The Nintendo Channel has received another update in North America today, and amongst trailers and information for lots of Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS games, arrives the latest edition of Get Fit With Alyson (Stoner, the star of Disney's Cheaper by the Dozen) - this time it's yoga. Missed Get Fit with Alyson Part 1? It's here.
We reported the other week about Nintendo making an appearance at this month's first annual Singapore Toy and Comic Convention, and it looks as if there are probably now a lot more Wii Fit converts in the East.
GameFrontz has a selection of snaps from the event, including a Wii Fit demonstration (where's the Balance Board?!), people rockin' out to Guitar Hero, and even Darth Vader getting in on the action.
Exactly a month ago, RTL Games announced that its upcoming Winter Sports 2: The Next Challenge would support Nintendo Wii Balance Board controls. Last year's Winter Sports: The Ultimate Challenge for the console didn't fair too well with the critics, so could its sequel's unique controls make a difference this time around?
The game certainly has the potential. Details of Winter Sports 2's events haven't yet been divulged, but last year's had nine in total, many of which would easily suit Balance Board compatibility - from alpine, skeleton and speed skating, to bobsleigh, ski jump and luge.
Traditional skiing could mirror the successful controls of Namco's We Ski, while players could stop to shoot at targets with the Wii Remote and Nunchuck – having to keep still on the Balance Board to maintain a steady aim. As for the ski jump, for example, perhaps a balancing mechanic could be worked in where players must maintain their positioning on the Board to secure a safe landing and avoid a nasty crash.
Click below to continue reading.
Winter Sports 2008 included career and challenge modes - the latter tasking you with improving your scores in events to unlock new arenas and locations. These were said to be bogged down with dodgy judges and frustrating gameplay, however, with many choosing just to stick with the choice to choose single events to partake in.
RTL certainly has a lot of work to put in if it wants to redeem itself following its last efforts in the Winter Sports simulation genre, but here's hoping they've learnt from their mistakes, and will also give Wii Balance Board owners another authentic experience to get their teeth sunk into.
Winter Sports 2: The Next Challenge is planned for release in the last quarter of 2008. You may also be interested in Ski and Shoot, which will also make use of the Balance Board.
Do you want a Balance Board Blog video podcast - a short round-up of the week's Nintendo Wii Balance Board news? Have a peek at the video below and leave a comment to let me know. =)
Oh, please excuse the out of synch-ness-sess. I'll look to fix that in any future videos.
The newest Wii Fit workout video featuring Playboy model Jo Garcia has been released today, and it stars the adult model and Cyber Girl of the Year 2008 trying out the game's infamous Hula Hoop exercise, as well as ski jump, in a variety of extremely skimpy outfits. Garcia has recently been seen boxing and performing yoga with Wii Fit.
Electronic Arts has today released a new trailer for Skate It on the Nintendo Wii, which shows off the first in-game footage we have seen. It isn't long, but we do see a number of tricks being performed (not by the Balance Board though, 'member?) in the deserted city of San Vanelona.
Spanish gentleman Juan M. González [not pictured], a teaching assistant and researcher at the Universidad Autonoma in Madrid has told Balance Board Blog how he eventually plans to develop a Segway-like transportation device that is controlled by the Wii Balance Board.
We first reported on the early stages of González's work in the wee hours of this morning, in which a video shows how he manipulates the movement of a wired robot with the accessory. He hopes to move on to controlling wireless robots, and eventually to create a machine capable of carrying humans, that is controlled simply by the user shifting their weight on the Balance Board - an activity he has dubbed "Robosurfing":
There are a lot of interesting things that can be done. But first it is important to perform some testing... The next stage will be the controlling of faster-and-wireless robots.
We have called this idea "Robosurfing". Instead of using the wii-board to "surf" in virtual environments or controlling virtual vehicles in the games, Why not use it to "surf" real mobile robots in a real scenario? It would be very, very funny.
What a novel idea! We cannot wait to see how González's project progresses.
Japanese firm Princeton is the latest company that it knows its beans when it comes to Wii Fit accessories, and has released information on both a Wii Fit anti-slip mat and a storage case.
