Active Life Outdoor Challenge

10 Review to this product

• 

  ZETAZEN
  September 10th, 2008 on 3:17 pm

  Rating

  I am an owner of a Wii Fit, so I wanted to try another interactive game that moved my whole body. This game is just as great as the Wii Fit. Here are a couple of pros and cons of Namco’s Active Life Outdoor Challenge:

  Pro:

  Will move your entire body – if you looking for a cardio workout. There are a lot of games that you can play by yourself, against someone or as a team. You can use your Mii; and the game will collect fitness data that you can gage your fitness over time.

  Con:

  My kids kept jumping off the mat and off the small squares and triangles. They are not looking down at the mat, but up at the television. So you have to make sure your eyes and feet are coordinated enough for you to watch the screen and ensure your feet are in the right place on the mat.

  The mat itself is like the Wii Remote so while was reading the instructions my daughter was using the mat to move the instructions before I could finish reading them. I thought I was going crazy because I wasn’t using the actual Wii Remote to move to the next screen. (This will eventually become a pro when you really get the hang of it)

  My daughters and I played for about 90 minutes and we were all sweaty and tired by the time we said ENOUGH! Between this game and Wii Fit I don’t see how anyone could not get a good cardio and strength training fitness regime.

  I am anxious to see how Namco will franchise this “interactive mat” into more physically challenging games…i.e. an Active Life series.
  
• 

  G. Robinson
  September 10th, 2008 on 8:12 pm

  Rating

  I just got this game today, and out of the box it’s a lot of fun! The games are enjoyable right away, and as you play them they get more challenging. I broke a sweat during the spring challenge, and the 5 minute hard exercise routine. I think it’s a lot of fun, and I’m sure that my daughter will agree when she gets a chance to try it out too!

  I have DDR Hottest Party as well, and I find Outdoor Challenge to be more interesting, and I can’t wait for more Active Life titles!
• 

  H2O
  September 12th, 2008 on 5:40 am

  Rating

  I got the game before the kids were home from school and played the whole 2 hours till the they got home. I loved it, got all sweaty. The games are simple and more fun and active feeling then Wii Fit. Much more jumping and running and just moving your whole body. So far there seems to be enough variety to keep interest.

  I really like that it is easy to change between people. We have lots of kids over of different sizes and it is so frustrating when they are taking turns and to have to change Mii’s for each child’s weight on Wii Fit. Active Live Outdoor Challenge is very easy just maybe 5 back buttons and choose new Mii and it’s changed. Wii Fit is a pain and most times not worth the hassle. So nobodies stats are truly theirs.

  Yes Wii Fit keeps track of weight and does strength exercises and yoga so it would be better for working out and keeping track of real exercise. This but this is more fun, for myself and the kids. It is not formal feeling like the Wii Fit, just body moving games. And NO LECTURING from the game.

  The only problem I see is that the two players have to share the mat and they have to be pretty close. I would bet money someone in my family (the 7 yr old) will get knocked down and get all mad. But it has plenty of two player games, better then Wii Fit.

  PS I have not been able to get back on the game since the kids got home. )

  EDIT: 5 days later. I am returning it for a new pad. The wire going into the box at top of mat is braking inside. It was not treated roughly. I hope it is a fluke. It needs to be wiggled at the pad to register that it is plugged in.
  
  I am still happy with it. I hope it does not break again.
• 

  PT Cruiser
  September 12th, 2008 on 1:30 pm

  Rating

  I’m not a kid. In fact I’m almost 60 and I bought the game for myself after getting Wii Fit a couple weeks ago and really enjoying the games that are included with that.

  I LOVE this game (or series of small games) If you want a good workout and you’re a kid at heart, you’re going to love Outdoor Challenge. I’ve only played it by myself so far but I can tell you that it works every part of your body. I was dripping with sweat after 10 minutes. Some of the games you do standing, or I should say running in place and jumping over logs or jumping on a trampoline over water or jumping rope. There’s a Mine Cart game where you’re leaning to the side and lifting one foot while pumping both hands up and down to propel the cart at ever faster speeds. Or sitting on the mat and rowing with the “paddle” (wiimote) trying to get to the goal as fast as you can.

  Like the Wii Fit games, it keeps track of your scores and the scores of others that play so you are constantly trying to beat your best scores and get top scores in the games.

  This game is too much fun to waste on kids. Get it for yourself! It’ll make you laugh out loud!
• 

  Cortney S. Hayes
  September 16th, 2008 on 10:18 am

  Rating

  If you liked the Wii Fit you’ll like the Active Life Outdoor Challenge. There are many many games including, kayaking, lake top trampoline, a roller coaster, mole stomp, roller blading, sprinting and hurdles. I’ve tried almost all of them and I love it! It’s at least as much fun as the regular Wii Fit and maybe more so because you can actually run and jump on the mat itself.

  One Tip – To begin it says you need to have the “mat controller” on a rug or carpet to prevent damage but with all the running and jumping mine slid around on the carpet a little. I got one of the rubber mats that you put under rugs to keep them from sliding under the mat and it kept it from moving around.

  I would most definitely recommend this game to anyone who likes the Wii Fit…or anyone who likes the idea of actually being a part of the game instead of just moving your thumbs around.
  
• 

  Ms M
  September 18th, 2008 on 12:36 am

  Rating

  Well, I purchase a lot on Amazon, but do not often write reiviews. My biggest complaint on reading reviews is almost never is a childs age attached to the comment. Well, I have to say that this gets used the most by my four year old daughter. I have to say, she has become good at it. Our nine year old son is Autistic, and he also can not only do this, but is a champ on the WII. For our children being challanged, this has been a great outlet for the excess energy that they need to get rid of. The little one jumps and runs, and is out of breath when she is done. The screen shows you a picture of what game you are selecting, and the instructions show you a “person” demonstration. She can navigate this even though she can not read yet. Like others, I use WII fit and like this also, and got it as a more “kid user friendly” answer to the WII fit. FYI – another family loved exercise game is WII Ski. And yes, the four year old is great at that one too. We give this five stars for both family game time, and the adults getting in some exercise without the kids. We look forward to more titles in the series. Anyone know what future titles will be??
  
