Gold's Gym Cardio Workout

This will be my first Wii Review so I'm hoping it will be alright.

I picked up this "game" after watching a couple of episodes of "Last Ten Pounds BootCamp". After seeing the trainer on the show have the people use boxing to tone up I decided it couldn't hurt me. I found a great deal on the game and spent less than $20 for it.

The start up of the game is very simple. You first select your character, if you've already played, or select "Register New". When you register for the first time an animated Trainer will welcome you and walk you through the process where you enter your information, and get your character. At this point you will enter your height and weight, which will be transferred to your character, changing the appearance of your character.

I don't typically mind these types of depictions of myself, but the thing I find frustrating with this one is that once you hit 250 pounds it doesn't change anything on the character, so as I lose weight, it will not change how my character looks until I have lost a huge amount. It's a small thing, but to me it would be nice if they could work on that.

You then get to pick between 2 instructors, one male and one female. As you progress through the game other instructors will become available.

You also get to pick your control style. You have the option of using a Wii remote and Nunchuk or 2 Wii remotes. I opted for the 2 remote style as that is what was recommended.

You are then instructed on the basic stance which is the foundation for all of the boxing activities in the game. Once you have said that you understand the stance you are taking through the 2 basic punches, Jab and Cross. The trainer gives you examples and then you are taken through a preliminary workout which I find is a great way to get a feel of the way the workouts will go.

The Main Menu gives you 3 different options for your workout. You have Shape Boxing, Boxing Examination and Exercise. In addition to the workout options you can also access "My Data" and "Basic Controls" from the main menu. But, we are here for the workouts afterall.

In Shape Boxing you have to work from Basic level up. Once you have completed the basic other options will become available to you. You also need to complete the Basic level in Shape Boxing before you can proceed to the Boxing Examination.

Once you can access the Boxing Examination you begin at the level E exam and work your way up. Here you will be given questions regarding the punches you have been using. You will have to repeat varying patterns of the punches. If you complete all questions with a score greater than required you pass and the next exam level will become available to you.

In Exercise you can pick activities to change it up a bit. Not all of the activities will be available to you right away. As you progress through the game you will get more things to do. Some of the activities here include mitt work, punch dodge, sandbag and jump rope, all of which provide a good workout without you realizing it.

As you use the game more often, you will receive rewards when you hit certain levels and things will be unlocked for you as well. I will let you discover those on your own, as I myself have not found them all out yet.

There are a few things I really like about this game. The first would be that I get to select the music I want to workout to so I don't have the same music in the background every day. It's nice to change it up from time to time. Another thing I like is the fact that now that I have worked through the basic and intermediate levels, when I go into the game my "trainer" Nina asks if I want a pre-arranged workout or if I want to pick and chose my own activities.

Most of the time I go with the pre-arranged as I find it's a good balance for me. Once I select this, she then asks if I want a light, regular or hardcore workout. This is great, as it allows me to adjust how I'm feeling one day to the next. I did hardcore the other day and ended up pulling something in my left arm, so today I think I'm doing a regular workout. I just love having the option.

I think for me the best thing about this "game" is that you don't realize how hard your working out until you stop. The last 3 days I have stopped the game and found that I was sweating quite a bit. I know, it's not the prettiest picture, but it's a good sign. My heart rate was up and I was feeling the workout, but I was having so much fun, I didn't notice the exertion level. That is my kind of workout.

My only issue with the game, other than the character generator, is I wish there was some full body exercises as well, beyond the ducks(squats), and twists for some of the punches. With that being said, I would have to give this game a 7.5 out of 10 for workout effectiveness and enjoyment. If a game keeps me interested for more than a week, they must be doing something right.