The mats will be available in both blue and pink, while the swanky-looking back is in an ice cool blue.
Wii Fit and We Ski might be the only two official uses for the Wii Balance Board, but clever tech-heads are using its powers in lots of interesting ways - the latest a Spanish bloke using the accessory to control a robot.
It looks as if Juan González is serious about his work, and plans to expand on his first innovation. Check him moving the Skybot forward, backward, left and right here:
Earlier on today we reported on the announcement of Boogie Superstar for the Nintendo Wii, a game that, it had been claimed previously, would make use of the Balance Board.
However, Electronic Arts has now confirmed that the dance-a-thon will not include Balance Board support:
"Boogie SuperStar will not include game play on the Wii balance board," explained a company representative. "The game will utilize a microphone peripheral for singing and the Wii Remote's motion-sensing technology for dancing, to provide players with a realistic and enjoyable performing experience."
A shame, considering Boogie Superstar seemed so suited to the Balance Board accessory. It looks like we'll be lumping all of our hopes on THQ's All Star Cheer for some Balance Board dancing for now.
We've removed Boogie Superstars from our Guide to Every Balance Board Game.
Along with the official announcement of Boogie Superstar for the Nintendo Wii, Electronic Arts has released the first few screenshots of the title. They show the game's young stars in their singing and dancing training, which we know to take part on an island full of lavish locations.
Click below to view more images from Boogie Superstar. 
Electronic Arts has today officially announced Boogie Superstar for the Nintendo Wii, and confirmed that it will arrive in both America and Europe this October. But despite apparent confirmation of Balance Board support last month, there is no mention of it in the developer's latest press release.
Boogie Superstar is being squared directly at girl gamers, and includes more than 40 songs from popular artists around the world to sing and dance along to, including Maroon 5, Leona Lewis, Good Charlotte, Kanye West, and Britney Spears.
Players begin by customising a character to the nth degree, then are whisked off (sounds like kidnap) to a mysterious island where they are trained up to be the next superstar. Once prepared, they'll perform in the Boogie Star Show in front of a panel of judges, and hope to prove they have the talent to become the next big thing in the world of music.
Click below for more.
“Boogie SuperStar promotes self-expression, creativity and empowerment for girls worldwide,” said Robert Nashak, VP of Casual Studios, EA Casual Entertainment. “We have created a game where girls don’t just observe someone else’s rise to fame, they experience it themselves, singing and dancing their way through a world most girls only dream about.”
There is mention of using the "Wii's motion-sensing technology", but nothing on the Balance Board... We'll look to bring you official confirmation either way as soon as possible.
Wii Fit has been at the centre of much heated discussion over its ability to really change the gaming world's approach to exercise (Balance Board Blog even recently posed a question as to whether Nintendo's innovative product had failed), but one writer reckons a lot of people are looking at the situation all wrong.
In an article in which discusses the present and future amalgamation of videogaming, technology and sport, the BBC's Margaret Robinson praises the impact exer-gaming has had on millions of people's lives, and sticks up for Wii Fit in particular, after many have dismissed that it has real benefits on the health of its users:
"Those who only look to measure [Wii Fit's] cardio-vascular effects risk missing the real benefit it does to people's hearts..." says Robinson. "It helps associate physical activity with feeling good, not feeling bad, and that's a powerful, life-changing shift."
We guess it's a point that's been mentioned a lot - any exercise is better than none at all - but never loudly enough to shout down the cries of "just go outside for a run!"
ExpoTV is a site that allows users to share their personal knowledge of products they have bought through the medium of video. One helpful bloke talks for five whole minutes about how awesome he thinks Wii Fit is... and he doesn't call it 'Fitness Wii' neither.
Better TV proclaims to help make your home, family, and life all that much better by providing guides to pretty much anything and everything. One of their latest pointers is a video description of Wii Fit. If you're still not clued up, it's pretty helpful... even if they do keep calling the product 'Fitness Wii':
Rumour has it that Electronic Arts is considering shipping its upcoming Skate It for the Nintendo Wii with a skateboard-shaped peripheral that clips onto the Balance Board, in order to further immerse gamers into the experience.
