'Wii Fit' is loads of fun, but don't give up gym membership

— -- With Wii Fit for the Wii video game console, Nintendo hopes to get you off the couch and into games that are all about exercise and fitness. But, this isn't like some boring aerobics class where you can't wait to be done. You exercise by doing fun things like Hula-Hooping or ski-jumping.

Wii Fit is a combination of a special balance board controller and software. The core component is the balance board. This rectangular wireless device sits on the floor and looks like an outsized bathroom scale. When you stand on the Wii board, it can measure your weight, as well as determine slight shifts in balance as you lean forward, back and from side-to-side. Nintendo includes more than 40 minigames that use the board's measurement capabilities in the software.

The Wii Fit games fall into four categories: balance games, aerobics, strength training and yoga. At first, some of the games aren't available, but as you spend time with Wii Fit, the software keeps track of your exercising and rewards your efforts by unlocking new games. In all of the games, your animated Mii character on the TV screen mimics your movements.

Under balance games, you will find Soccer Heading, where you stand on the balance board and head the soccer balls being kicked at you. In another activity, you control a tilt platform with balls on it, where the object is to roll the balls into holes. All are intriguing, but kids will particularly like the ski slalom and the penguin slide.

For aerobics, you can Hula-Hoop, run in place (next to, but not on the board), rhythm-box and do step-aerobics (where you step on and off the board in a Dance, Dance, Revolution -type activity of matching your foot positions to those shown on the screen). You can even unlock an open step mode where you continue to walk on and off the board while watching TV on another channel. The board will keep count of your steps.

There are about a dozen different muscle-toning strength exercises, including lunges, push-ups and leg extensions. You can also learn numerous yoga positions and are critiqued on how steady you are while doing them.