Wii Fit: One Week Later

It has been a week now since Wii Fit, a fitness and exercise game for the Nintendo Wii, hit Canadian store shelves. From what I've read along with my own experience, it's getting rave reviews. And, as is customary as with any highly-anticipated video game, you'll have a tough time finding it in stores. We visited EB Games the other day and were simply told that there were no copies in stock, and no confirmed date as to when more would be coming in. Great.

As the Wii console did when it first launched back in 2006, this game really has managed to attract an entirely new audience of gamers. Moms, grandmas, and young gals everywhere are locked up in the living room when no one's home, substituting their regular work-outs with some Wii Fit training (and constantly checking BMI and weight: the Balance Board makes a great substitute to the bathroom scale!). My colleague, who has been anti-gaming forever, has even been intrigued and went out to purchase a console.

As for my own experiences with the Wii, I gave my initial review last week. Unfortunately, I haven't had as much play time as I would have liked to with it since then. Logging on last night, the game studiously brought that to my attention: "do you know it's been seven days since you last logged on?" Upon conducting my fitness test again, I was advised that I had actually gained a couple of pounds since my last weigh-in. Great. I was then given a number of potential reasons (snacking, late night dinners, eating too much, etc.) I decided upon late night dinners ( it's been a busy week) and was provided with my "tip of the day": have dinner as early as possible, and never less than three hours before you go to bed. Good advice. I also noticed, to my surprise, that my trainer's hair had grown: was this a tactic to make me feel like I'm not playing often enough?

I engaged in a selection of activities for about 45 minutes, with jogging and hula-hooping being the most strenous of my choices. I even managed to unlock Super Hula Hoop, which makes you twist and turn starting from the right, and then from the left, for three minutes each while your friend's Mii avatars throw additional hula hoops your way. I couldn't even make it through the second 3-minute session! Luckily, my overall BMI is considered "normal", but I still hope to shed a few pounds and tone up.

My partner, who's a traditional gamer that likes the shooting, fighting, blood-'n-guts games, jumped in and enjoyed the game as well. However, he was more into the skiing and various other balance games than the yoga and strength training. Still, it was amusing to see someone that's usually seated on the couch with a remote in hand up on his feet and really into the whole fitness theme.

One quip: I wish two people could play against one another, as can be done with the Wii Sports game that comes with the console. My partner and I found ourselves alternating Mii characters, constantly trying to out-do one another at tightrope walking or skiing. It would have been much easier if there was a two-person competitive workout setting of some sort.

Wii Fit is really focused on balance and posture, quite obviously because this is the one variable that the sensored Balance Board can measure. The game's virtual trainers claim that having good posture and balance is essential to building muscle, gaining strength, and shedding pounds. I'll continue to work on that, and hopefully reach my Wii Fit goals soon!

Move Over Richard Simmons & Jane Fonda....Here Comes Wii Fit!

Have you ever heard the phrase "I'll start working out tomorrow?" Whether these five words have been uttered from your own mouth, or that of a friend or family member, chances are you've heard them at least once or twice. And chances are just as likely that the person never followed through because he was too busy, too tired, too lazy, not motivated...the list of excuses could go on forever. Enter Wii Fit, a fun, fitness game that lets you exercise without ever leaving the home, or living room.

The game can be likened to a workout DVD, except the on-screen trainer isn't just a passive participant: he/she can monitor what you're doing and the progress you're making by measuring data like body mass index, weight, and even the amount of pressure you're placing onto one side of your body. This is accomplished through a battery-operated Balance Board that syncs with the Wii console and game, and can sense when you make contact with it.

I spent the night with Wii Fit, and had loads of fun while enjoying every activity in four categories: aerobics, yoga, and strength and balance training. First, I was put through a series of tests to determine my "Wii Fit age", and asked my real age and height. The game also provided my weight and body mass index, then asked me to set a goal: how many pounds do I want to lose and by when? I selected five pounds in two weeks, but was warned that this might be pushing it, so I changed it to just three. If you're shy and don't want others in the home to know your stats, you can easily protect them with a four-digit password.

A male and female trainer is available: I selected the male, and although he was extremely encouraging and provided some great tips as I tried out each exercise, it was eerily creepy that his mouth did not move when he spoke! In some strange way, however, this also adds to the charm of the game itself, which is full of cutesy screen scenes and audio prompts, as is characteristic with most Wii games.

If you think you can slack off with this game, think again. The trainer observes your every move. If you stop he'll ask "hey, are you still there?" I gave up my failed attempts at push-ups and the side plank, and he pointedly declared at the end of the session that he knew I took a break, but told me not to worry because things would get easier. Gee, thanks for making me feel guilty!

As you go through each activity, points accumulate within a Wii Bank, and are automatically cashed in to unlock new, more advanced activities. In my span of about an hour-and-a-half of game play, I had already unlocked three new fitness moves in areas like yoga and strength training. What I also loved was that the game sensed when I had been playing for an hour and prompted me to take a break and hydrate myself with some water.

In addition to the standard exercise moves, there are also some fun games, like skiing (as you can see in action via our video with Olympic Freestyle Mogul Skiier Kristi Richards); tight rope walking (for balance training), hula hooping (this one's loads of fun), and even head-butting soccer balls that are thrown at you!

In addition to the fun nature of each activity, I also appreciate the attention to detail in the game. Keep an eye out for your friends in any activity: they'll be doing things like throwing hula hoops and soccer balls at you, doing step activities in a class, and even running alongside you in a race. During the quick run activity (you stand behind the Balance Board and simply jog in place), you'll head out on a dirt road, with grass, trees, and a nice summer scene surrounding you. What's even neater is the distinct "crunch, crunch" sound of your feet hitting the pavement as you jog. You couldn't simulate this experience better indoors, even with equipment like a treadmill or elliptical machine.

In my eyes, Wii Fit, which became available in Canada today for $89.95, only scratches the surface of the potential for fitness video games. I'd like to be able to cash in my points to purchase new workout gear for my Mii character, or perhaps even to upgrade to a more advanced trainer or newer gym facility. How about being able to select custom music for my workouts? I see a whole new opportunity for Wii-branded fitness accessories, like freeweights and perhaps even special sensored shoes that one can wear and use within a room to take the activities one step further. The possibilities are endless, but the starting point is pretty darned good in my eyes. If, like me, you've said over and over that you want to tone and get fit, but simply never got around to doing it, Wii Fit is a great motivator. I can only hope that the novelty doesn't wear off . So far, I'm headed toward my two-week goal, and determined to accomplish it. Stay tuned! And for more information, visit http://www.getupandplay.ca/.