Wii Fit

What’s in the box:

• Balance Board (including 4x AA batteries
• Wii Fit Game

Wii Fit is Nintendo’s latest computer gaming revelation! After the success of the Wii console last year and the Massive popularity for games like ‘Brain Trainer’ on the DS, Nintendo have combined the two for an all new cross-genre participation game.

Yes, Wii Fit is a computer game, but much like the Brain Trainer games, it’s not really aimed at any one age group or user base. With the premise of activities that are fun, but also help with your fitness, everyone from Kids to Dad’s and even Gran will want a go!

With Wii Fit you get a nifty new piece of kit called a ‘Balance Board’; this is wirelessly connected to the Wii and requires batteries to operate (4x AA – which are provided in the box). The Balance Board is surprisingly well built and sturdy, weighing in at over 4kg (8.8lbs). The Balance Board works using many little scales inside it to measure changes in pressure when a force is applied to its surface (i.e you stand on it and jiggle about); this is surprisingly accurate and effective, picking up even the slightest change in position or movement and translating that to something happening on screen.

Wii Fit comes with a multitude of exorcise routines and games for you to play with your Balance Board. The Exercises are split into 4 categories; Yoga, Muscle, Balance and Aerobic. Most of your focus here will probably gravitate towards the Yoga and Muscle routines, which are highly effective. The Yoga moves range from the very simple, to tasks a Yoga master would find challenging. The muscle routines feel like they might work quite well and it’s here the Wii fit really feels like both a game and a piece of fitness equipment. The balance Board will calculate your weight and BMI (body mass index) for you, so you can track your progress throughout. (Something to note here is the board’s weight limit is 150kg (~23 stone) so unfortunately some slightly larger players will have to miss out on this one)

When you have done your fitness routines and would like a little bit more ‘fun’ there are over 18 games to play ranging from Snowboarding, Skiing & Boxing to Dancing and jogging. Some of the games use the Wii remote as well as the balance board, and it really shows how effectively the new Balance board integrates with the existing Wii peripherals.

Here are some reviews from people who have got their own Wii Fit:

(5 out of 5)

Brilliance!!

Not being a console user at all I was a bit dubious of purchasing a Wii let a alone together with the Wii fit but it’s great. In fact I love it!! The Wii Fit is a fantastic idea for getting fit without you even realising you’re exercising. The games are designed in a clever way which makes you continue playing till you have beaten not only your own score but everyone else’s too. With new games frequently being unlocked, it continues to become more and more addictive. By Jo McCann

(5 out of 5)

I really love my Wii fit!

I actually found it hard to get one at first, everywhere seemed to be out of stock, and I had to pay a little more than I wanted for it, but I’m chuffed to say it was well worth it! Some of the games can be repetitive but that’s no different to Wii Sports really, it’s just great fun to pick up and play. I actually didn’t think the fitness side would be that much use, just a gimmick, however I was really wrong, the exorcises and muscle toning do seem to be doing some good – a great side product to an already fun game!