Video Game Sneak Peek: EA Sports Active 2.0

 

Thinking about actually getting yourself in shape, but can’t afford a gym membership? (Me either.) Then check out the EA Sports Active game, currently out, or the spiffy new Active 2.0, out this fall. Depends on how important bathing suit season is to you, I guess.

EA Sports Active is a Western twist on the Nintendo Wii Fit that really helps you to break a sweat in your living room by following along with an on-screen avatar (you can make her as buff as you want -- a vision of what you will look like -- which is good fun). Why Western? The Wii Fit is based on Eastern philosophy of balance and self-connection. If you’ve ever done exercise moves or yoga on the Wii Fit, you know that you won’t likely get your heart rate up for long.

The EA Sports Active -- which I checked out yesterday at a sneak peek demo -- is quite the opposite. The upgraded game is now completely wireless, which allows for a more full range of motion. There’s an armband and a wristband that communicate with your gaming system without any cords (and the game will become available on the Wii, which it wasn’t before, as well as the PS3). That means you aren’t limited to one square of space, and can do much more robust physical activities: basketball, soccer, and mountain biking were the ones a checked out. The newer version will have over 70 exercises, more than twice the last game.

Overall, I’d say the Sports Active 2.0 game will be well worth it -- especially if you don’t belong to a gym and want to whip yourself into shape quickly.