Walk It Out Hands- and Feet-On

Ever since science determined that playing video games is not, strictly speaking, exercise, developers and publishers have been looking for a way to bring the two closer together. Konami is no stranger to exercise and games, having published numerous iterations of the immensely popular DanceDance Revolution. Now it is setting its fitness sights on kids, and hoping Walk It Out's blend of exploration and rhythm-based activity will get kids off the couch and onto their feet. We stepped on the Wii Balance Board and went for a walk, and got a feel for the different things Konami is doing to get kids moving.

Though we used the balance board, Walk It Out is also compatible with the DDR Dance Pad or a simple Wii Remote and Nunchuk combination. The key to the game is rhythm. As your walking session starts, so does the music, and you have to stay in time with the beat if you want your onscreen avatar to make progress. Walk It Out contains a lot of music, including some master tracks from such bands as the Black Eyed Peas. But don't worry if that sounds a little too brisk for your tastes. Walk It Out lets you adjust your pace, so you can step on every other note, or every fourth note if you like. The songs that we walked to had a pretty quick tempo, so we immediately saw the appeal of being able to take it a bit slower.

As you are walking it out, you can see your avatar doing the same onscreen. You can design your character and choose his or her outfit, or you can import your Mii and walk it out with a big head and knobby hands. The game also asks for your date of birth, height, and weight, though how those numbers factor in to your fitness program was unclear. You can choose from one of two personal trainers who will give you tips and encouragement throughout the game, as well as explain the various gameplay elements.

One such element is the enormous amount of unlockable stuff. Each well-timed step you take earns you a point, and you can spend your points on a number of things throughout the world. For example, as we walked around the grounds outside the stadium where our training took place, we noticed a lot of orange orbs hovering over the sidewalk. Using the Wii Remote, we pointed at one orb and saw the text "Potted Plant - 10." Sure enough, when we pressed the A button, 10 points were deducted from our total and a little plant appeared. Other orbs had CD icons on them, and purchasing these orbs unlocked new tracks for us. Still, other orbs were just solid colors, and when we had hit enough of them, a lovely rainbow appeared on the horizon.

Walk It Out will feature a number of different locations to stroll around, and each location features many branching paths, some of which will have to be unlocked in order for you to take them. This exploratory element is bound to appeal to some young walkers, and the bevy of unlockables offers another goal to strive for, as well as another thing to distract you from the fact that you're actually getting exercise. By the time our brief walk was done, our calves were definitely feeling heated. You can see what we mean when Walk It Out hits store shelves this fall.