So, you’ve decided to use your Wii for a good workout. With all the Wii games out there, which are the ones which will get your heart pumping and the calories burning? We pick out the very best Wii Exercise Games and review them here.
From the days of Pong and Space Invaders, our society has been addicted to video games. This is where the genius of using the Wii for exercise lies. They say that you achieve weight loss and healthy heart with 30 minutes a day of aerobic exercise three times a week.For those of you who can’t stay 5 minutes on a treadmill without getting bored to tears, you may be surprised that with some of these games, that half hour will speed by quickly, and your heart will be pumping and you’ll be perspiring just as much as if you’d stayed on the treadmill.
Below, I’ve listed the best Wii games for exercise. I’ve given them two ratings: the first rating is workout intensity (focusing mainly on aerobic exercise). The second rating is “fun”. Note that the second rating is just as important as the first, because the more fun the game is, the more you’ll play it and the less you’ll remember that you’re actually exercising.
Also, check out the Best of the Rest List, our list of Wii Fitness Games To Avoid, and our list of Upcoming Wii Fitness Games, which will be updated to include Wii U games.
Do you know of another Wii game that fits on the list? Or, do you want to share the story of how you use the Wii as your workout? Add your comments below!
The Top Fitness Games for Wii
1. Just Dance 2016
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Just Dance 2016 is the sequel to Just Dance 1, 2, 3, and 4, 2014, and 2015 and takes its place as a perennial favorite on the best of the best list.
The control inaccuracy that plagued the first volume is all but gone now, now that Ubisoft is supporting Wii MotionPlus controllers. This, plus a large number of great new modern songs with variations of new and fun choreography, make Just Dance 2015 as fun as ever. Plus, with “Just Sweat” mode now embedded throughout the entire game, not just in one section, you can get running stats on your workout and receive lot of incentives to keep coming back for more. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again–the best kind of fitness game is one that’s so fun that you don’t realize you’re exercising. Just Dance once again falls in this category.
2. EA Sports Active 2 and NFL Training Camp
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EA Sports Active 2 had been #1 on this since it was introduced last year. It’s still the one to beat if you’re looking for a “pure exercise game” for the Wii. And unlike last year when a lot of us paid upwards of $90 for it, nowadays you can easily find it for around $25, which is a steal considering that you don’t just get the game but all the accessories as well. Even though EA seems to have given up on the franchise, it’s still a great workout. With specially designed wireless transmitters that you strap on to your leg, you can say goodbye those nunchuk wires that kept tripping you up with the first generation. A new wireless heart rate monitor lets you see your heart rate as you progress through the exercises, and there are a lot of new activities that are much more interactive (and fun) than the previous version. Polish it off with an improved resistance band and access to a new online portal where you can chart progress and interact with other exercisers, and you’ll see that EA Sports didn’t rest on their laurels, but moved the platform ahead. You can read my full review of EA Sports Active here. I’m a little surprised that EA Sports never put out EA Sports Active 3 this year, but hopefully they’re working on it.
I’m putting EA Sports Active NFL Training Camp together with EA Sports Active 2 because it is, more or less, an NFL-flavored version of a very similar game. It features actual football drills and conditioning workouts as conducted in actual NFL training camps, with over 70 drills and strength, power, and conditioning challenges. Like Sports Active 2, it also has interactive games that make exercise a ton of fun and help you build reaction skills, agility, and first step quickness. Developed in conjunction with the NFL and making full use of graphical assets that EA Sports has with their licensing relationship for NFL Madden, this is another winner in the EA Sports series and a must-have if you have a football fan in the house who could shed a couple pounds. Read my original review of EA Sports Active 2 here.
3. Exerbeat
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ExerBeat isn’t necessarily the most strenuous workout available nor the most “professional”. On the other hand, the video gaming elements keep you motivated to start up the game again day after day until your on-screen character has “travelled the world”doing all kinds of exercises .
There are a good selection of different kinds of exercises, ranging from aerobics to boxing to yoga, not to mention a few fun games. A full review of Exerbeat can be found here.
4. Zumba Fitness World Party
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Zumba Fitness World Party is the next evoluion in the Zumba Fitness for Wii series. They improve on Zumba Fitness Core by adding real-life video instructors, as well as a new “adventure mode” that has you travelling the world and dancing in exotic locales to that locale’s music.. There are also very good options for running traditional Zumba classes in your home (20, 40 or 60 minutes, just like at the gym), for getting good tutorials on the basic steps, and for charting your progress. Zumba is admittedly not for everybody, but if it’s for you you’re going to love this one. Read the full review here.
5. Dance Dance Revolution II
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Dance Dance Revolution II is finally the “reboot” to the DDR series we’ve been waiting for since Hottest Party 2 was released in 2008. It adds “Double mode”, which allows a single person use of TWO dance pads, added a whole bunch of new licensed songs that’ll appeal to teens and tweens, and perhaps most importantly, got rid of awful gimmicks like trying to force use of the Wii remote or balance board in game play. Their workout mode is truly intense and many steps (no pun intended) above step aerobics or dance aerobics. In many ways, they’ve brought back the magic that made DDR such an institution to begin with. Visit the blog for a full review of Dance Dance Revolution II.
6. The Biggest Loser Challenge
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The Biggest Loser Challenge is a lot like its predecessor. You’re a guest at
The Biggest Loser Ranch, with familiar scenes like the Pool to the Gym to Jillian’s Boxing Ring. It lets you set up a regular schedule of exercises (anywhere from 2 to 6 days a week) over a course of 4, 8, or 12 weeks. You can choose from preset exercises for different goals (slimming, super weight loss, etc.), or you can have the system create a personalized workout program for you. You can adjust the intensity of the exercises, the number of days a week, and the number of minutes per day.
The program is definitely much more comprehensive than the first version. You get a huge number of new exercises (I counted 117 in all) ranging from Yoga to Core to Boxing to Cardio and Calisthenics. Unlike the previous encarnation of this game, you can choose Bob, Jillian, or both of them to be your virtual trainer. One of the neat new features is that you can design your on-screen to look like you. He/she will have your body shape when you begin the program, and as you slim down, so will it. You also have the ability to add a resistance band or an exercise ball to your workout.
They’ve also added new challenge games, based on the TV show: Slipstream, Boom or Bust, Light Cycles, Sprint and Slide, and Punch Clock. As in the first game, you’re not actually doing the actual movements of your on-screen character, but you’re doing an exercise routine, following a small image of Bob or Jillian. The more accurately you do the exercise, the better your on-screen character will perform in the activity. Like the TV show, you go through rounds of competition. It’s a fun way to add a little variety to your exercises. There’s also a “Health and Lifestyle” option which lets you view recipes, get tips and advice from trainers and former contestants (these are also randomly displayed for you throughout the game), and calculate your Biggest Loser Know Your Number “KYN” HeathScore.
If you’re a fan of the show and don’t want to shell out the money for EA Sports, this is definitely the choice for you. It provides a very solid and complete exercise routine which you can use to lose weight. Visit my original review of this game.
