Flea_Man
05-06-2008, 09:49 PM
So I went to the Nintendo World store in Rockefeller Center today to kill some time and check out Mario Kart Wii. But what I didn’t know I would be playing is the all-new WiiFit that is coming out in two weeks. Given that I only played it for 30 minutes (technically 40 with all the adjustments and option settings but that’s not the point) but here’s a little from what I got out of it.
My one gripe with the whole thing, and also the Wii itself, is the Miis and their presence everywhere. I’m sorry, but I just get really irritated at all the beeps, springs, whistles, and little noises it makes with everything. Also the fact that the characters don’t have any limbs gets to me. They aren’t Rayman in a funny way. But anyway, off to the game.
The first thing that I tried is the running exercise. You basically stand in place and run. But didn’t Nintendo do this on the Powerpad 15 years ago? Running in place isn’t a selling point. I’m sorry but I don’t care if I burned off a few calories by jogging up and down.
I then tried doing the Table Tilt exercise. You basically stand on the platform, and on the screen, you have to tilt balls into a hole. There’s obstacles in the way, ledges, etc. It was pretty fun, but it just feels like an extra for a Mario Party game.
Skiing was next. This is definitely the selling point because it’s tough and you really have to get a core balance. While I wasn’t having a ‘blast’ with it, I tried it a few times. After a while it would probably be very exhausting. But this feels just like an old arcade game that came out years ago.
At this point I want to mention that you should play this game in shorts or naked. Jeans are really tough to move in.
Next I tried the strength building. You give your age, weight, and height in the beginning. Then a regular shadow gray guy (no face or anything, you know what I mean) comes on the screen. He then tells you what the exercise is going to be, shows you, and you have to follow what he does. It was just like any instruction video you could find. But at this point I was thinking, why not just get rid of the Miis and just have regular people. This just made it so much more comfortable and makes you feel like you are building towards something rather then just colorful cartoons jogging through the park. The yoga is the same way with normal people. I really enjoyed the strength building.
Next was The Step. Basically, like any step program you can find out there. Left up, right up, left down, right down. To the side, to the side. Nothing you haven’t seen before. I guess it works.
Then was the Hoola Hoop. Shake your hips around and watch the hoola hoop on the screen and make sure it doesn’t fall down. Last one was the Penguin Slide. Balance side to side and pick up as many flying fish as you can.
I think this is being geared to be a family/couples game. There’s no real competitive-ness and there’s nothing to learning how to play. You just pick up and go, which was the original selling point of the Wii in the first place.
The game has a strange feel to it. The yoga, strength, and skiing are probably the biggest selling points. Is it geared towards the younger audience, or adults looking for a new way to exercise? The young aspect comes from the Miis and the sound effects and the overall look, but the adults seem to have it more with the yoga and strength exercises. I believe it’s more geared towards adults because I saw absolutely no children playing this or even located on the box art. Also, there are lots of WiiFit products to buy. What are they? How about a tracking suit and a yoga mat to buy in addiction to the full game and controller? But if it’s to adults, why stick with the fucking Miis and cartoony sound effects? The yoga and strength all used regular people; regular voices, and felt fun and rewarding playing it. All the other mini exercises just felt geared towards children but no child wants to play it. When I was 10, the biggest game out was Goldeneye 007. If I had to choose between 4-person multiplayer trying to catch fish by balancing correctly, or using guns, gadgets, and proximity mines to kill my friends, I’d choose the latter.
Overall it doesn’t matter what anyone says because this thing is going to sell like crazy for being "revolutionary". It’s being marketed correctly and Nintendo the most loyal fan base in the world. In the end, I liked it, but they could have called this Mario Party Exercise.
My one gripe with the whole thing, and also the Wii itself, is the Miis and their presence everywhere. I’m sorry, but I just get really irritated at all the beeps, springs, whistles, and little noises it makes with everything. Also the fact that the characters don’t have any limbs gets to me. They aren’t Rayman in a funny way. But anyway, off to the game.
The first thing that I tried is the running exercise. You basically stand in place and run. But didn’t Nintendo do this on the Powerpad 15 years ago? Running in place isn’t a selling point. I’m sorry but I don’t care if I burned off a few calories by jogging up and down.
I then tried doing the Table Tilt exercise. You basically stand on the platform, and on the screen, you have to tilt balls into a hole. There’s obstacles in the way, ledges, etc. It was pretty fun, but it just feels like an extra for a Mario Party game.
Skiing was next. This is definitely the selling point because it’s tough and you really have to get a core balance. While I wasn’t having a ‘blast’ with it, I tried it a few times. After a while it would probably be very exhausting. But this feels just like an old arcade game that came out years ago.
At this point I want to mention that you should play this game in shorts or naked. Jeans are really tough to move in.
Next I tried the strength building. You give your age, weight, and height in the beginning. Then a regular shadow gray guy (no face or anything, you know what I mean) comes on the screen. He then tells you what the exercise is going to be, shows you, and you have to follow what he does. It was just like any instruction video you could find. But at this point I was thinking, why not just get rid of the Miis and just have regular people. This just made it so much more comfortable and makes you feel like you are building towards something rather then just colorful cartoons jogging through the park. The yoga is the same way with normal people. I really enjoyed the strength building.
Next was The Step. Basically, like any step program you can find out there. Left up, right up, left down, right down. To the side, to the side. Nothing you haven’t seen before. I guess it works.
Then was the Hoola Hoop. Shake your hips around and watch the hoola hoop on the screen and make sure it doesn’t fall down. Last one was the Penguin Slide. Balance side to side and pick up as many flying fish as you can.
I think this is being geared to be a family/couples game. There’s no real competitive-ness and there’s nothing to learning how to play. You just pick up and go, which was the original selling point of the Wii in the first place.
The game has a strange feel to it. The yoga, strength, and skiing are probably the biggest selling points. Is it geared towards the younger audience, or adults looking for a new way to exercise? The young aspect comes from the Miis and the sound effects and the overall look, but the adults seem to have it more with the yoga and strength exercises. I believe it’s more geared towards adults because I saw absolutely no children playing this or even located on the box art. Also, there are lots of WiiFit products to buy. What are they? How about a tracking suit and a yoga mat to buy in addiction to the full game and controller? But if it’s to adults, why stick with the fucking Miis and cartoony sound effects? The yoga and strength all used regular people; regular voices, and felt fun and rewarding playing it. All the other mini exercises just felt geared towards children but no child wants to play it. When I was 10, the biggest game out was Goldeneye 007. If I had to choose between 4-person multiplayer trying to catch fish by balancing correctly, or using guns, gadgets, and proximity mines to kill my friends, I’d choose the latter.
Overall it doesn’t matter what anyone says because this thing is going to sell like crazy for being "revolutionary". It’s being marketed correctly and Nintendo the most loyal fan base in the world. In the end, I liked it, but they could have called this Mario Party Exercise.