Fitness Game Genre Reviews

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Self Improvement Genre

Here are the genres we use. And below is a list of all out Self Improvement game coverage:

Alphabetical List

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z top

A
Active Health with Carol Vorderman DS
top

B
Big Brain Academy Wii
Bookworm Adventures Deluxe PC
Brain Training DS
Buying Best Fitness Game
top

C
Challenge Me: Brain Puzzles DS
Cheaper than the Gym
Cooking Guide DS
Cooking Mama Wii
Crossword Collection DS
top

D
Dance Central 360
Dance Masters 360
top

E
EA Sports Active Wii
EA Sports Active Month One Wii
EA Sports Active More Workouts Wii
Everybody Votes Channel Wii
top

F
Flipnote Studio DSi-Ware
Fritz Chess Wii
Future of Exergaming
top

G
Gardening Guide DS
Garmin Forerunner 405 Gadget
top

H
Horrible Histories Ruthless Romans Wii
top

I
Imagine: My Restaurant DS
Imagine: My Secret World DS
Imagine: Teacher DS
top

J
Jamie Oliver What's Cooking DS
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 Wii
top

M
Magic Made Fun DS
Math Blaster DS
Mind Your Language: French DS
More Touchmaster DS
Music DS
My Cooking Coach DS
My Do It All DS
My Fitness Coach Wii
My Fitness Coach Cardio Workout Wii
My Fitness Coach: Cardio Workout Wii
My French Coach DS
My Health Coach DS
My Secret Diary DS
My Spanish Coach DS
top

N
Nintendo Crossword Collection DS
Nutrition Matters Wii
top

P
Pass Your Driving Theory Test DS
Personal Trainer: Math DS
Personal Yoga Training DS
Picross DS
top

S
Shape Builder iPhone
top

T
The Biggest Loser Wii
The Times Crossword Challenges DS
top

W
Walk With Me DS
WarioWare DIY DS
WarioWare DIY Showcase Wii-ware
We Cheer Wii
Wii-Fit Wii
Wii-Fit Plus Wii
Wii-Fit Plus Solus Wii
Wii-Fitness Round Up
Wii-Sports Resort Wii
Word Fu iPhone
top

Y
Yoga Wii
Your Shape Wii
top

I
iWriteWords iPhone
top

J
jOG Wii

Self improvement games tap into the popular trend in exercise, workouts and therapy. Experiences as diverse as Brain Training on Nintendo DS and Wii-Fit on the Nintendo Wii have popularised the idea that games can be about more than just having fun - they can improve your brain, body and even mental outlook on life.

Fitness games are only recently becoming a genre in their own right. Previously, rhythm action games would cover these titles. With the release of the Wii and related peripherals however, a new Exergaming genre is emerging. Games that motivate you to exercise by making it entertaining, and tracking your progress, are usually intended to supplement existing exercise routines rather than replace them.

Educational titles combine the fun of play with the self improvement of education. As recent research and educational approach in schools shows, these two bedfellows work very well together. Titles usually consist of a series of mini-tasks around a particular subject. Some games in this genre simply use the topic as a theme for its games, whilst others are more obviously education or coaching based. They all track various stats from the player's performance each day. This enables the game to provide feedback and advice about their progress or lack thereof.

Health games provide both a means to record the health of your lifestyle as well as information on how to improve it. This instant feedback provides motivation to work towards long term health benefits that often seem unobtainable. Add to this the variety of interactive exercises and play experiences around the health theme and you have a package that is not trivial in the healthy living scene.

Dance Masters joins the other Kinect dance games. Full body detection and energetic moves combine to offer a controller free challenge.

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 Share: Twitter | facebook

Nintendo Crossword Collection doesn't just offer the little black and white squared variety, but also word searches and anagrams too.

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 Share: Twitter | facebook

WarioWare DIY Showcase offers micro-game addicts another 72 shots in the arm. But more importantly, it's the place to test our your DS WarioWare DIY creations to friends and family. Create on the commute to work then impress them that evening. The complete game development cycle in bit size pieces.

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 Share: Twitter | facebook

Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 maybe just as shouty as the first game, but underneath the harsh Sergeant major exterior there are some intelligent improvements. Motion captured instruction, balance board support and dropping the tethered Nun-chuck make Fitness Ultimatum 2010 a better experience than last year.

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 Share: Twitter | facebook

WarioWare DIY flexes Nintendo's considerable ability to make complex tasks simple and enjoyable. Game development 101 has never been more intuitive. Alongside these goods though is their unwillingness to enable players to interact with strangers, limiting the audience for your WarioWare DIY creations considerably.

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 Share: Twitter | facebook

Flipnote Studio is a free DSi-Ware app where you can create animations. A simple flip book interface and intuitive copy, paste and share tools enables players of any ages to animate.

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 Share: Twitter | facebook

Dance Central brings the body-movement profession home.

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 Share: Twitter | facebook

My Fitness Coach: Cardio Workout focuses your efforts with a simple clean experience. Technically speaking, it offers textures, environments and animation combine with responsive controls keep the game fun and interesting especially when 'shape boxing' to eye of the tiger.

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 Share: Twitter | facebook

Music DS offers genuine tuition, inspired from montessori and Japanese know-how. While players have to work quite hard, the pay off is real musical learning.

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 Share: Twitter | facebook

We Cheer turns Wii-mote flailing into an artform with genuine exercise value. Not as precise a game as All Star Cheerleader, and because of this a lot more challenging. Either way though, there is still fun and exercise a plenty here.

