Nintendo WII

[Pasdar]

How many people have a WII here? I was wondering if it's really good to stay fit or even build muscles? Has anyone tried?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iYBmAVuBns

I want to buy wii with WII fit bundle and balance board today...

[billgoldberg]

How many people have a WII here? I was wondering if it's really good to stay fit or even build muscles? Has anyone tried?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iYBmAVuBns

I want to buy wii with WII fit bundle and balance board today...

Moehahah.

Funny video.

The sad part is that (just like with Brain Age on the DS) people actually think this will help.

[bruno9779]

We have on at work, to use during breaks.

for most games you do not really do any physical exercise, but i have brokea sweat many times with Wii sport - boxing. (not with golf, tennis, bowling or baseball)

I even had sore muscles after hammering the game for a whole afternoon.

Overall, my opinion is that the technology involved is still insufficient, but i will plunge to a shop when next generation of this tech will come out.

[sub2007]

The way I see it, if you want to game then get a gaming console. If you want to exercise then go to the gym or get an exercise machine. For use as an exercise aid Wii Fit is only really about as good as an exercise video, with an expensive gimmick. Nintendo never intended it to be an exercise aid, just a game with an emphasis on making you aware of watching your weight.

[Pasdar]

The way I see it is this. I use to train (hardcore), since four years ago all I do is sit at my desk, use the PC, now and then walk and grab some coffee... wtf? my father has had a heart attack... my body is still very fit from the training I use to do... still... better get some training on this thing rather than nothing right? cus i'm not the type that goes to the gym anyway...

[sub2007]

Your concerns are definitely understandable but it's still about making time to do it. Lots of people say "yeah wii Fit, it looks really fun and I'll do it every day and it will get me fit" but the vast majority of Wii Fit owners use it for about a week to a month then lose interest in doing it. Just to illustrate, the average play time for Wii Fit is 20 hours and 16 times... Exercise is still exercise whether you do it running outside or running on the spot in your living room with a Wii remote in your pocket watching a drawing of you running. If you are dedicated enough to spend 30 minutes, 1 hour etc doing this then you could be similarly motivated to do other forms of exercise. And cardio is the more important in fitness which Wii Fit doesn't really help you with (running on the spot).

Basically I don't want you to waste your money on something that you think is going to help you but turns out to be a disappointment. I love my Wii but I love Nintendo and Nintendo games, I don't use it as a fitness machine..

[3rdalbum]

Don't buy a Wii if you want to get fit or build muscles. Having said that, there are quite a few fun games for the Wii and the console doesn't break the bank; plus there are some excellent titles due out shortly. You should give it a go!

Wii Fit is alright but most people get sick of it very quickly. There are some people who play Wii Fit a lot, though to get the most medical benefit from it you must do the excercises - quite boring. The jury is very much out on the benefits of Wii Fit; a bit disturbing considering it's over a year old!

[koshatnik]

Your concerns are definitely understandable but it's still about making time to do it. Lots of people say "yeah wii Fit, it looks really fun and I'll do it every day and it will get me fit" but the vast majority of Wii Fit owners use it for about a week to a month then lose interest in doing it.

Just like most people with Gym memberships. Or people that buy multigyms which they use for 2 weeks and then just rot in a spare room.

I have two friends that use the Wii fit thing regularly, and have fun and have lost weight. Where's the harm in that? Going to the gym is so dull, anything that makes it more enjoyable is surely a good thing? Each to their own.

[wolfyking2]

well, wii fit is a lot more fun then it looks. I wouldn't use it for your main source of exercise, but it's better then just sitting around with a remote, pressing buttons. I just bought medal of honor heroes 2 for my wii yesterday, and with my broken arm, it's kinda hard to twist and stuff.

[darkoptix]

I have only played with Wii Fit once in my life, but it was fun that one time. However, I don't think it could work for exercise. The part I thought was the best was Yoga.

If you really want to get in better shape, the best thing todo would be to get in a routine of exercise. Just do something that you find fun and entertaining, and try to change it up enough to keep you interested.

[Kareeser]

I'll vouch for the Wii fit being fun. However, you can't depend on it solely to keep fit. The in-game counter is faulty, and overcounts your time.

For example, in each exercise, there is about 30 seconds of prep talk, and 30 seconds of post-exercise talk. This all counts towards your overall time, but you're not actually doing anything.

The Wii fit also forces you to go to the main menu after every exercise, and makes you watch the same 30 second prep talk every time. After awhile it gets annoying.

