Basic Step
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Object of the Game
Basic Step is a tape-following game, akin to games like Dance Dance Revolution, where you must make moves according to icons on a moving tape. In this case, the moves are stepping onto and off of the Wii Balance Board.
Equipment required
This game only requires the use of:
- Wii Balance Board
MET
Basic Step has a MET of 3, meaning that it is a moderate intensity activity.
How to play the game
You are on stage with a number of non-player Miis who will do the exercise along with you. They have arms and legs, unlike the Miis in the audience, who have no legs, floating dots for hands, and are actually two-dimensional figures. It's a bit spooky, as if you have an audience of cardboard cut-outs that jump up and down and clap, but there you are.
The exercise consists of stepping onto and off of the balance board in time with the other Miis, but which steps you make is dictated by a moving tape in the middle of the screen.
In Basic Step there are two kinds of moves, red (front-to-back) and blue (side-to-side). In both, the tape can be thought of as divided into four-move groups, called units. A unit is red if it contains only red moves, blue if they are all blue, or hybrid if it contains both. The tape itself is broken down into groups. A group is a sequence of units, and groups are separated by stationary images. A group will always start and end with the board in front of you.
Red Units
A red unit consists of starting with the board in front of you, stepping on with one foot, on with the other, off with the first, off with the second, e.g. on-right, on-left, off-right, off-left. The tape will show you whether to start on the right or left. A sequence of red units will all start on the same foot, RLRL*RLRL*... or LRLR*LRLR*...
Blue Units
A blue unit is similar to a red unit, but starts on one side of the board and ends on the other.
Hybrid Units
You will sometimes have to switch between red units and blue units. A hybrid unit is inserted to do this. It starts with red moves and ends with blue, or the other way around.
Groups
A single group will consist of a number of units, typically 15-20. Some groups have a simple pattern such as all-red, or all-blue, while some have a complex series of pattern breaks (changes in the pattern). A pattern break will normally feature a hybrid unit, but sometimes the pattern may consist of a series of hybrids, e.g. behind-left-behind-right-behind (repeats).
An all-blue group is technically impossible, as groups always start and end with red moves.
Timing
Timing is important in this game. Your feet should move in time with the other Miis' feet.
Scoring
Your score is calculated per move based on how you handle each unit:
- You score up to two points per move.
- Each unit's scoring rules is applied independently of the ones before it or after it.
- You may score two points ("Perfect") on a move only if the previous moves in the same unit also scored "Perfect".
- If you do not follow the instructions on the tape, you will score zero for that move.
- If you follow the instructions, but do not match the timing of the Miis beside you, you will score one for that move ("OK").
- If you get the timing right on a move, you will score two for the move ("Perfect") unless you have made a mistake earlier in the unit.
- The last move of a unit always ends with both feet on the floor, and the board cannot measure when you finish this. Unless you still have a foot on the board, you will score "Perfect" if you are eligible, otherwise "OK".
The overall score is the sum of the individual per-move scores.
It is impossible to score one point less than the maximum, as that would require you to have a unit whose scoring was 2-2-2-1, and that cannot happen.
Perfect score
If you score Perfect for all moves, your score will be 328 points.
Hints and tips
- Beware of becoming locked into a pattern, as there are pattern breaks and these will aggressively damage your score.
- To keep yourself from becoming locked into a pattern, learn to look ahead at the steps coming up. You need only to look one step in advance, and as you get a feel for the movements and timing, this will become easier to do.
- To avoid zero-point failures, make sure that you get your feet centred in the two little depressions in the top of the board.
- To ensure that you are using your feet properly and to help you to avoid zero-point failures, step on and off the board with just the front of your sole. This will also give your movements a bit of spring to them, making it easier to recover from any mistakes and easier to keep time.
- Practice, practice, and practice.
Board raisers
If you have one of those sets of feet that allow you to raise the board above floor level, be aware that when you switch between using the feet and not using them, your timing will be messed up. Practice afterwards to reset your timing.
