Nintendo has been pushing the Wii as a games console that’s good for you – mentally and physically – for some time. But now with its latest Wii Fit game, the company has taken the fitness angle one step further, stating it will turn your living room into a home gym.
With its brain training game series and its game controller that forces players to be active rather than passively sitting in front of a screen, the Wii is aimed to appeal to a broader audience. See also our guide to technology and fitness here.
Wii Fit builds on the console’s intended versatility, with a motion sensitive Wii Balance Board that allows players to do yoga, muscle, balance and aerobic exercises. In fact, Nintendo does not call Wii Fit a game, instead it is dubbed a “health and lifestyle product.”
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To get started, the Wii Fit, Balance Board and console will give you an analysis of your physical condition by analysing your BMI (Body Mass Index), and centre of gravity. You will then be assigned your ‘Wii Fit Age’ and can start choosing exercises from one of the four categories mentioned above.
The on-screen instructor will check that you’re performing exercises correctly according to where your balance and body mass are placed, Nintendo says. As you exercise, Wii Fit tracks your progress and unlocks additional exercises for you as you go.
If you’re feeling competitive, up to eight people can store and compare their Wii Fit data, though if you don’t want to share these details, you can lock this component.
Wii Fit will be available 8 May 2008.
RRP: $149.95
See: www.nintendo.com.au
