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Wii Fit U Preview for Wii U

Wii Fit U Preview for Wii U

It’s Time To Pump U Up

Let’s get something out of the way right off the bat. When I tried out Wii Fit U at E3, I had already been on my feet for four days straight, was suffering from severe sleep deprivation, had barely had anything to eat, and was lugging around my heavy laptop and camera equipment around the convention floor. So when Nintendo told me to lay down on the Wii balance board and do crunches, you can be assured I was pretty grumpy about it.

Wii Fit U Screenshot

Still, outside of the crippling back pain that I still feel several days later, I can’t say that Wii Fit U was a negative experience. That should tell you something about this game: Wii Fit U, which has actively caused me physical injury, was loads of fun. If that isn’t an endorsement for this game, then I don’t know what is.

Wii Fit U is pretty much more Wii Fit, just with the inclusion of the Wii U GamePad. All the classic exercises from Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus have returned, from stretching to Yoga to even most of the minigames. Any of the activities from past Wii Fits, or even new Wii Fit activities that utilize only a single screen, can be played using the Wii U GamePad’s screen alone (along with a funky little stand that you can apparently rest it on.) This actually makes the game a whole lot more useful in a household setting. At the very least, it will let you put on your favorite TV show while exercising at the same time, seriously reducing the repetition of exercise. At most, it will allow you to take your workout with you to any room of the house, which means a lot less interrupting our life routine to get a short workout in.

Wii Fit U Screenshot

Of course, some games utilize the GamePad functions along with the TV screen. For example, a trampoline game had a Mii bouncing up and down on a trampoline for points. To shift his position mid-air, the player would lean their hips and move their body. However, the player can’t really tell where their Mii is by looking at the screen because it shows the Mii from an aerial view. The Game Pad, on the other hand, shows a view of the Mii’s feet, allowing the player to look down and adjust exactly where they want to land. Another minigame has the player lunging forward on the Wii Balance Board to cause a fire hose to squirt water. The deeper the lunge, the more powerful the stream, and the player aims the hose itself with the Wii U Game Pad.

Wii Fit U Screenshot

The minigame that they were showcasing on the E3 show floor was a type of luge game. While sitting on the balance board, I was asked to bring my legs and head up in a tense position using only my abs. I then leaned back and forth to control my luge, dodging obstacles and getting to the finish line faster than anyone else. There went my back. Other than the crippling pain, the game was actually pretty fun, and it certainly did give my abs quite a workout.

Another cool bit of functionality that Wii Fit U has is the ability to upload other workouts that can be done over the course of the day. Using a pedometer or other forms of as-of-yet unrevealed workout-recording technology, you can upload the results of your daily routine to Wii Fit U to allow it to continue to keep track of your calories burned. This allows you to integrate your workout more wholly into your daily routine, which is pretty neat.

The biggest problem with Wii Fit U, however, is that it’s yet another Wii Fit game. Yes, you can upload your saves from Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus, but will the casual gamer really want to buy an upgraded version of the same game for a third time? It’s hard enough to get people to exercise. Asking them to spend yet another 60 dollars in order to continue to exercise seems like a smack in the face.

Wii Fit U Screenshot

However, if you haven’t yet purchased a Wii Fit of any sort, then Wii Fit U is the best one to come out thus far. It’s filled with innovations that really show how the Wii U is more of a life device than a simple game console. If you are an exercise buff, give it a shot. As for me, though, I think I’m going to just rest my back for a while and play something a little less intense. Like God of War. Ouch.

Game Features:

  • Integrate non-Wii Fit workouts.
  • Workout using just the GamePad touchscreen.
  • Compare your results with other Wii Fit users.
  • Import Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus saves.

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