Wii Fit

By Michael McWhertor The full response is an intimidating wall of text, from Takeda, Miyamoto and Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, one that may be designed to confuse rather than inform. If you can decipher it, let us know what their plans are, OK? Thanks.

By Stephen Totilo The Wii Channels: When the Wii launched, Channels were a big deal. Nintendo offered photo and Mii channels, and, later, a shopping channel. Games could have their own channels, which could be installed onto the Wii's dashboard from the game's disc. Mario Kart Wii offered a tournament-trac...

By Brian Ashcraft For several years now, places like Refresh Club have been popping up in places like Tokyo's Akihabara and Osaka's Den-Den Town. The selling point for Refresh Club is that this isn't simply playing video games, but it's reflexology with Wii games. There's also yoga, foot massages, and an ea...

By Michael McWhertor Yes, Pokemons Heart Gold and Soul Silver once again top the Media Create software chart, followed by chart toppers Wii Fit Plus and Tomodachi Collection. Another good week for Nintendo. It was also a pretty good week for games like Rune Factory 3, FIFA 10 and Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Special.

By Stephen Totilo So it beats Mario Kart DS, which is at 16,090,000 and Mario Kart Wii, which is at 18,360,000 copies sold. Other big-sellers on NIntendo's chart include Wii Sports (bundled with the Wii in North America and Europe) at 50,540,000, Wii Play at 23,430,000 and Wii Fit at 22,500,000.

By Michael McWhertor 01. Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver (DS) - 165,000 / 2,639,000 02. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - 118,000 / 610,000 03. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 63,000 / 1,414,000 06. Okami (Wii) - 24,000 / NEW 07. Wii Sports Resort (Wii) - 23,000 / 1,300,000 10. Love Plus (DS) - 20,000 / 141,000

By Monty Phan Balance Board: Unlike the previous Mario & Sonic title, which was released before Wii Fit came out, this game supports the Wii Balance Board. I included it here simply because it makes the sledding events more enjoyable, allowing you to sit to steer. (Hey, when they're appropriate, I'...

By Michael McWhertor A curious tie, we suppose, as Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit Plus continue to sell better than the PlayStation 3 competition. But less curious is the continued dominance of the Nintendo DSi and PSP, both doing just fine on the software and hardware front.

By Michael McWhertor 02. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - 153,000 / 492,000 03. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (DS) - 97,000 / NEW 05. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 63,000 / 1,351,000 07. Wii Sports Resort (Wii) - 24,000 / 1,277,000 09. Love Plus (DS) - 19,000 / 122,000 10. Dragon Quest IX (DS) - 16,000 / 3,982,000

By Owen Good Shigeru Miyamoto and the Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata chat about Wii Fit Plus, and Miyamoto discusses an odd fixation he has - guessing the length and weight of certain things. It's why he carries a tape measure. For real. Iwata: Um … Sure! Iwata Asks: Wii Fit Plus [Wii.com via CVG]

By Owen Good Ghostbusters: The Video Game Ghostbusters: The Video Game 50/1 Tekken 6 66/1 FIFA 10 4/1 Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games 9/2 Rogue Warrior 80/1 Super Mario Galaxy 2 6/1 Wii Fit Plus 8/1 HALO 3: ODST 12/1 Left 4 Dead 2 40/1 Saw: The Video Game 100/1 New Super Mario Bros Wii 14/1

By Michael McWhertor Somewhat surprising that Nintendo didn't pull ahead of Sony's now-gen console, especially in light of those impressive Wii Fit Plus sales. But tripling one's sales from the week prior, as Nintendo did in Japan this week, is still a nice little boost.

By Michael McWhertor 01. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - 340,000 / NEW 02. Inazuma Eleven 2: Kyoui no Shinryokusha (DS) - 281,000 / NEW 04. Gran Turismo (PSP) - 134,000 / NEW 06. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 68,000 / 1,288,000 07. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 (PS3) - 42,000 / NEW 08. Wii Sports Resort (Wii) - 27,000 / 1,253,000

By Brian Ashcraft After trying her hand at fashion design and acting, songstress Beyonce has expressed interest in making a fitness video game. Earlier this year, Beyonce became a spokesperson for the Nintendo DS. If you are looking for someone to blame for any future Beyonce games, blame Nintendo?

By Mike Fahey Wii Fit Plus is an enhanced version of the game that saw people who normally wouldn't be caught dead in a video game store flocking to them in droves. Along with all of the original game's content, Plus adds 15 new balance board activities, strength training and yoga, a calorie counter, work...

