Wii Fit Review + Day 1

For $89.99 I was a little hesitant about Wii Fit. Was it going to just be a gimmick? Was it going to have any lasting power? And maybe the most important question, will there be use of the balance board beyond the Wii Fit game?

I was pleasantly surprised minutes into the game. It's very accurate. If your balance is just a bit off, it's going to know. And the games (workouts) are also nicely varied in skill and movements. I went through all the yoga and most of the others (aerobics, strength training, and balance) and worked up a bit of a sweat.

Before I get into the individual activities (and before you have a chance to if you boot up the game for the first time), you need to weigh in. Here your center of balance, Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight are all measured. Finally, you're given a basic balance test and then provided your Wii Fit age. My center of balance was off by .8 and I received a 30 on my basic balance test, but I believe was average/below average. My BMI as "normal" at 23.51 and my weight at 164 lbs. My Wii Fit age was 36, 14 years too high.

After this is all given to you, you set a goal for yourself. How much do you want to lose and in how much time. Your goal can be changed every 2 weeks in case you're falling behind or maybe ahead of schedule. I went with the game's suggestion of getting my BMI to 22, which would require me to lose 10 lbs. I gave myself a month to do it. This is where the biggest problem with the game comes into play though. It doesn't account for muscle. If you're a muscular guy or gal, those extra pounds (and remember muscle > fat) will be considered fat. Furthermore, say I focused on the strength training exercises, would it look like I was gaining weight? I'm not 100% sure, but I want to say yes. So this game seems to be best fit for those looking to slim down, not bulk up.

The way it tracks your progress is also very motivating. Not only to use the Wii Fit game, but to exercise and make healthy choices outside of the game. While the game tracks what time of activities you do inside the game, it also lets you add in activities from the real world. So if you go for a run or a walk, you can add it to your list.

Now you can get started. I have no prior experience in yoga, but from what I can tell the game stays true to what you'd experience in a class. There's only 4 poses available when you start the game, but there's plenty of difficulty even then. The tree pose (check this video to see it in action) is the last and most difficult one available at first. The game is definitely more demanding than say a video because your balance is moving on the screen.

The balance games are neat little mini games that are aimed to improve your balance. I tried out soccer heading and the ski jump. I don't imagine a ton of improve in either balance or health is accomplished by these mini games, but they are one of the most fun. The ski jump is great and paves the way for a more in-depth skiing or snowboarding game.

The strength training took me by surprise. I did the single leg extensions and the push-up/side plank exercises. The push-up/side plank was great. You put your hands on the balance board and it makes sure you're doing the reps on time. This is one of the more difficult exercises I came across so far and had me working up a nice sweat.

Lastly, we have the aerobics. Another good section of mini games like the hula hoop and a DDR-light-esque basic step. This is where the running happens too. As you run the other Miis you've created will be seen in the park. The scenery is nice and seeing your Miis run or just hangout is a plus, but the lack of music makes the running a tad boring after a couple times through. It is a nice workout though. I did the short distance run with the Wiimote in my pocket (you can hold it in your hand too) and I went on for quite a while. Who would have thought running in place in your living room would be relatively draining?

I guess I'll wrap this up. Wii Fit, despite it's price, is a solid video game and a pretty good way of exercising. I don't think this is going to solve America's obesity problem, but it will definitely help. Those who need a different kind of kick in the ass or those getting off the couch for the first time in a while will find this to be a refreshing way to get that heart beating. For those of you who are already workout warriors will probably find it interesting, but I'm not sure if the appeal will last.

I plan on weighing in every week. So feel free to join me as I check my progress and really put the Wii Fit to the test.

Day 1, June 3
BMI: 23.51
Weight: 164 lbs
Center of Balance: 49.2% / 50.8%
Basic Balance Test: 30
Wii Fit Age: 36

Batman versus Sub-Zero?

Nick posted this yesterday and then was going nuts about it when we were drinking last night, so I figured I would repost it here. Apparently, Midway is making a Mortal Kombat vs. DC Comics game. It seems pretty cool, until you really think about it.

"However, the idea of a game like Mortal Kombat, known for its gory fatalities, pairing with the likes of anti-killing superheroes like Batman and Superman still seems far-fetched." - Newsarama.

