Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I wrote a rather detailed review about Wii Fit U under this product page: Wii Fit U w/Fit Meter - Wii U. The bundle you see here is identical to that one, except that it includes a Wii Balance Board. In case you're wondering, the Balance Board included in this bundle is identical to the one bundled with the original Wii Fit in 2007--unlike the Wii Remote Plus and the Wii U itself, there haven't been any upgrades to the Balance Board's technology since then. So if you already have a Balance Board, you'll be better off buying just the Wii Fit U w/Fit Meter - Wii U. You might want to consider whether to get this bundle or to purchase a used Balance Board separately (they go for as low as $15 at places like Gamestop or Craig's List). Better yet, chances are you have a friend or relative who has one in the basement collecting dust who's willing to give it to you. (Here's a hint: there's a common problem where old Balance Boards appear to be "dead", but there's an easy fix for it. Just Google "Broken Balance Board" and you'll find the solution, which just required a screwdriver). Now that that's out of the way, here's a summary of my thoughts on Wii Fit U: As with the original Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus, there are several categories of exercise activities: - Yoga - A set of 18 Yoga poses, where you follow an on-screen trainer's instructions. It's greatly enhanced over the original Wii Fit in that you can view the trainer's body with a 360 degree view to ensure that you're matching it precisely. Furthermore, you have the option of viewing your own video image next to the trainer's using the GamePad camera (it doesn't automatically detect whether you're precisely matching the trainer, but you can eyeball whether you are easily enough). The Yoga poses are traditional ones like "half moon", "downward facing dog", etc. 15 of them are the same as in the original Wii Fit Plus, while 3 are new ones. - Strength Training - A set of 15 activities to strengthen specific parts of your body, such as lunges, planks, extensions, and so on. Again, you follow a trainer to learn the correct technique, and as with Yoga you can view the trainer from any angle or view your own video image on screen. 12 are the same as in the original Wii Fit, 3 are new ones. - Aerobics - These are cute games that use your Mii to do various activities to get your cardio going. 11 of the activities are the same as in the original Wii Fit, including Hula Hoop, Rhythm Boxing, and Island Cycling, although most of these activties have been enhanced with new features using the Wii Remote Plus, HD graphics, and "second screen" support on the GamePad. There are 4 new activities, including Puzzle Squash (sort of a first-person, 3D version of Breakout) and Rowing Crew (where you use both the Balance Board and the Wii Remote Plus to simulate rowing). The one gripe I have about aerobics activities is that they're far too short for you to get into a decent cardio heart rate zone, so you have to string together a lot of activities to get any kind of meaningful workout. - Dance - This is a new category. I expected it to be something like Just Dance, but it's actually more like a step aerobics class with different kinds of music and focus on different parts of your body. - Balance Games - These are cute games that use your Mii to work on balance and coordination. Returning are 11 old favorites like Rhythm Kung Fu and Bird's Eye Bullseye, which like the Aerobics games have been enhanced for the Wii U. There are 7 new balance games. My favorite by far is one called "Dessert Course", which ingeniously integrates the GamePad and the TV screen; you're a waiter who's trying to balance a bunch of rolling and jiggling desserts on a tray (your GamePad) while delivering it to guests in a crowded restaurant. Another one I love is "Ultimate Obstacle Course", which is an excellent upgrade to the original Obstacle Course (which is also included). Another thing I like about Wii Fit U is the ability to play many activities on the GamePad, while freeing up the TV for others. All of this would be an excellent upgrade alone, but the addition of the Wii Fit Meter adds a whole new dimension to the game. The Wii Fit Meter is a smooth, round device that's about 1 3/4" in diameter that you clip onto your belt and wear throughout the day. Like a FitBit or a Nike FuelBand, it tracks your daily activity outside of the game, and is able to detect not just your steps (as a pedometer does), but also your level of exertion and your altitude. The unit also gives you time and temperature, and even displays a little LCD version of your Mii's face. Each time you start up Wii Fit U, you'll be asked to sync the data (the unit stores up to 2 weeks of data). Once you've done that, you can see some cool graphs that help you visualize the amount of activity you've done by date and hour, as well as your level of exertion and your altitude changes. There's a feature called "Fit Meter Challenge" where you can apply your Fit Meter data to complete "challenges" from around the world. You can choose walking challenges, such as a stroll through New York City or Tokyo. Each time you open the map, you'll be given the option of getting "credit" for the miles you've put onto your Fit Meter since the last time you synced the data. You'll see your little Mii progressing along the path, with buildings being filled in to the blank map, factoids and photos of the places you're "visiting", and coins "blinging" along the way. Similarly, you can choose altitude challenges; for example, climbing the equivalent of the Statue of Liberty, Mount Fuji, or Mount Everest. It's a nice added incentive to rack up as much activity as you can outside of the game itself. While the Wii U has been maligned in the media and by the purchasing public (and sadly not unjustified in some cases), Wii Fit U is an excellent example of why I think the future is still bright for Nintendo. Whatever missteps they might have made in their console's hardware design and relationships with third party developers, their first party software development is still second to none. Every single activity and feature in Wii Fit U is polished and substantial ingenuity, is "addictive" enough to make you want to play more (an excellent trait in an exercise game) and is just a pleasure to start up and play. Many of these components alone (the Yoga classes, the Balance Games, the Fit Meter graphs and challenges) would make excellent standalone titles on their own, but they're all bundled together in one very affordable package here. And while there's been a lot of hype about new exergaming features on other systems like Xbox One, bottom line is that the Wii U is still the only video game console that lets you take (and track) your weight, track your offline activity, and play games that are as fun as they are exercise.