My Fitness Coach 2: Exercise and Nutrition Review

It’s been eighteen months since the release of Wii Fit and its accompanying Balance Board peripheral. In that duration, Nintendo owners have been bombarded with a proliferation of third-party fitness titles, each ranging widely in quality. Some titles- such as EA Sports Active, have offered energetic-minded gamers an exceptional, highly polished experience. Other disks- like Daisy Fuentes Pilates or Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2010, have been woefully middling and have offered only a modest improvement over a workout DVD.  With so many fitness titles vying for a player’s attention, choosing a reputable fitness game can be a cerebral workout.

With a reduced price and a bland cover art, shoppers might assume that Ubisoft’s My Fitness Coach 2 is just an attempt to cash in the interactive fitness craze. This oversight would be regrettable, as the title offers a wonderfully customizable and surprisingly deep health regimen. Players seeking to improve their wellbeing are encouraged to give the title a thorough trial.

The first time participants insert the My Fitness Coach 2 disk into their Wiis, they are prompted to create a profile. After entering the obligatory information- name, age, and height, they are asked to provide a primary and second fitness goal from a range of thirty options. Each objective- from working toward a set of six pack abs to boosting one’s energy level, creates a custom workout routine culled from the game’s broad selection eighty-two exercises.

Of course, having an extensive amount of workouts is worthless unless each exercise correctly tracks the player’s movements- a common inability among many fitness titles.  My Fitness Coach 2 advantageously errs on the side of leniency-the game rarely misinterprets any portion of an exercise repetition. The title’s scrolling timeline meter, on-screen trainer and sound effects clearly set the tempo for each activity, while a feedback orb rates a participant’s precision in real-time.

A player’s daily routine is dutifully tracked and rewarded by the game. Players may earn bronze, silver, and gold medal for individual workouts, while differing jewels are bestowed for sustaining a level of commitment. Additionally- every rep earns gamers stars. It’s a shame that these currencies can’t be used to purchase additional backgrounds or unlockables- although the game’s four locations and quartet of trainers offer a decent selection of variety.  

The title distinguishes itself from its peers with a robust nutritional component. Based on the player’s fitness goals, a meal plan is formulated for the player. Conveniently, specific food types can be toggled on or off, so if participants abstain from pork or lactose-based items, they may leave those products off of their diet. For each meal, players are presented with two dishes, and the title can even create a shopping list based upon these selections. Unfortunately, the title lacks any kind of internet connectivity- meaning the grocery list must be copied by hand, limiting the usefulness of the option. Although each recipe comes with detailed instructions, unless your Wii is near the kitchen this facet can also be cumbersome.