At a recent Nintendo hands-on event in an Airstream trailer parked in a Miami airport parking lot, I sweated my butt off. No, it wasn't from the 90-degree heat of South Florida; it was from Wii Fit U. I mean, the heat contributed to my sweating, but it was mainly Wii Fit U.
Wii Fit U will use a combination of the GamePad, the new Fit Meter and the Wii Balance Board. In my time with the game, I was offered the opportunity to try the Core Luge, where you sit on the Balance Board and lean back and steer like you're actually in the Luge. I promptly declined. I just had McDonald's on my drive down to Miami and didn't feel like giving my entire core a workout. Instead, we went with a different, easier option – Dessert Course.
I was wrong about the easy part. A nice, fun distraction that gets your blood flowing, playing this didn't even feel like I was exercising. I didn't expect to have this much fun while completely sweating through my shirt in a warm trailer. Still, it was more difficult than I thought – still fun, but definitely difficult. So there I am, standing on the Balance Board, and I'm holding the GamePad flat in my hands like a serving tray.
On it appeared a dessert, I think Tiramisu. Stepping in place to move and turning the GamePad to control direction, I delivered desserts from the chef to patrons seated at their tables. Until I ran into another diner, which caused my dessert to fall to the ground. Then it was back to the chef to try again. There's a timer, so you have to step faster to move your Mii faster, but that causes the dessert to slide around the tray. It's not simple, and by the end of it I was hot, embarrassed and even felt a little sore.
In spite of the workout I got, my time with Wii Fit U didn't even feel like exercising. It was sincerely fun. This is what the game is all about. Even if you're the on-the-go type, Wii Fit U will count activities you do outside of the game. Here's how…
When the demo for Wii Fit U becomes available on the Wii U eShop this November, it's essentially the entire game. The Fit Meter, which looks like a Tamagotchi, tracks all of your activity – calories burned, elevation changes, steps taken, and physical activity being done – and syncs it to your in-game profile. The Fit Meter is $19.99 and turns your digital demo into the full copy of the game. The steps you've taken can also progress the game's walking challenges, like the New York City Marathon.
Wii Fit U is more fun and more accessible than its predecessor, and it has more freedom to tailor your workout to what you want. It is releasing on December 13 for the Wii U.
You can follow Senior Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. He likes talking sports, video games, movies, and the stupidity of celebrities. Email at LLiebl@GameZone.com
