Wii Fitness!

As a self-admitted video game junkie, Wii Fit may just be the answer to my prayers. We bought it a few months ago for Christmas "for the kids" (wink, wink); it's so scarce that we decided we'd better jump on the opportunity when it presented itself (I waited in line for hours - eeeaaaarly in the morning for the Wii itself - so I'm used to Nintendo's forced scarcity tactics). It sat in the closet for quite a while, and then, unable to resist its siren song, we decided to break it out and see what all the fuss was about.

First you're instructed to subject yourself to an 'evaluation' - ugh. You choose your "Mii", then tell the game your vitals, including height and age - and like a sap, I told the truth. It puts you through a balance test to see if your center of balance is off, then measures your BMI and tells you your Wii Fit Age (which is your actual age adjusted by your BMI and balance results). If you measure with a high BMI, your poor little Mii will blow up like the proverbial balloon - eliciting snickers from those who are supposed to love you unconditionally... uh huh. That part of the evaluation' is less than motivating.

However, it then asks what your weight loss goals are and tells you how much weight you'll have to lose weekly to achieive your goals in the time you've set. It also suggests specific things to work on based on your stats and keeps track of your progress. The Wii Fit redeemed itself a bit at this point.

When you finally get to play some of the games, it's a lot more fun. The yoga moves give you real time stats on your balance (I ranked as a "yoga instructor", go me!), and the aerobics section has fun games like hula hooping and races (racing against your kids is fun - run kid, run!). I think my favorite section, though, is the balance section. With games like soccer, ski slollum and a sort of "marble madness", there's no end to the fun you can have... watching your family members look silly.

Bottom line: if you enjoy playing physical games, and derive pleasure from watching other people do silly things... this is the game for you.