It wouldn't just be a pretty new add-on, however. EA is wary about the fact that players' feet might slip out of the optimum skating position on the Balance Board as it is, and that the skateboard-shaped shell would help them orientate themselves a lot easier - making sure that they needn’t peer down and check their feet and inadvertently cause unecessary bone-shattering on-screen accidents.
Skate It, a Nintendo Wii exclusive spin-off of last year's PS3 and Xbox 360 hit simulation (minus Balance Board tricks), is scheduled to launch later on this year.
How would you feel about the Nintendo Wii and Balance Board helping you choose your clothes and shape your fashion sense? That's what one marketing blogger thinks it could do, and an untapped opportunity just begging to be exposed by some of the world's biggest brands:
Speaking of the Balance Board's weight-sensitive technology, Matthew Finch writes:
Marks and Spencer could showcase its new season range. The Wii could measure your dimensions and weight, building a virtual model of yourself onscreen. Then try out a combination of skirts, shoes, jumpers, hats, to put together your perfect outfit, all from the privacy of your living room, before ordering it all online!
He suggests that such software could be given away free with newspapers (as CDs and DVDs already are). There's definitely potential there, especially for those who prefer Internet shopping and aren't sure what best to buy to suit their style and body type.
Princess Cruises, one of the world's best known cruising companies has announced that it is to add Nintendo's Wii Fit units on a number of its ships.
Nintendo representatives were on hand to train staff before Wii Fit was installed onboard, and they'll be available to younger passengers (children and teenagers) throughout their holiday - and there's even mention of poolside competitions that are broadcasted on 300-square-foot screens.
"We're very excited to partner with Nintendo to bring the Wii Fit experience to our passengers," said Jan Swartz, Princess senior vice
president. "Our onboard team has just finished training with the experts at
Nintendo to ensure that we're able to offer passengers the best possible
experience with this innovative fitness game."
Wii Fit will be offered on the following cruisers: Caribbean Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess, Grand Princess, Sea Princess and the upcoming Ruby Princess.
A sound idea we think… as long as the jogging doesn't make you seasick.
Nintendo has released its updated release schedule for the Nintendo Wii and DS in Europe today, and we note that THQ's All Star Cheer Squad had undergone a slight name change.
Nothing too dramatic really. The developer and publisher's music/rhythm Balance Board title, which promises to give players an authentic cheerleading experience has seemingly dropped the 'Squad' part of its name, and is now listed as All Star Cheer.
Its estimated launch date hasn't altered mind you; still listed as sometime in July, August or September this year.
Wii Fit may have been harder to find than a cheap gallon of petrol this last month or so, but that hasn't stopped consumers' seemingly insatiable demand for the product, as it shot back to the top of Amazon.com's bestsellers chart this week.
The exer-gaming product and Balance Board fended off competition from the likes of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Rock Band, and Mario Kart Wii to re-claim the number one position.
Although sold out on Amazon (other than Marketplace offers starting at $170!), Nintendo has recently promised that it is doing all it can to satisfy demand for Wii Fit.
We've already heard about how Wii Fit is benefiting the elderly in the United States, but now the UK government has latched onto the exer-game's potential to aid its senior citizens.
Gloucestershire county council and the National Health Service (NHS), reports The Telegraph, will be demonstrating how Wii Fit works for a Falls Awareness Day event, on June 24.
A spokesman from Gloucestershire County Council said: "Until now Nintendo Wii Fit has been seen as a virtual way of taking exercise, a fun way to keep fit.
But it might also be able to help with balance and mobility. There are also exercises to improve balance and the Eastern art of Tai Chi."
Carers and health professionals are being invited along to the event to sample Wii Fit and pick up healthy tips. And given that falls are one of the most common accidents amongst the elderly, Wii Fit’s help is invaluable to an NHS struggling on a budget to provide free treatment to every UK resident.
When Shigeru Miyamoto first thought up the concept for Wii Fit, he began by tracking his diet and weight loss on a graph, a pastime he imagined the majority of Wii Fit consumers would buy into with a Balance Board and a sprinkling of Nintendo magic. However, one month after Wii Fit's launch in North America, figures show that the software has been played less than four times on each console.
