Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Uh, guys? Did your Balance Board come with a set of damn monkey bars? We're starting to feel a little ripped off. Just asking.

The first trailer for Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 is out, and while it's full of promised butt-kicking, there's also a fair amount of game footage, as well as some discussion of the title's features. Verdict: the graphics look a little less than good, but does something like this need to look great? It's already one-up on Wii Fit: part of the title's philosophy is simultaneous multiplayer. Does that mean two Balance Boards? From the footage in the trailer, it's impossible to tell whether those games are Wiimote and Nunchuk only, or if they require boards.

Despite its toony appearance, Shape Boxing Wii de Enjoy Diet regards itself more seriously than the boxing in Wii Sports. There are no Miis to be found here, more technical details (such as different boxing stances) are taken into consideration across the title's 28 lessons, and the game will dole out nutritional advice in a bid to get/keep you toned. Less seriously, you can punch bears, which we don't recall seeing in Rocky IV. Anyway, the overall vibe seems to be self-improvement.

This releases in Japan on October 30th, and will use the Balance Board in some way. We're betting it could actually improve your fitness, based on the fact that we were wheezing, crimson-faced wrecks after one and a half minutes of Wii Sports boxing.


[Via Siliconera]

Can't find a Wii or Wii Fit for home workouts?? Too good to bother haunting the shops in the hope that one turns up? You can always shell out for 'em on eBay, but why give some random dude the satisfaction? If you live in Manhattan, you've got another option: drop over a hundred bucks an hour to play a little Wii Sports.

Quite a few trainers seem to be jumping on the Wii workout bandwagon, but we rarely get to see more than a vague estimate of the cost of the sessions. Dorothy Evans isn't shy about trumpeting her fees, however; if you want an hour with her, it's $110, and the NYC-based fitness maven is mixing Wii Sports (on a twenty-foot screen!) in with other activities, and she calls it a full-body workout. Maybe we should be playing harder.

[Via Kombo]

Are you tired of using videogames to relax? Do you wish you could come home after a hard day's slog at work and wear yourself out some more, before collapsing in a breathless, sweating heap? Then UK-based studio New Concept Gaming has the product for you! People, say "hello" to the Wii jOG.


That's fairly pricey if you ask us, but hey: this probably isn't the worst idea ever. In the two videos after the break, the developers explain how their device could stave off obesity in kids, which is at least an admirable aim. While you watch those, we're off to recline in our La-Z-Boys and munch some Krispy Kreme Bacon Cheeseburgers.

Commercials that show people having fun while playing the Wii are a dime a dozen, so this Active Life: Outdoor Challenge trailer doesn't score any points with us in terms of creativity. We also think the narrator sounds as excited for the game as she would about an enema (fake enthusiasm is fake), but that's neither here nor there. Yet the game itself -- dare we say it -- looks pretty interesting.

Don't take "interesting" to mean "good," but we can't help but be intrigued by some of the activities and the use of the mat. Granted, the last thing we need is yet another peripheral in our households, which will probably be enough to keep us away from Active Life. If Nintendo doesn't have its Wii Fit stock act together by the fall, though, we wonder if people will turn to Active Life instead. Granted, this game won't have even half of the hype that surrounded Wii Fit, but the situation does present an opportunity for Namco Bandai. Who knows, families might even buy into the whole "working out together" angle.

On the other hand, there's yet another obstacle in the way of Active Life. It looks to us at least that if you're going to go with a game with a mat, DDR would probably offer a better workout. But what do you lovely readers think? Does Active Life: Outdoor Challenge have a place in the current gaming market?

Hey, don't feel too bad. Just because you haven't heard of Active Life: Outdoor Challenge is no reason to shed those tears. Wii Fit is great and all, but you need something more. Something to do with a big island of fun, apparently. With a bunch of games and a new mat, it's pretty obvious that peripheral-crazy Wii gamers will dig this latest installment into no holds barred gaming fun.

It's your fun-loving responsibility to check out the new official gallery with the latest and greatest in Active Life images. Hit the link below for river-rafting, see-saws, and a traditional mine cart ride. Despite the notable lack of Short Round on this ride, the characters are stumpy enough to be somewhat passable.


[Via press release]

A poll from the UK insurance firm Sheilas' Wheels analyzed the exercise habits of women, and the potential disaster area that has become their homes. Despite the initial "ZOMG Wii Fit destruction!" outcry from the mass media, the details of the poll really don't have much to do with Nintendo at all.

