A while back we welcomed Wii Fit with these words: "It’s a glorified tech demo." Having spent a good deal of time playing it, we think we were right. As an exercise tool, it’s tricky to judge, requiring more biological knowledge than we can muster. We can tell you that yes, the Body Mass Index measuring seems to work well, and the ability to program in weight goals to work toward is well judged. When it comes to reviewing it as a tool, we’re a little stumped.
Sticking with the games is of greater benefit to us. These simple wobbling distractions are a sweat-tinged taste of things to come: a glorified tech demo. However, what these slightly sneering terms fail to convey is just what a successful tech demo it is. Entertainment value aside, not a single game falters technically: more than could be said for Wii Play’s dubious Table Tennis and Fishing.
When Wii Fit arrives, it’s going to be big. You’re going to see it all over the news stands, on the cover of Women’s Weekly and Men’s Fitness. But despite all this, you’ll have to ignore the ‘fitness, fitness, fitness’ message and think only of ‘control, control, control’. There’s nothing quite like dictating digital actions with your whole body, and few things as much fun. Just think, all this is from a mere tech demo.
Feb 14, 2008
