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This post is a review of the Wii Fit Plus. Last weekend I was at Target, holding two workout videos in one hand and the Wii Fit Plus on the other. Lacking my usually motivation to work out, I thought it would be a good idea to buy something new to inspire me. However, having recently purchase two new tires and a laptop (I am waiting for that third expensive item to blowup because everything always happen in threes), I am hesitating over spending $40 on all three items.
I can either purchase the two workout videos (Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred and Billy Blanks Tae Bo Amped) or the Wii Fit Plus for $20. I brought the Wii Fit Plus because I want to be able to write a Wii Fit Plus review on my blog even though I secretly think I would get a better workout with the videos.
What is new in the Wii Fit Plus?
There are 15 new mini games that use your core and balance (which they call “Training Plus” games), 3 new poses for the yoga section, and 3 new exercises for the strength section. From my review of the Active Life Outdoor Challenge, my readers should know that I am a sucker for mini games. Just this alone is enough to make me put Jillian and Billy on hold for another month.
Here is the list of new mini games in the Wii Fit Plus:
1. Perfect 10
You swing your hips front, back, left, and right to hit numbered mushrooms (or are they balls?) to sum up to 10 on the balance board. In advance mode you are summing to 15. The premise is to work your abs and your mind.
2. Island Cycling
You are marching on the balance board and using the remote as the handle bars for turning as you look for all the flags in the course. If you cannot read a map, you will probably be marching for a while.
3. Rhythm Kung Fu
You are in a karate studio with a group of other Miis. As the other Miis throw punches or kicks, you are suppose to mimic them on the balance board, remote, and nunchuck. This is harder than I initially thought because my timing is always off.
4. Driving Range
Self explanatory.
5. Segway Circuit
On the balance board, you lean forward and back to control the segway on the screen and using the remote as the handlebars while you track down all the balloons (I think they are balloons) that pop up on the ground.
6. Bird’s Eye Bull’s Eye
You are on the balance board and you have to flap your arms like a chicken to land on these bull’s eyes on the water. This one is a real workout. If you ever watched Chicken Run, you know that chickens do not fly. So you really have to keep flapping in order to move a short distance.
7. Snowball Fight
You are on the balance board leaning left or right to hurl a snowboard at other Miis with the remote. The reason you have to lean to the side is because of the protective shield in front of you. This is really fun. If you get nailed by other Miis, vision will be blurred by the snow for a short while.
8. Obstacle Course
You are running or jumping on the balance board to get through an obstacle course. Similar to courses on the game show, American Gladiator. As jumping, you squatting and straighten your legs. You are never suppose to jump on the balance board.
9. Tilt City
You are on the balance board, tilting left and right and using the remote to control these two levels of levers on the screen to guide colored balls into matching colored pipes. This requires some serious hand-feet coordination because sometimes you are moving your remote levers in the opposite direction of the levers controlled by your feet.
10. Rhythm Parade
You are the leader of the parade, marching on the balance board and swinging your baton with your remote and nunchuck to the music. This reminds me of the aerobic step in the original Wii Fit.
11. Big Top Juggling
You are balancing on a big ball in a circus circle and trying to catch and juggling balls being thrown at you. So you have to move your body from side to side to prevent your Mii from slipping off the ball and moving your hand as if you are juggling. I cannot even juggle one ball up into the air. It is hard trying to “catch” the ball you juggled up and keep your balance on the big ball.
12. Skateboard Arena
You are on a skateboard (the balance board) and you have to do tricks on the arena. The tricks get harder as you make it each level. This one is too hard me.
13. Table Tilt Plus
Like the original Wii Fit game where you have to tilt these balls on a table-like surface and get them into a hole. This version includes some fun stuff like being able to shot the balls across the table.
14. Balance Bubble Plus
Like the original Wii Fit game, you are in a bubble and you need to get to the end of the course. Besides narrow stretches, there are some parts that have moving things blocking you so you have to timing your movements to get through.
15. Basic Run Plus
Self explanatory.
What new feature is incorporated in the Wii Fit Plus to make it easier to work out?
The new features that are incorporated into the Wii Fit Plus that makes it more like a personal trainer are:
-Being able to select multiple exercises to create a routine
The biggest flaw of the original Wii Fit is the inability to select multiple exercises when you start. So you have to keep wasting time going back to the previous menu to select the next exercise. I don’t mind selecting the exercises before I start, but once I am exercising, I just want to keep going without taking these 20 second breaks. With the Wii Fit Plus, not only do you get to select multiple exercises to create a routine, you also get to save the routine for future use.
-Pre-made exercise routines
-Being able to select a different player in the mini-games without having to return to the main menu.
Sometimes I have Wii parties with multiple people playing. In the original Wii Fit, it was a real hassle to switch players, so we end up using the same Mii for the entire group. When you do that, the weight is off, the left and right setting on the remote is off, etc. I am glad that they incorporate this new feature.
What I hate about the Wii Fit Plus
I still hate the washout, faded look of the personal trainers in the Wii Fit Plus. I know the idea is to focus on the exercise and not the graphics, but a “pretty virtual exercise room” will actually inspire me to spend more time in the strength and yoga sections. This last sentence is my mental justification for spending more time playing the mini games with their colorful graphics.
Should you buy the Wii Fit or the Wii Fit Plus?
If you do not own a Wii Fit, you should just buy the Wii Fit Plus. I consider the Wii Fit Plus the deluxe version of the same game.
The $20 I spent is definitely worth it to get the additional new features. But this means that my original Wii Fit is of no use to me anymore. I doubt it if I can even sell it to anyone without the balance board.
This game is fun, but it is not going to replace my work out videos any time soon. You do work up a sweat after half an hour of game play (and I certainly worked my abs with the mini games).
If you are going to purchase the Wii Fit Plus through Amazon, please consider clicking on one of links to the game on this post. You will still pay the Amazon going price, but I will get a small commission for referring you (which help pays for the hosting of this site). Thanks in advance.
Until next time and thanks for stopping by.
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