The drawback of that is you're not consistently burning calories. Ideally, you should be pushing yourself to the limit, followed by a rest of about a minute, and repeat. The Wii fit does not do that.

I've rediscovered biking. Try that.

[Slug71]

Wii HD is out next year. I'd wait for that.

[Polygon]

wii hd? never heard of that.

all i know is that now i'm stuck with a crappy console that not only doesn't have really much power, but no real good games either because nintendo has completely abandoned its fanbase to attract moms and little kids and other 'casual gamers'.

not to mention my wii makes a sound like a helicopter taking off every time i play it now, because some part wore down in the dvd drive cause of its aweeesome design >.>

[pwnst*r]

it sold well because it was cheap and appealing. long term, most of the people i know that have one still have it, but it's collecting major dust.

ps3 and 360 ftw for longevity.

[Polygon]

Oh yeah, cant forget the terrible online. "Ok to play with me we have to give each other our unique 12 digit online codes...and oh wait we can't actually chat with each other online.....or do anything....oh bloody hell why is this game lagging so bad?"

[pwnst*r]

Oh yeah, cant forget the terrible online. "Ok to play with me we have to give each other our unique 12 digit online codes...and oh wait we can't actually chat with each other online.....or do anything....oh bloody hell why is this game lagging so bad?"

what. that's how the wii works online?

[Pasdar]

There is never going to be a WII HD. The owner of Nintendo denied that they even have plans for such things. I don't even have an HD tv anyway. Though by the time the next Nintendo gets released I probably have one.

Anyway, I decided to buy it and give it a try. If I don't like it I can bring it back anyway.

Polygon,

Nintendo has always been for the younger age category anyway (not the Nintendo back then, but now). One of the reasons I would buy it over the PS3 (or xbox, thought PS3 rox xbox) is because at least I could play some games with my son. If you're a hardcore gamer you should definitely get a PS3 with a Full HD tv, heh.

If you want a mature game how about Call of Duty 5 WII?

[RandomJoe]

I have a Wii Fit, and I actually use it. No, it isn't going to get you buff if it's the only thing you do, but it does serve a useful set of purposes for me.

The yoga and strength-training exercises are (roughly) the same things I used to do on my own. Except now I am able to get feedback on what I'm doing. Some of them I wasn't sure I was even doing right (turns out in several cases I wasn't) or what the point of the exercise was. I am a bit disappointed with a few of the exercises, as they have been seriously mangled to fit into the balance board concept. (Most notably the Sun Salutation.)

The running has been great, through the winter. I'm not a runner - I'd rather go for a bike ride. But I also can't stand the cold! Being able to pretend I'm running on some pretty island somewhere makes it tolerable to run in place. Being able to "follow the dogs" to do a series of different paths keeps it from being *too* monotonous. (My Wii is connected to a projector, so I have a wall-sized panorama - not just looking at a small TV screen.) I just wish the "free run" (whatever it's called - when it's just timed) would let you pick a path as you go with the remote arrowpad.

I've also just run around the house. The Bluetooth connection to the remote seems to have pretty good range, I'm able to jog up and down the hall, through the rooms of the house - making the cats think I'm after them... ;)

The Fit games are silly - and in some cases surprisingly difficult. At least, if you apparently don't have very good balance, like me. None of them are something I want to do all the time, but it's fun to play them on occasion.

All in all, it's just a way to motivate me to do *something* when I might rather not. On a beautiful day, I'll just jump on the bike and go off around the lake. But when it's cold or rainy, at least I can get *some* exercise.


As for the more annoying aspects, all the intro/exit dialog is partially skippable - just keep pressing 'A' when they start "talking" and you don't have to wait. And you don't have to go all the way to the main menu to pick another exercise - there are arrows in the top corners to switch between yoga / strength training / etc. It would be nice to be able to set up a set of exercises, though.

[swoll1980]

Wii boxing is a very good aerobic exercise, and it's fun.

[forrestcupp]

Overall, my opinion is that the technology involved is still insufficient, but i will plunge to a shop when next generation of this tech will come out.MotionPlus for the remote comes out in about 2 weeks. That should help things a lot.



Nintendo has always been for the younger age category anyway (not the Nintendo back then, but now).

Nintendo has always been for the younger age category, even "back then". Everything from the NES until now has had a lot of titles that focus on being good for kids. Even their arcade games before the NES were light hearted. I don't really think there's anything wrong with that. That's part of what sets Nintendo apart from everyone else, whose only differences are slight machine spec variations.