By Brian Crecente Researchers took a Wii balance board — a device people stand on to interact with certain Nintendo Wii video games — and altered it to show how someone's weight shifts. Studies are now under way to determine whether there is a level of fidgeting that would suggest the need for secondary scree...

By Michael McWhertor Despite the recent price drop that's sure to spur sales and the release of Wii Fit Plus and New Super Mario Bros. Wii prior to the gift-giving frenzy, Reg feels that Nintendo is well prepare for demand. That confidence in stock applies to the Nintendo DS as well. Reggie says he's "feeling very g...

By Brian Ashcraft Nintendo dropped the price in North America from US$250 to $200 — similar price-cuts were announced for Japan and Europe. If the price-cut does not convince them, Nintendo hopes a strong holiday line-up with Wii Sports Resort, Wii Fit Plus and New Super Mario Bros. Wii will do it.

By AJ Glasser Nintendo has been very careful to call Wii Fit a fitness "tool" not a fitness "solution" for obvious legal reasons. Neither Wii Fit nor its successor, Wii Fit Plus, will magically make you thinner or more easily able to resist tasty food.

By Owen Good A Boy and His Blob (Wii) A Witch's Tale (DS) Game Party 3 (Wii) Hands On! Tangrams (DS) Imagine: Zookeeper (DS) Spore Hero (Wii, DS) Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes (DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, 360) The Biggest Loser (DS, Wii) Zenses Zen Garden (DS)

Sports Ads: Everything You Want in a Video Game - and LessMadden Launch Returns to Its Roots - for One Weekend Only?In a League of Your Own, Where Your Word is LawThe Art of Calling an Unseen Game/a>In the Preseason, 2K Sports Reports FirstSo I Went to a Fight, and a Video Game Broke Out ...Whe...

By Brian Ashcraft Nanako Matsushima is not only a big time Japanese actress, appearing in films like The Ring. She also is a product pitchwoman. She does TV ads for things like green tea and Nintendo. The last time we saw her in a Nintendo ad — no, the last time we remember seeing her in a Nintendo ad was for New Super...

By Owen Good • A sports game's rules and framework is not wholly invented for purposes of a video game. A baseball game draws on rules codified more than a century ago. Madden's gameplay structure is based on the NFL rulebook. Similarly, Wii Sports' tennis and golf need no tutorial - they're understood by...

By Owen Good Columns Well Played: Bakugan: Contender to the Pokemon Throne? Stick Jockey: Where Madden Plugs a Gap, Another Sees a Running Lane Top Stories Wii Price Drop Timed to Wii Fit Plus Release Sony Nixes Plans For UMD Conversion Program For PSPGo

By AJ Glasser Wii Fit Plus is essentially Wii Fit with new features added, plus an actual multiplayer function. The game gets you "aware of your body" by giving you a weight and body mass index measurement to track over time and then inviting you to play a bunch of games that make you move your body in weird a...

By AJ Glasser I picked up a copy of Wii Fit Plus from Nintendo today for review purposes — and then had the traumatic task of getting the Balance Board pack home on public transit. Jeez. Next time I have a Nintendo appointment, I'll just drive. Stay tuned to find out how fat my cat is with Plus's new weigh-your-...

By Luke Plunkett Alan Wake Impressions: Bad Time To Lose The Flashlight A Look At Tekken 6's Scenario Campaign Mode Pacific City Still Not Pacified in Crackdown 2 Sony Nixes Plans For UMD Conversion Program For PSPGo Wii Price Drop Timed to Wii Fit Plus Release

By Michael McWhertor Sega's Super Monkey Ball franchise hasn't evolved much since its debut in 2001. And, with the exception of support for the Wii Balance Board, not much has changed in Super Monkey Ball: Step And Roll. Super Monkey Ball: Step and Roll is slated for an early 2010 release on the Wii. Plenty of time f...

By Brian Crecente Nintendo's decision to drop the price of their Wii console was driven by the launch of upcoming fitness game Wii Fit Plus, not as reaction to a slump in sales, Denise Kaigler, Nintendo of America's Corporate Affairs VP, tells Kotaku.

By Luke Plunkett Nintendo announced today that New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be out in the United States this November. November 15 if you want to split hairs. Nintendo also announced that Wii Fit Plus will be out on October 4, in case you didn't know that already.

