I haven’t personally had any time with Skate It for the Wii, but it looks like some negative opinions are already starting to fly concerning the controls. I was wondering how well the balance board could possibly work with a skating game and so far, most opinions out of PAX have been on the negative side. While I enjoy the various Wii peripherals on some games, I’d rather just have a standard controller for others. Here’s what Ben Kuchera had to say about Skate It:
Skate It seems to use the Wiimote and balance board because it can, and during the demo I kept thinking to myself that I’d rather be playing with a standard controller. I think these concepts have value, Shaun White Snowboarding looks and plays great so far, but Skate It just doesn’t pull the execution off well enough to justify the balance board’s use.
Have you ever wondered how the Wii Balance Board actually works? The time for wondering us now over. The following video sheds some light on the science and engineering behind the accessory. The video is also available on the Wii Channel if you take your system online:
I had my heart set on publishing an extensive review of Wii Fit, but an injury using the product has put me on the sideline. Strangely enough, I wasn’t working out excessively hard on the device. My goal was to use the system for 30 minutes per day. On the 11th day, during a low level step exercise routine, as I was placing my left foot on the Wii board, I heard a strange pop in the same area. At first, my foot felt mostly numb, but the pain certainly followed. To make sure I hadn’t broken anything, I headed to the VA hospital to get some x-rays done. It turns out, I ended up straining a ligament in my foot, which was also accompanied by some bruising. Fortunately, it’s only going to take 2-3 weeks to recover, but it has certainly left me with concerns playing Wii Fit.
Now that I am unable to release a full review in a timely manner, here’s what I can tell you:
Just like Wii Sports, don’t pay any attention to your Wii Fit Age. My age ranged from anywhere between 22 and 54 in only 11 days. The test really measures your balance more than anything else.
Yoga Poses, Muscle Workouts, Aerobic Exercises, and Balance Games are the four types of activities you can use. One area that Wii Fit totally excels in is getting users to be conscious of their posture and balance.
For the most part, the Yoga poses are completely useless. You’re really better off doing an actual Yoga session from a program like Namaste Yoga on Fit TV. If you get the channel and have a DVR, you are in business. The problem with Wii Yoga is that it’s just too simple. While doing one pose at a time for a couple minutes can be slightly beneficial, an actual structured Yoga program works better. It’s just a simple fact that Yoga in 1 or 2 minute bursts really doesn’t help you the way a 20 minute non-stop program will.
The muscle workouts are actually not too bad on Wii Fit. I did feel like the muscle workouts started on way too easy of a level, but things pick up as you advance in the game.
The aerobic activities on Wii Fit are really good and well-paced, but I might advise against taking part in the running activities. Running in place can actually be more stressful on your body than actually running outside. You also need to be careful if you have hard floors like I do. These can be rough on your feet if you are not accustomed to working out barefoot.
Balance games are probably the most enjoyable experience. While you’re not getting as much exercise value, it’s definitely where you are going to have most of your fun with Wii Fit.
You’d think rank boosting would have finally slowed down, but it’s still a common thing taking place on Halo 3. There are even people making money out there helping others boost their profile to the top of the ranks. I’m not sure why Bungie and Microsoft do not consider rank boosting a cheating offense. Boosting completely throws off the natural balance of things and is not fair to the players who actually earn their merits.
For some reason, I thought the Gilbert Arenas cheating incident would have sparked Microsoft and Bungie to take more steps against boosting, but apparently it’s just something that’s too much trouble for them to get involved with. I’d like to know what everyone else thinks about boosting and cheating in games. Do you think Microsoft and Bungie need to take more steps and ban these bums that are ruining the games for everyone else?
Many people assumed that ‘Skate It’ for the Wii was some kind of sequel for EA’s Skate. Actually, it’s more of a watered down spin-off of the original. The same game engine is used, but it will be in the standard Wii definition. There was really no reason to get excited about the game until we discovered that the Wii Balance Board will be supported. A wide variety of multiplayer modes combined with the unique aspect of using the Wii Balance Board, this game should be a lot of fun. I have always felt that the Nintendo Wii was more of a group gaming option, but this may actually provide some solo fun.
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