7. Active Life Explorer
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Active Life Outdoor Adventure by Namco Bandai has enjoyed a long stay on this list. While their follow-up title Active Life Extreme Challenge was a little bit of a disappointment, they have come back strong with Active Life Explorer, launched in October 2010 in time for the 2010 holiday shopping season . This title contains 24 games in which you (and up to three other players) play the role of an Indiana Jones-like adventurer, going through different challenges to collect fabulous treasures. Unlike other Wii games that pack a lot of mini-games into one title, practically all the games are excellent.
They all use the special Active Life plastic mat, which you plug into the top of your Wii. The games are extremely well produced: you really do feel like you’re inside an Indiana Jones movie as you try to do things like stop a runaway train or you escape from a dungeon with your arms full of treasure and mummies chasing you. Even though the moves for the games are all similar to each other (all tend to use a combination of running in place, jumping, and using your feet to match patterns), the storylines and application of those moves are so creatively done that no two games feel the same. Where this game shines is when you race against another opponent, each sharing a half of the mat.
Overall, I’d say this is a great game you can play over and over again for exercise, either by yourself or with your family. See the blog for a full review of Active Life Explorer, including videos and detailed descriptions of all the minigames.
8. Get Fit with Mel B
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In many ways, Get Fit with Mel B feels like the rightful successor to the original My Fitness Coach game (which most people agree was one of the best Wii exercise games of its time). It features Mel B (otherwise known as Scary Spice) serving as a “personal trainer” walking you through a variety of fitness and aerobics exercises. Unlike other similar games, the video image of Mel B is very clear as she demonstrates different exercises to you, and the detail of her voice instructions is excellent. You can choose from different “environments” to work out in, and these are also excellent. Overall, if you’re looking for a “virtual trainer” to supplement or replace one that you pay for at the gym, this title comes closest to anything before it to matching the experience. You can read the full review of Get Fit with Mel B for Wii here.
9. Wii Fit Plus
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As Wii fitness games improve, Wii Fit Plus is starting to show a bit of its age. It was a pioneer in its day for its introduction of the Wii balance board and whole body motion gaming. There are a lot of very fun activities in the game, and there are good options that can to give you a serious workout, but it seems that there are very few that do both. Still if you’re the type who hates exercising and needs a really, really fun time to incent you to work out, Wii Fit Plus is clearly still up there with the best. And the game is getting for the balance board alone, because as much as people talk about Playstation Move and Kinect, at the moment either of those systems can calculate your weight for you like the Wii can.
You can read a full review of Wii Fit Plus on the blog. Here are some of the highlights:
The first thing to note is that Wii Fit Plus is not a “sequel” to the original Wii Fit, but rather it contains all the content of the original Wii Fit and adds a number of improvements (for a write-up of the original Wii Fit, see the “Best of the Rest” list). In other words, if you don’t have Wii Fit already, you can skip it, buy Wii Fit Plus with the Balance Board. If you already have Wii Fit, you can buy the Wii Fit Plus game only.
The first improvement, clearly influenced by EA Sports Active, is that instead of choosing individual strength and yoga exercises ad-hoc, you can choose from a number of pre-configured workout routines, or create your own routine from the list of activities. The activities are still broken out by category: Yoga, Strength Training, Aerobics, and Balance Games. All of these are identical to the old Wii Fit, except that there there are a 6 new Yoga and Strength training exercises which add some more variety and challenge to those categories.
The biggest improvement in Wii Fit Plus is the addition of 15 “Training Plus” activities. Here are the best of the best new ones:
Rhythm Kung-Fu (Workout intensity: 3 of 5, Fun 5 of 5): This is the first game that put a huge smile on my face. Using your Wiimote, the Nunchuk, and the Balance Board, you have to strike different “kung fu” poses in rhythm to delightfully cheesy kung-fu movie music. It’s essentially a game of “Simon Says”, where you mimic the moves of a groups of Miis standing behind you (and if you have family or friend Miis on your system, you’ll see some familiar faces). Another game that perhaps doesn’t provide the most strenuous workout at first, but one you’ll be playing over and over again to try to beat your high score (you’re judged based on your timing).
Bird’s-Eye Bull’s-Eye, a.k.a. Flying Chicken (Workout intensity: 5 of 5, Fun 5 of 5): This is the one you probably heard about, and it (along with Obstacle Course) is the winner. Your Mii dons a chicken outfit and has to fly from target to target. How do you fly? By flapping your arms. Seriously. You can either flap your arms with your hands extended, or do a “chicken dance” type movement by bending your elbows. Either way, the Balance Board will amazingly detect how strongly, quickly, or slowly you’re flapping. Like a real bird, you flap faster to get better control, and you flap slower to soar great distances. You control where you’re moving by leaning on the Balance Board. It is, I kid you not, the closest you will ever come to flying like a bird. It’s a great upper body workout that you’ll do again and again.
Obstacle Course (Workout intensity: 5 of 5, Fun 5 of 5): This is the game I was most looking forward too, and I was not disappointed. The way it’s been described is that it’s like Super Mario Bros, only you are playing the part of Mario running through a 3-D obstacle course. You run in place on the Balance Board to make your character move forward and you straighten your knees to make him jump. In the process, you’ll be navigating around huge swinging wrecking balls, moving sidewalks, and falling logs. Something important to remember is that to jump, you need to bend and straighten your legs. The game will reset if it detects you actually jumping on the board, a measure Nintendo put in place to prevent damage to your board.
Rhythm Parade (Workout intensity: 4 of 5, Fun 5 of 5): This was another one to put a huge smile on my face. You’re basically a drum major, marching in place to the sound of a beat. Like rhythm games like Helix and Samba Di Amigo, you move your Wii-mote and Nunchuk to match on-screen cues. The better you match, the bigger your marching band becomes (and again, you’ll see familiar faces join in the band if you have custom Miis). Like other Wii rhythm games of this ilk, I’m not sure how accurate the Wii and Nunchuk are (there are times I’m sure I move it on time but it doesn’t register on the screen), but the game is pretty forgiving.
Once great improvement of Wii Fit Plus is that it uses METs (which stands for Metabolic EquivalenTs) to tell you how many calories you’re burning, a vast improvement over the meaningless “Fit Credits” of the old Wii Fit. Another big improvement is with the Balance Board: with the old Wii Fit, each time you started a new routine, you’d need to wait for the Balance Board to calibrate. Wii Fit Plus is a bit more intelligent, in that it’ll sense whether the weight has changed and give the option to recalibrate only if it has.
There is also the ability to measure a child or pet. This is a gimmick, of course, but a totally fun one if you have the aforementioned child or pet to measure. 🙂
It’s a fun and creative title that overall still stands the test of time. Highly recommended.
10. Walk It Out
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67 million Americans walk regularly for exercise, whether walking on a treadmill, taking step classes at a gym, or just walking outside. While all the other game companies are tripping over themselves trying to putting out yet another aerobic game or boxing game, Konami did something clever and decided to focus on this audience.
The result was Walk It Out. It’s a game where you just walk, and walk, and walk around a very rich and in-depth virtual environment where you walk around and explore, unlocking different parts of the world as you go. The virtual world is stunningly beautiful, with parks, beaches, ocean views, buildings, cow pastures, mountains, apartment complexes, hotels and trees. The time in the virtual world matches the real world time: during the day you can admire the vast blue skies with beautiful cloud formations; at night, you can walk under a starry sky.
