Wii will be Fit - May 8th

Posted on March 11, 2008
Filed Under Video Games, Lifestyle & Entertainment |

The Nintendo Wii has been unofficially branded as the console to get for those who are looking for a more interactive way to play games. With Wii Sport coming with every console that is sold, it’s hard to ignore the active nature of this console compared to its predecessors and competitors.

However come May 8th, consumers will be able to take this to a new level, introducing Wii Fit to Australian Shores, off the back of a Japan release back in December 2007. About time I say. For those who don’t know what WiiFit is all about, it essentially is a game that utilises a sturdy placemat. It measures balance on the left and the right when you place weight on it, and ultimately the goal is to become fit through balance, endurance, yoga and stretch exercises, among other fitness activities based on balance.

Luckily, I had the chance to be in Japan at the time of the release, and everytime I would enter a store in Akihabara, you’d be hounded to put down an order for WiiFit. I also had the pleasure of watching a demo of the modes that you can access in the game, including:
- yoga stance and balancing
- pushups, which measure which arm you use more than the other
- a stepping game, that requires gamers to step up, down, and to the side according to the beat of the music
-soccer heading based on body weight

I anticipate that this release will go far, but for a hefty price tag of $149.95 in Australia, this may be too much to invest for game related fitness. For an extra $40 or so, you can get a (extra or new) Nintendo DS!

However, in closing, the concept of shedding pounds and getting fit through computer games isn’t entirely new. There’s always Dance Dance Revolution for those who know it, and that fad is almost dead. Granted, the first of its series was in 1992… and it is still live and kicking in arcades today. I wonder if Wii Fit will ever be used in gyms like DDR machines of the past….

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