The aim of the game is to line up the brightly coloured jewels into rows, the more you can line up the more points you can earn. You race against the clock, swapping the gems around to form rows as the jewels fall from the top of the screen. What makes the game even more frenetic are the subtle twists. Every now and then an explosive gem arrives on the screen, as the individual timer ticks down you have to line up similar coloured gems to eradicate it. Fail to beat the timer and the gem explodes, taking other precious jewels with it, and you have to start lining things up all over again.

I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed Bejeweled; I have to admit that despite its title of the Greatest Game of All Time I was never a big fan of Tetris. The game play here is simple, and the graphics are well designed. As I progressed through the levels things became faster paced and more difficult which only added to the challenge and the enjoyment. It’s a great game to play if you only have a short amount of time to play, but have a gaming itch to scratch. It doesn’t require a lot of brain power either, though you can score more points if you think strategically and stay one step ahead of the game.

I played Bejeweled on my PC and thought that the game would be perfect on the iPhone due to the drag and drop nature of the game play; and lo and behold there’s a version available. I think I’ll be picking this one up to while away those times when I’m stuck on a bus with nothing but my phone to keep me occupied.

Looking for a puzzle game? Downloads - Puzzle Games

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What do Lego bricks and Indiana Jones have in common? They’re probably fondly remembered by most people as classics from their youth. I was definitely a big fan of both in my younger days. Well now they have been brought together in this fantastic video game which puts you in the shoes of Indiana Jones and his various side kicks as you battle your way through the memorable movie scenes.

You can choose to play Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures in single player or multi player mode. We opted for the multi player version with Games Buzz Boy taking on the role of Indie - and me playing whatever side kick was featured in that particular scene.

You can play through each of the classic movies; Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The developers have done an amazing job of crafting the scenes from these movies entirely from Lego!

We kicked things off with the Raiders of the Lost Ark level and quickly found our feet. To move through the levels you need to complete certain tasks or puzzles, mainly by digging up sets of buried Lego bricks and building bridges and towers amongst other things. You also need to collect points by picking up various coins and crystals, most of which are found by destroying pieces of the Lego set with your bare hands; great if you’ve had a stressful day and need to take your frustrations out on something!

While some of the puzzles are quite tricky we didn’t find ourselves too stumped and moved through the levels at a fair pace. Each level has a mission at the end where you have to kill a Lego baddie of some sort. My favourite scenes so far have been running away from a Lego boulder and jumping aboard a giant Lego airplane; fans of the movie will know exactly what I’m talking about!

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Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures is also extremely funny at times; especially when Indie comes face to face with a Lego snake which has his knees trembling and causes him to cower in the corner. This dry humour is carried through to the out takes, where the characters grunt rather than talk and the scenes are played out in a manner that I’m not sure Spielberg quite intended.

If you’re looking for a game with longevity then this should be a perfect pick. We’re about 5 hours in and have yet to complete all the levels from the first movie. Once you’ve successfully completed the level in story mode you unlock free play; which means that you can go back and revisit the scenes you just played through. I think if you want to score big in this game then you’ll need to revisit all of the levels as there is just too much to take in as you play through them the first time. I know for sure that I need to go back to some of the levels as I haven’t found a character small enough to fit through some of the trap doors, which must be guarding all kinds of hidden treasures!

I’m thoroughly enjoying working my way through this game, and it’s the first on the PS3 that Games Buzz Boy and I can play together. If you’re a fan of Indiana Jones or Lego bricks then you’re sure to enjoy it too!

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Professor Layton and the Curious Village - Nintendo DS

Professor Layton and the Curious Village is the latest puzzle offering on the Nintendo DS and was selling out like hotcakes in the run up to Christmas. I managed to snag a copy at the eleventh hour and gave it to my husband as a gift that we could play together… well that was the plan. I picked the game up on Boxing Day and have been pretty much addicted to it ever since!

The premise of the game is that Professor Layton and his side-kick Luke are visiting the village of St Mystere on a quest to solve a mystery. In order to find the mystery treasure you need to explore the curious little village and speak to the residents. What makes this point and click game special is that instead of having to pick up objects and use them elsewhere in the game (which I find extremely frustrating) you simply have to solve puzzles. Well I say ’simply’ but some of the puzzles are far from simple!