By Michael McWhertor 11. Sloane to MacHale no Nazo no Story 2 (DS) 15. Puyo Puyo 7 (DS) 17. Penguin no Mondai x Tenkuu no 7 Senshi (DS) 21. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) 22. Wii Fit (Wii) 24. Arabians Lost (DS) 26. Pokemon Platinum (DS) 28. Sloane to MacHale no Nazo no Story (DS) 29. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)

By Owen Good Each week throws off several new video game lists ranging from the humorous to the trivial. What's better? A list of those. Here's a roundup of the rundowns out there. • Top 5 Videogames That Think You're Fat [1up] Essentially a roundup of exergames, notably led by Wii Fit, which had nooooo pro...

By AJ Glasser San Diego Padres pitcher Heath Bell bought Wii Fit for his 11-year-old daughter, originally, but hijacked the game for himself as part of his off-season training routine. Bell tells the Journal that the game makes him a better ballplayer with its balance-focused exercises.

By Michael McWhertor Wii Nintendo Wii Fit Plus - Oct. 4 New Super Mario Bros. Wii - Holiday Nintendo/TPC Pokémon Rumble - Q4 Nintendo DS/Nintendo DSi Nintendo Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Oct. 12 Style Savvy - Nov. 2 The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks - Dec. 7 Nintendo DSiWare

By Michael McWhertor Players will control both Mario and Luigi and Bowser, offering two very different styles of play but with a common goal. Should you dive into Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story? Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story Review was developed by Alpha Dream and published by Nintendo f...

By Stephen Totilo Nintendo-Published Wii Games In 2008 Endless Ocean (new game) Super Smash Bros. Brawl (new game) Mario Kart Wii (new game) Wii Fit (new game) Mario Super Sluggers (new game) Wario Land: Shake It (new game) Wii Music (new game) Animal Crossing: City Folk (new game)

By Michael McWhertor Nintendo president Satoru Iwata just recently said that the company is not planning on announcing a price drop. "Right now," Iwata said at a recent investor Q&A, "there aren't a lot of discussions going on about what exactly to do about hardware pricing."

By Michael McWhertor But NPD Group estimates had good news for Nintendo and Square Enix/Eidos. Wii Sports Resort continues to sell, as does Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii. That means plenty of Wii MotionPlus, Balance Board and Wii Wheel accessories in U.S. homes. Nintendo's Fossil Fighters for the Nintendo DS managed...

By Brian Crecente During an investors meeting, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told those present that a slowdown in sales wasn't due to the console's price, but the number of big hits coming to the Wii. Denise Kaigler, Nintendo of America's vice president of corporate affairs, said that Nintendo sales f...

By Michael McWhertor Wii Fit Plus' mini-games are less recognizable than what Nintendo offered in the original—not unlike Wii Sports Resort's collection of games—but a little more inventive. Some offer serious sweat opportunities, particularly Bird's Eye Bull's Eye and Obstacle Course. If you're lookin...

By Luke Plunkett You've had your laughs at the Wii Vitality Sensor, at least in part thanks to Nintendo's utter inability to explain what the thing is actually for. Well, during a Q&A with analysts, Nintendo's Satoru Iwata has shed a little light.

By Stephen Totilo The following stats are pulled from the usage data shared by more than two million Wii users through the system's Nintendo Channel. For more information about how we calculate these total playtimes, check out this week's earlier Wii stats post)

By Michael McWhertor Dragon Quest IX's three week run at the top of the chart is ended by sales of more than half a million copies of Monster Hunter 3. And with the release of Sega's Puyo Puyo 7 in Japan, the top five games this week are all for Nintendo platforms.

By Stephen Totilo Sony's EyePet is the latest gee-whiz software product that uses a Sony console and a camera. On the PlayStation 2, Sony used the EyeToy to offer players mini-game compilations that had players waving their arms in front of their TV in order to virtually wash windows or chop vegetables. The P...

By Michael McWhertor 13. Dragon Ball: Tenkaichi Daibouken (Wii) 14. Moyashimon DS (DS) 15. Pokémon Platinum (DS) 16. Wii Fit (Wii) 17. Punch-Out!! (Wii) 18. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) 22. Taiko no Tatsujin Wii (Wii) 24. Mario Kart DS (DS) 25. Mario & Luigi RPG3!!! (DS) 27. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)

By Brian Ashcraft When we first announced the Wii Balance Board, people were skeptical," recalls Denise Kaigler, Nintendo of America's vice president of Corporate Affairs. "But consumers responded quickly and told their friends about it. Now when a new fitness game like Wii Fit Plus is announced, no one b...

