42 out of 42 people found this review helpful.
If you like Wii Sports, there's a good chance you'll also like Wii Fit.
Date of Review: Jun 7, 2008
The Bottom Line: This is a video game which is great for entertainment purposes. Don't read more than that into it.
I saw the Wii Fit on Good Morning America one morning and decided that it looked cool enough to spend $90 on. This is actually a bundle deal which may be why it costs so much. You get the balance board which acts as the controller as well as a game with 40 activities on it. When I think of "Wii Fit" it reminds me of "Wii Sports". The games provide an opportunity to learn how to use the foot controls just like the "Wii Sports" games did for the hand controls.
What's the Board About?
The Wii Fit board is an accessory for the Nintendo Wii System. The board is just like a scale with a little more room on the the sides. I don't notice the board much when I'm playing a game. Occasionally I'll fall off of it or trip.
It is wireless so there's no wires reaching across the room. Just pick it up and move it when you are ready to play.
The running game does not use the board. The games basically have the person leaning on the board or gently stepping up on it.
The type of games that are available do not encourage the kids to bounce on it, get rough or excited. It also does not hold their attention span very long. They only play for a few minutes and then move on to their favorite game.
A controller is used to make selections and for games such as running. The boxing game requires both the controller and a Nunchuck controller.
The max weight for the board is 300 pounds.
Wii Fit Together
It's unfortunate that this is a one player game. Obviously only one person can stand on the Wii at a time. It would be cool if you could at least take turns trying the tasks however the drawback of that would be the resting between turns.
Despite only being able to play the game one at a time, we still consider this a family game. It is the only game besides Wii Sports that the whole family enjoys. We've been known to sit for a half an hour watching the other person struggle through their challenges. My goal is to be the high scorer so that I can knock my son's name off of the score board.
Body Test
Weight
Do you need a computer to tell you that you are fat? I'm just wondering if there's anyone out there who will be shocked to learn that they're overweight or obese. There is a password for those who are too embarrassed for others in their house to see their weight. As if people can't tell how much you weigh just by looking at you. Yet still, birth years and scale numbers should be a private because kids say the darnedest things in a room full of people. The problem is, the keypad is on the screen so anyone in the room can watch you select the pin numbers. If this makes you feel so uncomfortable that you won't play it because of the weight, just don't enter the body test information.
Body Mass Index
The body mass index is generally a better determination of your fitness level. It is calculated for you.
Body Control
You'll be asked to stand very still while the board determines how steady you can stand and how balanced your weight is. This calculation is turned into a "Wii Fit Age". For example, my 5-year-old has a Wii Fit age of 27. She is in perfect weight and BMI standards. (This confirms my speculation that my daughter can not sit still...sigh.)
Wii Lost?
I have to wonder, do you really think that you're going to lose weight because you spend a lot of money on this video game? Raise your hand if you have an expensive exercise bike or treadmill in your home that you're storing but can't remember the last time you used. Technology has not changed the weight loss formula. The formula is still burn more calories than you keep. I lost one pound the first day which I later recovered with the help of a Mocha Frappuccino.
Wii Sweat
I've never had to take a shower after playing video games before. Occasionally I will exercise, but I'm not the type of person that "works out". I've never broke out in a sweat from watching TV so I'm going to have to say it healthier than my normal evening.
Every single game is so simple that you will be wondering how you could ever get fit with something as simple as leaning side to side.
A person may be more likely to stick with the exercise program longer because it's more interesting than doing something mundane like walking on tread mill.
I can not safely eat my evening snack while moving around on the Wii board so there's another 300 calories in the bank.
Games
The instructions only explain how to set up your body calculations. It does not list or explain the games. The games are pretty straight forward but how to get a better score has to be figured out through trial and error. Each game is only a minute long so you're not wasting a lot of time experimenting.
Games that need instruction walk the player through it on the screen. For example, the Yoga instructor will go through a move in detail while you watch.
There are a lot of games but there's no levels. It is fairly easy to master the challenge especially if you're in shape.