The game cover says that it’s suitable for ages 7 and upwards, but your child will need to be pretty bright; some of the puzzles have had at least three adults stumped! The puzzles range from spacial awareness, to maths to just plain simple logic.

If you get stuck you can pay for up to three hints using clue coins that you collect on your travels around the village. All of the solved puzzles are stored so that you can challenge your friends and family later.

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One of the reasons I love this game so much is that it’s easy to pick up and put down. You can play for five minutes at a time or five hours. I should warn you though, last night I picked it up for a quick puzzle in an advert break, and fell into some strange space time continum; the next time I looked up nearly two hours had passed! Probably best to keep your wits about you if you’re on the bus or train.

I think this is the best video game I have ever played; the graphics are great even on the DS, the sound effects and voice overs add to the experience and there is a perfect mix of point and click and puzzles. It is certainly keeping me engaged and entertained and may well be the first game I ever play to completion. I can wholeheartedly recommend it!

Professor Layton and the Curious Village

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The game cover doesn’t give much away and I thought this was going to be another point-and-click game like Runaway: The Dream of the  Turtle, but I was surprised to find it was more akin to spot-the-difference. The game starts out with an old black and white movie in which one of the passengers aboard the luxury Nile riverboat gets shot and another is found dead in her bed. Luckily good old Poirot is on hand to help catch the murderer. You assume the role of the French detective and have to track down various clues in each of the staterooms so that you can question the passengers.

To find the clues you have to ’spot the hidden objects’ in each room, which is easier than it sounds. Imagine a picture of a storeroom, piled high with suitcases, ropes, trunks and random souvenirs brought on board by the passengers. Hidden within this mayhem of random items are a number of things that you have to spot, such as a snake, a dart board and three pieces of rope. It’s amazing how long you can stare at a picture and still not see things that are right in front of your nose!

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There’s a time limit on each round of investigations of 25 minutes. In the first round you have to find less than ten items so it doesn’t take very long. Don’t be seduced into thinking this game is easy though, by the third round you have to find 40 items and that 25 minutes sure goes by fast. I had to frantically shout for Gamesbuzz Boy to come and help as the time slipped by and I just couldn’t find two butterflies hidden in a stateroom. A second pair of eyes is definitely useful to spot the items you just can’t see for looking. If your time runs out you have to restart the level, and while the rooms may be the same there’s a different set of random items to find!

At the end of each round is a bonus mini game where you have to take a photo or a letter that’s been torn into pieces and put it back together again, rather like a jigsaw puzzle, to reveal the hidden information. Everything you collect allows you to ask questions to each of the passengers to try and weed out the killer from the suspects.

If you have an eye for detail and enjoyed the recall round on the Krypton Factor then you will enjoy this game; but I must warn you that it’s addictive. I sat down to just have a quick look at the game and before I knew it two and a half hours had flown by, and I still have another nine levels to play! I’ll defintely be spending some time completing this game, and I’ll let you know if I manage to catch the killer.

Agatha Christie: Death On The Nile

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You play the game in the guise of Brian Basco, a trendy looking science whiz who is searching for his girlfriend Gina after their plane crashes on an Hawaiian island. As with traditional point-and-click adventures you have to solve puzzles and talk to the locals to try and solve the mystery and find Gina.

I’m not sure I have the right kind of mind-set for this game, while I was happy enough searching the crash site for strange items to pick up and put in my bag, a bottle of whiskey, a plastic puppy, a stick and some goggles; actually using the items to solve the puzzle was a little more tricky. Whoever would have known that by filling up the tank on the puppy with whiskey you could capture a pesky lemur who was trying to foil your escape? Took me a good half an hour to figure that one out!

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When I finally managed to evade the lemur and figure out how to cross the ropey looking swing bridge I successfully completed the first chapter and was rewarded with a pretty impressive cut away sequence. I was quite surprised that the graphics could be so good on such a small screen. Of course as is usually the case the actual gaming screens aren’t quite as good as the cutaways. It’s here that I think the game suffers a little from the limiting aspect of the console. Whereas on a PC developers can take advantage of a high resolution graphics card and a variety of controls, on the DS you’re pretty much limited by the low-res small screen and the stylus. I found that if I didn’t have the lighting just right I struggled to make out the detail on the screen, and when you’re expected to uncover all manner of strange items you really need to be able to see them!