• 

  plyopowerd
  September 20th, 2008 on 6:50 am

  Rating

  I’m in my 40s, been working out for many years and I’m a big fan of Dance Dance Revolution which stripped 50 pounds off me. I don’t have Wii Fit, but this is the first game I’ve tried for the Wii that really gives DDR a run for its money.

  At the beginning, go to Free Play mode first as it lets you practice all the minigames on their easiest levels. Once you get the hang of them, go to the courses on Outdoor Adventure mode that will unlock higher levels as you pass them.

  The third mode, Exercise Training, has a variety of courses that range from about 5-10 minutes long. You can’t fail the games on these courses; just keep playing as well as you can for the allotted time. One of the courses, 10 Minute Marathon, simply has you walking or running for 10 minutes. You can use this course for interval training; for instance, run for 10 seconds and walk for 20 seconds (or the other way around!) for 20 rounds. The Outdoor Adventure mode also allows you to design your own courses, although it seems you can only save one course at a time.

  You get “Activity Points” for completing the exercise courses, which are put on a daily graph along with a Brain Age-like stamp. Unfortunately there is no calorie counter in this game (unlike DDR for PS2) and it doesn’t record exact dates you worked out, just “2 days ago”, etc. It also doesn’t record your weight, but maybe that makes this more suitable for children than Wii Fit.

  I’d like to add that this game is VERY beginner-friendly, especially compared to another Namco exergame for Wii, We Cheer (another excellent game, but with a huge leap in difficulty level). Active Life can be played by anyone – young or old, from sedentary overweight folks to athletes. On Free Play, there are scrolling instructions for each game that you can easily skip past, and Easy mode even has on-screen prompts. Exercise mode allows you to go at your own pace, even if you have to just walk through or keep taking breaks. On the other end of the spectrum, the most advanced courses are super-tough; I still haven’t passed them! This is one game you won’t “outgrow”.

  My favorite games are the mine cart (a real core/balance challenge), mountain boarding, pipe slider, speed skating and the most DDR-like game, whack-a-mole. The mat slides around a bit (putting it on a sticky yoga mat helped) and is probably too narrow for two “plus-sized” adults to play at once, but it responds very well. I would love to see future Active Life games add more enhancements to Exercise mode (like keeping track of scores, dates and calories burned) and add more types of games like perhaps a music/rhythm game and games that use lateral and forward/back jumping.

  But overall, this is an awesome first entry for what I hope will be a long and successful series!
• 

  Momslave
  October 28th, 2008 on 5:24 pm

  Rating

  Our entire family loves this game. I was really hesitant to purchase it. I thought it looked a little “cheesy” and put it back on the shelf several times. Who wants to spend that much to take a chance? Anyway, I am so glad we own it. My boys are five and six, and they can’t get enough of it. Most of the games are easy enough to play without any problem, although the wall climbing frustrates them when they can’t get their timing down. I love the fact they both play at the same time and have the choice to work together (great for teamwork building!) or to compete against each other. They get very excited when they earn new levels and unlock new games to play. They also love passing the outdoor adventure series which are strings of activities that must all be completed. In this level you complete the activities much like a triathalon rather than one at a time. Coordination on all challenges has increased for the kids. My six year old even jumps real rope better! It’s great there is just one mat and two people can play on it. That makes it easier to store. Hubby and I play too. We compete against each other or with one of the boys on their team. I wore my heart rate monitor and was thrilled to see I hit the fat burning zone and even cardio zone! We all have our favorite challenges, and I am sure you will too. The graphics aren’t the best, but who cares when it gets you going like this? It’s a great use of what the Wii can do and the game rarely, if ever, misses a motion. It feels like you really are completely interactive!! I purchased this for my friend’s girls (ages 8 and 10) and she has the same to say. Have fun!
• 

  Michele C.
  November 30th, 2008 on 6:36 am

  Rating

  I’m a 46 year old mom and have been using the Wii Fit for over 6 months. As much as I love my Wii Fit, the Wii Outdoor Challenge is a great addition to give you some variety. It’s a great way to exercise. This is like being in a video game where your body movements control the screen action. No confusing button combinations and you don’t need to be a video game expert to use it. Everyone in my family from the kids (15-24), to mom and dad, and grandma all use and love it.

  You can add the minutes you spend on the Wii Outdoor Challenge into your Wii Fit log if you’re keeping track of your exercise time and you can use your favorite Mii for both games. Although each game is great on its own, I’d recommend both the WiiFit and Wii Outdoor Challenge for anyone trying to get into or stay in shape. It’s cheaper than a gym membership and much more fun & convenient.
• 

  C. Day
  December 14th, 2008 on 3:15 am

  Rating

  OK, let me start this off by saying I’m a 55 year old woman. I do NOT like “organized exercise” – i.e., going to the gym, classes, videos like Pilates etc. In fact I rather detest them. All THAT being said – I LOVE this game!

  It gets me jumping, literally. And I enjoy it. Who would have thought THAT! It’s good not only for getting my heartrate up but it’s also great for improving my balance. There are a lot of games included, for one person or two – my son and I enjoyed playing together and laughed a lot.

  I also have the Wii Fit and between these two games I can get a workout without suiting up, driving anywhere, becoming bored or otherwise irritating myself. I highly recommend it for adults AND kids!