Wii Fit Review: 85% from SPOnG

Apart from its entertaining balance games (comprising just a quarter of the package), which are accurately responsive and limited-but-fun, rating Wii Fit would be like rating the act of physical exercise itself. But as non-games go, this one is well constructed – and the Balance Board is a solid piece of kit. More important, though, it's a motivational system for the good of your body. Just don't forget to close the blinds.

[MK_Red]

WTF!? This thing is the most boring thing I've ever seen and it was not even worth for the workout. WiiFit hardly deserves 0/100 let along 85. What is wrong with SPOnG?
While I hate the Balance Board, I think it could have a useful future in skate games and such BUT this review is for WiiFit and it's games and from what I saw 2 months ago, WiiFit is definitly boring, useless and a huge failure... Yet many people will buy it sadly :(.

[solar]

holy crap i hope you dont have a meltdown and drown a fish. rub your earlobes if you gotta MK. picture happy things like GTA and Bioshock. you can pull thru buddy, i got faith in ya :D

[Prismo_Fillusion]

As you already know, I agree that WiiFit is a stupid """game"&q uot;". But if it motivates one overweight McDonald's eating American to lose a few pounds I'm all for it.

[MK_Red]

"picture happy things like GTA and Bioshock. you can pull thru buddy, i got faith in ya :D" Good one :D
But gotta think of AC and BioShock, not a big fan of GTA ;)

[titntin]

I totally agree with you mate. But I'm a gamer, like you, and we are not the people that nintendo are appealing to.
Persoanlly I despise their 'broadening of the demographic' because they've all but stopped making titles for the likes of you and me as they can make millions selling to our mums instead.
When the most entertainment I get from a machine is a bunch of snes games I can play on my PC for free, you know theres something wrong! Thank god for Mario!

...and of course, if you own shares in Nintendo then rejoice! This thing will make a mint no matter how many of us 'core gamers' utterly despise it. :)

[MK_Red]

Good points and bubble worthy comment :)

[BloodySinner]

What a joke.

[akaFullMetal]

most of the games i saw on the wii fit, can be done on the playstation eye, or the 360's camera if that had the same games, but either way people will buy it since it is on the wii

[Brainiac 8]

I'm sure many on this site won't like it.

I myself am looking forward to it. With a family and a pregnant wife at home, I can't make the gym every night. This will be a nice way to still get some exercise in, and my wife will eat it up post baby.

I don't think it's garbage at all, but a neat way for a game company to promote health and mix it with gaming. It's essentially the same thing Konomi did with DDR, only WiiFit promotes an exercise plan more directly and moniters it for you.

It's a great idea, and my family will love it.

[Kholinar]

It'll be interesting to see a few more reviews.

I really do think it has to be judged on what it tries to do. For the reviewer, he seemed to feel that it provided a good experience for him. Though I'm sure many will pick up the comment about closing the blinds and it'll become as big a cliché as talking about how you look like an idiot with a wiimote.

I'll reserve my judgment til I see a bit more (like most people on this site say about reviews they happen not to like for games they were anticipating).

Different tastes compensate for a lot.

[Chubear]

This wii fit thing is just to cash in on the huge "weight loss" money pie.

You'll end up doing the same thing you do with other equipment like this - buy it, use it for 3 days then store it in the basement with occassional bringing it out during family gatherings to show it off and pass time.

Wii fit cannot replace going to the gym if you're actually religious about doing so in the first place. Like I said, it's just another fitness gimmick like all the rest advertised on TV. You won't use it past a week if that long.

It's a

[desolationstorm]

"You'll end up doing the same thing you do with other equipment like this - buy it, use it for 3 days then store it in the basement with occassional bringing it out during family gatherings to show it off and pass time."

You bring exercise equipment out at family gatherings? Weird nah just kidding. I dont understand why people are so hostile towards this thing everyones passing judgment without trying it and once again thats exactly how you should pass judgemnet on nintendo things this generation. I look forward to it Im interested to see what they do and what other people do with the wii fit board.

My hunch is that you wont really see much else use it for awhile, but if skating games pick it up that would be cool.

[Kholinar]

"Wii fit cannot replace going to the gym if you're actually religious about doing so in the first place. Like I said, it's just another fitness gimmick like all the rest advertised on TV. You won't use it past a week if that long."

So... 1. if you're religious about going to the gym or doing wii fit, then the gym is superior. 2. It's a fitness gimmick. 3. People won't use it past the first week.

So, in response to 1, Wiifit is at least 25 times cheaper than the average gym membership, so if one mostly does aerobic type workouts then it might be compatible. Additionally, (3) if they do quit after a week they don't have a $2000 debt over their heads. My opinion: Gyms are overkill for most people. Wii Fit may not be the answer, but neither are high priced memberships that return very little to the consumer.

2. May be a fad. It may not. I'm not sure where the crystal ball is, but I haven't seen it.

It's a way to exercise that people can either use or not use. It does emphasize good technique, which is spotty at gyms without a trainer (which will up your comparative cost to 40 to 1). I suppose the amount of good a person gets out of it is dependent, therefore, on the consumer. Just like always.