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 Share: Twitter | facebook

Your Shape on the Wii is workout game with a new idea - a camera. This means it comes at things from a new 'Motion Tracking Camera' angle. The game does away with any need to hold for a Wii-mote, stand on the Balance Board or use other motion sensing paraphernalia.

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 Share: Twitter | facebook

EA Sports Active More Workouts builds more fun and variety into what was already a leading fitness game on the Wii. Even with strong competition on Nintendo's Wii console, EA Sports Active More Workouts is the best all round performer for those serious about getting fit.

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 Share: Twitter | facebook

Fritz Chess for the Nintendo Wii is one of a handful of games that mirror recent fitness games with brain training - boosting your mental power with puzzles. If you are looking to work-out your grey matter, Fritz will certainly help you learn, enjoy and play chess.

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 Share: Twitter | facebook

Wii Yoga sets out to offer the hardcore Yoga fan an authentic at home experience, enhanced by the use of the Wii and Wii Fit board. Although there is plenty here to challenge and stretch, for newcomers like me it's all a little daunting - and doesn't all that pretty.

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 Share: Twitter | facebook

The Garmin Forerunner 405 packs a lot into a small wristwatch, but what makes this special is the whole package from online web app, to virtual partner, to run markers. Although you need to get back to base to see in detail how your run has panned out, the quality of the web experience make it a great investment for a new or experienced runner, and without the bulk of previous devices.

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 Share: Twitter | facebook

Crossword Collection for Nintendo DS offers over 1000 puzzles in one game to help ease those long journeys and commutes to work. With three difficulty settings offering challenges unique to your skill level, Crossword Challenge also contains anagram and word search brain-teasers to ensure your puzzle experience has a sense of variety. Whether this is your first puzzle game or youre looking for a fresh challenge, Crossword Challenge for the DS is fun for everyone.

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 Share: Twitter | facebook

The Biggest Loser is the second Nintendo Wii game spin-off from the TV Show. After the unconvincing Jillian Michael's Fitness Ultimatum, Biggest Loser Wii has clearly had the active involvement of Bob Harper, the other trainer from the show, and is a good attempt at bringing the its message and ethos into your home. To give it a fair review I've been using as my main fitness game for over a while now.

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 Share: Twitter | facebook

Active Health on the Nintendo DS follows in the footsteps of games like Nutrition Matters on the Wii and Walk With Me on the DS in encouraging us to get active and eat more healthily. Well present and sharp witted, Active Health with Carol Vorderman manages to combine elements of both these games with much greater success though.

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 Share: Twitter | facebook

It's been two years since Nintendo released Wii-Fit and created an entire fitness,health and exercise genre that has dominated the charts. Since then a whole host of competitors have appeared focusing on Wii-Fit's weaknesses. Now Nintendo has responded with Wii-Fit Plus which fixes many of the problems in the original, while adding whole new kinds of exercise, ramping up the fun, and making it much more effective as a fitness tool.

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 Share: Twitter | facebook

Since I started writing for Game People the number of fitness games available to buy has exploded. The volume of choice can be confusing from Wii-Sports to Wii-Fit, from EA Sports Active to My Fitness Coach. Here I review a few simple tips to make sure your experience is fit for purpose - and you buy the best game for your health and fitness needs.

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 Share: Twitter | facebook

More posts:

Oct 2009

My Fitness Coach: Cardio Workout Wii Review
Wii-Sports Resort Wii Review
Wii-Fit Wii Review
Horrible Histories Ruthless Romans DS Review
Wii-Fit Plus Solus Wii Buying Guide
EA Sports Active Month One Wii Review

Sep 2009

Gardening Guide DS Review
Nutrition Matters Wii Review

Aug 2009

Horrible Histories Ruthless Romans Wii Review
Horrible Histories Ruthless Romans Wii Rough Guide

Jul 2009

More Touchmaster DS Review
My Cooking Coach DS Review

Jun 2009

Wii-Fitness Round Up Article
EA Sports Active Wii Review
Walk With Me DS Review
EA Sports Active Wii Review

May 2009

My Spanish Coach DS Review
Challenge Me: Brain Puzzles DS Review

Apr 2009

The Times Crossword Challenges DS Review
Pass Your Driving Theory Test DS Review
Math Blaster DS Review
My French Coach DS Review
jOG Wii Review
My Fitness Coach Wii Review
My Do It All DS Rough Guide
Word Fu iPhone Rough Guide
iWriteWords iPhone Rough Guide

Mar 2009

Personal Trainer: Math DS Review
Shape Builder iPhone Rough Guide
Imagine: My Restaurant DS Review
Mind Your Language: French DS Review

Feb 2009

Cooking Guide DS Review
Mind Your Language: French DS Rough Guide
My French Coach DS Rough Guide
My Fitness Coach Wii Review
Bookworm Adventures Deluxe PC Review

Jan 2009

Jamie Oliver What's Cooking DS Review
Future of Exergaming Article
Cheaper than the Gym Article

Nov 2008

My Secret Diary DS Rough Guide

Oct 2008

Cooking Mama Wii Review

Sep 2008

Imagine: Teacher DS Rough Guide

Aug 2008

My Health Coach DS Review

Sep 2007

Imagine: My Secret World DS Rough Guide
Brain Training DS Review
Picross DS Review
Magic Made Fun DS Review
Wii-Fit Wii Review
Big Brain Academy Wii Review
Everybody Votes Channel Wii Review
Personal Yoga Training DS Rough Guide
Wii-Fit Wii Rough Guide

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