GENRE
	Fitness
	DEVELOPER
	THQ
	PUBLISHER
	THQ
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	No
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
	BUY NOW AT

Nintendojo was provided a copy of this game for review by a third party, though that does not affect our recommendation. For every review, Nintendojo uses a standard scoring criteria.

NBC's weight loss show The Biggest Loser has spawned many fans and followers, while also helping millions countrywide to lose weight. With all of Wii's available fitness games, such as Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus and EA Active, it was bound to happen that a show like The Biggest Loser, with its million followers, would have a game made in its honor. Yet would such a game become a simple cash-in is the question.

After popping in the disc and getting through the main menu, the player is asked for information in order to start creating his or her customized fitness program. This is the biggest difference from Wii Fit and Plus. The game isn't made with the quick mini-games and pick-up-and-play nature of the Nintendo-made fitness games. The Biggest Loser is about what its source material became so famous for: actually working hard towards a fitness goal as chosen by the player.

The player's name, weight and fitness goal must be specified to start. The player can either manually enter their weight or step on Wii's Balance Board (if owned) for an official weight. After this, the player needs to choose from three goals: getting healthier, losing a small amount of weight or losing a large amount of weight. This then leads into the player choosing their goal's time frame and details. For instance: want to lose a small amount of weight? Then how much and in how long of a routine? Granted, the player can choose a loss of two pounds and have the program end in four weeks if desired. Lastly, the player gets to choose which trainer they want to have train them, between the show's Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, or an in-game character to represent the gamer himself. The last option will actually update throughout the participant's fitness program, based on the data retrieved from or provided by the player.

In order to play, either a Balance Board and Wii Remote or just a Wii Remote can be used; however, simply using the Wii Remote alone will not garnish the best results and will be based more on the honor system. This means it's easy to cheat without the balance board. So, why cheat? It'll only defeat the purpose of the game.

Biggest Loser's controls are what would be expect of a game in this genre: truly none, since the gamer's body is the control. This leads into one big hit against the game: if the player is a newcomer to a lot of the game's exercises, then get ready for a few mess-ups. In no way do players receive any type of explanation on how to perform exercises, making this title best for veteran fitness aficionados. This is odd, though, because the show teaches people how to properly exercise and do specified routines. Furthermore, most people on the show have barely exercised in their entire lives.

Moving past that, there are some good points to name about actually exercising in the game. There are many different exercises to choose from, as well as a lot of different routines to choose. There are exercises that stand alone and can be done by themselves, or the player can choose a routine that targets different body parts at different skill levels. On that note, be prepared for some hurtin' if the high skill level is ever chosen. This fitness game is not for the lighthearted: be prepared to workout non-Wii Fit style.

Another thing to expect from this game over Nintendo's fitness games is the fact that the training is harder. This does make it less fun, but for the more serious fitness junkies, this is nice. However, even for fitness junkies who love fitness games, video games carry a burden that they should seem fun in some fashion since they are, ultimately, "games." Unfortunately, The Biggest Loser doesn't have a fun factor. It's a very strict fitness program and that's it.

One last note about Biggest Loser's gameplay is the reward systems set up for correctly performing an exercise set. Every few correctly-done reps of an overall routine earns a point, with a maximum five point rating for the entire routine. This certainly isn't a big incentive, but collecting five-point ratings across every exercise does give the player something to think about versus just concentrating on finishing an exercise in the Wii Fit games.

As for the rest of the exercise program, players need to enter calories for food eaten, weigh themselves and enter any outside fitness routines into a calendar. This all fits into the fitness program's length as determined by the player at the start. At the end of the program, there's an elimination round that the player must go into. This is the only real "game" aspect of The Biggest Loser, and doesn't mean much to the player, only the avatar created to represent the player in-game. If the gamer loses, it's no big deal-- the next fitness program can still continue. Regardless, the competition aspect is a nice touch that helps the player keep his or her head in the game.

Biggest Loser also has a bunch of other little features to fill up its Wii disc outside of the main fitness program. The calorie counter is an excellent tool that works very well, and there are extra exercises that can be done stand-alone for practicing and warming up if the longer routines are too harsh. Yet the biggest additional feature are the tip videos and healthy recipe menus, of which there are enough to almost be a stand-alone product of their own.The healthy recipes include breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts and even snacks. There are at least sixty recipes to help the player lose weight, and the aforementioned tip videos are nice, too. Included are tips ranging from exercising without equipment to how to properly wash foods. Better yet, all video tips are presented by the show's Bob and Jillian. Altogether, the multitude of features and content make for an impressive package on one disc.

Two-player competition is also supported, but this mode is basically concerned with determining who exercises better. This isn't a bad idea and it's good THQ didn't leave this mode out, but something more substantial would have been preferable.

As for audio and visuals, this game is solid. The graphics may not be the greatest, but there's more energy and character to be found here than in Nintendo's fitness titles. Yet let's face it: would you rather have a mannequin as a trainer or a semi-realistic rendition of a celebrity that does fitness training for a living? Exactly. However, if a game is trying to look more real, fine details will stand out that don't look or feel as real. For example, the character the player chooses to represent himself looks awfully cartoon-like and sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the trainers and gym environment. Audio-wise, the sound is done well for a fitness game, and the voice acting is good and uses using the voices from the show.

Overall, this game is exactly what it's titled: The Biggest Loser. Most licensed games will use a franchise name and little else, but this isn't one of them. Both of the show's trainers are in the game providing voice acting and video tips, and the show's famous elimination round is there as well. The exercises are also tough and no pushovers, but some extra Wii Fit-styled mini-games would have added a little more fun to the otherwise cut-and-dry experience. Fortunately, the recipes, video tips and calorie counter make up for this deficiency in terms of the game's overall value. The Biggest Loser is a must-buy for those serious enough to accept the challenge of living healthy. Stay with it and the player can, and will, be rewarded.

7.8/10