I think point-and-click fans who are willing to forgive the clunky graphics will enjoy this game. As for me? I don’t think I have the brain power or the patience to finish it I’m afraid. I became more and more frustrated by the fact that the ‘puzzles’ have to be solved in the right order, a cupboard that appeared to be empty suddenly contained some anti-slip spray only after I’d tried to climb a slippery rock. In fact I’ll share a little guilty secret with you here, in order to complete the first level I had to look up a cheat’s guide on the Internet!

Runaway Dream of the Turtle 2

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G1 Jockey 4 2008 (PS3)

As I’ve been playing more video games recently I’ve come to realise something; I don’t like reading instructions. Which is odd really because when faced with a box of flat-pack furniture the first thing I do is read the instructions, to check that I have all of the pieces and to make sure I put it together in the right order.

However, when it comes to anything electronic I want to jump right in; DVD recorders, websites, software - when it comes to these things I expect them to be user-friendly and intuitive. It appears I think the same about video games. Unfortunately, with most games, G1 Jockey 4 included, if you don’t read the instructions you just don’t get the most out of the game.

G1 Jockey 4 includes a tutorial to teach you how to ride the horses, which I jumped straight into. There are three controller methods in the PS3 version; use the D-pad, use the directional sticks, or shake the controller. As a Wii fan I of course chose the latter option, and couldn’t work out why even though I was following the tutorial my horse wasn’t moving. Turns out you actually have to go into the settings screen and tell the system which controller method you wish to use, and it defaults to D-pad. And there lies my problem with video games, they’re often not intuitive, there always seems to be something hidden away.

Once I’d got the tutorial out of the way I challenged Buzz Boy to a race; he spent a few minutes searching through the many horses looking for one most suited to the form, the weather and the length of the course. I picked the one with the best sounding name!

The first few times we raced Buzz Boy was up in the head of the pack and I continually came last, but determined as I was to beat him, we kept repeating the race. Before too long I had mastered the controls and was able to consistently rank second. G1 Jockey isn’t a game where you can just press buttons; you need to think strategically about which horse to select, where in the pack does he like to race, does he suit the form and the track. A good start is vital if you want to place, and you need to think about when to use your whip to urge your horse down the final furlongs. Once you’ve mastered the flat courses you can move onto jumps which is another skill altogether!

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Once we’d had our fill of competitive races I decided to move onto the story mode; and that’s where things went downhill.

Despite my poor review of Nights: Journey into Dreams the developers of that game - The Sega Team - had obviously put a lot of effort into the story scenes, with each of the characters having a speaking part. Perhaps Koei, the developers of G1 Jockey should have taken a leaf out of their book. Given that this is the fourth game in this series, and was developed for the PS3 I was hugely disappointed by the story scenes. They were made up of static backgrounds and cut out characters. There was no speech; you had to follow which character was speaking by reading the text and seeing which person was in the spotlight, it was very tedious.

The poor production here was really an insight in what was to come. Story mode sees you playing a jockey who has to graduate from riding school before you get to race in the real pro-jockey races. I think this was meant to be a tutorial mode, but the explanations were confusing and I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing. Despite never finishing first I somehow managed to graduate though!

Once you reach the pro-jockey races the game moves from a racing game to a simulation style affair. You have to book races, train your horses and visit stables; but it’s all very clunky and confusing.

I’m not sure the developers of G1 Jockey knew what style of game they were trying to deliver here, and I came away feeling very confused. I really enjoyed the competitive race side of it, but would have liked some sort of scoreboard so you could see whether you were outranking your competitor over a period of time. In reality you just ride race after race with no feedback. The other half-hearted aspect was the controller options; giving a player a choice of which controller system to use is a great idea; but when you play with more than one player you are all forced to choose the same option!

I didn’t enjoy the jockey school or management sim aspect; with a bit more thought and imagination it could have been fun, but the developers left a lot to be desired.

I think Koei have missed a trick with this game; the single player option is clunky and confusing and the competitive races are so difficult to master that it’s not the kind of game you can just pull out when friends come to visit. I was severely tempted by the Wii version of this game as it ties in with the Wii Balance Board, but I think I’ll give it a miss.