[Mohamedzv2]

I don't really like Wii Fit or any other Wii games. Honestly, it seems like all games have decreased in the quality of their gameplay. It may be cause I got older, but that's how it feels to me.

As for Wii Fit, I don't really like it. It's running excercise is weird and best, the strength and yoga are really boring, and the balance games (the funnest of all the games) get way too repetitive after a while.

Not something that's helped me do anything.

[Pasdar]

Nintendo has always been for the younger age category, even "back then". Everything from the NES until now has had a lot of titles that focus on being good for kids. Even their arcade games before the NES were light hearted. I don't really think there's anything wrong with that. That's part of what sets Nintendo apart from everyone else, whose only differences are slight machine spec variations.
In the time of "nintendo now you're playing power" it was for everyone... it was the best thing available....

[drawkcab]

I have only played with Wii Fit once in my life, but it was fun that one time. However, I don't think it could work for exercise. The part I thought was the best was Yoga.

If you really want to get in better shape, the best thing todo would be to get in a routine of exercise. Just do something that you find fun and entertaining, and try to change it up enough to keep you interested.

+1

buy a cheap bike and do some cycling, throw in some calesthenics after your ride

[Polygon]

yes i do realize that nintendo has always been aimed towards the younger generation, but that doesn't mean they didn't used to make great games. I had tons of fun on my gamecube, but now with the wii, ssbb is so complicated and 'serious business' that i can't play it anymore, mario kart is no different then any of the other mario karts out there, and now nintendo is working on all those wii fit wii music wii ____ games and if you actually want to play a real game (kiddy or not) with some substance, then you are basically out of luck.

nintendo also needs some new innovation instead of cashing in on metroid mario and zelda all the time. its getting highly repetitive

[Slug71]

There is never going to be a WII HD. The owner of Nintendo denied that they even have plans for such things. I don't even have an HD tv anyway. Though by the time the next Nintendo gets released I probably have one.

Anyway, I decided to buy it and give it a try. If I don't like it I can bring it back anyway.

Polygon,

Nintendo has always been for the younger age category anyway (not the Nintendo back then, but now). One of the reasons I would buy it over the PS3 (or xbox, thought PS3 rox xbox) is because at least I could play some games with my son. If you're a hardcore gamer you should definitely get a PS3 with a Full HD tv, heh.

If you want a mature game how about Call of Duty 5 WII?

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6209105.html?sid=6209105&part=rss&subj=6209105

http://www.whattheyplay.com/blog/2008/09/30/new-wii-due-by-2011/

I guess its year after next now.

[Pasdar]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6209105.html?sid=6209105&part=rss&subj=6209105

http://www.whattheyplay.com/blog/2008/09/30/new-wii-due-by-2011/

I guess its year after next now.
But I just read the CEO Nintendo U.S. deny that they will ever make WII HD, article was dated 7 oct 2008.

Anyway, I was checking for hardcore games, and I came across these two... they look really nice:
The Conduit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkOGCiXrRms

Top 10 hardcore games 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH3VS_50cgc

[Carpentr]

In my opinion using Wii fit to do exercise is better than doing nothing. It probably won´t make you super muscular or strong, but at least it contributes to some form of exercise for the day and is good for people who don´t get to exercise a lot. If you just want to get a tiny workout and keep track of your progress then Wii Fit might be a potential buy for you. If you want to get really strong and muscular and not just get a casual workout then going to the gym or purchasing a bench may be a better option.

[jpeddicord]

But I just read the CEO Nintendo U.S. deny that they will ever make WII HD, article was dated 7 oct 2008.

Of course Fils-Aime would deny it, if companies told people that a better version of Product X would be available soon then people would stop buying the current Product X in anticipation of it.

I'm not denying the possibility of one, but I doubt that there would be merely an incremental upgrade to a "Wii HD".

I have a Wii myself. I play games fairly frequently - smash, mario kart (and its addictive online play, check the wii group (http://ubuntuforums.org/group.php?groupid=426) for my system code if you want to play me), and a truckload of VC and WiiWare titles. I was one of those nuts who waited a good amount of time at a Wal-Mart at midnight for one, and don't regret it at all. I'm mostly interested in how creative games can be, not really in length or graphical quality. To that end, World of Goo amuses me indefinitely, and (*shock!*) I was a bit bored with Left 4 Dead -- it's the same gameplay the entire time.

The Conduit _does_ look really nice - wish I had the cash on hand for it! :P
Played a lot of Metroid a few years ago.