Fit Game Forum (Formally Wii Fit Forum)

It's often been lamented that computer games do not appeal enough to girls. This has started to change recently, especially with many of the titles for the Nintendo Wii and DS such as Nintendogs and Animal Crossing. It would be fair to say that most of these fit a pretty stereotypical view of what girls and boys like, but you can't fight reality, or the sales figures. All Star Cheerleader fits squarely in this mould and is all the better for it: this is a game that really knows who its audience is, young girls. As a male, and about 30, I am about as far from the target demographic as you can get, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this throughly upbeat and entertaining game.

The aim of All Star Cheerleader is to join, and then compete for, the "Fox Squad" cheerleader squad. But first you must create your character, choosing the usual features, eye color, face shape, hair-cut etc. The characters are more like Second Life avatars than a traditional stocky Mii, but have sensibly been kept quite simple. Unlike a Mii, there is no chance to change the body shape; everyone in *this* game is in peak physical fitness. I don't think there is much to worry about them giving kids a bad body image, no more so than a Barbie doll, and this is athletic fitness not stick-thin models. And unlike Wii Fit, you don't have to worry about All Star Cheerleader telling your child they are morbidly obese.

You start out as a "newbie" who must work through a series of training sessions and tests before entering the "try-outs" to join Fox squad. All of this is interspersed with cut scenes introducing the other members of the squad, a few bits of sub High School Musical soap drama moments, and frequent assertions that you shouldn't get too "bragadocious" (yep, really) about doing well on a particular test and to "show them what you've got". All very peppy and up-beat and rather American. Non of the interludes are long enough to get annoying, and the target audience will lap it all up.

During the training sessions you are introduced to the plethora of moves (or "pops") which you are expected to perform (or "clear"). The in game jargon is extensive and made me feel like a stranger in a foreign land, but like the cut scenes, this just helps make the game not just a bunch of dance moves, but your ticket into the surreal world of cheerleading. After you have completed the initial training and performed at the try-out, you are in the squad and get to compete in competitions, while learning ever more complex moves. In addition to the standard career mode you can also jump in to the Quickplay mode for a, well, quick play, without all the palaver of a career. There is also a multi-player mode for up-to four people which would be great for parties, although only one player can use the balance board. You can also create your own routines based on any of the moves you have learnt, adding significantly to the replay value of the game. However, there doesn't appear to be a way to swap routines with other people, which is a shame.

Each move uses the WiiMote and Nunchuck controller in a variety of positions, shown on screen as a pair of arrows indicating the orientation of the two controllers. These instructions move across the screen and, like Wii Fit Step Aerobics, the idea is to do (sorry "clear") each move in time with the music as the symbol enters the circle on the left of the screen: the more accurate you are the more points you score. In later training sessions the Balance Board (if you have one) can be used, with the player stepping on and off the board or leaning to complete more complex moves. If you don't have a board, then you just perform additional actions with the controller. On the whole, the control system is excellent, well thought out, and quickly gets you active. The game is one of the few that really demonstrates what is possible with the Wii's controls, using the WiiMote and Nunchuck's position sensors to measure a huge number of different moves while being forgiving enough to not get in the way of the fun. With the addition of the Balance Board, this game becomes an entertaining full-body gaming experience that will really appeal to any child who likes to get up and dance. You may also want to get one of the third party wireless nunchucks, as the length of the connecting cable can be a problem if you get too energetic, stopping you from spreading your arms out properly. Of course this probably isn't a problem for anyone under the age of 12, but something worth checking.

While the production values are generally high, there are a few areas which let it down, but not enough to spoil the fun. The training sessions feature a small cheerleader who shows you the positions, however she is needlessly small, rendered poorly, and always facing away, making her pretty useless for demonstrating some of the more complex poses. However the arrows that indicate the moves are clear and less ambiguous. The most annoying issue was with the Balance Board. While in game use is great, between each routine the game insists on calibrating the board from scratch. This requires you to get off the board, then get back on, while the same text is displayed each time. You cannot click through the multiple screens of text explaining what it is doing. The whole process takes around a minute, and must be done before every routine (even those that do not use the balance board). This contrasts badly with Wii Fit's calibration which takes a few seconds, and doesn't require you to dismount between each exercise. The combination of calibration and loading times mean that it takes about two minutes before each routine can start, a needlessly annoying interruption to an otherwise slick game.

Despite the slight lack of polish in some areas, this is a thoroughly enjoyable game which aims squarely at its target audience. All Star Cheerleader is upbeat and entertaining, without ever getting too saccharin. The learning curve is just about right, and the whole thing is very forgiving, ideal for a game meant for younger kids. The makers have also succeeded in creating one of the best sneak exercise systems for young girls. Unlike Wii Fit, which is aimed at adults who want to exercise, All Star Cheerleader uses the WiiMote and Balance board to create something that is first and foremost fun, but will definitely get your kids up and moving without them ever thinking of it as exercise, which is how it should be at that age. So expect to hear you kids talking like Californian high-school students, and don't expect to get near your Balance Board for a few months.

Overall Rating: 7.5 (would have been 8.5 but for the issues described above)

Alright you sold me on this game, and I especially like the wireless nunchuck attachment! I have never seen either of this things in the store, so I am assuming the internet is the only place to get them? The dancing idea sounds fun to me, I might go and indulge in this just for some fun!