Kinect Required
Calling this title a game is perhaps a stretch too far. Basically what this represents is the next step in the evolution of workout DVDs. There are a number of challenge games available to assist you in competing with another user but ultimately this is an interactive fitness program.
With that first caveat out of the way it’s important to present another one. This title needs much more clear space than any other Kinect titles we’ve tried. If you can only just meet the requirements for Kinect Adventures then you’re going to be at least another two feet (60cm) away from having enough space for Biggest Loser. You need room to be the required distance from the sensor and enough room to lie down both perpendicular with and parallel to the sensor.
Once the software starts up you would be advised to follow the initial set up tutorial and create a custom workout whereby you are assessed by one of the TV show’s trainers. This consists of a workout of increasing intensity on which you will provide feedback (via voice control). After this is completed the game will recommend a level for you to start at.
The acid test, of course, is whether this regime will work for you over a prolonged period of time. Under review conditions that’s impossible to predict with absolute certainty. The exercises are certainly well pitched to give you an all-over workout and you should have no problems getting your heart rate up and giving your lungs a good stretch. There is a large selection of cardio and, with the addition of other basic gym equipment such as a resistance band or swiss ball, muscle toning exercises.
The game’s neatest trick is that it will use the Kinect sensor to scan your body, allowing you to tweak any erroneous measurements later. Once you’ve been following the regime for a while you can re-scan and see how you’ve improved.
Menu selection can be a slight pain due to the on screen cursor having no “snap-to” on the options. You have to keep your hand hovering steadily over the options and after an exhausting workout that’s not as easy as it sounds. Visually things are represented well with familiar faces and settings to anyone who has seen the TV show. We did experience occasional errors with the sensor not detecting full range of motion in our arms or when we were on the floor but that could easily be an issue with our space restrictions.
Ultimate Workout offers a number of different types of training exercise including harder cardio training and lighter core stabilisation exercise like Yoga. It tracks your body impressively and displays a Kinect-eye view of you in the corner of the screen so you can compare your own form to that of your on-screen expert (Bob Harper or Jillian Michaels). You will also be prompted on screen, and audibly by your trainer, if your form is lacking. You can even tell your trainer you need a water break at certain points when they ask how you’re finding the workout.
There are plenty of options and you will get plenty of encouragement with Biggest Loser. You do need plenty of space to get the best from it but in comparison to those fitness DVDs you try for a month after every Christmas this seems like it would offer a lot more personalisation and a lot more incentive to return.
Pros:
- Can be easily tailored to your own requirements.
- Looks good and works well.
- Provides a large variety of exercises, challenges and even recipes to help you.
Cons:
- Requires a lot of space (we recommend a ten foot square in front of your TV).
- Don’t buy it expecting a game.
Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout is one great example of something Kinect seems to be encouraging: fitness products. It is approachable, enthusiastic and easily personalised so that it should be accessible to all levels of fitness. There are a couple of neat tricks in there but the space requirements might be prohibitive for some.
Dan Lee
Glad I didnt buy the game; the space requirement is far beyond what I have.
cc_star
How much weight did you lose during the course of the review :p
bunimomike
So let’s get this right. People may well have a low self-esteem and then want to buy a title with a name like this? Wow!
moshi
I think it would apply to those who watch ITV 2 and such other riveting channels
colmshan1990
:D
Comments like this make me wish for a Facebook style ‘like’ button…
Kovacs
The title The Biggest Loser refers to losing the most amount of weight. If you lost 100kg and someone else lost, say, 80kg, then YOU are the biggest loser as you lost more.
Sure, it’s a play on words, but buying this product is not declaring you are, in fact, a LOSER. It means you want to be the biggest loser (of weight.)
Yes, I’ve watched far too much of this show. (Go Bob!)
bunimomike
Ah, I understand what they’re doing but it doesn’t lose the connotation. ;-)
Teabags
I’ve been playing The Fight with PlayStation Move, and I have passively lost a few pounds. I’m all for games which promote fitness, but not as directly as this or EA Active.
SpikeyMikey23
its like something my gran would play. I want a go. could do with some ‘toning’ ;)
Love the big bold blue ‘Kinect Required’…. for the dumb? ;)
stonyk
I have no idea how this got a 7?!? It’s not crticism of the reviewer but it seems as a game it shoul get 0, but as an excercise tool it’s doesn’t look as useful as going for a run/walk, playing sport, cycling to work which are all free. I also get loads of free recipes from BBC website.
Don’t take this as criticism, I just can’t see how this can get any score really. Glad you had to come up with one and not me :-)
gazzagb
Great review, but the main thing I want to know when I see all of these ‘fitness’ type games is do they actually work?
I used to go on Wii Fit quite a bit, but after a couple of months, I didn’t notice anything better so stopped. I’m pretty skinny, so I wasn’t weight loss that I wanted, I just wanted to improve my muscular strength and endurance, except I didn’t notice anything different about myself.
So Cb, did you find that it actually worked?
colossalblue
it certainly got me out of breath and increased my heart rate but a few days of trialling it for review didn’t make up for fifteen years of cake, alcohol, cigarettes and chocolate.
I used to have EA Active on the Wii, it was pretty decent but I don’t really have the motivation to keep this sort of thing up for prolonged periods of time.
Tuffcub
Me and hubby had the same problem. Then we made contracts and signed them. Mine says if I dont lose 2lbs a week he can take my PS3 away for a week, his says the same except I take his Sky TV.
It’s very motivational :)
Mikiyaru
Wheres the video of you trying it out then Peter? We got the video of Kris playing dance central :)
BIGAL-1992
So really this is just an interactive-dvd in the form of a video game.
Charmed_Fanatic
Yet another workout thing, if people actually used these, there would be no fat people by now
bunimomike
If people led a more active lifestyle and didn’t eat so much shit, we’d all live years longer but wotcha gonna do, eh?
Tuffcub
Well im going to have cake. Nom.