The general response criticizes massive damage caused by these women knocking over junk as they worked out on Wii Fit. On average, £6.55 per person was the estimated dollar (that is, pound) value of destruction, or a whopping £20 million worth total. Wii Fit, you've got some 'splaining to do!

Or, not. Wii Fit isn't responsible for the damage at all, and the original release from Sheilas' Wheels merely mentions the popularity of Wii Fit and Nintendo in general -- then immediately states the most popular home exercise method is watching an instructional video or DVD. Sure, the Wii has been responsible for some breakages in the past, but tacking the £20 million sum anywhere near the Balance Board is just poor form. Read over the official Sheilas' Wheels news article before subscribing to the Wii Fit Angry Mob newsletter.

Finally, the results explain that the survey was conducted to gather home damage estimates over the past year. Wii Fit has only been out in the UK for a month. The math doesn't add up, and a genuine attempt to gather information on home exercise routines has been misrepresented. Besides, if Wii Fit was solely to blame, what have the women been doing to smash up their stuff during the 11 months before it was released? If you guessed cleaning the kitchen, sewing and baking cookies for the men, you would be correct.

CNN is all over the Wii Fit thing. First, they had Mario Armstrong come in and demo the package for them, now Dr. Sanjay Gupta is taking time out to discuss the benefits of using games as a health tool, namely in the rehabilitation sector. We've heard stories about places using Wii to help rehabilitate their patients, but it's now gaining more ground, as Dr. Gupta mentions the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is funding 12 different studies that will specifically see if games can be used as a means for making us healthier individuals.

If all the serious medical talk bores you, then laugh at the CNN employees doing the hula hoop minigame while one the Balance Board. They really get into it.


[Via Go Nintendo]

People all over the world know that many Americans suffer from obesity issues, some more than others. Quite a few folks are even too heavy to play Wii Fit, as the weight limit for the game is 330 pounds (150 kg). Since we don't have any medical experience, we're not sure if Wii Fit would even be the best way for people in that weight class to ease into an exercise regimen (maybe it is, maybe it isn't). But either way, Nintendo doesn't seem to care.

For people who bought the game only to find that they're too fat for it, Jill Callahan of NoA recently said, "If this is a product that can not currently be used in your home, you may wish to investigate a possible return of the product to the retailer where you purchased it. Or perhaps you would like to give it as a gift to someone you know who would enjoy it. I hope you find these suggestions helpful." Yikes, can you imagine the humiliation of returning Wii Fit because you're too fat? And the only other alternative Nintendo has to offer is giving someone a $90 gift? Gee, we're sure that helpful advice is really appreciated.

We're not blaming Nintendo for their inability to have the Balance Board support over 330 lbs., and labeling the box to say so makes it the consumer's own fault for buying it. But Callahan's response? That's just cold, especially in light of the philosophy behind Wii Fit. Instead, why not tell these gamers to use Wii Fit's weight limit as motivation to reach the game's supported weight level? Anything's better than the "tough luck, we don't care" line.

[Via GoNintendo]

Last month's reassurances over UK shortages of Wii Fit did nothing! Far from "coming in all the time on a weekly basis," stock of the fitness title seems to have dwindled down to an all-time low, leaving an entire nation starved of Wii Fitness and the streets awash with angry stay-at-home mums and overturned cars. This week's UK charts tell the whole story -- Wii Fit sank from third spot to outside the Top 40, and to fifteenth in the Wii's own chart. That's below Game Party.

Anyway, this dramatic fall from grace has led to Nintendo having to make further reassurances about the situation, with the company promising that supplies will be replenished as quickly as possible. "There are pockets of stock shortages in areas of the UK", a Ninty spokesman remarked to GamesIndustry.biz. By "areas of the UK," we trust he means "the whole damn country."

Just the fact that a major news outlet is covering Nintendo's Wii Fit isn't enough to be featured on this blog. Oh no, you have to present us with something we want. Here, CNN has succeeded, as the linked video showcases the title's hula hoop minigame.

Then again, you're not us, so perhaps you could care less about the hula hooping? If that's the case, then know that they tackle the subject of Wii Fit versus a traditional gym membership or workout regimen in the segment. The individual demonstrating the title for CNN, Mario Armstrong, sees this more as a game and less of a substitute for traditional exercise. He does make a valid point, however, in that Wii Fit could be a good motivator to ease people into a healthier lifestyle, as the physical activity in the game would make it easier for individuals to transition into a more intense routine.


