The short answer: No, at least not yet.

My biggest problem with Nintendo this generation is the fact that they’re selling everyone on potential, what the system might do or could do, not totally on what it’s currently doing.  As far as I’m concerned, there are only about 5 games on the Wii that are totally worth owning: Mario Galaxy, Zelda, Metroid, Wii Sports and Zach & Wiki.  That’s not a bad list at all, especially seeing the Wii isn’t very old, but for a system that’s selling so amazingly well to not have any AAA games on the horizon is pretty concerning.  Smash Bros, Mario Kart (although to be honest I’ve yet to play for more than a few minutes) and now Wii Fit are all out now, and they’re all straddling the line between good and mediocre.  I'll save the longer rant on unfulfilled potential for a later time, but try to remember all the things we've been told about the Wii: like how great it will be for FPS, how 1-1 movement will be possible, how hardcore fans won't be alienated and how shovel-ware won't make up the bulk of the games.  It's still to early to come to conclusions about each of those things, but trends are starting to develop, and as the amount of Wii units sold (to, lets face it, more casual users) goes up... rant over, i'll continue it in another article

Let’s focus on Wii Fit now.  First off, that balance board is AMAZING. It’s extraordinarily sensitive, works great on any surface I’ve tried (including thick carpet) and seems very well built.  There is no doubt that Wii Fit is very entertaining.  Each one of the balance games (like Ski Slalom, Soccer, Table Tilt, Penguin Slide and my personal favorite Ski Jump) is extremely fun, as are most of the aerobics exercises (Hula Hoop and Rhythm Boxing in particular).  The strength training exercises are just that, things like push ups (with side planks), lunges, rowing squats, each with a balance component telling you if you’re doing the exercise properly and for the correct amount of time. 

One of the biggest problems is the fact that each exercise must be selected individually.  The lack of a play list or workout plan is really crippling for a game which is supposed to help people get more active and lose weight.  Each exercise takes a certain amount of time (depending on the difficulty), then you’re forced to stand around for a few minutes and select the next one.  Not exactly ideal conditions for most people trying to get into shape; get your heart rate up for 5 minutes, then stand around for 2 or 3 trying to get the next exercise started.  There are a few other problems, but they’re mostly nitpicky, like the trainers’ voices being extremely grating, their lips not moving and the constant use of BMI to measure progress.

The thing Wii-Fit is probably best at is Yoga.  Yoga exercises are all about balance, and the incredibly sensitive balance board really helps you get into the proper positions and keep them.  Short of having a personal trainer in your house to check out your posture, it’s the best thing for yoga, and the Wii-Fit is certainly worth it for avid Yoga-philes.

While most of the exercises will certainly make you sweat, it’s hard to imagine it’s enough to get kids to get off the couch and lose weight.  But, being the avid gamer who can certainly lose a few (read about 30) pounds; I’m going to give it a shot and report back to the site with weekly updates.  Starting June 1, I’ll be using the Wii Fit for 30-45 minutes a day, switching back and forth between balance, aerobics, strength and yoga to see if it truly can make any difference.

Until then though, I can’t really recommend dropping $90 on this thing.  Resist the temptations of “This future game is going to be balance board compatible” and “Wouldn’t it be awesome to see this game become compatible with the Balance Board?” because truth is, it’s highly unlikely that any games will require the Balance Board (why limit your audience) and those controls will be tacked on.  I hope to god I’m wrong about that, because there truly is potential behind the balance board (Ski, Snowboard, Surfing, Skating, Time Crisis, etc) there’s just not enough right now to justify spending nearly half of what the system cost you in the first place to get a game which will, most likely, be put aside after a month or so.  I’m keeping optimistic that I’m wrong about this (especially since I own it) and I’ll certainly know more in a month or two.  Hell, if this thing can help me drop 6-10 lbs in a month, I’ll reverse my whole thinking.

Preliminary Grade: C +

Mahalo,

Duke

Coming up soon: Penny Arcade XBLA Review (Hint: Buy it)

 SAUER's Thoughts: I find it extremely ironic that my Nintendo called me fat yesterday. Not that it's lying, I've probably put on about 30lbs since my wedding four years ago. I just think that it's funny that the machine that causes me to sit on my ass for hours looking for every last star in Mario Galaxy or heart container in Zelda has the nerve to tell me I'm borderline obese. Not only that, but they made my cute little Mii that took an hour to create  look like Chunk from the Goonies. How dare they!!

Really though, the most upsetting thing about getting called overweight by WiiFit is the lack of realistic exercise activities to actually loose it. I'm not sure if I was just doing something wrong, but after almost an hour of Wii Fit game time (which is almost an hour and a half of real time selecting menus) I barely worked up a sweat. What Nintendo has done right, is create a new gimmick for us fanboys and soccer moms to salivate over. Will it really work? Definitely not on it's own. If I spent the same time at a gym working out as I did with Wii Fit I probably would have gotten a much better workout.

Still, Wii Fit is fun, and is still a game. Something that is much more appealing to me then walking on a treadmill for 45 minutes. Yoga and Strength training are the real workouts here, and work well as long as you don't cheat. The Aerobic and Balance games do very little, that couldn't be done somewhere else with more benefits.  Of course, they are also the activities that are the most fun. Running in place for 10 minutes is made entertaining with the help of various Mii's running beside you. It's nice to see even Cookie Monster enjoys a good jog in the park.

Is it worth $90? That's hard to say. Potentially, yes. Right now, Im not so sure. What you should come to realize is just how expensive work out gimmicks actually cost. my wife recently bought a set of workout tapes that were $140, so in that instance this is a bargain. If you don't count the $250 system you have to play it on, and that it probably won't warrant the same results. In a year from now the balance board will either be downstairs with the rest of my game controllers or collecting dust in a closet. Let's hope developers can figure out just how to use this new and cool Nintendo gadget to it's fullest potential.

 SAUER