In the above teaser video, which Gametrailers has labeled "Rayman Raving Rabbids 3," you'll note the appearance of one of Ubisoft's lovable and inherently demented hoppy things. While that is often amusing in its own right, this particular Rabbid appears to be figuring out how to properly operate a Wii Fit balance board. While his time with it ultimately results in weight gain, we get the feeling he's trying to tell us about some new use for the peripheral in his next mini-game miasma ...
The interview doesn't go into many details, but it does mention a "jump rope game" which involves bouncing on the Balance Board with "the Wii Remote in your back pocket." Developing a joke asking whether that pocket Remote indicates we're "just happy to see you" is left as an exercise for the reader.
Is Nintendo an ancestor of Aperture Science? A dummy corporation? We recently recorded the North American voice of the Wii Fit Balance Board, and it bears an uncanny resemblance to Portal's happy little turrets. Even the hierarchy of henchmen follows Portal. Aperture science has GLaDOS, and Wii Fit has a male- or female-voiced personal trainer.
Yes, there are still a few differences. The Balance Board voice -- and we presume nefarious AI -- comes through the Wii and out a TV, while the turrets are all self-contained. Plus the balance board might not be trying to kill us. The verdict is still uncertain, but be warned.
But if you're not content with just a game and balance board peripheral and you happen to reside in or around the island of Manhattan, Nintendo has a special treat for you.The first 1000 people to drop a $5 pre-order for the gear at New York City's Nintendo Word Store from April 18 - 20 will be rewarded with a Wii Fit t-shirt featuring the likeness of game designer (and weight watcher) Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto. We're really hoping he's rocking the Richard Simmons short shorts, tank top combo.
According to a blurry GameStop release list image posted by WiiCast over the weekend, the charge for admission into the Wii Fit club will be $90. We've confirmed with various local GameStops that the game is listed in its system for $90. Pre-orders are being offered for $10 instead of the regular $5, but the two-fold increase is something we've heard has been in the GameStop pipeline for a while.
Nintendo confirmed with Joystiq that the only thing released is that [Wii Fit] will be under $100 when it debuts on May 19. North America is the only announced region for Wii Fit without a confirmed price tag, with Europe and Australia ready to pay over $100 USD for the pressure-sensitive sweat board.
We Ski matches Nintendo's family-friendly aesthetic with cutesy customizable characters, and the option to import your Mii's and let them join in on all the snowy action. In addition to the standard ski modes, the game also includes free-style and photography modes, and allows up to four players to ski free on over a dozen courses.
With the title announced for a spring 2008 release, and the Wii Balance Board making its way to North America on May 19, We Ski will undoubtedly become the unofficial companion game to the Wii Fit package, as the first third-party software to support the peripheral.
Many of us assumed that when we got done riding Nintendo's latest one-trick pony we'd simply relegate the Wii Balance Board to stepladder duty -- for those pesky household items that rest just an inch or two out of reach. But, speaking to IGN, Reggie Fils-Aime altered this certain fate by suggesting there are "over 10 games in development that take advantage of the Balance Board," putting a number to earlier whispers that the board would be supported by more than just Wii Fit and Namco Bandai's Family Ski. We're not expecting much more than a minigame cesspool, but there's potential for someone -- please -- to use the technology for good.
With still no European or exact US release date to speak of, Wii Fit and its accompanying Wii Balance Board have been somewhat forgotten outside of Japan, where sales have been brisk. Nintendo, however, has certainly not neglected its pressure-sensitive peripheral, with tentative plans to take advantage of the Balance Board in future releases.
In a recent Famitsu magazine interview, Shigeru Miyamoto admitted that Nintendo may consider developing future software titles that use the Wii Balance Board, depending on how well the Wii Fit package performs overseas. Today, Namco Bandai is releasing Family Ski in Japan, which includes an option to play using the Balance Board. If Nintendo were to go ahead and continue developing for the Balance Board, would we be seeing more fitness titles, sports titles, or perhaps something else altogether?
Perhaps a sign that America is finally getting its obesity scare under control, Nintendo has cautiously scheduled Wii Fit for a Q2 2008 release. Despite last week's rumor, today's announcement is the first official word from Nintendo that its latest balancing act is being prepped for the US. Whether that means the board's 300-pound weight limit is being increased to accommodate US standards or Nintendo is simply gambling that Americans will have shed a few pounds by next quarter (to prepare their summer beach bodies, 'natch) has yet to be confirmed. So how's your body mass index loookin' for the Q2?
While American gamers still have some more time to wait before making themselves into contorted, balance-challenged fools, Japanese Wii owners can now pick up a copy of Wii Fit and stretch their way to reportedly fitter lifestyles (although deviance has been proven to work).
The game's official street date isn't until tomorrow, but that isn't stopping a handful of prominent online retailers from already accepting orders (that surely won't arrive until after tomorrow). U.S. gamers who don't feel like dealing with the hassle of importing will have to wait until early 2008 for their copy of Wii Fit.
We were wondering if Wii Fit's Balance Board peripheral would be good for anything other than yoga, and it looks like we have our answer. Famitsu reveals that Namco Bandai's Family Ski -- which originally utilized only the Wii remote and nunchuk combo for its downhill action -- will now be compatible with the Wii Balance Board, adding an extra level of realism to the adorable, super-deformed family-friendly skiing title. Obviously, the game will still be 100% playable without the peripheral.
We haven't reported much of anything on Family Ski, instead letting our buddies over at Wii Fanboy do all the legwork. Still, the game is definitely on our radars now. Family Ski is due for a Winter 2007/2008 release in Japan. Here's hoping localization is a breeze; it would be a tad odd to rock the slopes in the summertime, no?
Posts with tag balance-board
