Game of Week: Nintendo Wii Fit

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Game of Week: Nintendo Wii Fit

WHAT'S THE STORY?

Erm, no story here to speak of, it's an exercise game dontcha no! So forget about shooting aliens or killing bad guys, the only virtual person you'll be making sweat is your alter-ego on screen as you look to lose pounds and increase your stamina.

But this is gym-going Nintendo-style (as shown by Nell McAndrew and Sarah Harding) and so there's plenty of enjoyment to be had while toning up your muscles and feeling healthier with a whole programme designed for every member of the family and all levels of fitness.

So break out those jogging bottoms, put free Wii Sports and Mario Kart to one side, and try what is quite possibly the most innovative "game" of the year - as Ninty aim to prove console-playing isn't a bad thing.

HOW DOES IT HANDLE?

In the box, and it's a very big box, you'll find the free Wii Balance Board. Plonk this around 3ft from your telly, put in the batteries and synchronise it with the free Wii machine at the touch of a couple of buttons.

The whole of free Wii Fit revolves around you standing on this board and replicating the movements on screen with your own body. Like the Brain Training series, it begins by working out your Fit Age, through a series of initial tests including your Body Mass Index - the ratio of your weight to height. This is what you're trying to improve using the game.

Suffice to say, my Wii Fit Age wasn't healthy - probably too much sofa-sitting playing Halo 3 - but hey, we've all got to start somewhere.

It's pretty boring stuff in the set-up but as they say, no pain, no gain and it only takes a few minutes to get sorted. Now you're ready to stretch muscles in places you never knew they existed, and believe me, you'll be sore sooner rather than later.

There's 40 activities available in free Wii Fit from Yoga positions, to games that work by keeping your balance on the board. There's stuff involving footballs, hoola-hoops, skiing, and a series of those muscle-crunching stretches that resemble an aerobics workout.

Some just use the board, others bring in the free Wii-mote but all are so cleverly addictive that you don't really feel like you've been exercising.

The more you do, the more new challenges you unlock and the varying difficulties mean you can start slow and build-up rather than dive in and feel out of breath after five minutes.

SCREEN GRAB OR SCREEN DRAB?

Graphically there's not much to be said here. What you see on the telly is good enough to keep you interested but all the design wizardry has gone into the gameplay rather than the visuals. It's basic, but it works.

HOW LONG TILL I'M BORED?

Like your gym membership, you'll only get out of this what you put in. That means unless you invest some time every day, you won't see any success in feeling fitter. It's not a replacement for the treadmill and weights but keep it next to the TV and find a spare 10 minutes each day and you will notice a difference.

There's a calendar to record your schedules and progress plus changes are documented on graphs so you can instantly see how well you're doing.

The innovation here is amazing. Nintendo has taken something most of us hate - exercise - and turned it into something that's at least a little bit easier on the mind and body.

Obviously if you're in poor health, then take care using this. And there's a maximum 23st 8lbs limit for the board itself.

My one real gripe is after a couple of weeks you might start to get bored of the activities on offer. Some are more fun than others and that cuts down your choice. Let's hope Nintendo make more available via download in the future.

Many people believe the free Wii to be the only real next-generation console, one that offers something a world away from the norm rather than just better graphics and more processing power.

The free Wii has changed the face of gaming, and I've no doubt free Wii Fit will be the first in a long line of titles that prove there's more to this entertainment form that guns, bullets and racing cars.

VERDICT: 93%

RATING: 3+
FORMAT: Nintendo free Wii
PUBLISHER: Nintendo
PRICE: FREE !