You step on either your Wii Balance Board or a Dance Dance Revolution dance pad (you can also use a Wii remote and nunchuk to exercise your arms instead of your legs) to a countinuous musical soundtrack consisting of some familiar songs, some generic songs, all of which are energetic and peppy. Your goal is to step on the beat, and if you do so you earn a “credit” which can be used to unlock parts of your virtual world, from scenery to new music to new routes on the map.There are so many things to unlock that it’d take months to unlock everything. But the thrill of “earning” your points and then spending them to create your own little world really does make the time go by quicker and more enjoyable than if you were just walking on a treadmill staring into space.
Konami did a good job of taking “addictive” elements from video games (collecting points, cashing them in, building your interactive world) and applying them to exercise. I rated this workout as “intensive” not because it’ll make you pant and sweat, but because it’s so fun and addictive that you’ll be on it for hours at a time without even realizing it.
It’s always better to step out of the house and get some fresh air, of course, but in those cold winter nights or late at night when it’s dark outside and you feel like taking a walk, Walk It Out’s world is not a bad place to visit from time to time either! Visit the original review here.
Honorable Mention
The following games deserve honorable mention because of what they did to help pioneer the concept of exergaming.
Wii Sports
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Wii Sports is the granddaddy of Wii games, the ones which came bundled with every new Wii system. It was the game that made everyone sit up and notice that this video games system was going to usher in a new generation of gamers that looked less like couch potatoes and more like svelte shoestring fries.
Wii Sports lets you simulate five sports: tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, and boxing. There are a ton of mini-games you can play for both fun and to help train you on how to use your Wiimote and Nunchuk to control the games.
There’s also an option called “Wii Fitness”, which leads you through a number of the mini-games. To be honest, it’s not that much of a workout, my guess is that it was more of a gimmick when the Wii first came out to let people be aware that the Wii could be used for exercise. Wii Fitness will give you a “Wii Fitness Age” which doesn’t mean much (unlike the Wii Fit age I mentioned above).
For workout purposes, boxing definitely ranks at the top of the list. Ironically, the less experienced you are, the more practice you’ll get, as you’ll be flailing your arms to try to land punches. As you get better at the game, you’ll learn to dodge and duck and time your opponent’s punches, which will get your higher scores but less aerobic exercise.
The boxing mini-games are the best for ensuring you get a nice aerobic workout. Working the Bag lets you shadow box against punching bags, which you can satisfyingly-if-not-realistically make them fly off. Dodging is a game where you can improve your reflexes; your trainer will throw balls which you need to duck out of the way of. Admittedly, I get so frustrated sometimes by getting pummeled by my trainer that I take it out on him in the next game, Throwing Punches. In that game, you’re supposed to aim your punches at the trainer’s gloves, but after getting nailed by him with so many balls, I usually just throw the score to the wind and try to punch him as much as I can 🙂
Believe it or not, some researchers at Cleveland State University actually found that 30 minutes of continuous Wii Boxing burns nearly the same amount of energy as a half hour boxing session at the local gym. As for the other Wii Sports games, I’d say that they may be useful for aerobic exercise, but in order to “boost” the workout, you’ll want to move around. For example, when playing Wii Tennis, jog in place as you’re hitting the balls. Or, you can use video game addiction to your benefit. I must have tried 100 times to get a perfect 10 out of 10 in the Home Run Derby. By the time I had done it (see video to the right), my arms were very, very sore.
Wiiware Helix
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This was a game suggested by Adam from Nevada in the site’s comments (thanks Adam!) It’s a downloadable WiiWare title (meaning you can’t buy it in stores, but you can buy a Wii Points Card and use some of your points to download it online).
The game is brilliant in its simplicity. As Adam said in his comment, you can consider it as “DDR for your arms”, or a hi-tech game of Simon Says. As heart-pounding techno music plays, you need to mimic the actions of the on-screen figure to the beat.
There have been other rhythm games, including some I reviewed here, like Samba Di Amigo, Dancing with the Stars, and High School Musical 3. They’re all great games, especially for the fans of their respective franchises or musical genres, but Helix is the one which stands out for response and overall workout quality. Looking back, the formula that they came up with here really paved the path for later blockbuster games like Just Dance.
My Fitness Coach
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This was the granddaddy of all exergaming titles, having had its debut as Yourself!Fitness on the original Xbox and PS2 and proving that video game consoles could be used as exercise machines.
This title is less like a video game and more along the lines of an exercise video or DVD. Of course, it uses the Wii to personalize your experience so unlike watching a video, you’ll get a custom workout tailored specifically to you. If you have equipment like hand weights, a fitness ball, or a fitness step, those can be incorporated into the workout. It’s like having a personal trainer in your home.
The computerized trainer "Maya" will literally give you a fitness test, which is quite a workout in itself. She starts by asking you for a bunch of personal information, like your birthday (to calculate your age), your weight, and even the size of your biceps, chest, waist, and thighs (since she’s not real, it’s a whole lot easier to give this information to her). Then, you do a bunch of physical tests. She starts you out by doing 2 minutes jumping jacks and ask you to count your resting heartrate and your elevated heartrate. She repeats similar tests with lunges, push-ups, and crunches, basically seeing what the extent of your body’s condition is.
Based on your results she will recommend a detailed program for you, which will be a weight loss goal, or general health and wellness goals like improving cardio, upper and lower body strength, or flexibility. She’ll set up a daily calendar for you, and each day she’ll bring you through a custom series of exercises–this is where it resembles an exercise DVD–she’ll run you through the program, calling out the moves you’re making along to music and you can see on the bottom of the screen a countdown timer of how long to spend on each exercise.
You can choose different kinds of music (all generic, license-free type music), and this is my favorite part, you can also choose a location to work out in. My favorite is the relaxing Garden, but you can also choose a Japanese-style training center or even an office building. Locations are unlocked as you progress through exercises.
Note that this is not your typical Wii game. Not only does it not support the balance board (in all honesty, it doesn’t need to, as it would just get in the way), but it also doesn’t use the Wii-mote nor the nunchuck controllers. All you do is follow the exercises onscreen and enjoy an "old school" workout.
Cyberbike
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Cyberbike was a valiant attempt to sell a full-sized exercise bike as a peripheral device. At the end of the day the bike was decidedly too flimsy for serious prolonged use, and when the Wii and Wii U did away with Gamecube connector sockets that all but spelled the demise of the future of the bike. But it was a gutsy product timed just at the tail end of the peak of the exergaming craze, and for those of us who got one it still transforms old Wii and Gamecube titles into great exercise games.
107 Comments
Chris Barry
Nov 05, 2009 3:22 pmThis looks like a great run down on all of the games for Wii fitness. I found this to be useful!
Chris
Brandon Richards
Nov 09, 2009 3:02 pmI would suggest instead of Wiiware Helix to try Wii Cheer. Just as much of a workout as DDR.
Mary
Nov 27, 2009 10:15 amVery helpful reviews! You just made my Christmas list building much easier.
Toriv
Dec 02, 2009 11:46 pmMaybe it’s me or something but I purchased both the Wii sports active and the Wii Resort Sports. Neither game was really all that fun. I like tennis but the tennis and table tennis does not burn calories because they are more flicks of the wrists rather than body movement. The most challenging game was the WII Active Inline skating. After competing with my daughter the first night, I couldn’t hardly move my legs the next day. When I tried that game the next day it was a no go because I couldn’t hardly move my legs nevertheless jump. You can cheat and move only the remote but that is cheating yourself. That was the one game which had me moving and sweating. Inline skating is not as easy as it looks.
