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Zumba Fitness 2 (Wii)
by EJStagg89
-THE STORY-
I first discovered Zumba through my Gym. As a dance student, I was looking to improve my fitness but hated the repetitiveness of the treadmill. As a dancer, I specialised in Ballet and had also been studying African People's Dance - Zumba gave me the opportunity to increase my dance knowledge as well as getting fit! ... After one class I was hooked and immediately enrolled on the course to become an instructor. I successfully started up my own classes and my boyfriend bought me the first Zumba game as a congratulatory gift. Although I enjoyed this game, the person I had to follow on the screen was only a silhouette which sometimes made it hard to work out certain moves. This Christmas, my boyfriend bought me the second game, which was a drastic improvement on the first.
-WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?-
The Zumba game has many different options to suit each individual. You can choose to do a short (20 mins), mid-length (45 mins) or full-length (60 mins) class. Within this, you can choose the intensity of the class (low, medium or high) and then the game picks out a selection of routines for you to follow. You can also choose to just do one routine, or to learn the moves for each dance style in more detail - both options are helpful if you want to perform the routines to a high technical level but if you're just looking for a fun way to get fit, there's no need to learn the moves in as much detail.
When you start the game you can make a profile for yourself where you can enter your weight. The game then keeps track of how often you play, how long you play for and how many calories you approximately burn in each session. You can then update your weight whenever you view this information in order to monitor your improving fitness.
-IS IT EASY TO FOLLOW?-
Unlike the first Zumba game, the computerised person you follow in Zumba 2 looks like a real person and it is very easy to identify which body part is doing what. There are also 'extras' in the background so you can check out the scene without losing track of the routine. A small box also pops up on the side to indicate what move is coming next - but if you miss this, it doesn't really matter. Much like a live Zumba class, it's easy to pick up the movements as you go along. You wear a belt which holds the Wii remote in order to track your movements and a small symbol in the corner flashes when you do the correct movements. This is monitored by the game and at the end of the class you are given a percentage for your technique.
-DOES IT GET BORING AND REPETITIVE?-
The same routines do pop up frequently but this gives you the opportunity to learn some of the movements which, in turn, makes the experience more enjoyable. You can also choose different 'scenes' where the instructor is performing, such as a city rooftop or a pool party. Also, you get points depending on how good your technique is which unlocks new routines and scenes, providing an incentive to keep using the game.
-SUMMARY-
As a Zumba instructor, I am constantly learning and practising new routines for my classes but I still cannot get enough of this game! It's easy to follow and great fun. According to the game statistics, I burn around 200 calories per 20 minutes which is pretty good if you take into account that I'm loving every minute!
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Band Hero - Super Bundle (Wii)
by Rache3012
As a massive fan of the entire collection of guitar hero games, when Band Hero came out it was right at the top of my Christmas list. I was a rather lucky girl last year, as I got what I wanted!!
== The Concept ==
The "Heroes" series is based on rhythm. The idea of the GH games is to rock out to great rock ... tracks from the likes of Santana, Black Sabbath, even the Jackson 5, using strumming and button holding on the purpose made guitar controller, or tapping out the rhythm on the drum kit. If you're feeling really brave, and your neighbours don't mind too much, you can sing out to your heart's content on the microphone! It's great for partying with friends or just rocking out by yourself if you're looking to exert some unused energy!
==The Game==
Band Hero is a little different form the other titles in the series. The previous games were big on guitar orientated tracks from rock legends; whereas Band Hero focuses on more of the chart music everybody knows and loves. From The Rolling Stones and Kasabian, to Taylor Swift and Lilly Allen, there is a great mix of songs on here, and as I probably know more of these than the rockier tracks, I must say I have enjoyed this game a lot more. As they are all master copies, they are great to listen to without thinking, "that sounds nothing like the original!!"
There are several different ways to play the game. The career mode allows you to set up a band, and go to different gigs and play sets, to unlock more venues, and more tracks. Altogether there are 11 venues, and 65 songs to unlock. Depending on how well you do in the song, and how many notes you miss, you are awarded stars. To get six stars you have to be absolutely perfect, no missed notes, no extra notes. This is possible, but with a lot of practice (especially if you tend to play at the medium or higher level of expertise!), there are also extra stars awarded for challenge completions, such as score a high streak of 300 notes or more. These are great little extras for when you have unlocked everything and are aiming to get all of the stars. I will warn you though; you will have to practice on all of the instruments to be able to earn these stars, as some challenges are instrument specific.
Party mode allows you to just start up a song from the menu screen, without having to go through career mode. You can have people jump in or out of the song at any time so is great for get togethers when you aren't taking things to seriously.
Head to head battle mode is a great way to show off your skills. Each player uses the same instrument at the same level of difficulty, to see who plays best. This is only possible if you have multiple instruments, so make sure you get your friends to bring theirs with them! Luckily, I usually buy the guitar pack when a new one comes out, so I have a few spare!!
The game graphics are not bad, but they aren't great. But this isn't a game that you play because it looks good; you play it because it sounds good!
==The Guitar==
The guitar is pretty easy to set up. The controller fits right into a slot at the back and there is plenty of space to tuck the cord in too so you don't have to take this off. You have to connect the controller to a little cable that is inside the guitar, but be careful that you aren't pressing any of the buttons while you plug it in as this can make the guitar think you are pressing a button when you are not! There are 5 buttons on the neck of the guitar, as well as a touch sensitive slide bar for when you want to be a little more experimental! Each difficulty level uses a different number of buttons. For the beginner level you only use three, medium is four and hard is 5. Expert uses all five buttons and the speed of play is increased (This is the same for all of the instuments). It also looks great, and is a perfect size for all ages. The shoulder strap included is definitely needed if you love rocking out big time, if you let go, it won't go flying through the window!
==The Drums==
I must say I am impressed with the drum kit. The stand is made out of metal and so is very sturdy, and you can also adjust the height. There are three drum pads and two symbols, and these are of good quality. They have a rubber covering to soften the sound of the sticks hitting the drums, so that all you hear is the music from the game rather than your tapping. It also has a foot pedal; the base of the foot pedal has a Velcro grip on it so that if you are playing on carpet, it won't slip when you are using it. The drum sticks are great, they are made from solid wood, and are pretty much real drum sticks so they feel great when playing. The drums are my favourite instrument, because not only do you have a great time playing along to the songs, but it gives your arms a great work-out!
==The Microphone==
The microphone is of good quality. It's not far off the real thing! It is wired though so be careful not to forget this when you are jumping about the living room, we don't want your Wii falling to its death. It's not something I use much as I prefer the guitar or drums to the microphone, but my friends tell me that it is very responsive and great to hold, as it's not flimsy like a lot of the mics that you get in other sing-along games.
==Conclusion==
In my own opinion, if you enjoy music and enjoy having fun, this game is a must have. It is a lot of money to pay out for a game, but as all of the instruments are compatible with the whole series of GH games, you will get your money's worth. The do also have just the game and guitar packs if you aren't too sure about the whole concept, but I think you will be hooked!
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