Wii Fit Game with Balance Board

I was a little scared of this when we got it, thinking "I don't want to jog on television!" But after watching my kids and seeing what is all included with the game, I was very anxious to play. After a simple set up of the platform, you are ready to go. It came with 4 AA batteries and included 4 little risers for thicker carpets. I haven't tried these as mine is a berber carpet and works fine, I didn't need a pad or anything.You have to personalize your Mii with your age, height, weight (yes, it is a scale, too.) From the data, your BMI is calculated and you are noted as underweight, ideal, overweight, or obese. You then take a little balance test (where you shift your weight to certain areas within a time limit.) Your Wii Fit Age is then displayed in large numbers on the screen. Well, of course this could be incorrect (especially if you are heavy due to muscles or something!) but it is an okay feature as long as you don't get bent out of shape about what it says. It isn't a doctor, it is only a game, afterall! As you get better, your Wii Fit age decreases. NOTE: You can even play as someone else's Mii if you don't have time to set one up for yourself (or don't want to.) You'll get a little voice when you step on saying something like "you weigh a little different than before, do you want to continue?" Just click "continue." I didn't want to set one up at first, so I just played as my husband's Mii. Then I just set one up...geez, it wasn't so bad!Game play: If you have played Big Brain Academy, this game reminds you of that, but you use your body, not just your brain (but maybe this should be called Big Butt Academy for me!! ha ha) The exercises are divided into four different categories designed to help improve your health (and to have fun!) They are yoga, muscles, aerobic, and balance. The yoga and muscle categories feel the most like "real" exercises. You start with a few unlocked categories, and earn new ones. You dont' have to master everything to get the new stuff as things unlock as you bank "time spent" minutes. You can choose a woman or man virtual "trainer" to help guide you in your form (they will also give you feedback on how you are doing.)My family's favorite parts are the aerobic and balance activities. The games include things like hula hoops (super funny to be a spectator!), jogging, boxing, or step dancing. The balance activities are the ones where everyone wants a turn (even grandma wanted to do these!) These include a marble game (where you balance and lean to get a marble through a hole), ski jump, slalom skiing, snowboarding (you get to turn the balance board sideways to simulate riding on a snowboard), riding in a river inside a bubble (you lean forward and sideways to get your bubble to move and avoid the walls), and even tightrope walking.Many of the games show a little icon of the balance board and a dot. There is a red dot that shows you where your center of balance is. It is like a target where and you try to get the dots to overlap by shifting your weight. It is really an amazing little board! Even pushing down with only your toes effects the on-screen outcome. We play the balance games the most and all try to get the top score (it shows the top 10 leaders.)Do we cheat? Well, no..but it is possible, especially with running. You don't use the board with this game, but your arm movement while holding the Wii remote register as running. You could certainly just wave it around, but that sort of defeats the fun!It seems that there will be many more games coming to work with the balance board. I hope so, because it is a fun gadget. Would I change anything? Maybe. You can't really compete with each other on too many games (you can jog two-player.) You are mostly playing one at a time then comparing scores. It would be fun (but more expensive) to have a split screen, two balance boards, and snowboard against each other! Also, I would like it if you could set up your own little workout routine (like link together 7 or 8 activities that you like the most to run consecutively) but you cannot do this. It isn't that hard to select each one with the remote, but it seems like it would have been a good addition. I actually thought this would be an option before I bought it.Will the Wii Fit replace a "real" exercise program? Of course not. Will it get you off of the couch more often? Definately, and your muscles will feel that you are doing something! Plus you can see some progress with weight, Wii Fit age, and improved scores. Overall, we really like it and we have logged many hours on it in the first few weeks (which I can't say for all the Wii games we have!) For the price and amount of fun, it is definately worth it!