Donna
Nov 21, 2010 6:45 pmGames such as tennis can be good exercise if, instead of flicking your wrist, you play it like you are actually on a court and reach and cross over for the back hand shot and move your bod to get the balls like in a real game of tennis. Yes, you can sit on the couch and do it, but that’s not exercise. Get up and play for real. And don’t forget to play with your left hand as well!
Brad
Dec 03, 2009 11:05 amWhat is your thoughts on Your Shape by Ubisoft?
steve
Dec 04, 2009 8:20 pmBrad, check out the blog for my review of Your Shape. Long story short, I wasn’t too impressed.
Brandon, I’ll be posting a review of We Cheer 2 shortly. Early indications are it’s a winner. Stay tuned!
Thanks for the comments everyone. Keep ’em coming!
Ronni
Dec 08, 2009 8:57 pmWondering if you have any thoughts on Jillian Michaels Fitness Wii exercise game. Thank you for your input. You have definately helped me make decisions in my game search.
steve
Dec 09, 2009 6:37 amHi Ronni. You can see a full review of Jillian Michaels 2010 here:
http://www.nutwiisystem.com/blog/2009/11/jillian-michaels-fitness-ultimatum-2010.html
In a nutshell, I’d say it’s an okay game for die-hard fans of Jillian Michaels, but for others there are much better choices. Thanks!
Tory
Dec 14, 2009 8:23 amHave you had a chance to review the new workout game – Can’t think of the name but it is a famous lady and it includes a cameras that watches to make sure you are doing the moves right?
steve
Dec 14, 2009 5:18 pmHi Tory,
Yep, the famous lady in question is Jenny McCarthy, and the game is Your Shape. You can see a review here:
http://www.nutwiisystem.com/blog/2009/11/review-of-your-shape-for-wii.html
I’m in the process of updating the Top 10 list, and I haven’t decided whether this one will make it or not. The execution is not the best, but I do give it an A for effort. Stay tuned!
Daniel Thomas Macinnes
Dec 17, 2009 10:33 pmThanks a lot for this blog. It’s been extremely helpful for me, because I’m currently searching for the right exercise games for me and my girlfriend.
One other game that I recommend for exercise, even though it’s a conventional arcade game, is the new Punch Out. Whenever I’ve played it, it’s been a very intense workout. Punching into the screen is very fast and responsive, much quicker than Wii Sports Boxing. You also must shake the controllers to recover your strength after a knockout, and what I do is roll my fists quickly in circles, like i’m winding up a rope. It’s very, very effective, not only for the game, but your heart rate.
Usually, I’m good for a solid 30 minutes and I’m sweating and happy. I definitely feel it in my shoulders and arms the next day, and that’s a hallmark of a great Wii game. It’s also a great thrill to be playing Punch Out again.
Thanks again for your website and blog. I’ll be relying on it many times in the coming weeks.
Dianska
Dec 18, 2009 11:04 amHi–
Thanks for this very helpful list!
I was wondering what you think about “Just Dance”? I’ve never played any of the Dance Dance Revolution games and am trying to decide whether to get one of them or Just Dance. What would you recommend?
Thanks again!
Jennifer
Dec 20, 2009 11:32 pmHello. Thanks for your reviews here and on amazon. Are there any fitness games that do not use Yoga or martial arts themes? I own wii fit and wii fit plus and they are very focused on yoga and martial arts. My family likes using our balance board for the step aerobics, though. We use wii fit for our homeschool winter fitness/ gym class and we don’t really want to purchase more (dance mats, weights, etc.) Any recommendations? Thanks.
Jennie
Dec 25, 2009 6:44 pmHi Thank You so much for these reviews they have been very helpful. I am an 18 year old college student and I am trying to decide which Wii exercise game would work best for me on a daily basis. The thing is that I have chronic pain in my ankle from an accident so it is hard for me to balance and jump. I was wondering what game you feel is best if you have limitations like mine. I am looking for a game that will help me loose as much weight as possible. Since you have tried all of these games I thought you would be best to ask.
steve
Dec 27, 2009 1:10 amDianska, I hope to review “Just Dance” shortly. Early reviews are certainly pretty good. Stay tuned to the blog!
Jennifer, I’d recommend EA Sports Active. The folks at EA deliberately based it on “Western fitness techniques” precisely as a response to the “Eastern fitness techniques” you see from Japanese game makers like Nintendo. You’ll find it makes good (optional) use of the balance board, and the accessories it comes with (a resistance band and a nunchuk strap) are simple yet very useful.
Jennie, as funny as it sounds, I would recommend a game like We Cheer 2. It’s a great low-impact workout where you wouldn’t need to twist and jump like the other exercise games. For more grown-up fare, EA Sports Active is good too; you can customize your workouts so you can eliminate specific exercises that force you to put pressure on your ankle and set that as your daily routine.
Good luck and happy exercising!
PartingSorrow
Dec 27, 2009 10:11 pmI haven’t played DDR but it took me about a half hour to get my breathing back to normal after playing just dance. Good list by the way. I prefer the games that are fun yet incorporate fitness….. exercise for the sake of exercising doesn’t interest my kids in the least!
Terri W.
Dec 28, 2009 12:56 pmI haven’t played DDR but it took me about a half hour to get my breathing back to normal after playing just dance. Good list by the way. I prefer the games that are fun yet incorporate fitness….. exercise for the sake of exercising doesn’t interest my kids in the least!
Shea
Dec 30, 2009 12:56 pmMy fiancee and I just bought a Wii for Christmas and I have to say that this list will be very helpful if I want to buy any more fitness games in the future. We have the Wii Fit Plus and I love it. The part I really enjoy, but wish there was more of, is the aerobic step game. Do you know of any good games that focus more on that style of aerobics?
Cassidy
Dec 31, 2009 10:18 amI just wanted to say that I just received a Wii for Xmas and the whole point is to help me lose weight. I found this super helpful and also I think you are funny! I am excited to go out and get some of these suggestions. Would you recommend having more than one? Since so many of them now offer personal goals and routines? I’m thinkin’ biggest loser and ddr. are there any out there that are only yoga? perhaps by a well known yoga instructor? ex; sarah powers?
Robin
Jan 01, 2010 5:48 pmI’ve just discovered your site and I must say it’s very on point and entertaining. I have a Wii and I had Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout and My Fitness Coach. I also have Wii Fit Plus which I love. Wit Fit Plus is the only exergame I have now, I’m considering EA Sports Active Bundle or More Exercises. Which one is best? Also, there will be a new My Fitness Coach coming out next week and I would like to know will you review that game. I like the first My Fitness Coach but it felt more like a fitness DVD than a game. I hope this new one is more interactive then the last one. It’s called My Fitness Coach 2: Workout & Nutrition.
Thanks!