The latest data comes from the Nintendo Channel (which gathers the statistics from players who have given permission for their time spent exer-gaming to be measured). They reveal that the average Wii Fit user has logged just 8 hours and 25 minutes of playtime, and only 3.8 sessions. These numbers don't look good for a game that is supposed to encourage daily workouts and help people track the state of their health, especially if Nintendo has totted up the total of multiple Balance Board users per machine.
Click below to continue reading.
The data is, of course, somewhat skewed by the fact that not everyone has opted to have their Wii Fit use recorded, and also by the length of time players have owned the software (although on this latter point, given nearly all Wii Fit stock was snapped up on the day of its release and has been near-impossible to find ever since, we can assume that most have had Wii Fit in their homes for close to four weeks now). Nevertheless it doesn't make fantastic reading, and only adds fuel to the argument of those who have dubbed Wii Fit's presence as a throwaway fad from the beginning.
The situation may improve as 2008 further unfolds, but that the typical Wii Fit owner has used a $90 USD product defined by many as a revolution in exercise for only around 505 out of a possible 43,829 minutes in a month (a notable proportion of which is spent flicking between menus instead of working out) isn't a great sign at all.
The phenomenal sales of Wii Fit mean that no one can deem it an unsuccessful business venture (Nintendo's $40 million promotional budget made sure of that), but in more personal terms, has Wii Fit made as big an impact on the wellbeing of the nation as many predicted it would? 15 minutes a day, we suppose, is quarter an hour more than a lot of players were exercising before...
Remember when we reported about Cheaper By the Dozen's Alyson Stoner teaming up with Nintendo to provide a series of films for the Nintendo Channel, entitled Get Fit With Alyson to help encourage children and teenagers to get active? Well, the first 'episode' has now launched, and is available via your console or... courtesy of GoNintendo, right here:
Many people have publicised their weight loss progress with Wii Fit, but we only covered WiiNintendo's on Balance Board Blog, since it was the same guy made famous by the original Wii Sports experiment. After six weeks the results are in, and Philadelphia’s Mickey DeLorenzo managed to lose an impressive 15 lbs:
We're not sure we have too many Singaporean readers (hello if that's you!), but if you're going to be there and plan on visiting its first ever Toy and Comic Convention this weekend, keep an eye out for Nintendo, who will be demonstrating Wii Fit at the event.
Chirpy representatives from Nintendo will be exhibiting Wii Fit onstage on both Saturday and Sunday the 28 and 29 of June, from 4:45pm to 5:15.
If you do plan to attend, make sure to get some snaps for us to share, if you'd be so kind.
Wii Fit and the Balance Board might be near-impossible to find anywhere at the moment, but that isn't putting off Nintendo of Australia, who are continuing to push the product in its latest catalogue.
Alongside the Wii console itself; Mario Kart Wii and the Wii Wheel, and the Wii Zapper, sits the Balance Board and Wii Fit, complete with an image of a young lady performing yoga exercises. Nintendo boasts that you Wii Fit can "turn your living room into your own private gym."
In a full-blown "for the fans" plea to the developers behind the upcoming Spider-Man: Web of Shadows in his personal blog, Ex-God of War director David Jaffe asks Treyarch and Shaba Games that they don't make the same mistakes as so many previous games featuring the superhero:
"Please stop putting Spiderman games in big open sandbox environments where you swing around and do oh so slight variations on 4 pretty dull mission types (chase/race/collect/etc) and then once in a while toss in a boss fight and/or a somewhat unique mission," he begins.
Jaffe adds that Web of Shadows should revel in the comic book character's rich narrative, and centre the game on that instead of just his unique abilities.
"I'm not suggesting you take the powers away," he continues. I AM suggesting a much more scripted experience that allows players to revel in what makes the comics upon which the game is based so special. Have like 3 really amazing web slinging areas that really show that mechanic off in a fun, excitingly designed way. Just don't base the WHOLE game around it."
We're not holding out too much hope for all of this really, but at least we have the Nintendo Wii's Balance Board controls to get excited about.
