Kinect PlayFit launched on the Xbox Live in the US today. This dashboard feature is available to download for all Xbox Live members for free, and it'll be launching outside of the US later this week.
Kinect PlayFit tracks the calories you burn while playing Kinect games. Whatever Kinect game you decide to play (for me, it's either Dance Central or Your Shape: Fitness Evolved), Kinect PlayFit will track all your stats, and will place you amongst others on the Xbox Live members leaderboard. Not only does it allow you to compete for high scores, but achievements and avatar awards can also be unlocked.
Many sniff at the thought of exercising via a console, but honestly guys, it works. I managed to lose three stone in a year from a combination of Wii Fit, Dance Central, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved and eating healthier. Don't knock it until you've tried it!
Dance Central is the first "proper" dance game I have ever played. Whilst there have been plenty before it-think of the Dance Dance Revolution/Dancing Stage series for instance, but for me, this is the first time in which I've actually had to use my full body, rather than just the feet movements that the DDR series adopted with the dance mat.
It takes a bit of courage to play a title like this in front of others, but once you've got over the embarrassment of dancing energetically to fully chroregraphed routines, this can actually be turned into a fun, and addictive party title. However, dancing along solo and completing the challenges along the way packs plenty of fun also.
Created by Harmonix, the brains behind the Rockband series, Dance Central uses the Kinect to record the players complete body movements. Whilst the "Easy" difficulty may be rather forgiving in most dance moves, the later, more complex routines in the harder settings can provide a demanding, but still surprisingly fun, challenge. The player follows large on-screen "flash card" prompts, which range from simple side steps to much more complicated movements that require the use of both his or her legs and arms at the same time.
Dance Central's track list includes more than 30 songs, which range from a variety of different genres, and provide a funky blend of modern and old songs. For instance, players will find themselves grooving along to "Jungle Boogie" by Kool and the Gang, or hip-swinging to the rhythm of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face".
As you progress through Dance Central, you'll realise just how incredibly difficult this game can get. The hard difficulty holds some true challenges, which even I, who exercises pretty much daily, struggled with at times. Unfortunately it's a little too tricky to get a 4 or 5 star rating on some of the trickier songs on this difficulty, which tarnished my enjoyment, but only slight. It's the same with Rockband-I could only get so far before the difficulty started to get the better of me. However, some people may find this an absolute cakewalk. I guess it depends on your gaming expertise.
Thankfully though, Dance Central does have a "Break It Down" mode which helps those who are struggling master the moves one move at a time. Players also have the option to slow down the routine until they feel they have mastered the steps. An instructor talks you through each move as you try it out, which is also incredibly helpful. After working through a "Break It Down" version of your chosen song, it's time to try out the proper performance. Nine times out of ten I found that the tutorial mode was beneficial, and I was able to get a better score than I had on the previous try.
For those wanting to use Dance Central as a fitness tool, the game comes complete with a Workout Mode. In this mode, players will enter their weight, and then the game will record how many calories they have burned during their dance session. This mode is simply activated by ticking the "workout mode" box, which I always include during my sessions. It's surprising to see that you actually manage to burn a significant amount of calories during dancing. For instance, on my last playthrough, I burned 240 calories in just 35 minutes. Not bad for someone who has been known to have two left feet in the past. As well as actually giving you a workout, Dance Central will leave you covered in sweat by the end. Of course, the more effort you throw into the routines, the sweatier you will become, but some of the faster, more complex songs are incredibly demanding in this respect. You'll definitely appreciate that shower once your dancing session has been completed for the day.
Unlike my other recent dance game purchase, Just Dance 3, I actually feel that I can follow the routines on screen. There are not any particularly unfair moves, but there are definitely moves that require a considerable amount of practice. I found the routines incredibly fun, and quite easy to pick up on at times, especially after practising it in the "Break It Down" mode. Menu navigation, which is done entirely by waving your hand over your desired option, may seem a little tricky at first, but it soon becomes second nature.
The only aspects of the game which disappointed me slightly is that I wish there was more variety in the styles of music. Dance Central is filled with plenty of R&B, Hip-Hop and dance tracks, but it would of been nice if some rock, or even some more pop tracks were included in the mix. The cheesier tracks, like "Jungle Boogie", held some funky disco dance moves, which I found some of the funniest and most enjoyable routines in the game. It seems a shame that more of this wasn't included, as they'd definitely go down well if used as a party game.
The game caters for the party audience in it's "Dance Battle" mode, where two players take it in turns to make it through a song. Whilst their score is combined to create an overall star rating, there is also an element of competition added where players scores are shown separately at the end. I have had plenty of laughs trying out this mode with friends and family, so I highly recommend grabbing a dancing partner to try this out.
Overall, Dancing Central is an excellent Kinect title. It's great fun, it gets you fit, and makes for a perfect party game. There's some great songs on offer here, and even if you're not a fan of the music, the routines are a joy to complete. The game manages to combine video gaming with dancing superbly, and definitely deserves a positive mention.