Becki
Jan 01, 2010 8:14 pmI just got the Wii and Wii Fit Plus for christmas and after using it for 3 days I was so sore that I could hardly move and it was just what I had been looking for ! But, I was so excited that I went and purchased the Wii Play and Wii Sports Rescort as well as Julian Michaels 2010 fitness game. I hate to say it but, I was totally not impressed with the JM 2010 game it just seemed really cheesy to me and I also wasn’t excited about Wii Play nor Wii Sports Rescorts there is only like one game on each disc that I like. I have been reading alot of reviews on other fitness games and am still up in the air on what to purchase next….Biggest Loser or Wii Active – Do you have any input on which game would keep me moving ?! I just don’t want to waste my money any longer on games that are similiar to what I have !
Lynn
Jan 02, 2010 9:20 amHi I can not afford the balance board at this time, but really want to start the new year off with a good diet and exercise. can any of these games be played with out the balance board? and what is DDR?
Thank you.
Ps so glad i found this site.
Barbara
Jan 08, 2010 9:33 amI have only tried the Biggest Loser out of all of these, but it has on option to play with the balance board or without. It appears to be the exact same workouts either way. I actually kind of prefer it without.
Good Luck!
Robin
Jan 03, 2010 10:16 amI’m interested if and when you will review the new My Fitness Coach 2 game that’s coming out this week. I like the first one but it’s not interactive like the other fitness games.
Kim
Jan 03, 2010 10:33 amI am looking for a Wii game that will help my husband and I
put in weight stats and then compete against each other to
track out loss and improvement. And work out together is a
big must so that we can push each other a bit. Would love
any suggestions. KIM
Kim
Jan 03, 2010 10:37 amI am looking for a Wii game that my husband and I can use
together and as competition. A game that lets us enter our stats and then show any losses and improvements. I would like to work out with
him and against him. Any suggestions?
Mindy
Jan 03, 2010 1:52 pmI love your list and have almost all of the “games” listed and find my rankings are pretty similar to yours. Currently using Biggest Loser, Just Dance, and Your Shape–really wanting Your Shape to work, but getting irritated with it. Fortunately I got it for free to demo. My all time new favorite by far though is Just Dance! Sooo much fun and by far the best cardio of anything. I’m looking forward to reading your take on it. I’m also looking forward to the release of Walk It Out. If it’s a good one, it would really complement some of the other workouts available. Anything else coming up in the future now that this latest batch of games have been released? I think that a good step aerobic game would be very popular, and am surprised nothing like that has come out yet.
Kedrin
Jan 04, 2010 3:00 pmVery rarely do I post to blogs, but I had to say Thank you VERY MUCH for giving these reviews. I will put this on my list of favorites and continue to check back often. You do an excellent job of giving a very comprehensive and unbiased opinion. Thanks again!
Diego
Jan 05, 2010 4:26 pmWe just got the WII, Wii Fit Plus and DDR Hottest Party (#1 on the DDR series I think) for Christmas. I am enjoying the exercises on the WF+, but I am not really working up a sweat (I am 43, 5-9 and 219 lbs). Part of that is that the My Routines only include Yoga and Strength options. You need to play each aerobics exercise individually and then set up the next one. It would be nive to be able to string them together in the My Routines menu. I do feel my muscles working it, specially the next day. Not hurting, but I can tell they are being used.
We also have a 6 and 8 year olds. In your full review of WF+ you mentioned: “3) The ability to measure a child or pet. This is a gimmick, of course, but a totally fun one if you have the aforementioned child or pet to measure. :)”
Actually I think it is a great option, as like you said, you have kids or pets. The Balance Board exercises and games work based on your weight. For example, if they try to do the obstacle course based on my Mii, most jumps don’t register as my kids are so much lighter. So, if you have kids, it is great to have that in there.
One last thing, it would be great to have reviews of DDR dance mats. I have one that kind of moves around on carpet. Being on carpet, it also does not register some moves which makes it frustrating. I am thinking in gluing some plywood underneath it.
Any suggestions on a site that reviews DDR style dance mats? I have not been able to find any.
Thank you for the info and all the work you put into this great site !
Lyanne
Jan 05, 2010 4:47 pmI just wanted to say thank you for this list! I’ve searched for a list like this, and you’ve done a great job. Thank you!
Jermaine
Jan 14, 2010 1:54 pmThis is a great post, I bought the Wii fit when it first came out and it was a lot of fun, but at the time I didn’t have the discipline to just pick my own exercises and follow through. Then I bought EA Sports Active(the first one) and it had set workout programs to follow which was a big plus.. but again no discipline on my part to stick anything out.. Now that its 2010 i just bought Fit Plus because of all the new exercises and I look forward to the fun ones.. After reading this post, I think I’m going to spend some time on fit plus getting back into the swing of working out, then step up to the new Active and really see what I can do .. I even have a Ustream Channel that I broadcast from called “Wii Do This” ,but I mostly broadcast Mario Kart races so far…Haha I’m not sure if I’m comfortable streaming me in the living room exercising just yet..LOL
Kitty
Jan 16, 2010 10:04 amI’d like to mention that EA ACtive (my experience) and maybe others is NOT going to work as well if you are very obese or if you have knee issues.
I weigh just under 300 and cannot do squats as low as the game requires. The game hung so that even taking the nunchuk off of my leg and lowering it lower did not get the game moving again, I had to turn off the Console to abort the game. I was hoping I’d be able to do the game but found it very frustrating due to my weight and knee problems. I can’t move fast enough in the running (can’t really run I have to just walk in place and it doesn’t like that) I’m so discouraged that I haven’t turned it on in a week. Kitty
Angela
Jun 20, 2010 8:53 pmHi Kitty,
I have a friend that I work out with using EA Active that had the same issue. We resolved it by having her sit on the couch instead of actual squats. It works the same muscles if you use proper form. It’s just less time using them and safer if you have knee issues. After a while she was able to move down to the couch more slowly with more stability.
Angela
Korie
Jan 18, 2010 9:05 amWill the Wii Fit program ever come out with a Wii Zumba exercise?
Thank you,
Korie
steve
Jan 20, 2010 9:26 amHey everyone! Just wanted to say thanks for all the comments! 🙂 It’s great to know the list of Wii Fitness Games is helping so many of you out there. Rest assured, I will continue to keep it updated with the very best out there.
A few of you have asked questions, and rather than responding to them here, I’ll take some time to answer them over the coming weeks on the blog at http://www.nutwiisystem.com/blog. Stay tuned, and thanks for visiting! 🙂
Peter
Jan 23, 2010 5:10 amJust before christmas I bought 5 fitness games and I found all the reviews here very helpful. Best page on Wii fitness games on the web.
After having used them for a while I have decided to just keep Wii fit plus and EA sports Active: more workouts. They are by far the best of the bunch.
Robin: My fitness Coach 2 is a game which, at least in UK, has been out a while and is called New U:Fitness first personal trainer. It’s completely different to My fitness coach. You can find reviews on eg. Amazon.
Lizab
Jan 23, 2010 8:27 pmTORIV, Wii Sports Resort and Wii Sports are not fitness games, they are not meant to be workouts. They are simply games where you imitate sports movements in order to win.
Karen
Jan 25, 2010 5:32 pmCan you do a review of the new game from Konami, “Walk it Out”?
