TGS '07: Family Trainer: Athletic World Hands-On Preview

TOKYO--Wii fitness games are really set to arrive next year, with both Wii Fit and Family Trainer: Athletic World making their debuts on Nintendo's console. The latter (known as Active Life: Athletic Word in the US) is Namco Bandai's take on the concept. It will utilize both the Wii Remote, as well as an included mat, to play its single- and two-player games. After Athletic World was unveiled at Namco Bandai's pre-Tokyo Game Show presentation, we ran up to the demo area to play the game itself.

The custom-designed mat that Namco Bandai is making for Athletic World is plastic, meaning it has more in common with a Dance Dance Revolution mat rather than the rigid Wii Fit one. It's also relatively large, with enough space to accommodate two people for the multiplayer games. In single-player mode, your feet rest on the two center spots and each foot can move sideways, front or back. The Wii Remote's + and - buttons are also copied onto the mat, so you can pause the game to go into the menus just by using your feet.

The first minigame we saw was called Log Jump Runner. Standing in the center of the mat, you have to physically run on the spot, jump up, and move from side to side to avoid the oncoming logs. The idea is to make it to the finish line as quickly as possible by avoiding the logs, maintaining a fast running speed, and using the in-game jump pads to gain more height. The log jump game takes about a minute to finish, but the physical exhaustion of running and jumping means that one minute is just about enough.

The next game on offer was River Rafting, which you play using a combination of mat and Wii Remote. Wrapping your hands round the remote, you have to swing your arms in a paddling motion. As with real-life rafting, you have to paddle to the right to move left and vice versa. There are speed-boost pads dotted around the course that send you flying through the air, as well as blocks that you need to jump over by physically jumping on the mat (realism isn't a massive consideration in this game). You also need to avoid the tornados that are dotted around by frantically paddling away from them.

The final game was Whack-a-Mole, where the little critters pop up in each of the foot spaces, and you need to stamp on them. The game gets faster and more difficult as you progress, with a supermole occasionally making an appearance in the center. This bigger mole has to be eliminated by stamping your feet repeatedly in the center circles. At the end of each game, you're given star ratings based on your technique, as well as an overall grade, such as an A or a B if you've done particularly well. The best times are saved to the scoreboard, and ghost data can be stored to compare during later attempts.

We also managed to play a couple of two-player games, the first of which was another variation on the log-jumping theme. Both players stand on a platform and have to jump over falling logs--if you get hit by two, you fall off the platform. The other game was much more fun--a mini cart-racing game where players have to lean in the same direction to turn and jump together to leap over breaks in the track. In addition to coordinating all this, one player holds the Wii Remote to use as a blaster to shoot obstacles that fall on the track.

The demo for Tokyo Game Show 2007 only featured five minigames in total, but the development team promises many more in the final game. Games will be separated into worlds, such as water, mountain, and athletic. About one-third of them will require the Wii Remote to play. When questioned, the development team also admitted that it was looking into including some rhythm action games and doesn't rule out the possibility of creating a wireless version of the mat. At this point, though, it's certain that the Wii is the only console for which the game is being developed. Family Trainer is in the early stages right now, with the title and the 2008 release date both tentative, as well as subject to change. Rest assured, though, we'll have more on the game as soon as we get it.