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Aussie gamers prefer smashing their guns over getting shot
Speaking with the local paper merchants, Nintendo Australia's Rose Lappin seemed to like Wii Fit's chances against the current everywhere-but-Wii juggernaut Grand Theft Auto. After starting out with standard banter concerning the Wii and DS dominating Aussie sales charts, Lappin confidently talked up the ability of Wii Fit to snag the majority interest of gamers over the long-term.A bunch of sweaty Australian fitness fanatics have already been doing push-ups (read: smashing guns) for almost three weeks now using Wii Fit. During that time, the Balance Board of Justice stole the top sales spot away from GTA IV (irony is funny), and it hasn't been able to reclaim its crown. Lappin reassures us that Wii Fit will be supported for a long time, and is also pleased to see some physical education programs in local schools using the package to transform John Q Kid into Lil' Rambo. We're sure this is music to the ears of many parents in Australia, who would love to keep their chil'n away from Niko Bellic and his array of misadventures.%Gallery-4745%[Via Aussie-Nintendo]
Miyamoto 'stressed' by Wii Fit
According to Time's latest interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, there may have been some genuine upending of tea tables during the making of Wii Fit, as opposed to the metaphorical kind that Shiggy prefers.Chatting to the publication to promote the game, Miyamoto confessed that the he and his team felt "a lot of nervousness" while developing the title, and that the lofty expectations of other people caused some stress. The article also mentions that the game's development "nearly led his 15-person development team to quit in frustration," though we've no idea whether that's Time slightly embellishing a story, or what Miyamoto actually said.All this talk of feeling stressed, Shiggy, and yet our letters offering slow, sensual shoulder rubs still go unanswered. He can't complain.%Gallery-23307%[Via Go Nintendo]
WRUP: Feeling the burn edition
This week's big release is none other than Wii Fit. It's not only something many of you diehard Wii fans have been looking forward to, but also the mainstream public. Mothers and kids, grandparents and siblings, people from all walks of life have raised an eyebrow and perked their ears up after hearing about it. People are down with the fitness bundle.Are you? Did you get your copy of Wii Fit yet? Are you planning on getting in some quality workout time this weekend? Are you playing something else? What are you playing?%Gallery-23454%
Wii Fit vs. Let's Yoga
If you happen to also follow our shenanigans over at DS Fanboy, you might have noticed the yogathon we just wrapped up, courtesy of Let's Yoga, a DS yoga trainer. With the release of Wii Fit, we've now got a great opportunity to compare two entirely different games that include yoga lessons. Five years ago, did you think you'd see that on a gaming site? Viable exergaming options -- we never thought we'd see the day. But how do the two titles stack up to one another? Check out our handy comparison chart, available after the break.%Gallery-4745%
Five quick Wii Fit factoids
At long last, Wii Fit hit shelves in the U.S. this week, bringing with it the sleek new Balance Board. Seldom have I been so interested in a game; usually, one has something of an idea what to expect. But trying Wii Fit is an experience that videos just can't quite get across. How does it feel? What's it like to really stand there on the board? After lingering over the unboxing -- which you can check out in the gallery below -- it was time to readjust the living room and get in the game. The baby daddy decided to play along, and serve as guinea pig and unboxing assistant. After a little time with the title, a few things became abundantly clear ....%Gallery-23454%
Wii Warm Up: On board?
