Wii Active Life Outdoor Challenge

[Delmiro Fain]

Mostpeople who haven't just recently crawled out from under a rock associate the Nintendo Wii with active gaming (as opposed to simply exercising your fingers). But as the record holder of most of the Wii Fit recreational games in my family, I had often wanted the whole experience to be less restrictive. Don't get me wrong, I can feel my arms bulk up after a 10 minute session with the punching bag or my legs tire after an intense step-aerobic session, but it seems that most of the activities on the Balance Board are restricted to resistance training and, well, balance. Sometimes, you just feel like breaking free and cutting loose --- and that's when game shows a picture of a silhouette in the air with a line through it, indicating "do not jump".

Along comes the first title in Namco Bandai's "Active Life" series, named "Outdoor Challenge", and all restraints are removed. This game not only allows you to jump, it encourages you to run, stomp and use the included mat in all sorts of outdoor activities! Like Wii Fit, it has a running game but, unlike Wii Fit where you simply run with the Wiimote in your pocket acting as a pedometer, "Active Life" makes you step on the pad in alternate footsteps, just like real running.

Almost all the activities are represented as intuitively as possible. In the "Sprint Challenge" game, you can switch to the right and left lanes simply by shifting on the mat as you run. In the "Mountain Board" game, you get to grab the left or right side of the board by simply putting your hand down on the corresponding button on either side (you can even stand "goofy"). There is even a "Pipe Slider" game where you sit down and maneuver you inner tube inside a tunnel using your hands. For the ultimate classic, there is "Mole Stomper" which is a life-size whack-a-mole where your feet are used to stomp away the moles. My kids' favorite is the teamwork "Mine Cart Adventure", where one of them pumps the Wiimote up and down to build up speed and they both have to lean left or right depending on the turn and lifting the other foot off the floor pad. Yes, there are a few activities which are two player teamwork or challenge.

While attempting to unlock all the games for my kids to play in a single sitting, I wound up sweating profusely and unable to complete Level 4 on the Advanced Outdoor Adventure round due to my arms and legs being too tired to continue. This also seems to be the first non-Nintendo title to make use of the Mii characters, so Bandai must have gotten the big N's blessing for this game.

All in all, most of the games are intense and quite rigorous on the harder levels. My least favorites are the side-scroller activities, mostly because they remove the first-person point-of-view which makes the game more immersive. The "Kayak Attack" is also frustrating at times because you have to "paddle" with the Wiimote and, when you lose the rhythm, you are either swinging too slowly for the system to react to or swinging too hard so that the game displays a warning. This particular outdoor activity may benefit from the new Motion Plus precision.

Of course what good is a plastic mat of the games themselves are not any fun to play? Outdoor Challenge contains a diverse selection of mini-games that will have you running, jumping and even sitting down and leaning on your new mat all in the name of becoming more active in your everyday life. These range from the simplest of activities such as jumping rope and running to more involved events such as rowing a canoe and water trampoline. The best thing about these events is the way they all make different use of the mat. For instance the mine cart event has you stepping on and off of different arrows to lean your cart, while you also use the Wii remote to pump up speed by moving it up and down in a rhythmic motion.

The biggest hurdle that Outdoor Challenge faces is that the further you get into the game and the harder the challenges become, the game feels more and more like a balancing act as opposed to a fitness challenge. Events require you to multi-task several activities all at once, removing your focus on just one in particular. This certainly ups the difficulty, but it also changes the center of attention from exercise to frustration. For instance the mine cart game starts off engaging by only requiring you to focus on two actions, later difficulties have you also shooting objects out of the way and even jumping gaps, which quickly becomes more than the brain needs to handle while the body is focusing on physical activities.

On the presentation side Outdoor Challenge is about as bare-minimum as you can get. Visuals are reminiscent of Wii Sports while the sound effects and music are about as archetypal as most of the shovelware found on the system. Thankfully visual fidelity is not the selling point of this game and for what it does the arrangement suits the mood nicely. The addition of corruptible Miis certainly adds to the visual panache, but for a Wii title this still ranks at the bottom as far as interesting visuals go.

