Daisy Fuentes Pilates for Wii

About.com Rating

Updated January 01, 2014.

The Bottom Line

This game didn't work for me. I tried my best to do the exercises accurately, but received little feedback or correction--and a low score based on data collected by the Wii remote and balance board. I didn't enjoy the graphics or interface. Next time, I'd choose a Pilates video, or better yet, a class with a live instructor.



Pros

• Playable in English and Spanish
• Three levels of play (beginner, intermediate, advanced)

• Preset or customizable workout sets
• Provides feedback from Wii controllers
• No additional equipment required (besides Wii console and game disc)

Cons

• Difficult to match performance with on-screen feedback
• Only 10 exercises available (plus 2 warm-up choices and 1 cool-down)
• Distracting graphics

Description

• Interactive Pilates workout for the Wii
• Playable with or without Wii balance board
• Game awards points for performance, records each player's score and tracks for five-day increments
• Voice prompts and on-screen feedback
• Includes health and fitness tips from Daisy Fuentes

Guide Review - Daisy Fuentes Pilates for Wii

I have little experience with Pilates (I took one series of classes two years ago), but as a devotee of yoga I've always wanted to give it another try. So I checked out Daisy Fuentes Pilates for Wii. It seems to be aimed at beginners, although three different levels of play are available. In a 40-second video intro, Daisy welcomes users to the practice of Pilates and describes its benefits.

I only needed to watch this once but couldn't find a way to skip it on subsequent uses.

The game is set at a resort. You start your first workout by registering at the "front desk" and creating a profile. You choose "workout center" to work out, "Daisy's office" to hear her health and fitness tips, and so on.

I leaped right in to one of the preset workouts, which was a mistake. It turned out to be difficult to follow the onscreen instructions and prompts on the fly. I should have started by watching the "exercise help" segments, which specified how to perform each move and use the Wiimote or balance board. Still, even after I did this, I had a very hard time performing to the game's expectations. Even when I felt I was doing the moves correctly, I'd receive a low score (or poor feedback from the onscreen tracker). I couldn't help but compare this to EA Sports Active, in which instructional videos pop up each time you try a brand-new move (and can be accessed easily later, too), and real-time feedback is consistent and clear.

Aside from five preset workouts, you can also customize your own. However, there are only 10 different moves to choose from. There are two warm-up choices, each lasting five minutes: running in place or repeating a set of three stretches.

Pilates requires precision to be safe and effective, so the concept of using the Wii controllers to ensure proper positioning is good. But in my experience, this game couldn't deliver that.



Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.