Zumba is perhaps the latest fitness craze presently. Across my town there are banners advertising Zumba dance classes, posters are plastered up everywhere, and it seems that via word of mouth, many people are signing up to see what the fuss is about. However, not everyone feels comfortable enough with dancing wildly in front of others, and this is where Zumba Wii steps in.
So what is Zumba exactly? It is a highly energetic aerobics type exercise session that combines elements of salsa, calypso, latin, belly dancing and other exotic type dances. The class is designed to burn off calories by using every part of your body in the variety of dance routines on offer, and the Zumba Fitness for the Wii also aims to do the same.
The Wii version comes equipped with the game and a Wiimote holder which straps around the hips, in order to track your hip movements. There are a lot of twists and turns involved in the routines, and so this holder is designed to give the game a more accurate reading on how much you are responding to these hip movements. This is important if you wish to keep a record on your progress, as wearing it will alter your fitness diary.
The game features 30 international rhythms, across 9 different dance styles. Try your hand at Merengue, Cumbia, Reggaeton, Salsa, Hip-Hop, Mambo, Rumba, Flamenco and Calypso. Each song is highly energetic, and are also very fun to complete. Upon first impressions, Zumba Fitness seemed a bit over-whelming to me, but after doing a routine more than once, I found that I got used to the dancing quite easily. Good co-ordination and not having two left feet definitely is a bonus with this game though, as the dances require quite a lot of concentration at first. Being a little clumsy on your feet will throw you out of the rhythm, and in all honesty, it takes a little while to get back into it again.
As a Zumba virgin, the Tutorial section was at first somewhat tricky. However, once playing through a dance move twice, I had picked it up, and was ready for a full session. Sessions are grouped in Beginner, Intermediate and Expert sections, and range from 20 minutes, to 45 minutes. As expected, the dance moves become much more complex as you try out a higher difficulty, but these become much easier to grasp the more the routine is practised. The difficulty curve is not too hard and contain a lot of the dance moves you are already familiar with in the previous difficulty, so due to this, it should not be overly daunting for you.
There is the option to play with another two or three people in Dance-Off's or full sessions. Additional belts can be bought for this purpose on the Zumba website, but I'll warn you now-you need a lot of room to be able to do this! You will require a significant amount of space to dance solo also. I live in a small flat, so I personally struggle on the moves that require more space, such as the slides and side-jumps. If you do have the room though, great! A work friend of mine told me that she works out with her two year old daughter to Zumba Fitness. She told me this with such affection that I truly believe that playing this with a family member or friend can be quite an enjoyable experience.
Although Zumba Fitness is highly beneficial, and I noticed a significant change in my body throughout the sessions I have completed, there are unfortunately some negative aspects. Firstly, the Zumba Fitness belt that is bundled with the game is not overly responsive. Slipping your WiiMote into the holder is supposed to track your hip movements during the dances, but unfortunately a lot of the time, these movements are not picked up by the game. Therefore, it appeared on the screen that I was hardly moving along to the routine, when in fact I was the complete opposite-working up a sweat and still managing to keep up with the fast paced routine. It is a little disheartening to find that the game is registering you as not joining in with the routines, especially as you are scored on how well you do at the end of the session, and the unresponsive aspect really hinders this.
Another downside is that Zumba Fitness does not contain a calorie counter, and there is no option to weigh yourself. This game is highly energetic, and after only a week of daily sessions, I felt like I had already began to significantly change my body shape. It would have been a handy aspect to track your progress via your weight loss, rather than the inconvenience of changing discs to Wii Fit and setting up the Balance Board to record your weight.
So, is it worth picking up?
While the features may be a little sparse (routine modes, tutorial and party modes, but no progress recorder, for example), Zumba Fitness for the Wii is a highly enjoyable dance game. After only a week I found that my body had toned up significantly, and continues to do so as I use this as part of a daily exercise regime. The international dance music chosen for the game is entertaining to dance to, and the routines fit nicely with the beat of the music. The difficulty curve is a nice one, so thankfully you will not be dreading your rise up into the next rank when you decide to take it up a notch.
Unfortunately not all of your dance moves are picked up on the screen, and this unresponsiveness is rather irritating, especially as the end of session score is greatly affected by this. Zumba Fitness is available for around £22.95, and comes complete with one WiiMote hip waist holder. A typical Zumba session in a centre will cost around £5, so for the price of this Wii version, it is definitely worth it. You have pretty much paid for four sessions of Zumba by buying this disc, and will be getting a lot more out of it after that without paying the extra cost. If you want to save some money and do exactly the same as what they are doing in the sessions, but in the privacy of your own home-get this!
If you fancy something highly energetic, enjoyable and extremely beneficial, then I definitely recommend giving Zumba Fitness a go.