The weekend is hardly the time we'd expect some Earth-shattering Wii Balance Board news to filter through to us, but if there's one happening we know we can rely on regularly, it's the emergence of more Wii Fit accessories. And Amazon hasn't disappointed, with two more add-ons to mull over.
The first is yet another Wii Fit silicone sleeve, this time from Hyperkin. The firm's opted for a simple, clear design, and is charging a reasonable $14.54 for the product.
The second is we think an anti-slip mat for the Balance Board, although it may also double up as a yoga mat for your exer-gaming pursuits. It'll burn a $18.36-sized hole in your pocket, and is also available from Amazon.
Our Wii Fit Accessories Round-up is now positively creaking under the weight of products, but we've managed to squeeze this pair in alongside them.
If you've been keeping a close eye on Don King Presents: Prizefighter, you'll have noticed that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions (the Wii build is released this August) haven't been receiving brilliant reviews. GameTrailers gives a nice summary, including information on the soon-to-be Balance Board-compatible training options.
There seem to be complaints throughout the game, but in the gym, it's boredom that is said to set in quickly. Here's hoping the rumoured online mode performs better.
In a dramatic new trailer for the upcoming Spider-Man: Web of Shadows for the Nintendo Wii, its developers explain the game's dynamic new combat system, which allows players to chain together a number of attacks - smashing enemies from floor, to air, to wall all in one sweep. The Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version is shown, but it's likely the same idea will be worked into the Wii version, which is highly rumoured to include Balance Board-based attacks.
The Nintendo brand has always been synonymous with clean-cut family-friendly entertainment. If Rockstar Games is the Jack the Ripper of the videogaming world, then Nintendo is the antithesis, the Mickey Mouse or Hannah Montana.
But as everybody knows, sex sells. The likes of the Wii Fit Girlfriend and Playboy's Jo Garcia playing with Wii Fit on YouTube are recent demonstrations of the massive attention that sexing up an otherwise ordinary-looking product (or one primarily aimed at women) can bring, and will no doubt help shift millions of more copies of the software.
Nintendo already has the extended audience and casual gaming sector sewn up, which leaves only the Xbox 360-buying, first-person shooter-loving, 18-34 male demographic still resistant to its marketing charms. Perhaps it's time to rub them up the right way, with promotion that leaves them salivating for Wii.
We're not talking M-rated Super Mario pornography or Balance Board kamasutra here, more something along the lines of the aforementioned young women parading themselves on the Internet. Even if it was in a secretive, viral video form, it would probably benefit Nintendo more than any complainers berating them for 'Nintendo promoting smut on teh internetz!'.
PheroseSoft aren't afraid to do it with We Move: Pain vs Pleasure, so c'mon Nintendo...
When videogaming in 2008 is remembered, Wii Fit will no doubt be up amongst those titles recalled most fondly. The exer-game has caused controversy; sparked debate about national health, and definitely made us laugh.
In recognition of this, Balance Board Blog presents Wii Fit in 10 seconds, a hacking together of the game's best YouTube moments:
You've already seen 'Wii Fit Girlfriend' successor and Playboy Cyber Girl of the Year 2008, carrying on some sexy boxing on Nintendo's first exer-gaming title. And if you liked that, then you're going to love her newest video too, which sees the adult model carrying out a variety of yoga poses.
Very bendy... teasingly small underwear.
KOEI's G1 Jockey Wii 2008 was released for the Nintendo Wii in North America in February of this year, but the firm recently announced that for its European release later on this year, the horse racing simulation will also include added functionality with the Wii Balance Board.
G1 Jockey 2008 is actually a port of the same title on the Sony PlayStation 2, made 'unique' thanks to the Nintendo Wii's motion sensing wizardry. Whereas in the US (Wii) copy of the game players would use the Nunchuck to tell their horse to jump, if you're a European with a Balance Board, you'll now be able to use the feedback from to initiate fence-leaping instead. Leaning left and right, meanwhile, sees your trusty steed veering from side to side.
Successful racing is all about the type of horse you choose, and the pacing and timing of your actions during the events. Whether you decide to break off from the back of the pack near the end of the race; shoot off from the start, or jostle from position in amongst the crowd is down to you. Mid-race, you'll need to keep an eye on your horse's stamina, and judge when it is best to give them an encouraging whip to aid your progress.
