Wii Fit

Adding wobble to the waggle...

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The Wii was a test that we all failed! Nintendo was testing us (didn't we say so?) to find out whether we would pay through the nose for casual gaming equipment. As we by the thousand queued up to get our Wii's we were writing our own future of expensive add-ons and novel gaming devices. Fast forward a year or so and the result for our weak wills is upon us.

Wii Fit is going to make Nintendo money by the bucket load. But rest assured there is some pretty impressive substance behind the hype. This is to Nintendo's credit as even a lesser incarnation of Wii Fit would still fly off shelves. But thanks to the high ideals and morals of the Nintendo Corporation (who are we kidding - thanks to their desire to print money), we have a game that delivers on all they ever promised us about lifestyle gaming.

The game starts by introducing your Mii to the wonderful world of physical improvement. A combination of your height and weight are used to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) that sets the starting point for your Wii Fit experience. From here you set some targets - how much weight do you want to gain or lose. You can then check back here to see how well you are progressing and whether you are on target for hitting your goals in the allotted time.

Throughout the experience it is stressed that this is not to replace your daily exercise routine (which we all have - right?) but merely exists as another tool or incentive to progress your larger fitness program. But let's be honest here, this is likely to be the one exercise activity many of us manage to squeeze into a busy week of work, family and food.

Once you have unboxed the Fit-Board (yes another Nintendo peripheral another strange name) you simply need to sync it up as you would a new Wiimote. You then use the Wiimote to navigate and choose activities before stepping on the board for some wobbling action. The board itself is a pretty hefty bit of kit, which perhaps justifies its GBP 69.99 price tag. Its size is matched by its build quality and a reassuringly solid feel - although it is stressed you are not supposed to jump on it. The board is probably a little larger than you imagine coming in at around double the size of two normal scales, although it is easily thin enough to be stowed away under the sofa when not in use (or when you have the mates around for those all-night Call of Duty 4 kills fests).

Just as the Wii was slated to be a GameCube with waggle, many may take the Fit-Board as simple adding wobble to this waggle (sorry I couldn't resist). But step onto it for the first time and it is clear that this is much more than a novelty. The build quality is good (as reported) but what those early previews couldn't communicate was the accuracy of the device and the impact full body movement has on these simple things we call video games.

Although it takes a little longer to click than that first swing of a Wiimote on Wii Sports Tennis, it takes you on a journey that is no less impacting. The Wiimote's gestures may have closed the gap between player movement and on-screen action, but the Fit-Board takes things in an entirely new direction. A little bit of acclimatisation soon convinces most players that the game simply knows what they are doing with their body. The genius of the device is that by monitoring just the soles of your feet (and the pressure thereon) it can obtain an accurate picture of your whole frame. The game is then structured around different ways of taking advantage of this connection.

The Yoga games play with the concept of your centre of gravity and how that is affected by movement and posture. As the game effortlessly gets even the most embarrass-able of gamer to take up a wide variety of Yoga poses it gently nudges them in the right direction for more effective exercise. As you get better at each position more are unlocked to try, and as you improve at a particular pose harder difficulties are added. This is very much the softly softly approach, but it really works.

The Balance games take the theory learnt in the Yoga sessions and put them in more obviously 'gaming' situations. You use your balance on the board to keep upright on a tight-rope, then gently lift each foot to edge your way across the precipice. You lean your way down a ski slalom course, using just the shifting of your centre of gravity for steering and speed control. You do all this, but what is most interesting is that you do it without a second thought. By now the connection between your body and the games is second nature. So leaning forward to speed up or counter balancing to keep from falling just makes sense.

These are then complemented by some more Kinetic events. This is where the Fit-Board starts to shine. Not only is it good at the subtle shifting of your feet but it also works for quicker movements as well. Here, you will be gyrating your hips to keep the hula-hoops from falling, leaning and nodding your head to land footballing headers, or even popping a Wiimote in your back pocket and jogging on the spot. This last event may seem a little odd at first. Wait a minute that doesn't even use the Fit-Board. But it is telling that this is more than a simple peripheral game, that this Wiimote-only controlled event fits seamlessly into the overall Wii Fit bundle.

The games are then rounded off by a series of Strength exercises. These are the step aerobics, press-ups, squat thrusts that you will find employed by personal trainers up and down the country. Here they are all implemented and monitored with the aid of the (now) trusty Fit-Board. This has the benefit of both being able to keep track of your progress in-game, and providing some feedback afterwards on balance and posture - apparently one of the main causes of exercising injury.

Wii Fit is going to have its cynics, but on balance (sorry) this is a great addition to the Wii's arsenal of gaming options. Not only does it further expand on the casual gaming market, but it genuinely turns the games console into a legitimate lifestyle product. The only problem is that with its upcoming success it will be hard to escape the Wii Fit phenomenon in the coming months. I even predict it will eclipse GTA IV in the mainstream press in terms of column inches. If you manage to get your hands on it before the Wii Fit fatigue sets in you are in for a treat. If you do end up being fed-up over all the fuss surrounding the game, you really should push through the burn and join the masses for what is another gaming phenomenon from the Nintendo stable.

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By Paul Govan