EA Sports Active (Wii)

[aruljothi]

Release Date: 05/19/2009
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Genre: Simulation
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts

I've always found that, with exercise, there are two groups of people: Those who love physical exertion, and those who hate it. I fall squarely into the latter category. While I'm not against the concept of exercise, I am squarely against the idea of actually exercising. Don't get me wrong, I've been known to be active and fit at times. But more often than not I fall into the couch potato slump of not wanting to keep up with a tiresome routine. Whether it's going to the gym or simply walking around the block, I just can't be bothered. So when Nintendo released the Wii and the exercise-game genre was taken to the next level, people like me took note. I thought, "How perfect would it be if you could come home, turn on your Wii, and get a workout that rivals the kind you would get from a gym?" Well, after a few "missteps" in that area (WiiFit, Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2009) I am happy to say that EA Sports Active finally bridges the gap between house and gym, earning it top honors as the best exercise game currently out for the Wii.

Active completely does away with the yoga poses found in other games (like Wii Fit), and it focuses on the workout: Either a single session (chosen from a list of various sessions) or a full 30-day challenge (which is a series of 20 customized workouts meant to be completed over the course of a month). Most of the workouts are short, and they encompass exercises such as running in place, boxing, and bicep curls. Each exercise transitions into the next in such a fashion that I always felt like I got a good cardio workout.

Active comes packaged with a leg strap (to hold the Nunchuk when performing lower body routines) and a resistance band (for increasing the intensity of upper body routines). If you consider yourself to be in decent shape, you're probably better off going out and picking up some stronger resistance cords, as the ones packed in are rather easy to stretch to their maximum. Active also supports the Wii balance board -- but even without the peripheral, you get a great workout.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm not exactly fit. So when I finished my first workout, I really felt the burn. I was sweating, but I was happy. In that moment, Active immediately surpassed every other "workout" game for me; it was the first game to make me break a sweat. Thankfully, the sore muscles didn't last more than a day.

In addition to the workouts, Active comes with several healthy living "surveys," which ask questions such as, " How much water have you had to drink today?" and, "Have you eaten at a restaurant today?" The surveys, while obviously not a complete representation of your eating habits, are a nice reminder to think about what you put into your body. The game also has an area where you can record any activity you performed outside the game: If you went for a walk, for example, or ran some errands. It's a nice way to keep track of your everyday activities and see how they influence your overall fitness.

One thing I would have liked to see, though, would have been more routines overall. Fitness games in general lack variety, so it would have been nice if EA had included an online mode where players could download new routines created by certified personal trainers -- or even other Active users. It's one area that could have made Active into a truly viable alternative to going to the gym.

The true test of any fitness product is how it holds up in the long run. When I picked up Wii Fit, I used it every day for the first week, and then it went right under my bed. It's been sitting there ever since. With Active, though, I actually look forward to coming home from work and putting in a good workout. Over the course of the last week, I have been extremely happy with it and the results I've seen (I actually lost a couple of pounds).

Does Active truly replace the intensity of a gym routine? No, but it does provide a balanced mix of strength and cardio workouts, all from the privacy of the living room. And for folks like me, that's exactly what we've been waiting for.