I hate exercising. I have never enjoyed spending an hour of my day sweating. Just never was fun to me. I greatly admire those who enjoy it, but for me, I have about 100 different things I'd rather be doing, and cleaning my bathroom is one of them. So needless to say, I like things that will encourage me to actually workout without reminding me of the 100 other things I could be accomplishing.I can't comment on the long term use of Wii fit, though the prospect does look good. However, at this time, I can say that it's not something that I dread doing in the morning. There are features I like, a few I don't and a few that would be nice if they were added. I'll start with the likes.1) Time goes quickly. Once the higher levels for each exercise is unlocked, it doesn't feel like I'm spending 45 minutes exercising.2) I like the gradual unlocking of exercises. I'm an ADD personality. I get bored easily and like to discover new things and the more I get to find, the happier I am.3) It really is a work out. I can tell when I'm done that I've worked out. Muscles are tired and I'm winded.4) The instructions are easy to follow and the exercises explained in a way that's easily understood.5) I love the little clock that lets keeps up with how long you've actually been exercising. There's a good amount of down time switching exercises that adds up. The clock is most helpful to keep track of how much time you're actually exercising.6) Keeps track of progress for me.7) My kids love it! Ages 4, 6, and 9 have all played with it. They have a great time doing the different exercises and games. The run in the park is one of their favorites, especially when they do it with one of us. Since it does require some following of directions, I do have to read the screens and help the youngest two. All three of my kids are under weight (must be nice), so I didn't have the problem with them being called obese. I can see where that might be discouraging for some children, especially when your Mii get's a little chubby.Now for the dislikes.1) I don't always feel like the strength exercises give enough time to perform each move. While the trainer is saying to go slowly, I'm have to speed up to finish before the next rep starts.2) The automatic changing of the angles on the step exercise can be very confusing. When the Mii's are facing you doing steps in the opposite direction, it's difficult to keep going the right direction3) It's hard to get a good flow and rhythm with a break between each exercise, especially when early on, they usually last between 1-3 minutes.4) It's easy to convince the board you're a lot better than you are. For example, I've yet to correctly complete the pushup/side plank exercise, yet I've scored 100 each time. I'm not trying to cheat, I simply am not in good enough shape to complete the exercises properly. It doesn't know that though.5) The program doesn't seem to be able to take your struggles from one exercise and apply it to another. For example, I'll have strong abs (what a joke!) on one, but the next exercise I might struggle and be encouraged to train everyday to strengthen my ab muscles. Not a big deal, but makes for a great laugh at time. Mainly, it demonstrates how little Wii fit actually knows.6) I'd like to be able to make long term goals. I'm not very motivated by a short term goal. My husband tells me I'm not like most people in this respect. Short term goals have the opposite effect for me than they do for others. Once I reach a goal, I quit working. It's accomplished and I'm done. I need long term goals so that I keep working. Since I need to loose more than 22lb, having that as the goal is not good for me. I'd like to be able to set my ultimate goal and work towards that.Additions that would be nice.1) I very much like the weight tracking portion of the program. However, it would be nice if there was a place to add in a daily calorie, fat, or carbohydrate consumption. Maybe a goal as well as actual. That'd give you a nice way to keep up with intake as well. After all, getting and staying fit is more than just exercise.2) Some way to string exercises together. While 10 minutes of hula hoop can be tiring, it would be nice to immediately follow it up with other exercises that can make a nice 30 minute aerobic workout. There's too much cool down, and I don't feel like my heart rate stays up as it should.3) On the combo exercises, it would be nice if once you complete one, it gives you the option to go immediately to the other suggested exercises. Especially, since often times it's combining a yoga with a strength which is on a different screen.4) An interface that minimizes the amount of moving through menus, stepping on the board, off the board, etc. The interface really doesn't flow well.5) A few more exercises, especially aerobic ones.6) An `other' option for why weight might have increased. They don't list all the possible reasons, nor do I expect them to. However, there are reasons other than inappropriate eating habits for going up one day instead of staying steady or going down.I've been very pleased so far. Given that I'm not one to enjoy exercise, I haven't found it to be nearly the struggle I thought it might be. The greatest obstacle up to this point, has been `borrowing' it from my children.