Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Genre: Sports / Fitness Players: 1-2 Europe Release Date: 25th April 2008 Age Rating: 3+ Online Play: No

Wii Fit takes the whole concept of games as exercise to a new level with the inclusion of a balance board peripheral that can tell you on the fly exactly how well--or how poorly--you're doing with its various activities. As such, Nintendo is heavily marketing this innovative title as a mixture of fitness and fun, and for the most part it works. It's a decent alternative for those bored with the repetitiveness of going to a gym or too self-conscious to join a yoga or aerobics class.

Nintendo is aiming for our collective wobbly bits. Wii Fit is a nifty fitness board - about the size of a large pair of scales - that connects wirelessly to your Wii console. Step on and the game tells you your weight, body mass index (BMI) and, after a couple of balance tests, you’re Wii Fit "age". And then the fun really starts. Players can choose from muscle, cardio, balance and yoga events. Think press-ups, lunges and warrior poses. An on-screen instructor helps out and the whole thing feels welcoming. There are games, too. Hula Hoop is easy to play and perfect for parties. Ski-jump - bend knees, lift heels - is more imprecise but amusing enough. The tightrope balance test is also rather addictive. The jogging, which takes place off the mat and has you sticking the Wiimote in your pocket, is a little gimmicky. Don't ditch that gym membership just yet, but Wii Fit is far more than just a game.

What’s on offer here is relatively light exercise, so any hardcore cross-training fanatics are probably best advised to look elsewhere. That said, for the average person, if used regularly, Wii Fit will almost certainly improve your fitness.

You do build up a sweat, particularly with the aerobic exercises, so it comes as something of a surprise that there are no warm-up or warm-down exercises before and after play – a fundamental of any workout.

Wii Fit is a definite winner. The presentation throughout is superb and special mention must be given to the board itself, which is both sturdy and remarkably sensitive.