"Wii Fit," You Fit?

Have you heard about "Wii Fit" yet? The title was announced over the summer at the E3 conference and was released in Japan on December 1. The game has been given a North American release date of May 20.

Despite its recent release in Japan, "Wii Fit" has sold over one million units. So why is this thing so popular?

First of all, the thing doesn't utilize the Wii Remote at all. The game comes with the Wii Balance Board peripheral. The balance board (seen below) calculates the user's weight, center of gravity, and body mass index. Akin to "Brain Age," the program can find your "Wii Fitness Age." Weird, huh?

The games are split up into four categories: aerobic exercise, balance games, muscle conditioning, and yoga poses. Experience all kinds of exercise, from jogging and yoga to hula hooping and tightrope walking.

So the game has sold hugely in Japan. It's aimed toward families playing this together. So why should I buy a glorified scale with wires in it? Didn't "Dance Dance Revolution" try to pull this one over me?

First of all, the Wii Balance Board will be utilized again in the future, thanks to the upcoming "Family Ski," which also utilizes the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk. Secondly, if it is a hugely popular and hugely successful game in one region, it can't be all that bad. Thirdly, it utilizes your Miis. You can watch your adorable/virtual self hula-hooping or doing yoga. Aww!

So who's interested, readers? Oh, and here's a trailer.

Very interesting, says I. It seems to me that there's a wider variety of games than I had expected.