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| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Entertainment Developer: THQ Publisher: THQ |
The general population of the United States is very worried about weight issues, so much so that many will settle themselves into their
coach to watch obese contestants suffer as they attempt to lose weight. Finally, it is time for those people to get themselves off of the
coach and show that they too are willing to make the same commitment to themselves to lose weight. “The Biggest Loser” is an
exercise game that is based on the popular reality television show on NBC which features obese contestants competing to lose the
most weight. Players are able to take on four to twelve week workout programs that resemble the process that the contestants of the
show undergo, or they can simply use the game to do individual workouts, gain fitness tips and find recipes for healthier eating. While
the game may not have the same hype and budget that other recent fitness games of this type have had to back them up, this underdog
of a game makes as much of an effort as the contestants on the show, offering as much as the competition in terms of workout options
and customizable difficulty levels.
Players first choose which of the show’s hosts they want to be their personal trainer, selecting either Bob Harper or Jillian Michaels.
Michaels is a very well known figure in the fitness game genre having a popular title of her own, “Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum
2009” on shelves and a 2010 version of the game on the way. Though players may prefer a trainer of the same sex as themselves, it all
comes down to who players want to look at and listen to through the entire duration of their exercise routines. Players will also select a
player to represent players from a list of contestants on previous seasons of the show, but the choice of contestant doesn’t really
change the overall game play experience at all.
The individual workouts provided in the game are divided into five different target areas ranging from full body, upper body, core, lower
body and yoga. Players get to select their preferred difficulty level for their workout and the game have one of the largest difficulty ranges
of any fitness to be released, offering a total of five different settings. These settings range from light, moderate, challenging, hard and
intense. This amazing range of difficulties is what really makes “The Biggest Loser” stands out from other games of this type. Within
each of these difficulties there are a number of different length options, ranging from short 10-20 minute workouts to intense routines
that can reach up to a crazy 70 minutes. Many players may be able to work through the workout in “EA Sports Active” on the highest
difficulty without any trouble, but trying to work through a 70 minute intense core workout can be a little bit terrifying.
Like other recent fitness games, such as “Wii Fit Plus” and “EA Sports Active,” “The Biggest Loser” offers players the chance to create
and save a number of custom workouts, so they can avoid exercises that they don’t really enjoy. Players are able to choose to begin a
4, 8 or 12 week training session that provides set workouts, tracks the player’s calorie intake and helps them to select a weight loss
goal to work towards. The program requires a regular time commitment, not just for the exercise programs, but also for estimating and
inputting calorie consumption, so only those that are dedicated to losing weight and playing the game should begin one of the
programs. This mode closely follows the format of the television show, and it is also very similar to the “EA Sports Active” 30 Day
Challenge where players are challenged to complete 20 set workouts in 30 days as well as filling out a daily journal about their diet,
activity level and lifestyle choices. Within the training program there are three major difficulty options; beginner, intermediate and expert.
There are also several training levels within each of these options, so just like the individual workouts, there is a lot of room to
customize the workout program based on their current fitness level.
The controls of the game are a bit of an issue due to the fact that they can be inconsistent at times, an issue that seems to be the
standard for fitness games. Users with a background in the exercises that are being performed, either from videos or in real life
training classes at a gym, will probably want to rely on their own knowledge when the motions tracking seems to be off a bit. Though
there are up to five possible points for each exercise, these scores don’t really mean much in the game. Most of the time scores will be
low because of the fact that there are errors in the movement tracking, instead of it meaning that players aren’t working out their hardest.
“The Biggest Loser” is actually a fairly impressive game. While these game certainly has its share of flaws in its motion tracking and
lacks the polish of some of the other high budget fitness games, but when it comes to working out it will get the player’s heart
pumping. The inclusion of five different workout types and a strong variety of difficulty choices for each type makes this game a
customizable experience that can give players the workout they want.
coach to watch obese contestants suffer as they attempt to lose weight. Finally, it is time for those people to get themselves off of the
coach and show that they too are willing to make the same commitment to themselves to lose weight. “The Biggest Loser” is an
exercise game that is based on the popular reality television show on NBC which features obese contestants competing to lose the
most weight. Players are able to take on four to twelve week workout programs that resemble the process that the contestants of the
show undergo, or they can simply use the game to do individual workouts, gain fitness tips and find recipes for healthier eating. While
the game may not have the same hype and budget that other recent fitness games of this type have had to back them up, this underdog
of a game makes as much of an effort as the contestants on the show, offering as much as the competition in terms of workout options
and customizable difficulty levels.
Players first choose which of the show’s hosts they want to be their personal trainer, selecting either Bob Harper or Jillian Michaels.
Michaels is a very well known figure in the fitness game genre having a popular title of her own, “Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum
2009” on shelves and a 2010 version of the game on the way. Though players may prefer a trainer of the same sex as themselves, it all
comes down to who players want to look at and listen to through the entire duration of their exercise routines. Players will also select a
player to represent players from a list of contestants on previous seasons of the show, but the choice of contestant doesn’t really
change the overall game play experience at all.
The individual workouts provided in the game are divided into five different target areas ranging from full body, upper body, core, lower
body and yoga. Players get to select their preferred difficulty level for their workout and the game have one of the largest difficulty ranges
of any fitness to be released, offering a total of five different settings. These settings range from light, moderate, challenging, hard and
intense. This amazing range of difficulties is what really makes “The Biggest Loser” stands out from other games of this type. Within
each of these difficulties there are a number of different length options, ranging from short 10-20 minute workouts to intense routines
that can reach up to a crazy 70 minutes. Many players may be able to work through the workout in “EA Sports Active” on the highest
difficulty without any trouble, but trying to work through a 70 minute intense core workout can be a little bit terrifying.
Like other recent fitness games, such as “Wii Fit Plus” and “EA Sports Active,” “The Biggest Loser” offers players the chance to create
and save a number of custom workouts, so they can avoid exercises that they don’t really enjoy. Players are able to choose to begin a
4, 8 or 12 week training session that provides set workouts, tracks the player’s calorie intake and helps them to select a weight loss
goal to work towards. The program requires a regular time commitment, not just for the exercise programs, but also for estimating and
inputting calorie consumption, so only those that are dedicated to losing weight and playing the game should begin one of the
programs. This mode closely follows the format of the television show, and it is also very similar to the “EA Sports Active” 30 Day
Challenge where players are challenged to complete 20 set workouts in 30 days as well as filling out a daily journal about their diet,
activity level and lifestyle choices. Within the training program there are three major difficulty options; beginner, intermediate and expert.
There are also several training levels within each of these options, so just like the individual workouts, there is a lot of room to
customize the workout program based on their current fitness level.
The controls of the game are a bit of an issue due to the fact that they can be inconsistent at times, an issue that seems to be the
standard for fitness games. Users with a background in the exercises that are being performed, either from videos or in real life
training classes at a gym, will probably want to rely on their own knowledge when the motions tracking seems to be off a bit. Though
there are up to five possible points for each exercise, these scores don’t really mean much in the game. Most of the time scores will be
low because of the fact that there are errors in the movement tracking, instead of it meaning that players aren’t working out their hardest.
“The Biggest Loser” is actually a fairly impressive game. While these game certainly has its share of flaws in its motion tracking and
lacks the polish of some of the other high budget fitness games, but when it comes to working out it will get the player’s heart
pumping. The inclusion of five different workout types and a strong variety of difficulty choices for each type makes this game a
customizable experience that can give players the workout they want.
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