With the recent uproar about mixing fitness with gaming Namco Bandai has done an admirable job of making their mark on the genre. With a helping of these titles scheduled for release this series could quickly become very popular among the casual crowd. The games are fun, diverse and work surprisingly well in conjunction with the mat and Wii remote. The difficulty on higher levels could be a deterrent, but if you are looking for a game to get your kids off of the couch this is easily recommendable and tons of fun at parties. Active Life: Outdoor Challenge is a great stepping stone for the series and we look forward to seeing what inventive games will be available in the inevitable sequel.

Our review of Active Life: Outdoor Challenge highlights its strengths and limitations. While it offers a variety of fitness mini-games using the leg strap and Joy-Con controllers, the game may feel repetitive due to its limited number of minigames. It can serve as an alternative fitness option after completing Ring Fit Adventure but falls short in comparison. We recommend assessing its features and limitations before making a purchasing decision.

One of the main draws of Active Life: Outdoor Challenge is the variety of mini-games and adventure modes available. From river rafting to log jumping, there are plenty of options that will keep players on their toes. The adventure mode sets the tone for players by starting with simple activities such as running or hula-hooping before moving onto more challenging tasks.

The multiplayer feature allows up to eight players to participate simultaneously, making it an ideal choice for families or groups of friends looking for something active and interactive to do together. The mini-games can be played individually as short bursts of energy or strung together for longer play sessions that provide hours of entertainment.

Active Life Outdoor Challenge offers both single player and multiplayer options. The main single-player mode is Outdoor Island, which includes options for free play, outdoor adventure with preset minigame series, and exercise training with curated playlists. Players can choose to complete one workout or a series of workouts in a timed fashion, adding an extra layer of challenge. In multiplayer mode, players can compete against each other or work cooperatively to complete the various challenges.

As mentioned earlier, Active Life Outdoor Challenge does not require a floor mat like its original version on the Wii but instead uses a leg strap and Joy-Con controllers. Most minigames involve running, jumping, and hurdling movements that translate well to this control mechanism. However, some games designed for the mat on the Wii version do not work quite smoothly with the Joy-Con and leg strap controls on the Switch. Examples include the kayaking game and Stone Hopper.

To illustrate this further, when playing kayaking in Outback Adventure mode, players use leg straps as oars while rowing through rough terrains. While this feels natural and intuitive with a mat on Wii, using Joy-Con instead makes it feel slightly unnatural and clunky.

ACTIVE LIFE Outdoor Challenge comes with two Leg Straps, and those with two sets of Joy-Cons can enjoy competitive and cooperative minigames with their families and friends in Multiplayer mode. Each minigame lasts between one to three minutes, and with the vibrant and colorful animations, players can bring the outdoors inside for an engaging and active gameplay experience.

Get ready to take on the great outdoors anywhere because Active Life: Outdoor Challenge is back on the Nintendo Switch! From kayaking to obstacle-filled races, you will engage in real-life exercises to complete a variety of fun minigames. Improve your hand-eye coordination and work up a sweat with the Nintendo Joy-Con and Leg Strap! Play over a dozen single and multiplayer challenges. Simple controls allow for easy-to-pick up games that anyone can enjoy. With ACTIVE LIFE Outdoor Challenge, you can bring the adventure wherever you go!

We'll have special move-in events like the traditional group hike to the wind turbine on top of campus. The Resident Assistant (RA) on your floor will work with you to explain and administer community standards of behavior. As Active Living students, we set an example for others on campus through our healthy behaviors and active lifestyles!

Part of being in Active Living is getting connected. We'll have exclusive events provided by University Recreation and University Wellness Services. In order to be our best, we serve others. There will be volunteer opportunities throughout each semester.

If you plan to build your leadership skills, Active Living is the place to do it. Some residents apply to remain in the RLC during their sophomore year, serving as mentors to incoming students. Top performers aspire to become RAs. Many of our floor RAs were Active Living students who are now leading the program!

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