It'll be interesting to see how they collide these two worlds. I can't help but think this is a little too late to hop on the whole versus train. X-Men/Marvel vs. Street Fighter/Capcom did a great job with it in the mid to late 90s. So anyone who was a fan of that game may have their expectations a bit too high. Remember, Mortal Kombat hasn't really put out a good game since 1995 (Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance actually wasn't terrible, but still).

Mario Kart for Wii Finally Makes an Appearance

Once again, Digg has lead me to solid gold, this time in the form of the first Mario Kart video for the Wii. While most of it looks pretty familiar from previous installments...except for one part. They now have motorcycles.

While Super Smash Bros. Brawl was just released and is probably the best game out for Nintendo's new library; Mario Kart looks infinitely better. Check it out here for yourself. Supposed release date is late April, but might be pushed back.

Pontiac Meets Spy Hunter

You may remember the arcade or NES game Spy Hunter and one look at the new Pontiac commercial advertising their G8 GT will bring those memories flooding back. The game was first released in 1983, but has been reincarnated in a couple of arcade greatest hit collections as recently as 2003.

Edit: I guess I can't embed this since the video is too wide. Direct link is here.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Out Today! Believe the Hype.

I guess I didn't lie a couple posts ago when I said I would be playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl all night. Once midnight hit I went over to my nearby GameStop and have pretty much been playing it ever since.

Impressions you ask? Well, if you enjoyed the previous two installments at all you're going to enjoy this one. If you fall in that category you've pretty much waited six years for Brawl and it does not disappoint. To give you an idea from where I'm coming from though: I was never a huge fan of Smash Bros. I had both of the earlier ones, but the game never won me over. However, online play really takes this game places it should have been years ago. Thanks to the GameCube being so far behind the times we've been playing a perfect game for online play offline forever...not anymore.

Although, there are some issues with online play. For one, you can't communicate in any way with the random people you're fighting. That can be seen as good or bad. As I waited in line to get the game this evening - err this morning - there were a few kids with their parents and I'm sure those parents are happy to know there won't be people like me cursing at their kids as I get knocked off the screen. I don't mind not having some creepy dudes or weird kids talking to me in my living room either. Though I think there should be some way to have a text-based chat room while you're waiting to enter a game.

I'm about two hours deep into the single-player mode and I have to say it is a lot more fulfilling than it has ever been. To be honest, I don't even recall a real single-player mode in the previous games, at least not one with a psuedo-storyline, so it couldn't have been that good.

The best part of all is seeing characters in completely different franchises teaming up together or battling each other. It reminds me a lot of the first time I played Kingdom Hearts and I was like, "Holy shit, Peter Pan is kicking Cloud's ass." (For the record, I don't even remember if that happened - I'm tired - but you get the idea). There's a lot of holy shitting going on and I'm pretty excited that I'm this excited over it. To throw more video game nerdness out there: Tales of Symphonia may be the last game I was this almost 100% happy with. (Another for the record, I still haven't played Super Mario Galaxy).

Obviously if you have a Wii and you liked the previous games even a tiny bit, you're probably playing the game now or plan on waking up nice and early (aka three hours from now) and buying the game somewhere. However, if you have a Wii with no intentions of buying this game, I definitely recommend you rent it or invite yourself over your friend's house - one of them is bound to have it. The expanded single-player mode is certainly a good reason, but a game like this really comes down to the multiplayer mode and the online play just made this game fun for people who don't have friends. Hooray for strangers.


PS: E-mail us if you want to exchange friend codes because I'll be looking to do that soon.

I Guess I Know What I'm Doing Today

In a true sign of laziness (I'm blaming it on the weather) the following remix video has inspired me to play video games for the remainder of the day. Whether or not I actually stoop to such a low level of doing-nothingness has yet to be determined, but this video of possibly my favorite game ever is tempting me for sure.

The Mega Man II remix track is taken from the 12-inch Spacer Woman from Mars, which will be released on the 25th. You can follow that link to more samples of Johan Agebjorn's album.

More Characters/Details Revealed as Super Smash Bros. Brawl Hits Japan

Let the hype begin! Super Smash Bros. Brawl hits stores in Japan this Thursday, but it seems some advance copies are flooding message boards and YouTube with plenty of footage of the game. Below is footage of the introduction of the game. It is actually more epic than Cloverfield and runs about 80 minutes shorter. Impressive to say the least.

