Nintendo Wii Takes the Exercise Stage at Home.

New exercise games take the stage with the release of the Nintendo Wii.

The Nintendo Wii is the first video game console that encourages your to move your body while you play a game. It has a wiimote control that offers a piece fore each hand to hold and allows you to really control your game with your hands and arms. Nintendo released the Wii with a game called Wii Sports.

Wii Sports is a collection of short mini-games that introduce you to the capibilites of the Wii motion technology. It forces you to stand and move your body to play the fun games based on the sports of tennis, baseball, bowling, golf and boxing.

Some video games have taken advantage of this and made aerobic exercise games to help people exercise. These games are much like purchasing an exercise DVD, but with one major difference. Turning exercise into a game allows the game to keep track of your workout statistics and actually tell encourage you if you slow down or do well.

These games have become so successful that fitness personalities have started comeing out with Wii Workout Games of their own.

Check out this list of workout titles for the Wii along with videos!

	Wii Sports GameSpot Score:7.8 Wii Sports includes Baseball, Tennis, Bowling, Boxing and Golf games for the Nintendo Wii. Release Date: Nov 19, 2006
	Wii Fit GameSpot Score7.0 Wii Fit uses the Wii Balance Board, a pad that players stand on while doing various types of exercise, including calisthenics, yoga, and balancing. Release Date: May 19, 2008
	Wii Fit Plus GameSpot Score7.5 Wii Fit Plus offers a range of new exercises and balance games including Skateboarding and Rhythm Kung Fu. Release Date: Oct 4, 2009
	Wii Sports Resort GameSpot Score 8.0 Wii Sports Resort features various outdoor games and uses the Wii MotionPlus accessory. Release Date: Jul 26, 2009
	Gold's Gym: Cardio Workout The world's leading authority on health and fitness makes its way to the Nintendo Wii in Gold's Gym: Cardio Workout. Release Date: Mar 25, 2009
	EA Sports Active GameSpot Score:8.0 EA Sports Active is a customizable fitness game featuring a wide variety of interactive activities targeting upper body, lower body, and cardio. Release Date: May 19, 2009
	EA Sports Active More Workouts GameSpot Score:7.5 Take a six-week challenge to get into shape while putting the fun into squats, hurdles, and balance exercises. Release Date: Nov 17, 2009
	The Biggest Loser Based upon the NBC show, the game will feature trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, who will provide comprehensive workouts and nutrition goals.Release Date: Oct 6, 2009
	Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 Enter a hell week-style boot camp featuring energetic workout modes in Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2010. Release Date: Oct 6, 2009
	Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 Reach your fitness goals through rigorous exercise routines in Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009. Release Date: Oct 21, 2008
	My Fitness Coach GameSpot Score:7.5 Get in shape with your own virtual personal trainer in My Fitness Coach. Release Date: Dec 2, 2008

Random Fun Movement Games

	WarioWare: Smooth Moves (WII) GameSpot Score: 9.1 The first next-gen installment in Nintendo's series includes over 200 minigames that use the Wii's motion-sensing controller. Release Date: Jan 15, 2007
	Just Dance (WII) Review Score: 5.5 Step to the beat of over 30 dance songs and learn real-life moves from music spanning the 80's, 90's, Disco, Rock and more. Release Date: Nov 17, 2009

These games have become so successful that fitness personalities and television shows have started comeing out with Wii Workout Games of their own.

Check out this list of workout titles for the Wii along with videos!

	Wii Sports GameSpot Score:7.8 Wii Sports includes Baseball, Tennis, Bowling, Boxing and Golf games for the Nintendo Wii. Release Date: Nov 19, 2006
	Wii Fit GameSpot Score7.0 Wii Fit uses the Wii Balance Board, a pad that players stand on while doing various types of exercise, including calisthenics, yoga, and balancing. Release Date: May 19, 2008
	Wii Fit Plus GameSpot Score7.5 Wii Fit Plus offers a range of new exercises and balance games including Skateboarding and Rhythm Kung Fu. Release Date: Oct 4, 2009
	Wii Sports Resort GameSpot Score 8.0 Wii Sports Resort features various outdoor games and uses the Wii MotionPlus accessory. Release Date: Jul 26, 2009
	Gold's Gym: Cardio Workout The world's leading authority on health and fitness makes its way to the Nintendo Wii in Gold's Gym: Cardio Workout. Release Date: Mar 25, 2009
	EA Sports Active GameSpot Score:8.0 EA Sports Active is a customizable fitness game featuring a wide variety of interactive activities targeting upper body, lower body, and cardio. Release Date: May 19, 2009
	EA Sports Active More Workouts GameSpot Score:7.5 Take a six-week challenge to get into shape while putting the fun into squats, hurdles, and balance exercises. Release Date: Nov 17, 2009
	The Biggest Loser Based upon the NBC show, the game will feature trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, who will provide comprehensive workouts and nutrition goals. Release Date: Oct 6, 2009
	Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 Enter a hell week-style boot camp featuring energetic workout modes in Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2010. Release Date: Oct 6, 2009
	Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 Reach your fitness goals through rigorous exercise routines in Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009. Release Date: Oct 21, 2008
	My Fitness Coach GameSpot Score:7.5 Get in shape with your own virtual personal trainer in My Fitness Coach. Release Date: Dec 2, 2008

Random Fun Movement Games

	WarioWare: Smooth Moves (WII) GameSpot Score: 9.1 The first next-gen installment in Nintendo's series includes over 200 minigames that use the Wii's motion-sensing controller. Release Date: Jan 15, 2007
	Just Dance (WII) Review Score: 5.5 Step to the beat of over 30 dance songs and learn real-life moves from music spanning the 80's, 90's, Disco, Rock and more. Release Date: Nov 17, 2009

Exercise Aids of 2000

A newer form of exercise aid has come to us in the form of video games.

