Hi there fitness freaks!  This month Nintendo released a gift to everyone who played Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus for the original Wii.  If you have a Wii U and an existing Balance Board in your house, you can try Wii Fit U for FREE for 30 days by downloading the free trial on the Nintendo eShop!!  After the trial period, all you have to do is purchase a Fit Meter for $20 to unlock unlimited use of the game.  As someone who’s been playing Wii Fit Plus since 2010, I jumped on this deal as soon as it became available on November 1st.

Wii Fit U is the latest installment in Nintendo’s amazing efforts to make a fitness game that actually gets you results.  Using the newest features of the Wii U GamePad, and the innovative technology of the already awesome Balance Board, you can get real feedback on form and balance from your virtual trainer.  Something I especially love is the new Mirror Mode feature, which allows you to use the GamePad’s camera to actually see yourself on the TV (or you can play completely on the GamePad if you wish!) and compare your form to the trainer.

On top of new features like that, Wii Fit U includes lots of fun, new balance games, and improvements to already popular Aerobic activities.  You can now do “Free Boxing” and punch to the beat while watching TV!  There are lots of new ways to personalize your workout too.  And if you are an early adopter of the Wii Fit franchise, you can transfer your old save files and data from the original Wii for a fast start!

Another cool feature is the way that Wii Fit U integrates the Miiverse.  You can sign up for a Wii Fit U Gym Community on Miiverse, and this will post your activities to your friends!  I set up a Gym Community for StreetPass Long Island, but everyone is welcome to join!  As of now, I’m kind of pathetically alone in this Gym so PLEASE won’t someone join my Gym Community?

Another cool way that Wii Fit U gives you feedback on your progress are all of the analytics that the game provides.  If you’d played the older Wii Fit games, you’re already familiar with the charts that measure your weight and BMI.  But Wii Fit U adds new levels of feedback, such as telling you how much time you’ve spent working on different parts of your body, allowing you to tailor your workout to sculpt targeted areas!

Now I must go into detail about the super Wii Fit Meter.  This is not your average, everyday pedometer.  Sure, yes, it measures the number of steps you take per day.  On top of that, since it’s synced with your Wii Fit U game, it knows your BMI and can calculate how many calories are being burned.  The Wii Fit Meter also includes an altimeter, which measures if you are climbing stairs or a hill and takes this into account with your burned calorie count.  On the Wii Fit Meter, you can view many charts and see what time of day you were being active… and lots of other cool stuff!

OK yes, the Wii Fit Meter is quite reminiscent of the old Pokewalker from Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver.  I kinda want to figure out if it’s possible to swap the faceplates.  While you can’t carry a Pokemon around with you on the Fit Meter, you can see your Mii winking away at you while you run.  It’s much more advanced and I am really impressed with the information it obtains and transmits to your Wii Fit U game.  You can sync your steps and calories burned, so Wii Fit U will account for every single calorie you burn, whether you are playing the game on Wii U or doing a run around your neighborhood.

So please, join me in playing Wii Fit U!  If you have a weight loss goal, this game can help you reach it, and I’m speaking from experience!  And if you are currently playing this latest fitness game, please join my Gym Community!  Once again, the Community Code is 7008-8617-8850!  If you’ve never played a Wii Fit game before, fear not!  Full game, Fit Meter and Balance Board bundles will be available for the holiday season.  Check Nintendo.com for more info!