EA Sports Active 2.0 First Look

So you've let yourself go a bit. Oh sure, for a while there, it was going great with the original EA Sports Active for the Nintendo Wii. You were up every morning, rise and shine, doing your routines with the Wii balance board and that pink exercise band that came packed in the Active box. You tracked your progress, you earned your workout medals, and you punched the imaginary heavy bag until your hands bled imaginary blood (is that even possible?). But for whatever reason, eventually you parted ways with EA Sports Active. This November you'll have a chance to reunite with the upcoming EA Sports Active 2.0, an early build of which we got to check out earlier today.

Before we get to the things that have changed in the sequel, let's talk about the things that haven't: Active 2.0 is all about getting you up and moving, with a wide variety of exercises (more than 70 in total) that focus on calisthenic health as well as upper- and lower-body strength. New exercises we saw in action included mountain biking (which played similarly to the rollerblading in the original game) and a few soccer-themed exercises that have you jumping and lunging left and right as you try to either head balls in midair or block kicks from entering your goal.

You'd expect new exercises in Active 2.0, but they're far from the game's only new aspect. Perhaps the most significant addition is the wireless accessories you'll use--one straps to your leg to monitor the movement of your legs, and a heart monitor attaches to your arm. The heart monitor is particularly important, since the entire point of these exercises is to get your heart rate up. You'll be able to track your average and maximum heart rate after you complete a sequence of exercises and, of course, track your progress over time.

Online looks to play a big role in Active 2.0. For example, after completing a set of exercises, you'll be able to upload your results to the Web and check your progress via a dedicated Web site. You'll also be able to join up with other Active 2.0 users in groups to compare results and (presumably) motivate one another toward your fitness goals.

Of course, Active 2.0 will be coming for the Wii, and it's also scheduled for release on the PlayStation 3 (as well as the iPhone and iPod Touch). The PS3 version will have improved visuals over the limited graphical fidelity found on the Wii and will also include a second wireless controller you can attach to your arm, allowing you to do the exercises in the game without using a controller. Freeing up your hands will also allow you to use weights in certain exercises, and you'll be able to enter the information of any weight you use into the game to get a more accurate picture of your workout progress.

Finally, for those who hated the notoriously flimsy exercise band that came with the original Active, fear not: the band in Active 2.0 will be a good deal sturdier. Look for EA Sports Active on store shelves this November.