Wii Fit is now out in the three major regions, which means it's time for us to ask: are you (literally) on board? Some folks we know are waiting for shipped preorders to arrive, so they're not yet Balance Board owners. Others are happily hoopin' it up ... and others have shunned the release, claiming disinterest in a fitness nongame. How about you?%Gallery-4745%
Nutrition prof: Wii Fit is 'misleading'
Have you rushed out to pick up your copy of Wii Fit yet? You have? Excellent! Here's who hasn't: Dr. Judith Stern, professor of Nutrition and Internal Medicine at the University of California. Dr. Stern isn't the biggest Wii Fit fan, and has criticized the game for being "false and misleading.""I don't see anything that shows me that BMI will change, and I really think it's false and misleading," opined the good doctor, who believes that using BMI as an index to fitness is a mistake. "When you are physically fit, you tend to replace fat with muscle, and your BMI probably won't change," she adds. That appears to be a pretty valid point (and heck, we're not about to start arguing with an expert on nutrition, especially considering we attribute most scientific occurrences to witchcraft) but has anybody at Nintendo explicitly promised Wii Fit will bring about improved fitness or a lower BMI? Well, we know Shigeru Miyamoto didn't.%Gallery-4745%[Via Go Nintendo]
Wii Warm Up: Starting a regimen
We already asked who had plans to pick up the Wii Fit bundle, but with its release today and all, we were wondering how many of you were planning on making a big life change with it? Do you plan to start a workout routine with Nintendo's newest title, confident it will build a healthier you? As gamers, we're usually not presented with an opportunity to tune our body, because so much of gaming is kind of just sitting there, holding a controller. Well, maybe it's just this blogger. But, with Wii Fit, we suspect many of you are confident in its ability to enhance your life. Or you just want to play the hula hoop minigame.Again, maybe that's just this blogger.%Gallery-4745%
Wii releases this week: Wii Fit edition [update]
Well folks, the time for you to get down with Nintendo's fitness software and new peripheral, the Balance Board, has come. Now, it's time for us to enjoy what the Japanese and Europe have been enjoying for quite some time now. Along with Wii Fit, there's also one other title releasing: Wii Fit Top Spin 3 Who's anxious to try out Nintendo's new exercise experience? Anyone excited for 2K's Top Spin 3?Update: Looks like the listing for Top Spin 3 is wrong. Sorry about that.%Gallery-4745%
Let's Yoga: Let's market games!
In our final look at Konami's Let's Yoga, we thought we'd spend some time discussing training games like this in general, as well as their reception in the U.S. In many parts of the world, training games are big, but not so much in the U.S. beyond Brain Age and its sequel. If we had to guess, we would say that part of that is due to marketing.Can you walk into your local Best Buy and pick up Let's Yoga? Can you order it from Amazon? Sure. But how many people know it exists ... and of those few, how many might actually buy a copy? Let's assume that most gamers don't have the benefit of the DS Fanboy yogathon to let them know that this training game (like another we checked out) may actually be worth their while. Without that knowledge, how many gamers might show any interest in such a title? Probably not very many, even among those actually fascinated by yoga. %Gallery-6931%
Let's Yoga vs. Yoga DVD
Our yogathon is winding down, but there are a few important things yet to cover, such as ... can Let's Yoga compete with a yoga DVD? Exercise DVDs are a huge market -- could a game possibly one-up that industry? We went through a step-by-step comparison of the features of Konami's trainer and a beginner yoga DVD available at a big box retailer. Yoga for Beginners with Patricia Walden comes with a thick booklet detailing all the included poses, as well as guidelines for creating your own workout. In order to use the DVD with them, you'll have to do a lot of fast-forwarding and rewinding; for all intents and purposes, the DVD only includes one lesson. You've already seen what Let's Yoga can do, if you've been following our yogathon, but we've got a chart comparing some of the features of the two after the break.%Gallery-6931%
Let's Yoga: Tackling Krishna
The relative ease of the Naga class in Let's Yoga was apparently a cruel joke meant to make yoga seem easy. After three lessons in the next step, the Krishna class, it is clear that yoga is not easy, not at all. The Master's Lesson quickly moved from "This isn't so bad!" to "OMG whaaaat?" in the space of a few sessions. Ever looked at yoga poses and thought some looked hard? You were right. But after completing over half of the Krishna class, it got a little easier, and I'm willing to concede that maybe the exercises weren't quite as face-rockingly hard as they seemed at first. They were, however, a huge leap forward from the Naga class.%Gallery-6931%
Let's Yoga: DIY workouts
Four days in and the first course is complete! The Naga class in Let's Yoga wrapped up with a simple review of the poses learned throughout, so instead of focusing on that, today we'll be exploring the extras available in Konami's training title. There are loads of options available beyond the basic lessons, including the ability to design your own workout. After a look ahead at the beginning of the Krishna class, I must say that playing with the options looks a lot easier than what's in store, lesson-wise ... there are rough times in my future.%Gallery-6931%