This review has also been posted at Game People.

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Runaway on Nintendo DS

Runaway, The Dream of the Turtle, the latest instalment in the successful adventure series will hit the shelves on October 31, 2008. The game, published by Ascaron and Focus Home Interactive will be released initially for the Nintendo DS console.

Players will find themselves in the shoes of Brian, an adventurer who is searching the world for his girlfriend after they were separated during a plane crash.

In Runaway, The Dream of the Turtle players will meet the following cast of characters:

Brian Basco - former science student and hero of the game; players must guide Brian on his quest to find his missing girlfriend Gina.

Gina Timmins – Brian’s girlfriend is also an ex-stripper who finds herself in some troublesome situations. Players must help Brian to find Gina in order to complete the game.

Lokelani – this Hawaiian beauty is a bit of a man-eater and has travelled the globe collecting boyfriends along the way. Players can chat to her for hints about the quest.

Knife – an adrenaline junkie with a passion for extreme outdoor sports. Knife will try his hand at anything; rafting, parachuting, climbing and water skiing. Speak to him nicely and he might lend Brian a motorboat.

Joshua – a mad professor and total genius, who some say was abducted by aliens. Joshua provides Brian with vital clues to help him complete the mission.

Sushi Douglas – a computer geek of superior intellect that provides Brian with much needed assistance on his quest, such as secret door codes to locked doors.

Runaway, The Dream of the Turtle will also be available on Nintendo Wii early next year.

Fast facts:
Publisher: Ascaron Entertainment
Developer: 93 Games
Release date: 31st October 2008
PEGI: 12+
Format: Nintendo DS
Genre: Adventure

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Reminiscent of Sonic the Hedgehog games – fun multi-player option

The Bad

Lack of save options – poor graphics – frustrating controls

The Lowdown

Twelve years ago the Sonic Team released Nights into Dreams for the Sega Saturn; the game went on to appear in several ‘greatest games’ lists, and last year demand for a sequel was finally answered in the guise of Nights: Journey into Dreams on the Wii.

I missed out on the Nights phenomenon the first time round so I was intrigued to see what all the fuss was about. When I first loaded the game I was mistaken into thinking it was a ‘walk around and talk to characters to collect items and solve problems’ type affair. However, I soon realised I was mistaken. A quick search on Google (the instruction book not offering much instruction) revealed that this was more akin to a racing game; taking charge of the infamous Nights, you fly around a circuit completing various tasks.

As a fan of the Sonic games on the Sega MegaDrive I was pleased to see similarities in this game. As you fly around the circuit you have to guide Nights through golden rings, and pick up blue orbs; during the level these increase your flight speed, but when you complete a level they are converted into points – just like Sonic. Similarly familiar are the boss scenes at the end of each level, whereby you need to destroy the boss to proceed to the next level.

Unlike the original Sonic platform games, Nights: Journey into Dreams takes place in a 3D realm, which makes controlling the character much more difficult. You can choose from four different ways to control Nights, and I settled for the Wii Remote to guide and the Numchuk to move. I have to admit I found the controls extremely frustrating, and it took me a long time to get the hang of the Numchuk controller to move Nights up and down and through the rings.

While the original Nights game could have been dubbed an arcade game, this sequel comes with an in-depth back-story. You choose to follow the tale of Will or Helen, young children who enter into Nightopia; and each level unveils an additional piece of their story as you play through to the grand finale. The stories are told through some impressive looking CG cut scenes.

Unfortunately, while the stories enhance the overall game play they are also a source of great frustration. For some strange reason the developers chose not to include a mid-chapter save option. Each chapter is made up of a story, three chase stages, story cuts and a boss scene; and if you fail any of the chase stages or lose against the boss you have to start right back at the very beginning of the chapter! I’ll admit to screaming at the television and hurling the controller in frustration the first time I played. This really spoiled the game for me; I much prefer a game like Mario & Sonic at the Olympics where you can pick up at any stage quickly and easily. Nights isn’t the sort of game you can play for 15-20 minutes if you are short on time; you need to dedicate at least an hour or so to work through a level successfully.

