We watch an onscreen avatar perform yoga poses in this upcoming exercise game.

The Wii has become the preeminent system for people who dabble in self-improvement. From Wii Fit to EA Active, if you have a tummy that needs shrinking or a muscle that needs to be enlarged, those are your go-to games. But what if you are worried about your blood pressure or want to be as flexible as a 14-year-old gymnast? Yoga is the answer. In this as-yet-untitled yoga game (Yoga is the working name), you are guided through a peaceful world in which breathing and stretching open the door to a healthier life are key.

We didn’t get a chance to actually try out Yoga today, but we did get a walk-through video to give us a taste of our flexible future. This game focuses on both the various poses as well as the history that goes along with them, so you can brush up on your Buddhist history while improving your body. The game takes place in a Buddhist temple, and each floor contains a number of different exercises. There are 49 different poses to learn, so this should serve as both an easy introduction as well as a more advanced workout depending on your yoga acumen.

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Will this version actually get us off the couch? We take the balance games for a test run.

One of the best features of the original Wii Fit was the balance games, since the workout was too cumbersome due to all the menu navigations. Wii Fit Plus is supposed to address those issues by including a way to play through the exercises without stopping. The game has also added 15 new balance minigames, several of which we were able to try on the show floor at the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

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It’s time to dust off the balance board and get back into shape with an updated version of Wii Fit.

Considering how many units Wii Fit has sold, you’re bound to know at least one person who owns the game, but chances are that he or she probably isn’t dedicated enough for it to reach its maximum benefit. Cammie Dunaway of Nintendo has announced in the company’s press conference today that Wii Fit Plus is coming this fall to make the game easier to apply to your daily life.

Wii Fit Plus is what we had wanted from the original game: a workout routine tailored to our needs, and the ability to work out nonstop for a length of time without jumping in and out of menus. These issues have been addressed in the new game, in which you act as your own personal trainer. Six new strength and yoga activities have been added, and to take advantage of the program fully, you should be mixing and matching different exercises. You can now customize your own routine in 20-, 30- or 40-minute interludes and decide whether you want to work on strengthening, toning, or conditioning. The game also keeps track of your total calories so you can feel good about yourself afterward.

Given that Nintendo is also about fun, according to Dunaway, she went on to describe a few new balance games that will be included. There will be 15 balance games, including juggling, skateboarding, and Perfect Ten. Perfect Ten was described as “brain age for your backside,” in which you swing your hips in one of four directions to hit balls with the numbers on them. The goal is to get your total to add up to 10. In a brief trailer, we also saw a Mii running along a narrow green path, leaping over logs and dodging swinging cannon balls. Dunaway didn’t say how this will work, but she did say that this minigame will give you an idea of what it would be like to run a mile in Mario’s shoes.

Dunaway ended the presentation by saying that there will be many personalization options. Wii Fit Plus is set to launch in the fall and will be bundled with a balance board or sold separately for those who own the previous game.

Check out the source at GameSpot

Many people believe that the current generation of consoles provides the most evenly matched competition from the products released by the big entertainment companies in the history of video games. The disparity in terms of processing power and depth of game libraries isn’t that big when it comes to the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. And though the Nintendo Wii is gravely trailing in the graphics and processing power departments, it more than makes up for its shortcomings by giving gamers a unique experience they will never find anywhere else.

And gamers have made a decision. As of this writing, almost 3 years worth of sales data reveal that the Nintendo Wii is outselling the Xbox 360 and the PS3 combined.

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As Nintendo’s ongoing success in the games industry proves, having the most powerful pixel processing hardware isn’t everything when it comes to appealing to the mass market. Games such as the hugely successful Brain Training, and the 18.22 million selling Wii Fit, have enabled Nintendo to position itself very much as a lifestyle brand, with software that aims to improve, as well as entertain.

Nintendo has added yet another feather to its lifestyle cap with new title, Personal Trainer: Walking, for DS, promising to “turn an ordinary activity like walking into a fun daily adventure.” Part of the Personal Trainer series, which so far includes titles to improve cooking and mathematical skills, the new Personal Trainer enhances walking, by combining it with interactive activities and statistics on the DS.

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