Tommy’s Blogg

Though the Wii already has more than its fair share of fitness games, EA Sports Active sets itself apart by providing some great tools in a very polished package to keep players in shape.

To someone accustomed to writing reviews of video games, EA Sports Active presents a bit of a problem. Because, despite the fact that it’s made by Electronic Arts and is available exclusively on the Nintendo Wii, it’s really not a game. Instead, EA Sports Active is more of an interactive fitness DVD. The goal is to provide an intense and varied exercise routine for your living room, and in that respect the game is largely successful.

The main draw of EA Sports Active is its 30 Day Challenge mode. Over the course of a month, the game puts you through various daily exercises, working on your upper and lower body, as well other cardiovascular activities. The game tracks your progress, recording everything from how long you worked out to how many calories you burned. Guiding you through this process is your very own virtual personal trainer—you can choose from either a male or female trainer when starting up—who does an excellent job of not only teaching how to do the various exercises, but also keeping you motivated with constant positive feedback. Aside from the Challenge mode, you can also craft your very own workout by picking any of the various activities available.

And it’s not just the actual exercise the game records, as you also have the option to keep track of your eating habits and physical activity in real life as well. Though the information you can input is fairly simple—for each section you just fill out a 10 point survey—it does help to give you a better image of your overall health.

Of course, a fitness game lives and dies on the exercises it includes, and EA Sports Active does a great job of providing lots of variety in that regard. You will have to do everything from running on the spot to punching targets to various stretches and lunges. There are a lot of different activities in the game, and it does a good job of switching them up so that each day’s workout feels a bit different. The game also comes packed with a pair of peripherals to help with your routine: a rubber resistance band and a leg strap to track your leg movements. You also have the option of using the Wii Fit balance board for some exercises as well. Overall, the peripherals do add to the experience, though at times the excess of wires and straps can become a tad annoying.