The multi-player mode is a redeeming feature, especially the random online challenge where you pit your wits against a stranger somewhere else in the world in a speed challenge. This particular feature adds some longevity to the game as you can enjoy the challenges long after you have mastered all of the levels within the game itself.

While Nights: Journey into Dreams has some positives in the form of the CG stories, soundtrack and multi-player mode, I found the negatives overwhelming. The tricky controls and the lack of save options make this game frustrating to play, and difficult to master; though if you have fond memories of the original Nights into Dreams you might want to buy the sequel and take a trip down memory lane.

The Nitty Gritty

What kind of game is this?

It’s a racing game similar to the old Sonic the Hedgehog games, you control a character called Nights and fly around a track gliding through golden rings and collecting orbs to earn points. At the end of each level you have to destroy a boss.

Do I need to read the instructions first?

Yes, the controls are quite complicated so the instructions are a must.

Do I play alone or with friends?

The main game must be played alone, but there is a multi-player race mode, which lets you race against a friend using your console or a random player elsewhere in the world via your Wi-fi connection.

Will I still be playing this game in six months time?

You will probably complete the game itself within a few days, but the multi-player mode might keep you coming back.

Would you recommend it?

I award Nights: Journey into Dreams with 2 stars and wouldn’t really recommend it.

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Buy a copy of Nights: Journey into Dreams from Amazon and help support Gamesbuzz.

This is an extended version of a review written for Game People.

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No instruction book - great fun to play - multi-player - loveable characters - good graphics - longevity

The Bad

Makes your arms ache! - You can’t unlock the events in multi-player mode

The Lowdown

Mario & Sonic brings together two of the best-loved characters in the video game world, throws in some of their animated friends and then allows you to test your skill at 20 Olympic events.

It’s the first game I bought along with my Wii, and it’s the one that gets played most often – to explain why I’ll have to let you into a secret – my husband Lee and I both have an awful competitive streak, especially against each other. Whether it’s mini golf or bowling, if we can turn it into a competition then we do – and unfortunately he usually wins!

With 20 events to choose from this game suits us down to the ground, as we work our way through the circuits trying to select the most skilful character and win the gold medal. The controls are simple enough for even me to master, but while I can click and twist my way to Trampoline mastery I never fail to come last in the running events. There’s just something about the drumming motion required that never fails to make my arms ache and while Lee storms across the finish line my character simply limps along. This game really should carry a health warning; the first time we played my arms hurt so much I couldn’t lift anything for a week!

After Wii Sports it was refreshing to load up the game and see some reasonable graphics –characters that look more like the Sonic and Mario and less like Weebles! They’ve managed to pack in a lot of detail, from the characters themselves to the backgrounds in the stadiums.

The game play works well too – each event uses the controls in a different way and a lot of thought has gone into the actions. The controls required for the archery for example allow you to imagine that you really are pulling back on that arrow and aiming at the target.

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Mario and Sonic at Olympic Games Beijing 2008 Pinback

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Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Wii 2009 game

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Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Wii, good condition

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With 16 characters to choose from and 20 events this isn’t a game you’ll tire of quickly. If you want to impress your friends and collect a stash of gold medals you’ll need to test out each of the characters, and work out which one is most suitable for your event of choice. Getting in some secret practice time is always useful to stay one step ahead of your opponent!

And if you start to find the events become too easy you might want to check out Mission Mode, it’s more difficult than you think to come second in the 100m swimming, or beating Sonic in a specific event.

Of course while it’s always fun to challenge your partner to a game of table tennis or the triple jump to decide who’s going to do the washing up there are times when you need to set the competitive streak aside. For some reason you can’t unlock the subsequent circuits and events in this game unless you play by yourself – which is quite difficult when you can swim faster than Michael Phelps but have two left feet when it comes to running. And that’s where the teamwork comes in – select the circuit, use one character and one remote and then take it in turns to cheer each other on as you go for gold in your best events.

With up to four players being able to join in the fun this one will definitely be making an appearance on Christmas day – I’ll line up my unsuspecting parents and I might actually win the Gold medal for a change!

The Nitty Gritty

What kind of game is this?

It’s a sports game - you compete as part of Team Sonic or Team Mario in various Olympic Games events to earn points and trophies.