While it all sounds like good, simple fun, be warned that G1 Jockey is actually padded out with a lot of RPG elements - meaning lots of stats, figures, and talking head conversations in between races where you'll negotiate buying and selling animals and make friends with other races.
If you can put up with that, it will take you a long while to gain all of the trophies and achievements that G1 has to offer, and the Balance Board use will hopefully add another positive spin on what was already an innovation in the horse racing videogame genre.
G1 Jockey Wii 2008 is released across Europe this September.
Hundreds of online shoppers in the UK desperate to get their hands on a copy of Wii Fit thought their luck was in when they happened across ZavviDirect.co.uk, which despite the nationwide shortage of the game, boasted to have rather a lot of stock.
However, fears have now surfaced that the site is a scam, with some customers having been charged twice for the product, yet not received anything in return. The site, not linked to Zavvi, the high street retailer formerly known as Virgin Megastore, has spoken out to deny any link with Zavvi Direct and to question the company’s ample supply of Nintendo’s exer-gaming title:
“We would love to know where this company is getting its stock of the Wii Fit from. In the UK and Europe it is in such high demand and short supply no one can get their hands on enough – even us,” a Zavvi representative told Computer Active.
Zavvi Direct has now been shut down. Meanwhile, the site's owners are adamant that Wii Fit stock will either be shipped by June 20, or the cost otherwise refunded.
Very suspicious indeed.
A Canadian professor, commenting on a federal study looking at the link between obesity and television viewing, has stated that Wii Fit won't make much of a difference to the physical health of its users, claiming that most gamers will stop using it soon.
Speaking to the St. Catharine's Standard, John Hay, a professor of health science The Brock University said, "Sure you are more active than someone who is just sitting on the couch [when playing Wii Fit], but I think it will end up like all video games. It will have its time and then pass,"
This is one of the most lingering arguments about Wii Fit; whether its use will last the test of time with players. Perhaps Hay is right in that Wii Fit won’t change the world on its own, but perhaps the development more Balance Board fitness titles will help encourage continued, healthy use of the accessory for a long time.
We began to get seriously worried when another new Balance Board sleeve or Wii Fit accessory hadn't surfaced for a couple of days, but thankfully DreamGear has come to our rescue with the 5-in-1 Fitness Bundle.
The product, which will cost you $59.99 USD on Amazon.com, includes a rechargeable battery pack, USB charging cable, jeli sleeve, fitness mat, travel bag, and 3 pairs of textured foot socks. In other words, pretty much everything you'd ever need for the ultimate Wii Fit experience, and certainly cheaper than buying everything separately - although we can't fully gauge the individual quality of each piece just by looking.
DreamGear's Kit goes up against similar all-in-one offerings in the form of Paramount's Wii Fit Accessories' pack and Intec's Wii Fit Workout Kit.
Remember we told you that the 'Wii Fit Girlfriend' has caught the attention of MTV and been offered a part on its TRL show this week? Well, it's happened... and here she is:
Perhaps this information was already known, but we haven't seen it published widely. Electronic Arts' upcoming Skate It title (a Nintendo Wii spin-off from last year's hugely popular simulation) will not allow you to pull tricks via Balance Board controls.
It's the Wii Remote and Nuchuck you'll use to perform ollies, nollies, kickflips and the like, while the Balance Board is used simply to steer your character left and right by shifting your weight in either direction. NGamer magazine writes:
"You can't use the board to pull off tricks - that's only done with the remote and nunchuck - but along with the likes of Family Ski, Skate It is further proof that what could be achieved with the new peripheral is fresh and exciting."
Complicated tricks we understand, but ollies, manuals and the like? That could've been done. Anyway, using the Board to control balance whilst grinding seems like a no-brainer decision to us, so here's hoping that'll be worked into Skate It before its autumn release.
A little belated compared to the immediacy of net-based reports, but no less worthy, the latest issue of UK-based NGamer magazine has a preview of Ubisoft's Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party.
