directions to interact with most of the activities, though you’ll also do push-ups, execute yoga positions with one foot on the board, and so on. It looks to have a real versatility to it.
The Hula Hoop routine has you spin your hips like a lunatic, occasionally stopping and leaning to catch additional hoops that are thrown at your on-screen dude. The yoga routines are hosted by a creepy virtual woman who says enticing things like “let’s do the warrior pose together.” There’s also a slalom skiing mode, where you lean forward to go faster, and lean back and forth to steer. While leaning around on a plastic box might sound kind of lame, the Balance Board is surprisingly sensitive, requiring more finesse than I initially expected.
All of these exercises are wrapped up by a series of charts that map your weight, your body mass index, and leaderboards that tell you what your best performance in each minigame is. While I’m not sure if it’ll serve as a terrific workout device on its own, it certainly strikes me as a fun way to stay (or get) active on a regular basis, and I’ll probably put in some regular time with it when it’s finally released. Wii Fit ships on May 19 and will come packed with a Balance Board for $89.99.
27 Comments
i don’t understand why you gotta pay 90 bucks for something that you can go outside and do for FREE!
$90? Seriously? Definitely not for me. I prefer my fitness on the road or trail. And capped off with a beer.
That doesn’t really sound like fitness, does it?
I’d like to try it once, but I can’t imagine buying it. It has the same level of appeal as the VR demos at a science museums, back when.
Warrior Pose you say, hhmmm…….
Now that I think about it, that probably means it infringes on patents held by Gibson. (See above)
I’m stoked for this peripheral. Wanna fight about it?
i thought it was a neat idea - but i dont think i want to pay $90 to stay inside and get fit when i can just go outside in the sunshine and workout there - its what its there for lol
Answer the big question: Does it have a Karate Kid mini-game where you practice crane kicks on the beach?
Nice to see lots updates today, I’ll think I’ll pass on Wii Fit.
Sleepiness definitely affects spelling, eh?
Some of the comments above make me laugh. You think $90 is a lot? Try paying $135 for it (converted from pounds to dollars) in the UK!
This is exact kind of thing that will sell assloads of copies on the Wii and the exact kind of thing that I don’t care about.
I’ve actually become more and more interested in this game since its underwhelming debut at E3. As long as it gets some decent reviews I’ll likely pick it up.
I’m actually kind of interested now. I really want to do some yoga with a creepy female instructor. Even better, what about playing Wii fit while drunk? Drunk skiing anyone?
While my personal care factor for Wii Fit is absolute zero, I know it is going to sell a whole lot of copies.
I think some of you are missing the point of WiiFit. It isn’t an alternative to excerise. It’s just a peripheral to help you manage you weight, and become more aware of your body (and have fun doing it). It is a good idea, and in addition to proper diet, can genuinely contribute to losing weight.
To those saying that “Well, why should I get WiiFit when I can just go outside?” If that’s all it takes for you to lose weight, good for you. But just remember that some people will take whatever help they can get, and the WiiFit is shaping up to be a valuable tool.
$90 is a little steep however.
The Sarcastic Gamer video always comes to mind with this. “For far too long, video game consoles have limited themselves to being fun and entertaining. But with Wii Fit, the sky’s the limit, as you explore exciting new exercises like leaning side to side.” Priceless.
I’m already imagining the lawsuits from falling onto coffee tables and TVs, heart attacks, broken hardware from monstrous individuals…it will be a huge fiasco.
Not something I would really be into but I can understand who they are marketing it for.
80% of all women are now Yoga instructors (Onion, 2008). This is just going to make things worse.
i’m waiting for a good snowboard/ski game using this before i buy it
Americans shouldn’t complain about the price, especially considering what the price is in euros, 90 here is France. At the current rate of the dollar that would be around 145
I don’t need wii-fit as i already go to the gym, and believe me that, exercising and starin’ for some long time at some cute chicks’ asses is more than perfect.
you would think that would just place the board in box, but i really think you should just go outside
Ah, so they put in those dialogues for the trainer so that more people would be interested in doing yoga
I still can’t belive this game is gonna make big money. just go to the gym people.
$90 is a hell of a lot less than a gym membership or a workout machine.