Yoga
I've never been a fan of Yoga because it's slow moving and I never know if I'm doing it correctly. This will be good for a beginner because the user knows for sure if they're doing the move correctly or not. I would say that if you have done Yoga a few times before you would not have a need for this. This is great for learning "how" to do Yoga but anyone wanting a workout will want relaxing scenery and a real person instructing.
There are 15 Yoga moves, 10 of which must be unlocked by logging more minutes on any of the games. Some poses are more challenging than others. Here is the list: deep breathing, half-moon, dance, cobra, bridge, spinal twist, shoulder stand, warrior, tree, sun salutation, standing knee, palm tree, chair, triangle, and downward-facing dog.
Aerobics
This is the category that the kids prefer. There are two hula hoop games, stepping games which are similar to guitar hero for the feet, running, and rhythm boxing. This definitely raises your heart rate. Aerobic activity is suppose to be done for 30-45 minutes which is a long time to play the same game over and over.
Strength Training
These are old fashioned exercises. I don't care how you sugar coat it, a push-up is still a push-up. There are many basic moves such as single-leg extension, sideways leg lift, arm-and-leg lift, single-arm stand, torso twists, rowing squat, single-leg twist, lunge, push-up and side plank, jackknife, plank and tricep extension, push-up challenge, plank challenge, and jackknife challenge. Most of these moves require you to be on the ground.
Balance Games
This is my happy place. There is a soccer game where you hit balls with your head, ski slalom, ski jump, table tilt, tightrope walk, balance bubble, penguin slide, snowboard slalom, and lotus focus. They do have somewhat of a youthful tone to them so I have to be in the mood to play. If I'm grouchy the last thing I want to do is slide a stupid penguin around on a piece of ice.
Calling it "Exercise"
This game is really core training and balance. I feel the core muscles being used when I play and I've had cases of being too sore to move the next day. But the game never claims to burn calories or lead to weight loss. Nintendo never said this was exercise. I saw a full page Wii Fit ad in "Shape" magazine that said, "How Will it Move You?" Now advertising in a fitness magazine and calling the game Wii Fit sets a premise...but they never said weight loss or exercise.
I have conflicting thoughts about calling this exercise. The Wii flashes how many minutes I've been using the system which causes me to panic because I feel like I'm wasting my night playing video games. And if I have time to play video games, I have time to really exercise.
I do not get the same feeling that I do when I really exercise. Looking at child-like characters on the screen is not the same experience as running past trees and skiing in the wind. In fact, I sit the fan in front of me and make it as as cold as possible when I ski.
The whole fact of mixing Yoga which is a type of meditation seems unnatural or ridiculous through electronics. Yoga on the Wii Fit is good for instruction, but not something I would look to on a daily basis. Yoga is an example of one thing that is better without technology.
Who is this for?
My advise is if you're already fit, there's no point of having this unless you just like playing video games. If you are serious about working out and loosing weight, apply your money to a gym membership and skip this. If you're just going to sit all night on the couch anyway, then this is definitely for you!
If you want to watch yourself reach a goal, this will be handy though you can do the same thing with a scale and a piece of paper. It may make you more aware of your habits and help you move forward in the right direction.
It is not a miracle cure. You're only going to be able to ski down the exact same slope so many times before you get bored and move on to sitting on the couch again.
If you love your Wii and you're trying to collect all of the games for it, you'll definitely want this.
Overall
We know a few people that also have the Wii Fit and they love it just as much as we do. We compare our experiences and talk about our fitness numbers and scores. We never discuss other games so it seems that this one is noteworthy.
I only knew about the Yoga game when I purchased it so didn't think the others in my family would be interested. There are plenty of games that appeal to both genders and all ages. I think it does have a youthful feel to it so I wouldn't be as impressed with it if we didn't have kids.
Nintendo never made the claim that one would loose weight but that's what everyone is talking about. Nintendo states that Wii Fit is a great way to get you off of the couch and into action. You can not run by sitting on the couch. Oh wait, I take that back. I did run with my daughter by sitting on the couch and flicking the controller in a moving motion. The second player in the running game doesn't get any points, so what's the point. Did you think I was kidding about only playing to wipe the other family members off of the score board?