The publication runs through a lot of what we already know as far as Balance Board games go (concentrating on the ass-controlled Beestie Boarding mini-game), but positively conclude:
"We didn't have any problems with the motion controls or any misread gestures, and it seems that the Raving Rabbids series is going to continue its trend of increasingly confident sequels."
We certainly hope so. To view the latest Euro 2008-themed TV Party trailer, click here.
One of the Wii Balance Board's biggest obvious potentials is to use its pressure-sensitive pads in a racing title. There's been no official word on any developer working on anything like that at the moment, but until that time, the 'Wii Racing Xperiment' shows just how it can be done.
Hooking both the Balance Board and Wii Remote up to a PC, the following video demonstrates Need for Speed ProStreet being played - the Wii Wheel to steer, and the Wii Balance Board to accelerate and brake. Exciting stuff:
Want to get your grubby mitts on some of the numerous accessories for Wii Fit and the Balance Board currently available on the market, but don't like the look of the prices? Well, you'll be pleased to hear that retail Circuit City has snipped the cost of many of them.
Circuit City has shaved $5 USD off many a Wii Fit add-on, from Pelican's Wii Fit Starter Kit (down to $24.99) to Mad Catz' Wii Fit Silicon Cover (now $14.99).
The electrical chain also announced that it is re-stocking copies of Wii Fit this week, although we imagine you'll have to be both dedicated and speedy if you want to snap one up.
The accessories are available to buy on the store's website, but you'll have to venture into the real world for Wii Fit itself.
The Nintendo Wii's Wii Sports has become a revelation in homes for the elderly all across the world, in the way that it helps them to remain active in their latter years. So big is the craze, that cross-country tournaments have been known to be organised.
So after reporting on how Wii Fit had also made its way into hospitals, schools, and gymnasiums, it was only a matter of time before pensioners latched onto its physical benefits.
The residents of Cypress Cove in Fort Myers, Florida are amongst the lucky lot to have Wii Fit installed in their retirement community, and they absolutely love it; integrating it into their health and wellbeing routines.
"I'm a little old," laughed resident Phyllis Bogen about the hula hoop game, "but I probably could have done it faster or better. But I loved it, It's a good exercise."
""I like it," added resident Myrtle Hearn, 79. "Anything that can keep people our age moving is good."
We wholeheartedly agree. Keep it up, guys.
We always welcome another spoof involving Wii Fit, especially if they're well done. We guffawed at this one as soon as the intro was through playing:
Balance Board Blog was the first site to report on the emergence of a sexy video on YouTube that took the story of the 'Wii Fit Girlfriend' that one step further, with a young lady voluntarily allowing us to watch her as she exercised using the Wii software.
Her face was hidden from view in said footage, but it has since emerged that the brunette beauty is Puerto Rican Playboy model and Cyber Girl of the Year 2008, Jo Garcia. In a press release, her employers quote Jo as saying:
"I thought it was a workout. I was sweating afterward. I liked the game overall. The yoga was like strength training. All my core muscles were sore the next day. It makes you play the game right. The balance pad is really reactive. I thought the game was awesome. I want to get the new dance game on the balance board."
You can check out more photos of Garcia working out with Wii Fit here. Meanwhile, Balance Board Blog is hoping to chat to the recent YouTube sensation very soon, so look out for that...
Ubisoft has released a new teaser trailer for its upcoming Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party, and it's topical in that its themed around the Euro 2008 football tournament currently being held in Austria and Switzerland.
A Rabbid is seen lined up in a defensive wall as a free kick is about to be taken, backed by the television commentary of a manic Spanish gentleman. The ball is placed, the referee blows his whistle... and, well, you can probably guess what happens next:
If there's one bad thing about plasma televisions, it's that should an image stay static on them for too long, then burn-in (meaning the image doesn't ever fully disappear) can possibly occur.
Wii Fit, reports WiiPlasma, is safe for the most part. However, the Free Run exercise and its on-screen timer could cause problems. After 30 minutes of continuous on-the-spot jogging, there's a risk that the stopwatch could leave a nasty impression on your lovely plasma display.
The site recommends switching to a blank channel if you're going to Free Run, using the Wii Remote's audio cues to track your progress.