Many are speculating that there will be 35 playable characters in the game. All but one of those 35 have been revealed already by those leaking screen shots and videos. (With that said continue at your own risk. There will be unlockables revealed below). I'm assuming they haven't got far enough in the game to get the 35th and maybe even more so after that (Edit: the 35th was discovered as I wrote this. Check below). If you want to unlock the characters yourself without knowing who they will be, I suggest you skip the following screen shot and the video.


You should be able to figure out the 34 with that screen shot. You can always click to enlarge or watch the first few seconds on this video. You can continue watching for some Wind Waker Link (or "Toon Link") versus Ganondorf. Also shows off the awesome Wind Waker stage.

As I'm writing this Star Wolf (from the Star Fox series) has just been confirmed as the 35th and possibly last character. The only reason why some say he is the last is because the player grid fits nicely with Wolf added, but nothing is official yet. There are no screen shots of Wolf either, but I'll throw up an update when one becomes available.

Some quick impressions of the game are awe and excitement. Everyone will obviously have their complaints of characters that could have been included, but I recall people (myself included) dreaming of Sonic ever since the first Smash Bros. and now he's here. So wishes are being granted, just not all of them. I'm not going to complain about R.O.B. or Toon Link simply because every fighting game needs characters who aren't outright awesome, and they aren't that bad. March 9th couldn't come sooner.

In an attempt to get comments on this story: Despite never playing the game, who would you pick as your 'main' character? I would say first, but then everyone would pick a newcomer. Obviously it depends on game play, but I'm going with Meta Knight with Lucario closely behind.

Update: I added the newest and probably final screen shot of the character selection screen.

Shut Up and Jam, and also Play This Game

The Internet is a beautiful place. Without it we'd never have gems like "Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden." And a life without "Barkey, Shut Up..." is no life at all.

To cut to the chase, this game is real. The official trailer shows off the game and gives a bit of background to the storyline. As a big fan of old school video games and old school basketball this is a dream come true. I'm still only 68% done with the download of the game, but I cannot imagine this falling short of amazing.

For more info, more screens and links to downloads of the game, click here.

Edit: Just played a bit of it, seems as I expected: great.

Three New Characters Confirmed for Super Smash Bros. Brawl

We don't post about video games enough on here, but I figured this big news was definitely worth it. Very recently Ness (of Earthbound fame), Jigglypuff (Pokemon) and Lucario (also Pokemon) have been confirmed for the Wii's version of Super Smash Bros.

A new trailer was released and the crafty people on the Internet found these three at the 4:20 mark. It took me a bit to track it down because it is literally for a split second, but you can see their faces/icons at the bottom right of the screen.

The trailer itself is just great to watch for those who haven't seen much of the game lately -- like myself. I did some Wikipedia research (somehow not a double-negative quite yet) and found a nice little section on the playable characters revealed so far. As I write this, the aforementioned three are not on the list, but it still gives you a nice little update.

My thoughts are that Lucario fits in nicely with the other Brawl characters and may be the character I'm most excited about. Oh yeah, and Pokemon is amazing. Super Smash Bros. Brawl should hopefully hit U.S. shores by March, but the release date is constantly changing it seems. It is supposed to be released in Japan at the end of the month.

Ed's Big Christmas List

As I sit here and look at Mark and Jamie's Christmas Gift guide in The Recorder, I feel like I need to make my own list with stuff that I want. While some of it is more realistic than others, I like to think my parents love me enough to pick up a few of these things. Hint, hint, wink, wink. What the fuck am I doing, my parents don't read this, or for that matter, know how to use a computer.

1. Vizio 32" LCD HDTV

While having a xBox 360 is awesome, it doesn't do a whole lot for me if it isn't attached to a sweet TV. Anyways, all TV channels are going to be digital by 2009, so why wait?

2. Call of Duty 4 (xBox 360)

This is the most bad-ass game out right now that I can actually see myself playing. Halo 3 is losing its luster already and I rather play a war-based game. Come find me on Live mothafuckers.

3. Superbad - Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition)

While Superbad was one of my favorite movies this year, I only want this DVD cause it comes with an actual McLovin Hawaii ID, which Walmart banned for that exact reasoning. They suck anyways.

4. Nintendo DS Lite Crimson & Black

I know Mark already has a DS and absolutely loves it, so I decided that i needed a portable gaming system. Nintendo has never let me down, so I guess the DS is my choice.

5. Apple iPhone

Yeh, this is a complete cop-out because I work for Apple and I love
all of their products. This is the hottest thing all year and was named "Invention of the Year." Fuck all other phones.