[ItsDubC]

Can't wait to see more comments of outrage from N4Gers about this.

[Brainiac 8]

WiiFit is teh suxs!!!! Nintendo is kiddy and should die a horrible death. Ther killin gaming! *Slash wrists*

[Kholinar]

*Starts the popcorn popping...*

[MK_Red]

Well, as the number one WiiFit hater on N4G, I had to post the first outrage comment and I'm proud of it ;)

[Kholinar]

Well done. :p

I particularly enjoyed the 0/100 comment. Drake of the 99 Dragons will be thrilled to leave the basement. :p

edit: Ha!!! How in the world did you get a disagree? Sometimes people just amaze me. Errr... maybe they want the #1 WiiFit hater title?

Fight for it, man. Post away.

Tell people how the WiiFit mat is supported by tiny kittens that are smashed and replaced each time you shift your weight... how the wii magically measures the flow and amount of kitten blood and outputs the results to the screen..... :(

[MK_Red]

lol, indeed someone is after my number 1 WiiFit hater title :)

[Rice]

Buhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....... 47

[Brainiac 8]

Truth be told, I have no problem with you around here.

In most cases you at least attempt to discuss in a reasonable manner and most of the time don't resort to silly griping just because it's the cool thing to do.

I do think you are selling a good thing here short though. I don't think we should bash Nintendo for trying to promote health in gaming, when it comes to this. That is like saying that exercise videos are a waste of time and money for studios to produce, when they do alot of good for people.

I think Nintendo is really doing a great thing for people with this game, especially when it actually records your progress.

[MK_Red]

Thanks for your words and great comment.

The reason I hate WiiFit and Nintendo for it is because our team had a hands-on / feet-on with WiiFit weeks ago and it was beyond bad and buggy, not to mention less fun than Wii Play. I hate WiiSports and Wii Play but accept them as a casual mini-game and work out tool but Wii Fit is not even good for excersie! You've got to see this thing to believe me...

... and even then, I already hated WiiFit from the beginning (When Nintendo used the legendary Miyamoto to introduce this thing instead of their real games at E3...).

[AllroundGamer]

http://www.youtube.com/watc...
this WiiFit spoof is one of my favorite youtube videos :)

[BrotherNick]

Wii fit is a better idea than gyms or videotapes for people who don't like working out. I really hate to work out...but if they made challenges that didn't look like working out then I'd love it...I also have to get on my ddr regimen again and buy that game also.

[bootsielon]

Eidos

[Kholinar]

Ha. One review you disagree with and suddenly Nintendo's corrupt.

If it's true, and I actually think that it probably isn't... then how is that different from any other game company? Let's prove that they're not paying for reviews...

[Chubear]

Editorial reviewers really need to stop being so damned obvious they're puppets to PR groups. This kind of reviewing is just a disservice to the gaming community.

If this is going to be marketed to soccer Moms then so be it but don't BS actual gamers.

[ItsDubC]

If SPOnG were to give WiiFit a 15%, they wouldn't be puppets to PR groups, they'd be doing a *service* to the gaming community, and they wouldn't be BSing "actual" gamers?

[Apocwhen]

Maybe they're sick of playing a new FPS every week and just felt like something different for a while. This shouldn't be considered a game like some think it is. It's obviously aimed at people who would like to attempt doing some exercise at home and maybe get some enjoyment out of it. What's the problem with that?

[Relientk77]

I am sorry for people who love Nintendo and the Wii...
but my opinion is that the Wiifit is a boring white board u play on

I do not see the appeal to it at all

its like basically the took an excercise tape and made it into a video game

so lame

[Kholinar]

I don't mind that at all.

I think of most shooters as boring little cds/dvds that spin around. I don't see any appeal to it at all.

Opinions are welcome. Nintendo fans in general are not the ones who are mad about a reviewer's opinion. All we're saying is that everyone, including you, have different tastes. Just because I say I like Finnish Mythology and Medieval Rule of Four literature that others find boring doesn't mean I'm a sheep or that I've been paid to like it.

[ItsDubC]

"its like basically the took an excercise tape and made it into a video game"

Hey, if movies like the Godfather, Toy Story, and Napoleon Dynamite can be made into videogames, why aren't exercise videos fair game?

WiiFit doesn't really appeal to me right now but that doesn't mean I won't buy it for the balance board when the Tae Bo: Legend of Billy Blanks RPG is GOTY '09.

[xplosneer]

*Facepalm*

[ChickeyCantor]

its so hard for some people to be more open, open for the fact that we all have different opinions about stuff. yes you hate it, look there is a corner go cry.

Because you hate something, you still should respect anothers opinion.
if Spong gives Wii-fit an 8.5 then they have their reason.

@mk_red
i dont like AC nor bioschock, do you see me go : WTF DUDEEEEE, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU.

[name]

I hope it wins game of the year just to make the entire internet explode. It'll be funny.