Punch and Crunch- Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout (Wii)

Just a few years ago, media pundits were attacking the videogame industry- claiming the pastime contributed to a sedentary lifestyle. A wave of kinetically demanding titles swept through our arcades and living rooms, rendering the argument practically obsolete. Games like Dance Dance Revolution, Samba de Amigo, and the Eye Toy series had introduced physicality to our hobby, preceding serious exercise titles like Yourself Fitness.

With the success of the Nintendo Wii, millions of players witnessed the convergence of casual exercise and gaming. As further evidence of this paradigm shift, Nintendo released WiiFit last year, a title that focused on health rather than mere recreation. While the title was a massive hit, once owners sweated through its breadth of exercises, monotony set in. Luckily, Wii owners longing for variety have a diversion, just in time for beach season- Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout.

The game’s focus is on shape boxing, which while exhausting, will not likely improve the player’s pugilistic skills. Players may use a Wiimote and nunchuck combination, or the preferred technique of having a Wiimote in each hand. While the game correctly recognized nearly all our jabs, crosses, and uppercuts with both control methods, using the two Wiimote approach allowed long arms to freely extend. After a brief tutorial that reminded us to keep our bodies moving, we were swinging away rhythmically to rising icons reminiscent of a Guitar Hero/Rock Band game.

Once our session was completed, we were on our way to learning new techniques through Cardio Workout’s progressive level system. Once virtual athletes master a given level, a qualifying exam is offered that must be passed to move up to the next rank. If players long for additional exercise beyond the daily routine, there are a number of side activities. Sadly, only four of these drills utilize the balance board, and they recall  calisthenic diversions already included in Nintendo’s offering.

Whereas WiiFit’s primary incentive is statically based- players are shown a daily chart detailing their weight and Body Mass Index (BMI), Cardio Workout uses unlockables as its key motivational method. Throw enough punches, and players can unlock new player hairstyles, alternate workout coaches, and additional exercises. While the title does track the number of punches thrown, the amount of calories burned and your weight, the information is buried in the application, instead of at the forefront. Sadly, the title doesn’t use the balance board to track the player’s weight, a glaring oversight.

Since Nintendo is reluctant to allow Mii integration in third-party applications, Cardio Workout employs its own character design. The anime-inspired player avatars have a limited amount of customization, but are more realistically proportioned than the requisite Wii characters. The developers made no attempt at lip synchronization- the avatars oddly show no facial movement when conversing to the player.