Wii Fit Plus

We've had this game one day, and I'm enthralled.  This game represents everything a fitness game should be.  It's immediately engaging.  It takes your Mii and puts it through a few tests using the balance board and some basic data such as your age and height.  It then gives you a BMI (Body Mass Index) rating and fitness age based on your weight and test results.  It then adjusts the look of your Mii based on the results.  Few things are more motivating than seeing your chubby little Mii waddling around the TV screen.  As an aside, I do deserve to have a chubby Mii, but the program states my ideal weight is 143lbs, which at 5'8" seems a little light.  It would be nice if there were adjustments for frame type.

Now the activities.  They are a blast.  I played all day yesterday with my family and never noticed I was exercising, but today, when I got up on the balance board, I really felt my legs & hips.  I've explored maybe a third of the activities, and there's a ton left to go.  There are serious activities led by a trainer of your choice, and fun activities designed to be more like games.  They work well together to get a serious workout without losing the sense of fun a video game should provide.  As a martial artist, I especially liked the rhythm boxing and Kung Fu.  There are also several head to head games available, and few things help you push past your limitations like competition.

Lastly, you can set goals that are tracked for you.  You can also select predetermined exercise plans of multiple activities based on your fitness goals or design your own plan.  My favorite feature here is the calorie goal planner that's based on common foods which makes it much easier to understand.  For exceeding my already high expectations, I give it five kiai.

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My Fitness Coach

I promised to review this game a long time ago, but I kept putting it off because...well, quite frankly, it never got me excited enough to use it.  I mean, that's the point of using a game over a video, book or some other training method.  This game lacked the interactivity of a video game.

I chose this game over the Wii fit because it got better reviews as a serious training program and the Yoga section.  The game begins by requiring you to enter tons of data including measurements.  So instead of jumping right in to the workout while I was excited about it, I spent the next hour trying to dig out my scales, measuring tapes and convincing my wife to measure my body parts (no jokes please).

When I finally did get to the workout portion, it was no different than watching a typical workout video.  I didn't feel like I was playing a game at all.  On top of that, I was responsible for entering my own data.

If this is the type of workout your looking for, I suggest staying with your favorite old workout videos, or using those available on cable TV and just recording your own results on your computer.  Admittedly I didn't give this product a thorough test, but that's because it made working out harder not easier and more fun.  I give it one kiai.

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Wii Sports Boxing

Wii Boxing is the only combative sport that comes with Wii Sports which is bundled with every Wii console.  You must have the Wii Nunchuk Controller to use Wii Boxing.  With Wii Boxing, you can fight a real opponent or a computer opponent.  There are also three training drills.  These are my favorite.  The first is the heavy bag.  You strike the heavy bag repeatedly until you knock it off its support.  A very satisfying spectacle seeing the bag fly through the room.  Second, your trainer holds focus pads for you and you strike them when he raises them.  But watch out.  If you strike your trainer, you loose points.  Sometimes, it's worth it though.  Lastly is a dodging drill.  Your trainer throws tennis balls at you and you dodge to avoid them.  They make a degrading slapping sound every time one lands.

Wii Boxing can be a very good cardio workout.  At least one study indicates you can burn almost as many calories playing Wii Boxing as you can working a heavy bag.  It's certainly a change of pace.  The key to getting a good workout is not to cheat by just wiggling the controllers.  Throw good punches and tilt your whole body to dodge and it will be a good supplement to your training.  I can't give it full marks due to lack of responsiveness.  The game has difficulty distinguishing from a hook punch and a jab.  It also doesn't react to every punch I throw.  This may just be sour grapes because my seven year old daughter knocked me out.  But this is my story and I'm sticking to it.  Despite its shortcomings, I give it a very solid three kiai.