Linda
Feb 02, 2010 6:22 amThanks for creating this awesome website. It is so jam packed with great information. I have been having lots of fun with Wii Fit but would now like to get something new. I particularly like the step plus and balance components of Wii Fit and am looking for something similar but that will push my energy levels to the max. I need something that is fun more so than straight exercises as I still don’t have the motivation for them. I would appreciate any advice on what you think will allow me to develop and have fun?
Cheers Linda
Tommy
Feb 03, 2010 7:39 pmI agree with the EAS game being #1. But I have every one of these games and the Gold’s Gym game is BAR FAR the second best. Wii fit and Biggest Loser are just way too easy and not much of a workout.
L
Feb 12, 2010 4:34 pmOne game that maybe came out after you made this list is Walk It Out. It sounds like an incredibly dumb game concept – but it has me doing a LOT of walking, and I think it is a bit like interval training, since some of the songs have slower beats, others faster, and you are trying to step in time with the beat. (And some of the time, I am basically jogging.) I think it works best with the nunchuk, because then you aren’t tethered to one spot. Much better for the calves, and I suspect a better workout, too.
Maggie Benz
Feb 15, 2010 10:36 pmWhat do you suggest for a senior citizen who has been critically ill for a year (I had a Systemic Lupus Errythematosis flare-up that kept me pretty much bed ridden for 9 months.) I need something to help me get back my muscle tone and just feel better in general. Thank you for your help. Maggie
steve
Mar 06, 2010 10:17 amHi Maggie,
I would definitely try Walk It Out by Konami. It’s a low impact game that’s a lot of fun and gets you moving, but not too strenuous. I would play it while carrying some very light hand weights to get muscle tone on both your arms and legs.
Take care!
Steve
Susan
Feb 26, 2010 9:37 amReally like your Wii exercise reviews. I have DDR Hottest Party but am thinking of selling because I don’t like the songs. Wii Fit is good, but want something to really make me move! Will probably buy Just Dance, based on all of the comments I see here. Also would like to see a Wii Zumba….great job with your blog as well.
DavidG
Mar 08, 2010 12:59 pmI’m always amazed how My Fitness Coach never makes these lists. I’ve tried pretty much all the workout games and this one is by far the best. Yes it has lame graphics and a lame interface and is not really a game (hence maybe why it is omitted) but it is the only one I’ve found that lets you use accessories like dumbells making it easy to customize the workout to your own fitness level. It doesn’t suffer from the 2 main complaints I have of many of these games. that is excessive button pushing between excercise (there is none) and failing to recognize the controler position.(very annoying in Wii Active and makes Jillian Micheals 2009 unplayable) It also has a wide variety of excersises. Anyone looking for a real workout should consider this.
Stephanie
Mar 08, 2010 1:31 pmI followed this link from one of your Amazon reviews, and I am so glad I did! Your reviews are great. Now I have some idea about what I’m shopping for- thanks! 🙂
Angie
Mar 12, 2010 2:23 pmI have EA sports personal trainer (part one)and love it, but have been doing the excercises for almost over a year and really dont feel like it isnt challenging me much even on high intensity. I really want to buy part 2, do you feel like it is more challenging than the first? i do not have wii fit so im using this w/out balance board.
BTW my husband just started using EA sports personal trainer with me and he loves it, he swears his back has not bothered him since he started it!!!!
steve
Mar 14, 2010 6:50 pmHi DavidG. My Fitness Coach had been on this list for a long time, but as you referenced, it was its lack of true interactivity that bumped it off the list. Aside from the ability to choose a location and music, there wasn’t much that much that separated it from an exercise video. Still, having been a former top ten title, is forever immortalized in the Best of the Rest Wii Fitness Games list.
I just just purchase a copy of My Fitness Coach 2, so I’ll be posting a review shortly.
Stephanie, thanks for the kind words! 🙂
Angie, I wouldn’t say that More Workouts is “more challenging” than the original, but it definitely has a much better variety of workouts. Since you already have the leg strap and resistance bands, it only costs around $30, less than one trip to the gym 🙂 You can read a full review of EA Sports Active More Workouts here. And stay tuned for the fall, when EA will release their next generation version of EA Sports Active!
Stephanie
Mar 15, 2010 11:02 pmDance Sensation is coming out this week- it’s released March 30, and you can preorder it on Amazon for $19.99. I’m really tempted… Are you considering it too?
Fatty
Mar 17, 2010 3:11 amI have wii fit plus but am gettin so bored with it what is another fitness game that is good for someone who weighs 120kg? I have no idea every time I look at a video they have some skinny as girl
Sarah
Mar 19, 2010 7:12 amThanks for all of the great info. My husband and I are new to the wii and all that it offers. So far it seems as if everything is set to be single player. Are there any fitness type games/activites that we can do together? (We do have Just Dance, but honestly I don’t see my husband wanting to participate.)
steve
Mar 20, 2010 7:41 amStephanie, thanks for keeping me on my toes (no pun intended :)). I will be posting a review of Dance Sensation as soon as I can get a copy.
“Fatty”, as someone who not too far from your weight and successfully got it down, I can say that any of the games in the list of Best Wii Exercise Games will “work”, as LONG as you keep it up consistently and maintain a healthy diet, avoiding fats and excessive carbs. The best on the list would probably be Dance Dance Revolution or The Biggest Loser. It takes a ton of discipline, and as “fun” as the games are, it will be difficult and painful at times. But stick with it, and you’ll be amazed at the results. We’re all pulling for you! (And like you, I’m annoyed at these slim models on the box covers too :)).
Sarah, EA Sports Active’s “Multiplayer Mode” sounds exactly like what you and your husband are looking for. Good luck!
Stephanie
Mar 20, 2010 3:15 pmThe price of Active Life Extreme challenge went (way!) up on Amazon, but they’re selling a bundle of both Outdoor Challenge and Extreme Challenge with the mat for $69.88 at Sam’s Club. That’s the best deal around, I think. Here’s the link if anyone’s interested: http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=457401&pCatg=9373
On a side note, I ordered We Cheer 2, and it’s awesome!
Stephanie
Apr 14, 2010 12:24 pmWow, We Cheer 2 is $15 right now on Amazon. I wish I hadn’t bought it already, haha.
Helen E.H. Madden
Apr 17, 2010 1:29 pmThanks for this list! I’m constantly on the look out for new fitness games for my wii. I tend to get bored if I play the same thing too many times in a row, so I like to mix things up a bit. Based on your reviews, I’ve added a couple new games to my wishlist, and will be purchasing them sometime in the near future. Thank you again! This was very helpful.
Nick
May 09, 2010 2:35 pmWII fit – trash – gave it to her on Mother’s day – returned it by 5pm. Interrogation like a drill seargent to get going. message after message..I just want to plug it in and go.
Annie
May 29, 2010 8:24 amHey these are some good choices!
Tomins
Jun 08, 2010 11:12 pmI think I’m going to spend some time on fit plus getting back into the swing of working out, then step up to the new Active and really see what I can do ..
Michelle
Jun 16, 2010 1:37 pmI love the Wii Active, but the leg strap drives me crazy. It falls down a lot or just doesn’t stay put. Then the game doesn’t register a move for a while. Especially during the lounges or squats. Any suggestions on getting the fit of the leg strap right so I can enjoy this game more?
Ella
Jun 18, 2010 12:01 pmI got the wii fit plus and I’v had it for about a month. Works great so far i have lost 8 pounds. The only hard part is that in order for it to work you must go on a diet.
