'Outdoor Challenge' makes physical activity fun, easy
Run, jump, twist, turn, paddle, balance and even stomp some moles -- all in a 3-foot square in front of your living room TV.
Think of "Active Life Outdoor Challenge" as Wii Fit for the junior set.
A 3-foot square activity mat attaches directly to the Wii console. The mat is supposed to accommodate one or two players, but my 6-year-old daughter and I found it a bit cramped with the two of us. Two children probably would work better. Most of the games require just the mat, but for a few, you'll also need the Wiimote.
Pick a version of yourself from your previously created Miis, and you're ready to go.
The 16 games are fun, and the instructions generally are easy to understand. There are eight spaces on the mat, each with an electronic button in it. For instance, in the mole stomper, you stand on the two center spaces, then as the moles pop up on the TV screen, you stomp on the correlating squares all around you.
In Timber Trail, you run on the two center spaces and then jump as a log rolls toward you on the screen. In Pipe Slider, you sit on the mat and use your hands on the spaces to either side of you to adjust your direction.
The only game we found a little too complicated is the Mountain Boarder. Just getting down the mountain wasn't too hard, but some of the tricks, like backspins, take some fancy footwork.
The games can be played in three modes. Free Play allows you to pick and choose, but in order to get to higher difficulty levels, you have to complete a set of activities in the Outdoor Challenge mode. The Outdoor Challenge mode has preset groups of three activities, or you can create your own challenge by selecting the games you want and setting your own goals, such as saying you have to jump-rope 20 times to clear that level.
The last mode is the most Wii Fit-like. Exercise Training has preset groups of activities based on what type of exercise you want -- upper body, full body, etc. You can set goals and track how many points you accumulate toward that goal.
The biggest drawback to "Active Life Outdoor Challenge" is that the mat tends to move around as you run and jump on it. The next version might want to include some weights at the corners to help keep it in place. The mat can withstand a lot more abuse than the Wii Fit board, but like that game, you need to do everything in your bare feet.
All in all, "Active Life Outdoor Challenge" is a great addition to our Wii library. It will help wear out active kids forced inside by colder, shorter days.
Additional Information:
'Active Life Outdoor Challenge'
Grade: A
Developer: Namco Bandai Games
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games America
Platform: Wii
Genre: Family entertainment
ESRB: Everyone
Retail: $59.99
