Nintendo accomplished the unthinkable in 2006 when it introduced its interactive, motion-sensing Wii console: It got gamers off the couch and moving. Now it aims to take that concept even further by challenging them to get fit.
As of today, the stereotype of a video-game player being the very definition of a couch potato gets shattered with Nintendo's highly anticipated "Wii Fit."
A motion- and weight-sensing foot board that resembles a bathroom scale tracks players' movements in "Wii Fit" and the myriad titles that are now in development to utilize the device. Along with weight and balance, the board measures BMI, or body mass index, to determine if a user's weight is too much or too little relative to his or her height.
The technology is amazing, and creates a shift in thinking of what a video-game machine can be and does. Just as Nintendo broke all the rules by getting players to move around and mimic motions such as swinging a bat or throwing a punch with its motion-sensing controllers, the Wii Board and its flagship title, "Wii Fit," is innovation through and through.
"Wii Fit," which retails for $89.99 and must be used in tandem with the $249.99 Wii console, comes with a balance board and the software title. At its heart it focuses on improving users' health and fitness through balance exercises, yoga, and strength and aerobic training.
And in what could be an even bigger accomplishment than the technology behind the system, "Wii Fit" actually makes fitness fun.
Setup is simple. Insert the included four AA batteries into the Wii Balance Board, feed the software disc into the Wii, sync the board with your console, and you're set. You can, of course, use your Mii character (a likeness of yourself that you create and can use in games), and I recommend this route, as you'll want to track your progress over the weeks, months, and perhaps even years. The board can be used by young and old alike, and has a weight capacity of 330 pounds.
In addition to following and being guided by a virtual trainer for the more-traditional yoga and strength-training portions, there are game-like activities that involve aerobics and balancing, such as a hula-hoop competition and another that will have you frantically leaning right and left to bop soccer balls with your head. Those games put your character on screen, and as you move your character moves with you. As you progress, more games and exercises are unlocked. One of my favorites is a ski-jump game in which I could really feel my back muscles being worked.
And that brings us to the main question about "Wii Fit": Does it actually work as a workout tool?
Yes.
Within minutes of starting the strength-training program, for example, I was sweating. I started with the pushup exercise, and right off the bat, beyond just pushups, the program had me doing "side planks," in which you turn and support your body with one hand. Not easy.
After deep-breathing exercises I felt calm and relaxed, and some of the yoga poses had me stretching muscles I didn't know I had.
"Wii Fit" is not without its faults, though. For one, I wish more than one player could use it in unison. Alas, only one balance board can be synced for this game, so if you want to use it with friends or family, you're going to have to take turns.
Also missing is the ability to create a unique exercise program or do circuit training, where you go from one exercise to the next without stopping. I kept getting interrupted by having to choose fitness exercises a la carte.
I found the BMI/weight scheme too closely related. I am one of those rare breeds who would like to actually gainweight (in muscle). I could not find a way to reach my added weight goal without also increasing my BMI.
Finally, while no one expects razor-sharp, high-definition graphics from the Wii, some of the animations and characters in "Wii Fit" are a little too simplistic, almost bordering on crude.
These nits and others will likely be addressed in a future version of "Wii Fit," and they aren't enough of a detraction to keep it from being a home-run for Nintendo that will likely – and rightly so – sell oodles of copies.
While I don't suggest going out and canceling your membership to Gold's Gym or telling your triathlon training partner to take a hike, for most people, "Wii Fit" will make an excellent complement to their existing exercise program – or be just the inspiration needed to start one, all while having fun in the process.