By Stephen Totilo The Wii, however, boasts just EA Sports Active among its five best-sellers of 2009 so far. The other four slots are taken up by Wii Fit (at #1), Wii Play (#2), Mario Kart Wii (#3) and Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (#5). NPD: Behind the Numbers, June 2009 [Gamasutra]

By Stephen Totilo Even in Wii Fit, the great successor to Wii Sports, the Wii Remote was all but relegated to a laser pointer used to select menu options. Meanwhile, the mechanism for the game's motion was the Balance Board, a controller inspired by a bathroom scale.

By Stephen Totilo Notable new releases that failed to make the overall software top 10 (With no console or handheld version selling under 192,700 units in the U.S. by July 4): Rock Band Unplugged (June 9), Ghostbusters: The Video Game (June 16), Let's Tap (June 16), Guitar Hero Smash Hits (June 16), Monster H...

By Michael McWhertor 11. Wii Fit (Wii) 12. Pokemon Platinum (DS) 14. EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis (Wii) 16. Gyakuten Kenji (DS) 17. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) 20. Taiko no Tatsujin Wii (Wii) 23. Mario & Luigi RPG3!!! 27. Metal Fight Beyblade (DS) 28. New Super Mario Bros. (DS) 30. Made in Ore (DS)

By Michael McWhertor 12. Wii Fit (Wii) 13. Gyakuten Kenji (DS) 14. Pokémon Platinum (DS) 15. Really? Really! (DS) 22. Time Leap (Xbox 360) 23. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) 24. Pokémon Fushigi no Dungeon: Sora no Tankenta (DS) 25. Taiko no Tatsujin Wii (Wii) 27. Mario & Luigi RPG3!!! (DS) 28. Infinite Space (DS)

By Owen Good Nintendo How Much Of New Mario Vs. DK Is Actually New The Little Things Noticed At Our Nintendo Demos Why Guys Should Care About Girl-Game Style Savvy Fifty-Seven Flights Up With New Super Mario Bros. Wii Comix This Week In Video Game Comics

By Stephen Totilo New Stop-Playing Images: I've heard people complain that Wii games' graphics aren't good enough, but I've never heard anyone complain that the images that appear in Wii games to remind players to go outside and get fresh air aren't good enough. Well, Nintendo has improved them. While play...

By Stephen Totilo Snowball Fight: Stand on the Balance Board and lean left or right to emerge from cover. Point a Wii Remote at opposing Miis who are doing the same. With the press of a button, toss snowballs at them. Segway Circuit: Hold a Wii remote horizontally while standing on the Balance Board to simulate u...

By Stephen Totilo Confusing as the Wii Vitality Sensor may be, Nintendo's ability to turn head-scratching into head-nodding with the Wii remote and the Balance Board suggests that this next Wii peripheral may still be worthy of the benefit of our doubts.

By Stephen Totilo Cliff Bleszinski, Gears of War creator and avowed NES fan: I hope it's got Roomba's vacuuming functionality so that I have a secondary use for one of the many peripherals that I'm now tripping all over in my living room. I'm debating hotwiring my Wii Fit Balance Board to double as a hot plate."

By Mike Fahey Nintendo has a better track record than most at re-creating old games according to new standards. Mario, Metroid, and The Legend Of Zelda all enjoyed iconic rebirths in 3D. With Punch-Out!!, however, Nintendo skipped the redesign process in favor of glossing up the established formula. T...

By Luke Plunkett According to GamePlan Insights' own polling data - which reportedly canvasses "1,000 gamers on a weekly basis" - MadWorld wasn't the most-anticipated Wii game on the horizon. It was the 41st, behind a string of "casual, music and puzzle" games like Wii Sports Resort and Trivial Pursuit.

By Luke Plunkett 1. WII WII FIT NINTENDO OF AMERICA 2. WII WII PLAY W/ REMOTE NINTENDO OF AMERICA 3. WII MARIO KART W/WHEEL NINTENDO OF AMERICA 5. WII LEGO STAR WARS: COMPLETE SAGA LUCASARTS 6. WII MY FITNESS COACH UBISOFT 8. WII NASCAR KART RACING ELECTRONIC ARTS 9. WII SUPER SMASH BROS: BRAWL NINTENDO OF AMERICA

By Brian Crecente And they are certainly a type of gamer that publishers other than Nintendo are pursuing. With titles like Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2009 and My Fitness Coach both in January's top 20 games and Electronic Arts preparing to roll out their own take on Wii Fit, I think it's safe to say d...

