If anyone tells you you don't have options for exercise and weight loss programs through the Nintendo Wii, certainly he or she is a liar-liar-pants-on-fire. Either that, or he or she has failed to stay abreast of the recent rash of fitness-oriented games designed for the Wii. Of course, the Wii's application to a more active lifestyle was apparent early on when Wii Sports – which I submit is still one of the best titles in terms of replay value – was packaged with the system at launch and featured a daily fitness test that assigned you an age based on your performance on a number of assigned Wii Sports training exercises.
Still, lately a handful of Wii games have been released that specifically target weight loss and keeping a handle on your girlish figure. Certainly, it's likely more than a coincidence that they are being released and promoted simultaneously. Nevertheless, it's been said that bad news comes in threes, and while I wouldn't necessarily call these games bad, their combination makes me just a little bit more concerned about the future of the Wii. The possible omens of the Wii Fit-pocalypse:
Released on November 17, this expansion includes 35 new exercises and activities in addition to the ones previously featured in the original Active, which itself only came out in May of this year. There are cool-down and warm-up exercises, new abdominal workouts and even a nutrition book by fitness celebrity Bob Greene (who?). You also still get to use (thank God!) the elastic resistance band on your leg, which is understandably of dubious practicality. It's sort of EA's "Western" answer to the styles of Nintendo's Wii Fit, which also saw a fairly recent expansion with Wii Fit Plus.
Capitalizing off the success of the hit NBC show, The Biggest Loser Interactive Fitness Game, released in October, employs the likes of Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, the two current real-life trainers from the show, amidst workout regimes and conventions borrowed from the show (performed either with the Wii Remote or Balance Board) and pertinent nutritional information. Mind-bogglingly enough, there is actually a version for Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, but seeing as you can't actually exercise with it, you might as well bring an ink-and-paper calorie guide instead.
Believe it or not, we have Ubisoft to thank for this production. The most recent release of the bunch, Your Shape's novelty comes from the sheer amount of exercises advertised (about 500) as well as the fact no controller is needed; the accuracy of your performance is measured by a motion-sensing camera. So, if you enjoyed the
EyeToy and have a deep-seated desire for Jenny McCarthy to tell you what to do from the comfort of your own home (not projecting at all, am I?), then Your Shape is your ticket to a fun workout!
Don't get me wrong: I think these products have their heart (and perfectly-sculpted bodies) in the right place. Nevertheless, with this preponderance of fitness games and underwhelming revelations like the Wii Vitality Sensor being among its big news at E3, I can't help but worry Nintendo is drifting away from its identity as a video game system first and foremost. With attention divided to things like fitness games and building up the Virtual Console, it's no wonder quality games for the Wii are so few and far between.
Comments (2)
Ubisoft used to be cool :(
You can indeed exercise with the DS version of Biggest Loser - it's the same as buying an exercise DVD though, if you just sit and watch it, you're not going to lose any weight. It's hand for when you're traveling, in the same way as the iPhone exercise titles are.