E3 2009 Preview
With over 15 million Wii Fits on the
market, it wasn’t a surprise to hear that Nintendo would be making another. What
might surprise you is that this game is not a full-fledged sequel but is in fact
an upgrade that will ultimately replace the current Wii Fit at retail. Players
who own the original Wii Fit will be able to purchase the Wii Fit Plus disc by
itself for a reportedly "low" price (how low Nintendo would not reveal). Those
who don’t have the game, however, can purchase Wii Fit Plus – which includes
all of the original game’s content plus some new features and mini-games
– with the Balance Board. Once Wii Fit Plus hits stores, the original disc will
no longer be packed with the board.
What will the 15 million Wii Fit
owners get if they decide to upgrade? New exercises, a smoother workout routine
(all interruptions and stopping points can be removed), and several new
mini-games. The former two were not shown at E3, but Nintendo was eager to
promote the mini-games, which include those of balance, running and mathematics.
Tilt City
This game uses both the Wii remote
and the Balance Board to test your balancing skills. Played from a 2D
perspective, there are three platforms on the screen – one on the top (for your
remote) and two on the bottom (for your board). Three colored pipes rest at the
bottom of the level. Their color is significant because the game is about to
drop a ball onto your top platform. Each ball is assigned a different color, and
you must guide each ball into the pipes that match their colors. In the
beginning, you only have to worry about one ball, which isn’t all that
difficult. But after that, the game begins to drop two and three balls at a
time. Soon you’ll be tilting your hands and feet in opposite directions,
feverishly leaning your body from side to side, hoping to guide each ball into
the appropriate pipe.
Perfect 10
Three balls appear on screen, each
with a different number. The game tells you to count to 10. You do so, adding up
the numbers until you’ve reached your goal. What do you do next? Swing your
hips, of course! Perfect 10 is a mini-game with simple mind challenges and a
hip-flinging workout that’ll make you look like you’ve had one too many cups of
coffee. But hey, at least you’re not standing there in a crowd of thousands
flapping your arms like a chicken…
Bird’s Eye Bulls-Eye
…Oh wait, you’ll do that too.
Bird’s Eye Bulls-Eye is perhaps the most ridiculous-sounding mini-game in the history of mini-games.
But somehow, someway, through magical powers that defy world logic (or because
the Balance Board is unbelievably sensitive. Probably that), this mini-game –
which tells you to flap your arms as if you were a chicken – actually works. On
screen, your Mii is represented as a man
in a chicken suit. The goal is to flap senselessly, causing your Mii to
fly through the air, and land on various checkpoints. Conceptually, this is a
quirky game for spectator amusement (yes, those who play it will get laughed at,
especially at public venues like E3. Remember that if it appears at your mall
kiosk in the fall). But mechanically it is pretty darn amazing. How does the
Balance Board know that you’re flapping your arms? Is it detecting the slight
movement in your body, which trickles down to your feet? If so, that is amazing.
If not, then the technology has me stumped, which is amazing in a whole other
way.
Obstacle Course
Much more than the running
experience of the original Wii Fit, this obstacle course challenges you to cross
moving platforms and avoid large balls while making your way to the finish line.
Rather than stick a Wii remote in your pocket, you’ll run by walking (in place)
on the Balance Board. There’s a time limit and the game is not too forgiving; if
you get hit by a ball or fall off a platform, you’ll be sent right back to the
beginning.
Segway Circuit
This sponsored mini-game is exactly
as it sounds: a virtual re-creation of the Segway scooter. Hold the Wii remote
sideways to turn it into the scooter’s handlebars and stand on the board. No
lean your body forward to move along, lean and tilt the handlebars to turn, and
explore the Wii Sports Resort hub without having to walk a single step.