At a recent event in which Majesco Games announced the financial results of its second quarter of 2008, the developer revealed a little more about the making of Jillian Michaels', specifically her active involvement in the project.
Majesco divulged that Michaels is stamping her mark on the making of the exer-gaming title, but the software is not associated with NBC's The Biggest Loser, the television show in which the trainer also stars.
"Jillian is very personally interested in and actively involved in the game's development and promotion and it is a happy coincidence that she'll be promoting the latest season of Biggest Loser when the title comes out," said a Majesco spokesperson.
"Fitness Ultimatium is a Jillian Michaels license, not a Biggest Losers license," so there would be "no material or direct tie-in," they added.
Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ulimatum 2009, announced earlier this month, uses the Balance Board to guide players through a personalised fitness regime.
In one of the most inventive uses of the Balance Board to date, a new update to GlovePIE allows players to hook the accessory up to their PC to play Audiosurf.
An award-winning game, Audiosurf sees player collecting coloured blocks that appear across several lanes, depending on the music track that is being played - and you can upload any song you like.
Instead of using the mouse, players lean back and forth to control the game's on-screen vehicle. There's even a 'Surfmode', allowing you to turn the Balance Board 90 degrees to mimic the effect of riding a surfboard.
BodySurf is the new program's name, and you can download it here.
Has all of the fuss about the Wii Fit Girlfriend really ticked you off? After all, she hasn't done anything spectacular, but has found instant worldwide fame and bagged television appearances after her boyfriend supposedly filmed her Hula Hooping without her knowledge and posted it on YouTube.
One Will Snizek is more than a little annoyed with the whole situation that has blown up over the past couple of weeks; so much so that he has compiled a list of ten reasons why the Wii Fit Girl really grinds his gears.
He points the critical finger at the video itself; those who are watching and commenting on it, and even Lauren Bernat's Hula Hooping technique.
As far as we're concerned, it's just a bit of fun. Good on her and her 15 minutes of fame.
PheroseSoft, the ex-Rockstar and EA employees currently working on Wii Move(now changed to We Move, it appears) a Balance Board compatible game for WiiWare, have launched a rather kinky new trailer for the title.
.gif)
1080° Snowboarding was one of the Nintendo Wii's most impressive sports titles, bringing the ice cool sport to consoles like it never had been done before.
And now developer Vitei has revealed that is currently developing a WiiWare title that will make use of the Balance Board accessory, although they're reluctant to reveal just yet what sort of game it is.
Speaking to Cubed3, the firm's Giles Goddard was asked whether his team had considered making use of the Balance Board, and responded:
"Our current game uses the Balance Board actually, and it’s due out in September on WiiWare... The interesting thing is that the games you would think would work well with the Balance Board actually don't."
Very cryptic, indeed - the download will arrive on WiiWare this September. Vitei becomes the second company to announce a WiiWare title that will support the Balance Board, following PheroseSoft's Wii Move.
We've heard very little about THQ's All Star Cheer Squad since it was announced, but a sneaky peak at the title given to NJ.com reveals that, although still in its early stages, the Balance Board-compatible dance-a-thon is coming along very nicely.
The site reports that All Star Cheer Squad actually gives players a decent cardio workout, adding that you'll "step, squat and stretch in all different directions to on screen prompts and eventually make their way to the national tournament."
The cheerleading title aims to be accessible to everyone, no matter how skilled they are at the sport, although we're sure the pre-teen market will be most likely to be enthusiastic about its Winter 2008 arrival.
The mix-up between Lauren Bernat (the Wii Fit Girlfriend) and Lauren Bernat (the librarian and not the Wii Fit Girlfriend) has now made national television news in the US. Fox reports on the story, with New York-based-not-the-Wii-Fit-Girlfriend on the telephone explaining how the situation has affected her life:
Electronic Arts has released a handful of new screenshots of Skate It, the upcoming spin-off of last year's popular extreme sports sim that is heading to the Nintendo Wii - Balance Board controls included.
The new images show off a skateboarding character tricking all over the city; grinding down rails, curbs, and leaping off ramps. Very nice pastel shading, too. We like.
Click below to marvel at the rest.
