Nickelodeon Fit

We purchased a Wii for our kids as a way to help them get physical activity when outdoor play is unfeasible. Therefore, I did a lot of research and purchased two games, Nickelodeon Fit and Active Life Explorer, as each seemed to require significant physical movement, while also being age-appropriate for my 3 and 5 year olds. After observing(and on many occasions, joining in on the fun)for about 2 weeks, I began considering which was the ultimate success based on a variety of factors.Activity Level:Nickelodeon Fit: All games require some physical activity, though not super strenuous. This makes it ideal for very young children who are still developing their coordination and might get more frustrated with fast-paced games. However, an older child (6+) will probably not find it as exciting and may quickly become bored with the simplicity of the activities.Active Life Explorer:The majority of the games are very fast paced and most require quick footwork, to include running, jumping, ducking, etc. My 3 year old and 5 year old both love participating in the high energy games and get an unparalleled amount of exercise in the process. Furthermore, because the mat is required for all games, it is not possible to fake the movements by simply holding a Wii remote and flicking your wrist.Simplicity of Instructions:Nickelodeon Fit: Moose provides verbal instructions before each game, and visual prompts are available throughout. Aside from the requirement to hold the remote sideways and use the 2 button instead of A, the instructions are fairly intuitive. My kids learned and remembered the instuctions very quickly.Active Life Explorer: Written instructions are provided before each game, in addition to visual prompts during gameplay. The instructions are straightforward and my kids were able to remember and begin predicting the necessary actions following a couple of attempts.Fun Factor:Nickelodeon Fit: Although some of the games put a unique spin on traditional games (i.e. in bowling, the Backyardigans must push a giant ball up a hill and then steer it down toward the pins while avoiding obstacles), a lot of them feel more like exercise games--much like it's big brother, Wii Fit. However, the fun and well-recognized characters keep it from feeling too much like a workout game.Active Life Explorer: Every game on this title has an exciting adventure theme that keeps kids completely oblivious to the fact that they are exercising. Furthermore, kids can use their miis to become further immersed in the games. Instead of the traditional jumping rope exercise, kids are avoiding hungry sharks, stomping on crocodiles' heads, riding on horseback to catch a bandit, jumping broken tracks in a collapsing mine, swinging from vine to vine, and repelling down steep cliffs. Rather than running down the street in a marathon, "explorers" are running at top speed to bust through doors and swim through the water into a sunken ship.Play Modes:Nickelodeon Fit: While the game allows for more than one player, it is striclty on a one player at a time basis. Therefore, activity level is halted while waiting for the other player to complete tasks. However, this is a good way to help preschoolers develop patience and foster turn-taking behaviors. Although there are no alternate modes of play, players are able to unlock increasingly difficult activities upon mastering introductory levels.Active Life Explorer: Most games allow for 2 players at a time, and a few even allow 4 players simultaneously. Increasing difficulty levels are unlocked upon completion of tasks in the easy mode. In addition, there are 3 play modes. Free play allows the player to select any game and difficulty level at will. The Treasure Adventure option requires players to solve clues and use a treasure map to navigate through various worlds. As games are successfully completed, players earn keys to unlock more areas of the map. Finally, there is a party mode. This randomly selects games that are good for multiple players. Games that only allow one at a time play are alternated with games that allow multiple players to compete simultaneously.In conclusion, both games are an excellent way to introduce physical activity to the indoors. While Nickelodeon Fit may appeal to the younger crowd (3+) due to familiar characters and less intense gameplay, Active Life Explorer provides a greater level of activity and can be enjoyed by a wider range of age groups. For both games, movements are simple and intutive, and instructions are prominantly displayed. Although I feel that Active Life Explorer has an edge on Wii Fit in nearly all categories, I highly recommend both for families with young children.

I bought this game for my 6 year old daughter. She is not a "gamer" and has limited frustration tolerance so I have been searching for a game that would be good for her. She always wants to play the wii because she sees her older sisters play it, but when she can't play the games correctly she gets upset. This is the first game that she has really liked and has been able to play well. The games are simple and they provide instructions for each one before they start. They also give you hints of what you need to do in the corner of the screen if you aren't doing well. You get a silver or gold medal after each game and if you do it perfectly, you get a gold ribbon (although only the first time, much to my daughters dismay!). The games are really fun and my daughter likes each one. I would give the game 5 stars if it weren't for one thing - navigating is very difficult. The games are about 2 minutes long and of course, the kids want to play them again right after. But there is no easy way to "play again" - you have to go through several menus to select the game again (including re-calibrating the wii fit board if you are using it). This means that I have to sit there with my daughter because even at 6, its hard to navigate through several menus to find the game you want. I wish it was a little easier so kids could play more independently.

My kids are 3 and 5, and this game seems to be a really good way to get them moving. Of course it is by no means a replacement for going outside and riding an actual bike, but on bad weather days it is a good way to get them wiggling around for 20-30 min while they have lots of fun. There are enough different games to play, and so far it does not feel repetitive. There are trophies to win for each game, and the "awards case" shows all the medals and trophies each player has won. It is a great encouragement to try certain games again and try harder to get the required points for a gold medal or certain trophy. I also like that the games take the age of each player into account. My 3 year old does not understand all the movements and instructions yet, and for example Dora keeps riding her bike even if he forgets to move or does not move hard enough to truly play. If however the 5 year old will play the same game, Dora will stop and tell him to move more to help her race her bike. This is great, because the 3 year old does not get frustrated, and can still see similar activity from Dora even though he is not able to perform the same way his older brother does. I also like to custom routines, where I can create a routine with each child's favorite games for easy access. This eliminates downtime between games trying to choose a new one.The only thing I don't like is that it does not allow for two kids to play at the same time side by side. That would have been a great option.

This was a great purchase! My granddaughter loved it. I highly endorse this item!

Fonctionne

Terrible quality. It played okay for the first 1 or two games, then it kept glitching at the same spot in the game and we would have to reboot it. Returned!