[Via Go Nintendo]

There's every chance you'll already have made your mind up on Wii Fit, but hopefully one of our perspectives will have influenced those of you who are undecided. So what's it going to be, folks? You decide!

What's your take on Wii Fit?

Gotta go with Dave here -- it's pretty dumb.I'm a fan!I truly, honestly, genuinely could not care less.Vote

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Lovin' Wii Fit	Back	placeholdertextthisis

Wii Fit is dumb? Puh-lease. If anything, Wii Fit and the Balance Board easily rank amongst Nintendo's smartest creations yet.

For a start, it's simply a breath of fresh air, a title that genuinely alters the way we play videogames. If that sounds a little too close to PR speak for comfort, consider this: whereas once we would operate games through marginal twitches of our thumbs, Wii Fit demands that we use our whole bodies. It's a wildly original concept. Despite their undoubted quality, the steady stream of Mario and Zelda titles from Kyoto actually attracts criticism from some fans, who carp about Nintendo's lack of innovation. Will those same individuals moan about the introduction of Wii Fit to the marketplace? If so, they're hypocrites.

Obviously, originality means little if an idea isn't executed well, yet Wii Fit (typically for a Nintendo game) possesses a fine sheen from top to bottom. The Balance Board is a commendably sturdy and stylish piece of kit (unlike another first-party peripheral I could mention), while the in-game presentation is superb, from the implementation of Miis to the more serious visual styles used in the yoga and aerobics sections.

It's certainly not bad for you, either. The actual health benefits of Wii Fit have already been debated over a tiresome number of column inches, and although it's probably not as beneficial as regular gym sessions, the fact that this debate even exists is a good thing. Miyamoto has said that he'd like Wii Fit to make people "aware of their bodies," and his creation has achieved precisely that -- some people are finally leaving the couch. Or, to put it another way: some exercise, or no exercise? Which is dumber?

Heck, it even works well as a game. Tried Table Tilt yet? Hella fun. Watching someone else play the Hula Hoop game is frequently hilarious (rubbishing claims that Wii Fit is only worthwhile as a solo experience), while some of the other balance-based games -- Ski jumping and Balance Bubble come to mind -- are excellent distractions in their own right. And then there's the cost. Judging by the sales figures, I wasn't alone in thinking that $90 is an irresistible price point for a game and an accessory as downright sophisticated as the Balance Board (and it won't be suffering from a shortage of software, either).

So that's Wii Fit: innovative, clever, involving, and brilliantly executed, all of which are quite the opposite of "dumb." It's set to make Nintendo an absolute stack of cash, and in my opinion it's thoroughly well-deserved. Roll on Wii Fit 2.

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Wii Fit is dumb		Your turn to weigh in

Okay, so I'm immature. Sue me.

From a business standpoint, Wii Fit is an obviously excellent decision. For me, though, I wonder about what kind of effect the successful venture will have on the future of the Wii. Sure, Wii Fit follows Nintendo's goal of extracting money from the wallet of every person on the planet, but think about this: what big titles have we seen from Nintendo since the introduction of Wii Fit? Actually, what have we seen period from Nintendo since the unveiling of Wii Fit? Any big first-party titles planned? Reggie hinted, but we honestly have no idea!

Aside from that, Wii Fit helps Nintendo distance themselves from the model of actually making games for their games console. Wii Fit is selling like some kind of made-up word, proving to the company that they're less relied on to innovate in the games space and instead should put more focus on expanding the market, luring in non-gamers with a barebones fitness experience and other similar products going forward.

This could put a damper on Nintendo dishing out new titles for their longtime fans who actually crave nothing more than installments in the company's key franchises. Sure, we've all played the Super Mario games, but one thing that keeps us coming back, despite the supposed lack of innovation in each installment (as some say) is that each entry does innovate, if only a tad sometimes. We don't keep playing these games out of some nostalgic loyalty to the characters. We play because the games are good.

Finally, people, the thing is way too expensive. You're talking about a $90 bundle, which is more than a third the cost of the console (given that you can find one), for nothing more than a plastic board and an introductory fitness application. We're not talking Brain Age here, where Nintendo is offering a mass market experience at a mass market price. We're talking the kind of price you see on a monthly electric bill.

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Introductions		Wii Fit = great