Runner's World have reviewed Wii Fit.

The review has some good points, most of which have been raised by reviewers before:

• Lack of flow, especially in the Yoga.
• You can't do multiple sets without going back to the menu and starting again.
• The trainers, and their limited set of phrases get pretty annoying.

But then the review goes on to make the same mistake many others have made, it compares the Wii Fit to a personal trainer, or going for a long run, or a gym workout:

On Yoga

"I have to think doing Warrior I with one leg elevated on the board would appall yoga traditionalists"
And how many Yoga purists are going to be doing Wii Fit yoga? This isn't a tool for them.

"After a week, I was bored with the same poses"
Fair enough, but that is the way it is with Yoga. Either you do the same poses all the time or you never get good at them. And this is coming from someone who spends their time running in a straight line?

On cardio

"Running in place in front of my TV was torture. I could never stand it long enough to get in any semblance of a legit training run."
I suspect that's because her idea of a legit training run is a half-marathon. Complaining that running on the spot for 10 minutes isn't as good as a ten mile cross-country run is like complaining that a skateboard isn't as good as good as a Porsche 911: it's true but doesn't really tell you anything about how good the skateboard or the Porsche are. As for it being torture, you are probably doing it wrong if it hurts.

On balance games

"While the games kept me entertained for a week, I imagine I'd soon be sick of them and the postworkout evaluations by the virtual trainer who has a revolving script of tiresome one-liners"
Fair enough I guess, although most exercises tend to be quite boring. Personally I only do two or three balance games in any session, so I have yet to get bored of all of them. As for the second point, I don't understand what she means, since the there are no personal trainers in the balance board section. Having said that, the "tiresome one-liners" is bang on, and the one part of Wii Fit I wish I could turn off.

On the muscle exercises

"it's a far cry from a living, breathing trainer. The Wii gives you the basics, but it's not customized to your individual needs-especially if you have injury issues."
I would have never predicted that a £70 computer game would not be as good as a £30/hour personal trainer and personal couch! Ahem, skateboard/Porsche?

Sigh.

I've said this before and I'll say it again:

Wii Fit is not designed to compete with a real gym, a real trainer, or a really serious exercise regime. It is more like a 21st century upgrade of the Jane Fonder workout videos, or The Dummies Guide to Yoga.

This is Nintendo's official line. They didn't design it for gym bunnies, or the kind of people that write for a magazine about running who are "a half-pound under-weight".

They designed it for people like me, a 17st (and a bit) software engineer who spends most of his day on his bum, finds gyms intimidating and soul destroying, and finds it very hard to stay motivated doing tedious exercises like running (been there).

To be honest, the good people at Runner's World are the last people Nintendo had in mind when they created Wii Fit, and comparing it against top of the line fitness regimes and equipment is the worst form of straw-man argument, and just plain lazy journalism.

For another reality check on Wii Fit, have a read of this: a personal trainer's top 5 Wii Fit myths.