Wii Fit - Reception

Reception

Wii Fit was well received by video game critics. It currently holds an 80% score on Game Rankings, aggregated from the scores of 52 media outlets, and got an average score of 81 on MobyGames. While the playful balance and aerobics minigames have generally been praised as simple fun, criticism for the game is aimed at its limitations in offering a serious workout regime. In 1UP.com's review, one such limitation was attributed to the lack of structure the game imposes on the player, stating that while having "complete freedom to choose what you want to do, you might find yourself cheating, despite your best intentions." X-Play also noted that the brief activities are separated by menus, making it difficult for one to keep up a constant heart rate, with Game Revolution criticizing a serious limitation: "as a stand-alone fitness trainer it suffers greatly by the inability to assemble a full, unbroken workout without the horrible 'fitness interruptus' necessitated by bothersome menu navigation and obtrusive Wii remote usage." Some have also pointed out a lack of Nintendo's usual charm in game design, specifically in the yoga and strength training exercises which take place in a muted setting that one critic referred to as "the world's most lifeless, depressing gym." Despite these limitations, the game's friendly front-end and amount of activities are cited as appealing features to those who are perhaps seeking an introduction to daily exercise. In a review on IGN, Wii Fit was said to create "an environment in which working out is less daunting and as a result enjoyable – fun, even."

According to a study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, the aerobics portion of Wii Fit was not sufficient to maintain a heart rate of the recommended intensity (known in sports physiology as a target heart rate) for maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness.

A study published by Tokyo's National Institute of Health and Nutrition concluded that only 33% of the exercises (22 of a total of 68) qualified as medium-intensity, with the rest as low-intensity. No exercises qualified as high-intensity. The researchers concluded that only one-third of the exercises qualify towards the exercise guidelines provided by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA), and that the exercises offered less benefits "than authentic sports or exercises because playing these active video games involved little horizontal locomotion." However, to reach 30 minutes of moderate activity (5 times a week) as suggested by the ACSM, significantly more time is required, due to the repeated manual navigations of the menus required between each exercise and the inability to program customized exercise routines, repetitions, or time limits (or even personalized intensities—the "trainer" will never modify the speed based on the user's fitness level).

Wii Fit was awarded Best Use of the Balance Board by IGN in its 2008 video game awards. It was also nominated for multiple other awards, including Best New IP and Best Sports Game. Hyper commends the game for its "effective exercise program, its accessibility and its massive novelty value". However, he criticised it for not being a "gamer's game and no good for long sessions".

Cycling Weekly reported that Mark Cavendish, a double Madison World Champion and Commonwealth Games gold medalist bike racer had to stop his training regime when he injured his left calf's gastrocnemius after falling off the balance board while playing Wii Fit.

There was minor controversy regarding Wii Fit in the UK, where two parents complained after the known limitations of BMI led to their daughter being labeled as overweight. Nintendo apologized over any offense caused by the terminology used in-game.