Erin
Jun 27, 2010 12:18 pmKudos on a fantastic compilation of helpful reviews for those of us who would like to use the wii for exercise. I’ve been searching for a replacement for my original WiiFit because I quit playing when I got sick of having to go through all of the teaching and/or evaluations for every single exercise. I haven’t decided what I’m going to buy yet, but you’ve given me all of the info I need. I love how you rate the games by intensity AND fun factor. That makes it a heck of a lot easier to choose the right game. Oh, and I owe you a Double Super KUDOS for the witty domain name.
Thanks so much for all of your hard work!
Meli
Jul 03, 2010 6:28 pmThanks for a great wrap up on the exergames for Wii. I’m a WF+ user looking for something a bit different now that will maintain a higher intensity workout. It’s been said before; a failing of WF is you get up to a higher burn and then you have to stop, wait through the eval, select a new game and then build up to higher burn again.
If I am being really obtuse tell me – I am very surprised that a Wii Step Aerobics hasn’t come out! Did I overlook something? Just seems like such a crazy omission. Here we are, all with our BB’s and accessories and will to buy new exergames and no Step workouts!
Thanks again for a good read.
Nemesick
Jul 10, 2010 12:15 pmFirst of I love your site!
I goten Ea Sports Active Game yesterday and I love it. Today I researching your page and want to buy Cardio Golds Gym or in Europe it called My Fitness Coach Cardio.
Thank God someone beside me say Ea Active Sports are better than Wii Fit.
Before in my young days and when I was Wrestling Fanboy I buy every Smackdown! and Smackdown VS Raw that was coming but now I going to buy every Ea Active Sports.
Ea Active Sports More Workouts is next. Than Ea Sports Active 2. And Then What Future Brings Me.
I love your site keep updating it more I going to visit it =) Perfect site for people who want to workout front of a Wii and TELLY!
From “Nemesick” in Norway, Oslo
Kelda
Jul 15, 2010 3:40 amThank you for this list. It’s just what I wad looking for and more. These are excelant reviews!
Blackrose
Jul 17, 2010 8:12 pmI agree their should definately be a step aerobics game. That is my favorite on wf+
Ben
Jul 31, 2010 3:45 pmI love your site. Thanks!
When are you going to review Wii 10 Mintue Solutions? So far the amazon reviews look poor, but I’m waiting for your opinion before I decide to buy the game.
Pat
Sep 06, 2010 3:17 pmWhat neat information…I am a 75 year old senior and I have been pretty active at excerising…I would like to use my Wii game and board for excerise but not sure which Wii game to choose. I do have some arthritis but can move without pain and pretty actively. Thanks for any input…
Cassie
Oct 20, 2010 4:31 pmWhat are your top picks for games that DON’T involved the balance board? It has a weight limit of 300 lbs and I want to get a game my husband and I can BOTH play. I want to make the exercise as fun as possble without him feeling bad because he can’t do the same exercising as I do. Thanks!
steve
Oct 22, 2010 7:49 amPat, I am so impressed that you’re into exercise at the ripe young age of 75! 🙂 I’d definitely recommend Walk It Out as a low-impact game that’s fun to play.
Hi Cassie. If your husband is a football fan I’d definitely recommend EA Sports’ upcoming NFL Training Camp. It doesn’t use the balance board but uses the Wii remote with an innovative new wireless leg strap and heart rate monitor. It will also have two-player mode so you can play against each other. Hopefully I’ll have a review of it when it’s released in November. From what I’ve seen, it’ll be a great game for men who have put up for years with dancing, step aerobics, and other emasculating activities 🙂
Danzeb
Oct 30, 2010 7:07 amNice website — thanks.
One thing that is nice to know is statistics on the programs such as how many different exercises are there and how long do they last if each is done once.
The Wii Fit Plus has 18 Yoga exercises, 15 strength exercises, 9 aerobic and some games. The Yoga and Strength exercises combined last about 1 hour in the fastest mode (routine mode). In the training mode it takes longer since the results are judged and a score is given. Also in the training mode the strength exercises can be changed to advanced mode. I haven’t timed the advanced mode but I guess it would be about 1 hour just for the strength exercises.
The Wii Fit Plus takes good advantage of the Balance Board by having most of the exercises emphasize balance and form. I also like that many of the exercises can be done by beginners but some get difficult in the advanced mode. Try doing the One Arm Stand in the 20 repetition mode. Also the push-up, jack knife and plank challenges are a good workout for advanced users.
The aerobics are ok and are scored so that adds a challenge but they are not for advanced users. I started with them but eventually started jogging outdoors for aerobics. The dance programs recommended here would probably be better.
Most of the exercises are for mid and lower body but there are a few for the upper body. Separate weight training would be needed for a full upper body workout.
Sean
Nov 01, 2010 12:52 pmThanks for this very helpful guide. I imagine that like me many people find this useful. This will definitely help me with my future Wii game purchases.
Though the controls could be better, I find “Don King’s Boxing” to be fun and provide a good workout. Thanks again for the excellent guide.
Syeeda
Nov 10, 2010 1:58 pmwhen is there a step exercise/game coming out or even a zumba dance game
love zumba and step arobics but class times clash with work time!
thanks
AC
Nov 14, 2010 8:08 amI was wondering if there was an exercise game based on martial arts for the Wii. I thought I saw a commercial about a year ago featuring 2 characters facing each other doing Karate or Kung Fu or something like that. Other martial arts games I’ve read about require buttons to be pushed, which is what I’m NOT looking for. Thanks! (This is a great site!)
CZing
Nov 17, 2010 2:04 pmThanks for this list. I am just around one month in with my Wii Fit Plus and still really enjoying myself a lot with it. But, I had no idea there were so many other great Wii fitness style games available. In truth since I am still really enjoying the wii fit plus I wasn’t really looking – until my sister said I could use her game membership at a local video/game store. Now that I know there are all these great games to try out I will be taking her up on her offer so I can try some of your suggestions and decide which ones will go on my Christmas list.
Looking forward to adding this variety to my Wii workouts!
Robin H.
Dec 06, 2010 7:09 pmThanks for updating the list. I have about half of these games. I never really did the Biggest Loser games because I’m not really a fan of the show but I am interested. Also I’m thinking about getting the EA Sports Active 2. I have the first 2 games. Should I trade in the first 2 for the new one? I barely play them b/c I hate the leg strap and nunchuck. Also what Wii exercise accessories or just fitness accessories in general do u recommend?
Master George
Dec 08, 2010 3:00 pmGreat Link – I am wondering, do you review Just NTSC (USA) games? What about the nest Wii Exercise games that are currently still in Japan? (With a possible USA release soon??)
Ann
Dec 14, 2010 9:38 pmHi, So glad I found the site. I purchased a Wii for my kids this Christmas and am looking to buy a an exercise game for me to use, too! I am wondering if you can recommend games that are easy on the knees, but still offer a good workout. I am leaning towards Wii Fit Plus. EA Sports sounds like it might be too hard on my knees?
Michelle Bell
Jan 05, 2011 1:48 pmI was wondering, I enjoy jogging is ther a Wii game that includes this? Thanks!