Do I need to read the instructions first?

No – you can just pop the disc in and start playing. The controls are easy to master and specific controls are displayed at the start of each event.

Do I play alone or with friends?

Both – you can play alone (and need to if you want to unlock the events) or you can play with up to four players - though to make the most of the multi-player mode each player needs their own Wii Remote and Numchuk.

How do I unlock the different events?

To unlock the different events you need to play alone in Circuit Mode. Placing in a medal position overall will unlock the next Circuit, and an event. Unfortunately you can only unlock circuits in one player mode - if there is more than one of you then you can do it as a joint effort - use one character and let each player play the events they are best at to ensure you come first to third overall.

Will I still be playing this game in six months time?

Yes – we are anyway, it’s the sort of game you can spend hours playing, leave for a few weeks or months and then come back to.

Would you recommend it?

I award Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games with 5 stars and would definitely recommend it.

Support Gamesbuzz

Buy a copy of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii) from Amazon and help support Gamesbuzz.

This is an extended version of a review written for Game People.

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It will help you improve your balance - playing regularly improves muscle tone, especially in the tummy - the board could be used in future exciting games - some fun balance games

The bad

There are no warm up or cool down routines - no way to create your own exercise programme - the yoga postures are isolated - you spend a lot of time moving between games and exercises - not really multi-player, despite the adverts

System Requirements and setup

I was one of those lucky people who managed to get her hands on a Wii Fit game and Wii Balance Board on release day (though seeing the price they’re now going for on eBay I wish I’d thought to buy two!).

As with all Wii games it’s easy to set up - just pop the disc in the Wii console and put the board onto a flat surface. The system tells you when to switch the board on - and it has an automatic shut down to reserve battery power.

You’ll need a Wii Remote to navigate through the system - and a Numchuck for the Rythym Boxing.

The initial weight and balance check

When you first log on to the system you are welcomed by a cartoon Balance Board - who will guide you through the application. You can import your Mii - and once you have told the system your height and age it will then weigh you and alter the stature of your Mii accordingly - Gamesbuzz Boy wasn’t impressed when his Mii got puffed out like a balloon!

You can then take a balance test - to check your posture.

Having collected this information the system will then present you with your Wii FIt Age - I have no idea how it works out the age but I think I started out in my 70’s (I’m only 31!)

Wii Fit puts the word fun back into exercise

Despite the fact that Mr Nintendo has stated that the Wii Fit cannot make you fit it is certainly causing a stir - can you really stand on a piece of plastic and lose weight?

There are a wide range of activities available, from fun balance games and aerobic exercises to circuit training and yoga. For the latter two a personal trainer demonstrates each of the postures and gives you encouragement along the way. Unfortunately there a few things missing that keep it from being treated as a serious fitness tool.

Most importantly there is no warm up or cool down facility - simply a message to tell you to do so. I don’t know why this is missing as it seems like such a simple thing to include.

Then there is the fact that you can’t make your own exercise programmes - I find it frustrating that I waste a lot of time moving between menus and choosing new activities. I’d love to be able to select say 10 activities and have them just run through in order.

The other annoying thing about Wii Fit is that the Yoga poses are all treated as stand alone exercises - anyone who’s done yoga for real knows that you are supposed to flow from one posture to another. While the Fit helps you to perfect the postures it is frustrating that you can’t then run through them one after another.

I do wonder if anyone will launch a piece of software that includes these improvements - I’d certainly buy a copy.

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Going back to the question - can you stand on a piece of plastic and lose weight? I used the Wii Fit every day for 30 days, clocking up between 45 minutes to an hour on actual activities. I did a range of activities from each of the four sections each day. At the end of the 30 days, my legs felt stronger and my tummy muscles were definitely tighter - but I think I put on three pounds!

Would I recommend the Wii Fit?

I enjoy playing with the Wii Fit, the games are fun and I’ve also seen the health benefits of using it regularly. I would use it every day but the lack of exercise programmes makes it frustrating to use. I also wish it had a multi-player option; throw in a bit of competition between me and Gamesbuzz Boy and we’d both be fit as a fiddle in no time!

The Balance Board is already being used in other games though so if you can get hold of one at the RRP I’d say snap it up.

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