Wii Fit review

The good

It will help you improve your balance - playing regularly improves muscle tone, especially in the tummy - the board could be used in future exciting games - some fun balance games

The bad

There are no warm up or cool down routines - no way to create your own exercise programme - the yoga postures are isolated - you spend a lot of time moving between games and exercises - not really multi-player, despite the adverts

System Requirements and setup

I was one of those lucky people who managed to get her hands on a Wii Fit game and Wii Balance Board on release day (though seeing the price they’re now going for on eBay I wish I’d thought to buy two!).

As with all Wii games it’s easy to set up - just pop the disc in the Wii console and put the board onto a flat surface. The system tells you when to switch the board on - and it has an automatic shut down to reserve battery power.

You’ll need a Wii Remote to navigate through the system - and a Numchuck for the Rythym Boxing.

The initial weight and balance check

When you first log on to the system you are welcomed by a cartoon Balance Board - who will guide you through the application. You can import your Mii - and once you have told the system your height and age it will then weigh you and alter the stature of your Mii accordingly - Gamesbuzz Boy wasn’t impressed when his Mii got puffed out like a balloon!

You can then take a balance test - to check your posture.

Having collected this information the system will then present you with your Wii FIt Age - I have no idea how it works out the age but I think I started out in my 70’s (I’m only 31!)

Wii Fit puts the word fun back into exercise

Despite the fact that Mr Nintendo has stated that the Wii Fit cannot make you fit it is certainly causing a stir - can you really stand on a piece of plastic and lose weight?

There are a wide range of activities available, from fun balance games and aerobic exercises to circuit training and yoga. For the latter two a personal trainer demonstrates each of the postures and gives you encouragement along the way. Unfortunately there a few things missing that keep it from being treated as a serious fitness tool.

Most importantly there is no warm up or cool down facility - simply a message to tell you to do so. I don’t know why this is missing as it seems like such a simple thing to include.

Then there is the fact that you can’t make your own exercise programmes - I find it frustrating that I waste a lot of time moving between menus and choosing new activities. I’d love to be able to select say 10 activities and have them just run through in order.

The other annoying thing about Wii Fit is that the Yoga poses are all treated as stand alone exercises - anyone who’s done yoga for real knows that you are supposed to flow from one posture to another. While the Fit helps you to perfect the postures it is frustrating that you can’t then run through them one after another.

I do wonder if anyone will launch a piece of software that includes these improvements - I’d certainly buy a copy.

Going back to the question - can you stand on a piece of plastic and lose weight? I used the Wii Fit every day for 30 days, clocking up between 45 minutes to an hour on actual activities. I did a range of activities from each of the four sections each day. At the end of the 30 days, my legs felt stronger and my tummy muscles were definitely tighter - but I think I put on three pounds!

Would I recommend the Wii Fit?

I enjoy playing with the Wii Fit, the games are fun and I’ve also seen the health benefits of using it regularly. I would use it every day but the lack of exercise programmes makes it frustrating to use. I also wish it had a multi-player option; throw in a bit of competition between me and Gamesbuzz Boy and we’d both be fit as a fiddle in no time!

The Balance Board is already being used in other games though so if you can get hold of one at the RRP I’d say snap it up.

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