Counterpoint: Wii Fit rocks
Wii Fit is dumb? Puh-lease. If anything, Wii Fit and the Balance Board easily rank amongst Nintendo's smartest creations yet.
For a start, it's simply a breath of fresh air, a title that genuinely alters the way we play videogames. If that sounds a little too close to PR speak for comfort, consider this: whereas once we would operate games through marginal twitches of our thumbs, Wii Fit demands that we use our whole bodies. It's a wildly original concept. Despite their undoubted quality, the steady stream of Mario and Zelda titles from Kyoto actually attracts criticism from some fans, who carp about Nintendo's lack of innovation. Will those same individuals moan about the introduction of Wii Fit to the marketplace? If so, they're hypocrites.
Obviously, originality means little if an idea isn't executed well, yet Wii Fit (typically for a Nintendo game) possesses a fine sheen from top to bottom. The Balance Board is a commendably sturdy and stylish piece of kit (unlike another first-party peripheral I could mention), while the in-game presentation is superb, from the implementation of Miis to the more serious visual styles used in the yoga and aerobics sections.
It's certainly not bad for you, either. The actual health benefits of Wii Fit have already been debated over a tiresome number of column inches, and although it's probably not as beneficial as regular gym sessions, the fact that this debate even exists is a good thing. Miyamoto has said that he'd like Wii Fit to make people "aware of their bodies," and his creation has achieved precisely that -- some people are finally leaving the couch. Or, to put it another way: some exercise, or no exercise? Which is dumber?
Heck, it even works well as a game. Tried Table Tilt yet? Hella fun. Watching someone else play the Hula Hoop game is frequently hilarious (rubbishing claims that Wii Fit is only worthwhile as a solo experience), while some of the other balance-based games -- Ski jumping and Balance Bubble come to mind -- are excellent distractions in their own right. And then there's the cost. Judging by the sales figures, I wasn't alone in thinking that $90 is an irresistible price point for a game and an accessory as downright sophisticated as the Balance Board (and it won't be suffering from a shortage of software, either).
So that's Wii Fit: innovative, clever, involving, and brilliantly executed, all of which are quite the opposite of "dumb." It's set to make Nintendo an absolute stack of cash, and in my opinion it's thoroughly well-deserved. Roll on Wii Fit 2.
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