With both Thanksgiving and the Holiday season approaching faster than anyone would like, there’s the dread of the resulting elasticized waistbands post Black Friday, and New Year wobbly bits.
Fitness For All, For Fall
For those who were embolden by such fears in the past, causing them to buy a Wii Fit Balance Board for the original Wii, along with Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus, may well be encouraged to take up Nintendo’s fitness regime once again on the Wii U. The studio will offer those with the new console and the old balance board a chance to play the full Wii Fit U free for a month.
Downloading the free software between November 1st 2013 and January 31 2014 will trigger its complimentary use. Once the trial has finished they will need to buy an extra piece of hardware, the Wii Fit U Fit Meter set to sell at $19.99, to unlock the game entirely.
Getting Stepped On?
It’s great to see Nintendo ensuring that its prized peripherals of older systems don’t turn obsolete so quickly, and many Wii Fit Balance Board owners will no doubt be glad that they don’t have to re-buy the entire shebang to make use of the newer console and game. Yet, insisting on having them purchase more hardware does seem a bit cheeky, especially as the Fit Meter is no larger than an oversized button and is essentially a glorified pedometer.
However, this does mean that you can now incorporate the exercise you do when you’re not using the console, such as walking and running, and have it seamlessly amalgamated into the game’s regime. It is an extra expense, but buying the just the Fit Meter to unlock the game is cheaper than the expected $49.99 price tag for the entire game and hardware bundle. Therefore this seems more like a worthwhile way to get your hands on the game and not a cynical cash grabbing gimmick.
Wii Fit U will be available to download from Nintendo Wii U’s eShop from November 1 2013.
