Family Trainer (Wii)
Review by David Jenkins – So are you still using Wii Fit on a regular basis, or did you give up after a week?
Whatever you think of Nintendo's hardware bundle – and we were generally very impressed – it's still hard actually to call it a game.
So it's a bit of a surprise to find that Namco Bandai's apparent clone is a lot closer to what many probably assumed Wii Fit was going to be.
Rather than using the Balance Board, this comes bundled with its own hardware peripheral: a dance mat.
There's a bit of previous here, in that Bandai created the first ever such mat for the NES back in 1986, called – you guessed it – Family Trainer.
Then, like now, it wasn't actually used for dancing, but for a series of titles that tested and coached your athletic prowess through the medium of gaming.
Essentially this is yet another mini-game compilation, with 15 in total – all meant to exercise a different part of your body into full fitness.
The most basic is Sprint Challenge, where you simply try to run on the spot as fast as possible.
Log Leaper is basically hurdles instead of sprint, while Speed Roller has you rollerblading on the mat and using the Wii remote to steer yourself along.
Kayak Attack is particularly clever in the way it uses the controllers, as you use your feet to steer and waggle the remote around like an oar.
Our favourite, though, was the simpler Pipe Slider, where you sit on the mat and use your hands to steer as you speed down an F-Zero-style chute.
Mole Stomper is also far more amusing than it should be, considering it's just Whac-A-Mole with your feet.
The game makes no real pretence to help make you fit, with most of its longevity coming from the multiplayer.
Seesaw Battler is particularly mirthsome, as is the co-operative game where you have to steer a mine cart.
There's still no substance to any of it but as party games go, shuffling along on your bottom like a dog with worms, or trying to catch a speed boost in a water chute, is quite the ice-breaker.
IN SHORT: No cheap Wii Fit clone, this is considerably more game-like and hugely more entertaining in a group.
PROS: There's not really a dud among any of the games and they all make very varied use of the controllers.
CONS: There's zero depth to any of the games, which means playing often or on your own is a no-no from the start.
SCORE: 7/10 Out: Now (UK)