Manny
Jan 09, 2011 8:00 pmIf the NFL game is “EA Sports active 2 on steroids”, why it is so far in the list? Does the branding and the familiar faces and name should give it a better rating instead?
Rachelle
Jan 09, 2011 8:11 pmI am looking for some sort of weight training to add to my workouts. All I seem to find in Wii is cardio..any sugestions?
Belinda
Jan 12, 2011 3:21 pmHello!!!
I was wondering, have you tried the Golds Gym Cardio Workout? I was wondering how that one is…? Also, I have been looking for some 2 player exercise games; my friend and I have been exercising together for motivation and would like to do it together instead of just watching each other! Thanks so much!
My Vintage Generation
Jan 26, 2011 6:15 amI just bought a wii this weekend!
The limited edition ‘red’ version.
This is a GREAT and helpful post.
Thanks!
steve
Feb 03, 2011 9:51 pmHi Belinda. Yes, you can read my review of Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout. Decent game which spent a lot of time on the Top 10 list before it was ousted.
Rachelle, I would definitely recommend Riiflex weights. They turn almost any Wii game into a weight training workout.
Thanks everyone! Keep those comments coming! 🙂
Hercule
Feb 18, 2011 8:58 amHi,
Am in the midst of purchasing a Wii mainly to exercise with it, having tried and failed at gym memberships and walking outdoors. Thank you very very much for your reviews of the exercise games because my head is spinning from reading all the Amazon reviews! Was on the verge of buying My Fitness Coach until I read your reviews….will get the Biggest Loser now and either DDR or Zumba (which dance game do you think is good for a dance (out of shape) fan who is new to Wii, by the way?).
Thank you again for your very helpful reviews!
Vaibhav Methuku
Mar 11, 2011 10:03 pmwii fit is wayy addicting. i really like fitness games, mostly because i need it hahahh.
I used to like zumba fitness but it got boring fast.
anyways thanks for the post, it was definitely informative and interesting.
Sarah
Mar 16, 2011 2:44 pmUbisoft’s Fit in Six just came out this week and I would love a review as I’m deciding between that and EA Sports Active 2 for my next game purchase 🙂
Thanks!
Yvonne
Apr 12, 2011 9:20 amMy husband bought me a Wii console with the wii sports & wii resort. Having lots of fun. He got the Jillian Michael’s Ultimate 2010 for himself. I have to get a balance board so we can use it. He has bad knees & is trying desperately to lose weight.He needs low impact workouts so that his knees don’t hurt so much he has to quit. Is there a particular wii game you would recommend over another until he’s in better condition?
Thank you for all the reviews you included.
Bridgit Castro
May 25, 2011 6:08 amWii is a very great gaming exercise. I never lose the fun and I always enjoy playing it. Thanks for sharing the best games in Wii. I really love the choices.^^
Mary
Jun 06, 2011 4:28 pmJust wondering if there are any good Wii exercise games for 2 or more people. We are getting an exercise group together and there are 4 of us.
Thanks
imnoangel
Jun 13, 2011 8:00 pmHi,
Im trying to find a low impact game my 10 year old son and i can work out side by side at the same time. The problem, i am close to 300 pounds and have bad knees.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
steve
Jul 20, 2011 11:56 pmHey everyone! Thanks so much for posting so many great questions and comments.
I definitely encourage you to continue to post your thoughts on the Top 10 list here. But if you have any questions or comments about Wii Fitness Games in general, visit our brand new forum at http://www.nutwiisystem.com/forum/index.php?a=vforum&f=8, where I’ll be monitoring the board and doing my best to answer as many questions as you have.
games
Oct 16, 2011 11:26 amThese game reivews are worth to read. Thanks for sharing.
Melissa Gomez
Oct 30, 2011 11:38 amwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwoooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww i love this i have a wii but i dont have those games i wish i could have them
!! #1
jpgstart
Nov 19, 2011 7:30 amI have the WII fit and I do like playing the games. I don’t have all of these programs that you mentioned Im going to have to go get a few and try them.
Kimberly M
Nov 26, 2011 9:27 amThanks for the great reviews!
I’m a huge fan of EA Sports Active 2 and have really found it to be a great workout with an excellent mix of strength and cardio (though the long workouts can be rough on the knees with all the jumps, lunges and squats). I can’t wait until they come out with a new version since they keep improving the game each time – maybe with more options for the multi-day challenge so it’s more customizable.
I like Wii Fit Plus for yoga, balance, and strength. I find it’s a little weak on the cardio, but nice for easy workout days.
I had the original Just Dance and with all my furniture moved out of the way and four players up and dancing I found it to be the best party game ever. After your great review I really should pick up a copy of Just Dance 3. I might have to try the Zumba Fitness one too for the fun of it.
Char
Dec 08, 2011 6:25 amThanks for the great list! I think my family will love Active Life Explorer!
Danzeb
Jan 19, 2012 10:46 amTo improve fitness there’s stretching,balance, coordination, strength, endurance and aerobics. If you enjoy dance, do not have a problem learning dance steps and are only interested in aerobics than Just Dance 3 is a good choice.
Fisinbug
Feb 05, 2012 3:53 pmI have had the EA Sports Active 2 since it came on the market (as well as previous versions). I love them! They are the only exercise programs that keep me exercising. I went through the cardio kick start and 9 week challenge. Now I have my own workouts based on my favorite exercises and I can focus on areas I choose. I start my day with 15-20 minutes of EA Sports, then do Just Dance in the evenings–very fun. So far, I am still exercising (after 2+ years).
Erin
Feb 12, 2012 10:26 amJust a warning–Active Life Explorer won’t work with the new Wii that came out in October 2011 (the small black one that lies flat). They took away the port that it plugs into. I just got a Wii–I have been really enjoying Zumba Fitness 2 and I was really excited for Active Life Explorer. Oh well. Walk It Out and the Dance Dance Revolution games also have “limited functionality” with the new Wii according to the Nintendo site, whatever that means.
JoshTheTiger3444
Apr 01, 2012 6:28 amMario and Sonic at the olympic is good for work-out so as winter game and london 2012
Brendan Kiely
Apr 22, 2012 8:18 amIt took me a while to find any Wii fitness games I liked. The one’s that I can really recommend are: ExerBeat and My Fitness Coach.
Dennis
Jun 26, 2012 10:28 amMy Fitness Coach and Fit in Six should be on the list somewhere. (Over Active Life Explorer?)
Otherwise, great list!
Bea
Sep 22, 2012 11:31 pmI have most of these games and I have to say my favorite is Gold Gym cardo dance workout and Exerbeat they are both fun and will give you great workout . Exerbeat the more you play the more you unlock, you are working your way around the world which I have done twice.
Golds gym dance workout is really fun and a great workout that does not kill your knees, the only bad part is every 4th excercise it wants to check your pulse
By the way I have never seen Exerbeat in a store anywhere I got mine online
Someone
Jun 27, 2013 8:23 pmi have just dance 4 and it is fun i am good at it i have 5 stars on 17 songs and it is more of a workout if u have an xbox i only have a wii and the innacuracy is ALMOST gone.
Stac
Oct 18, 2016 6:02 pmI like the idea of the Cyberbike. Is there something similar out there, that isn’t expensive?
It would be really cool if the makers of “Myst” and “Riven” made a Wii game of said titles, instead of just on the computer.