By Luke Plunkett Slightly nutty fitness "guru" Michael Torchia has looked at Wii Fit, and as a slightly nutty fitness "guru", does not like what he sees. He reckons that, via "slick advertising campaigns", people are under the impression Wii Fit actually makes you fit, and are forgoing more effective met...

By Mike Fahey This year? Looks like Nintendo finally managed to catch up to consumer desire - or consumers finally got wise and didn't wait until the last minute. Let's look at the numbers for both the Wii itself, and its hottest holiday peripheral, the Wii Fit.

By Brian Crecente Most Read Playboy's Jo Garcia Pwns Wii Fit Girl Nintendo Announce New DS: The Nintendo DSi The Top 50 Cosplay Cleavage Shots [Updated] Which Version Of GTA IV Should You Buy? We Compare The PS3 and 360 Versions This Hands-Free Super Mario World Level Plays Sweet, Sweet Music

By Brian Crecente The most searched for product on eBay across all categories on Black Friday was the Nintendo Wii, 3,171 of which sold on the site. Following it was the Nintendo Wii Fit with 1,059 sold on the site. Video Game Consoles/Video Games Nintendo Wii Fit for an average selling price of $140.

By Mike Fahey Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

By Michael McWhertor Nintendo is hoping that "blue ocean" lightning strikes thrice with the October 20th release of Wii Music in North America, the rhythm game that, according to the company, "builds on that inclusive legacy" of Wii Sports and Wii Fit and translates into runaway sales. With more than 60 instr...

By StephenTotilo Anyone who obsesses over NPD numbers, Media Create data and other signifying-nothing sales info needs to get over themselves. There's a new numbers obsession to be had: the Nintendo Channel. Ugly And Pretty Usage Numbers For Wii Games, Crunched From Wii Nintendo Channel

By Brian Ashcraft Wii Civilize! Play many different Civilization based Minigames using the Wiimote. Use the Wii Fit Balance board to maintain "Political Balance". And, naturally, to play the way it was intended, you'll also have to buy a proprietary accessory that works with Wii Civilize alone.

By Leigh Alexander The Wii is set to break console sales records in 2008, says analyst group DFC Intelligence - but the PlayStation 3 will beat the Wii's software sales by 2012. Record Game Sales in 2007 Are Just the Start for the Soaring Video Game Business [DFC Intelligence]

By Brian Crecente Excellent Balance Board Peripheral: For something that is essentially four sensors, the Balance Board can do an awful lot and it's ability to test movement is amazingly precise. The peripheral performed well in Wii Fit, but what really excites me is the potential of using it in games like...

By Michael McWhertor The firm pegs Wii Fit as the year's second biggest seller and provides estimates for 2008's other marquee titles, including Call of Duty 5 and Final Fantasy XIII. Wait, Final Fantasy XIII? Seriously? Analyst: GTA IV to Lead All Game Sales in '08 with 13M Sold [GameDaily]

By Brian Ashcraft I don't think Wii Fit's purpose is to make you fit..." — Shigeru Miyamoto Sometime during development, I started looking at the Wii Balance Board as more than just an accessory that could weigh players and more like a controller used with the feet." — Takao Sawano, Wii Fit lead

By Michael McWhertor About Nintendo: The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearl...

By Michael McWhertor Oddly, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is overlooked for the Wii, a game whose success is all but guaranteed on the sales leading platform. A handful of 2008 potential candidates, Resident Evil 5 and Blizzard's possible offerings in Wrath of the Lich King and StarCraft II, also deserve attention.

By Geoff Keighley 11:45 AM - Super Smash Bros Brawl comes on February 10th. The industry's first blockbuster title of 2008! 4 player Wifi multiplayer. Mario Kart will is coming next year too, including optional steering wheel controller. And Wii Fit/Wii Balance Board coming next year to US.

By Brian Ashcraft Can wait for the Wii Fit Balance Board? Never can Game Labo! The Japanese video game hacker mag's latest issue has an article on how to make your own. There's a dialogue and a Classic Controller is involved. Good news is that this homebrew doesn't have a 300 pound limit like the Wii Balance Boar...

By Brian Crecente Best of Show: 1. Rock Band 2. Super Mario Galaxy 3. Fallout 3 4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 5. Wii Fit Best Original Game: 1. LittleBigPlanet 2. Wii Fit 3. Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros 4. Dewy's Adventure Best Hardware/Peripheral: 1. Rock Band Drums 2. Wii Balance Board 3. Wii Party Station