Nintendo to hold Wii Fit event in Central Park
If you live in New York City, take note: Nintendo is set to hold a large launch event for Wii Fit on May 19th, the day of its release. The event will take place at the Merchants' Gate of Central Park, from 8am until 5pm. At the event, famous personal trainer Ashley Borden will be providing a personal training session with the Balance Board and Nintendo's software.Unlike the recent Mario Kart Wii event, there won't be any kind of tournament or prizes. But, that doesn't mean you shouldn't show up, because Nintendo has pledged $5 (up to $25,000 total) to the American Heart Association for every person that gets on a Balance Board and tries Wii Fit out. Exercising while helping people? Sounds like a winning plan to us!%Gallery-4745%
Amazon sells out of Wii Fit preorders
For those of you who did not preorder Wii Fit and think it won't be a problem picking the bundle up on release date through walk-in at your local retail spot, know this: Amazon has cleared through their entire preorder stock in less than a month. It comes out to about 2.5 units sold every minute, according to an Amazon representative that spoke with Joystiq.It looks like the grim picture painted by Michael Pachter is coming true. Wii Fit fever has caught on, thanks in part to the software and Balance Board, as well as the mainstream media coverage and marketing push from Nintendo. Our advice? If you haven't planned on how you're going to get Wii Fit by now, there's a good chance you won't be able to nab one on release day.%Gallery-4745%[Via Joystiq]
Let's Yoga: Twice the fun
As promised, today we're covering two lessons in our continuing yogathon. Lessons three and four combined for nineteen minutes of yoga (and many glorious minutes spent breathing and relaxing in Shavasana), and at this point, not only is it really starting to feel like a workout (albeit a more relaxed one), but I can get a little further in certain poses than before. Something's working here with Let's Yoga!%Gallery-6931%
Let's Yoga: Mat recommended
My second day with Let's Yoga taught me two things: forget what the game says! Sure, maybe you don't need any sort of a mat, but it really does make things easier, because carpet is rough (suddenly glad I don't have hardwood), and definitely remember the breathing, because it helps tremendously Overall, day two with the DS yoga trainer was a resounding success. There are still certain poses with which I have some trouble (but hey, it's only day two), but I can already see definite progress, and that's exciting. But let's start with the basics. Lesson two of the Naga class began with an explanation of just what yoga is, and it's useful knowledge that I'll pass on here. According to Let's Yoga, the term "yoga" itself basically means "to bind." This doens't mean it's binding you up; instead, it's about melding -- or binding, if you will -- the mind and body into one strong unit. The poses are known as Asanas, or "positions of the body." I'll typically refer to them here by their English names, because they're easier to remember and also easier to spell. There is one exception, however, though I'll get to that later.%Gallery-6931%
Let's Yoga: We did!
I've always wanted to try yoga. I've bought mats and cubes and even a DVD, and once I went so far as to sign up for a class I never attended. There's just never been time, and these days, I have even fewer moments to spare for something that seemed so esoteric. However, when Konami first announced their yoga trainer for the DS, I got excited. Maybe this time I would be able to put some effort into it; after all, DS training is fun and mostly effective, right? Then I had a baby, and everything changed. I despaired at ever having time to do anything again. Between juggling work and the tiny boy, as well as other hobbies and family obligations (and, hey, gaming), finding ten minutes a day to sleep is a challenge, much less ten minutes to focus on any sort of workout. But with the long-overdue release of Let's Yoga in the U.S., I was determined to try. %Gallery-6931%
Get fit with Wii at Westin Hotels
It seems like you can find a Wii everywhere (besides a retail shelf) nowadays. Whether you're on a cruise, at a hotel or even at the amusement park, you just can't escape the little system that could.And now, the business travelers and other folks that find themselves staying at a Westin Hotel can also enjoy Wii (complete with Wii Fit) inside the confines of the Westin's workout room. So whether you're down for some Wii Sports: Bowling or simply want to have a nice, peaceful stretch with Wii Fit, you won't have to be away from your beloved console when on the road. %Gallery-4745%[Via Joystiq]
Wii Fit quick out of the blocks in Britain
Of course, we always expected as much. Preorders for Nintendo's fitness title were sky-high in Blighty, with the game pretty much selling out before it even appeared on store shelves. Even so, the record-breaking success of Wii Fit may have surprised the most optimistic of Nintendo executives.Over the weekend, Wii Fit became the sixth fastest-selling UK videogame of all time. That's an impressive achievement for any title -- until you remember that the Wii Fit bundle costs almost as much as two games (£70). Then, the achievement stops being merely impressive, and becomes jaw-dropping. It also set a new record as Nintendo's fastest-selling game ever in the UK, beating out poor old Mario Kart Wii, which held that particular title for ... two weeks. Ouch.%Gallery-4745%