These games started as arcade games like Dance Dance Revolution.
A game where you dance to the beat of a song and follow the arrows on the screen like sheet music, only with your feet. This game series attracted many teens due to it’s competitive nature in the arcade scene. It was introduced at home to the family different gaming consoles starting the year 2000.

These games were great because they got the whole family involved in the game and got in shape. Children can enjoy playing an addictive game where they move their body and stay in shape. No matter what the age a person is. As long as they understand the game they can play!

Check out this awsome home video of a 5 year old child who has a firm grasp of the game.

The game also opens the door for more fun options for children to stay in shape. In 2006 the public schools of West Virginia started to add DDR as a physical education equivilent class! Creating competition with a game that gets increasingly more physical the more you play gets everyone involved.

The state of West Virginia and "DDR" publisher Konami announced Wednesday (January 25) that all 765 public schools in the Mountain State will incorporate the dance-pad-based video game into curriculum over the next two years.

The program will start with the state's 103 middle schools, which will each be outfitted with an Xbox, a copy of "DDR Extreme 2" and two dance mats as the curriculum kicks in during the next couple of months.

"Unfortunately West Virginia has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the country," said David Bailey, spokesperson for the state's Public Employees Insurance Agency, the group that coordinated with state education and health groups to implement the program. "We were looking for something that we could do for our kids and wanted to find something they would actually do."

- Directly from MTV.com!

Natalie Henry, 14, was drawn to the pulsing techno songs, and didn't realize she had slimmed down until she went clothes shopping.
"I went to go buy pants and the 14s were too big. The more I played, I gradually had to get smaller size pants," said Natalie, who now buys size 8 baggy cargoes.

"At first I was playing it for fun, but when you see results you're like, 'Yeah!'" said Matt Keene, a 19-year-old from Charleston, S.C., who used to weigh more than 350 pounds and wear pants with a 48-inch waist.
Also aided by better eating habits, the 6-foot-5 Keene explained in a phone interview he had dropped to about 200 pounds. Now he works out on a weight bench to bulk up because he thinks he's too skinny.

The game became a great hit once they became available for more consoles. The games were about $40 each and were bundled with a pad for $60. In my opinion it's a great tradeoff compared to paying hundreds for exercise equipment or monthly gym memberships.

Most people start playing the game in the arcade setting and end up spending loads of money. At about $1~$1.50 a game a person can spend enough to buy a videogame console and the game for their home. Natalie spent $150 the first four months she played.

Video game fans dance off extra pounds - USA Today (2004)

The game was so successful that players couldn't get enough of new songs and unlocking all of the extras. Each year DDR originals and spinoffs came out on almost every gaming console. Check out this list of everything they've release in the USA.

Dreamcast Dance Dance Revolution Club Version Dreamcast Edition (DC) Release Date: Apr 27, 2000	Nintendo 64 Dance Dance Revolution featuring Disney Characters (N64) Release Date: Nov 30, 2000	Playstation Dance Dance Revolution (PS) Release Date: May 9, 2001	Playstation Dance Dance Revolution Disney Mix (PS) Release Date: Sep 17, 2001
Playstation Dance Dance Revolution Konamix (PS) Release Date: Apr 25, 2002	Playstation 2 DDRMAX: Dance Dance Revolution (PS2) Release Date: Oct 28, 2002	Playstation 2 DDRMAX2: Dance Dance Revolution 7th Mix (PS2) Release Date: Apr 24, 2003	Playstation 2 DDRMAX2 Dance Dance Revolution (PS2) Release Date: Sep 23, 2003
Xbox Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix (XBOX) Release Date: Nov 20, 2003	Playstation 2 Dance Dance Revolution Extreme (PS2) Release Date: Sep 21, 2004	Xbox Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2 (XBOX) Release Date: Nov 18, 2004	Playstation 2 Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2 (PS2) Release Date: Sep 27, 2005
GameCube Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix (GC) Release Date: Oct 24, 2005	Xbox Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 3 (XBOX) Release Date: Nov 15, 2005	Playstation 2 Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA (PS2) Release Date: Sep 26, 2006	Xbox Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 4 (XBOX) Release Date: Nov 14, 2006
XBOX 360 Dance Dance Revolution Universe (X360) Release Date: Feb 27, 2007	Nintendo Wii Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party (WII) Release Date: Sep 25, 2007	Playstation 2 Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA 2 (PS2) Release Date: Sep 25, 2007	XBOX 360 Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2 (X360) Release Date: Dec 4, 2007
Playstation 2 Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition (PS2) Release Date: Jan 8, 2008	Nintendo Wii Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party 2 (WII) Release Date: Sep 12, 2008	Playstation 2 Dance Dance Revolution X (PS2) Release Date: Sep 16, 2008	Nintendo Wii Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 3 (WII) Release Date: Oct 27, 2009
Playsation 3Dance Dance Revolution (PS3) Release Date: Nov 1, 2010	XBOX 360 Dance Dance Revolution (X360) Release Date: Nov 1, 2010
Release dates, photos and all information in this table is taken from Gamespot.com

Keep an eye out for my next post about the newest video game exercise fad. THE NINTENDO WII!

Just for fun, heres a clip of DDR on an episode of SOUTH PARK!