Top 11 Video Games for Fitness
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2011
Track your fitness goals and progress with tough routines that’ll definitely make you sweat. This series comes with five built-in training circuits (two whole-body workouts and three that focus on the upper body, lower body or abs) plus five slots to create your own kick-ass custom circuits. The game can be used with Wii MotionPlus and balance board, but they aren’t required. You can also choose your intensity level, and get fitness, wellness and diet tips. One nitpick: The user interface could be a little more responsive.
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Rating: Everyone
Cost: $19.99
Link: JillianMichaels.com
Wii Fit Plus
Considered one of the best for the Wii, this fitness game includes more than 40 types of training and strength-training exercises, yoga and other balance mini-games for casual gamers and hardcore fitness buffs alike. Like its predecessor, it also uses the Wii balance board to calculate your body mass index. Players can customize routines, letting you focus on working out specific parts of your body.
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Rating: Everyone
Cost: $19.99 (Must have Wii Fit; $99.99)
Link: WiiFit.com
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved
This exergame talks and walks you through the precise movements of your workout. Using Kinect, the game measures body size and structure. Then, using a hand-motion menu, enter your age, weight and exercise habits so the game won’t overexert you. Then you follow the tai chi and yoga moves of an onscreen instructor who will rate your performance.
Platform: Xbox 360 with Kinect
Rating: Everyone
Cost: $49.99 (Kinect $169.99)
Link: Marketplace.Xbox.com
EA Sports Active 2
Looking for a real workout? This is your game. Equipped with three wireless sensors that connect to your gaming console, this unique fitness game will take you through an exhausting nine-week exercise program, featuring fitness routines ranging from cardio to upper body to custom. The arm sensor also serves as a heart rate monitor to track recovery time after exercising.
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii
Rating: Everyone
Cost: $39.99
Link: EA.com
“Dance Central” (“Dance Central 2” available in mid-October)
Dance the pounds away by mimicking onscreen dance moves for high scores while gyrating to songs from Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue and more. A circle beneath the onscreen feet glows green when you hit the moves correctly, and red when you don’t. Master the moves individually (at the intensity of your choice) and then string ’em together in a dance battle while tracking calories burned.
Platform: Xbox 360 with Kinect
Rating: Everyone
Cost: $49.99
Link: DanceCentral.com
EA Sports Active NFL Training Camp
These workouts let you train like an NFL player on the team of your choice, running and sprinting in place, kicking field goals and throwing footballs. The system uses a remote and two new sensors -- one on your thigh, the other on your arm -- to track movements. It also comes with a resistance band for strength-training exercises.
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Rating: Everyone
Cost: $39.99
Link: EA.com
The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout
You might find the show annoying, but it gets results. So does this game. Hosted by trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper, “Ultimate Workout” provides a nutrition plan and 125 exercise regimens to help you lose weight and get in shape. The version for Xbox 360 with Kinect includes video diaries and the ability to connect with online workout friends for motivation and support.
Platform: Xbox 360, Wii
Rating: Everyone
Cost: $49.99
Link: BiggestLoserTheGame.com
Zumba Fitness
More than 1 million gym-going fitness junkies swear by this Latin-dance-inspired fitness regimen, credited to celebrity trainer Beto Perez, who stumbled upon it in the ’90s. Now you can join the dance party in your living room, with nine dance styles -- including hip-hop, salsa, meringue, reggaeton and mambo -- 30 music tracks and multiplayer mode. It also tracks your movements and lets you know when you’re offbeat or out of step.
Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii
Rating: Everyone
Cost: $39.99
Link: ZumbaFitnessGame.com
UFC Personal Trainer
If you think this -- or any other -- game will make you an MMA fighter, you are delusional. You will regret trying to use the moves in a bar fight, but this game will at least help you hone and tone with grueling, full-body MMA workouts for newbies and exercise diehards alike. Each exercise is shown onscreen, and your moves -- including speed, power and pace -- are tracked with pen-point accuracy to ensure you’re doing them correctly.
Platform: Xbox Kinect, PlayStation Move
Rating: Everyone
Cost: $59.99
Link: UFCPersonalTrainer.com
Kung-Fu Live
This isn’t your typical exergame. Like “Street Fighter” or “Mortal Kombat,” it’s a fighting game -- but it’s you onscreen, not an avatar. Instead of using a game controller, you use your body and the PlayStation Eye camera, which offers Kinect-like functionality. You kick, your character kicks. You punch, your character punches. Plus, it provides one hell of a workout that’s dirt cheap.
Platform: PlayStation 3
Rating: Teen
Cost: $14.99
Link: KungFuLiveGame.com
Adidas miCoach (For release in early 2012)
Want to train like the pros? Set your fitness goals and strap on a miCoach heart rate monitor, and then take on sport-specific, personalized training programs and instruction led by Adidas-endorsed athletes, such as NBA star Dwight Howard, Brazilian soccer great Kaka, and NFL defensive back Eric Berry. Plus, get real-time feedback on your actual in-game performance.
Platform: Xbox 360 Kinect or PlayStation 3 Move
Rating: Everyone
Cost: TBD
Link: PPS3.IGN.com
Get This
Computer Keyboards to Upgrade Your Office
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QUIET KEYBOARD This wireless rechargeable keyboard won’t make a sound no matter how hard you whack at the keys. Although the diNovo Edge might frustrate your attempts to show off your tireless work ethic to the boss, you can surf Internet dating sites all night without tipping off your girlfriend.
$156
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MULTILINGUAL MARVEL Expensive enough to require valet parking, the Optimus Maximus keyboard displays letters and control icons with a light-emitting OLED. It’s customizable for multitasking in multiple codes and languages -- including Cyrillic, ancient Greek, Arabic and HTML -- or for more ambitious activities like video gaming.
$2,000
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LASER SHOW No bigger than a cigarette lighter, the Celluon Virtual Keyboard connects to your computer using a USB dongle and emits an awesome laser-generated keyboard and mouse that allows you to work virtually -- and connect with your inner Obi Wan Kenobi.
$200
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BACK TO THE FUTURE Drawing from last century’s gilded sensibilities, this custom, retro-futuristic keyboard will make your desktop worthy of H.G. Wells’ office space. “The Marquis” keyboard has acanthus-leaf engraving on polished brass and key lettering engraved on a mirrored gold acrylic. It’ll make you the envy of any century.
About $2,000
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LIGHT FINGER FOLLIES Every time you touch its keys, the Luxeed U7 lights up like the Las Vegas strip -- bringing a little bit of Studio 54 to your dancing fingers. Make sure they dress sharply and get their names on the list -- this is one exclusive keyboard!
$150
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PURE LUXURY: BENTLEY MULSANNE The new Bentley Mulsanne's unrivaled pedigree stands out from the pack with an ultra-smooth and more-than-capable 505 hp, 6.8-liter V8 engine that glides from 0 to 62 mph in 5.3 whisper-quiet seconds. As befits its luxury status, the car can be completely customized to taste with over 1 billion possible variations, according Bentley Motors.
$285,000
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STANDOUT CONVERTIBLE: MORGAN AERO 8 Although its production recently ceased, this classically styled roadster is still one of the most fun, head-turning vehicles to roam the highways. While completely hand-built with more than 100 years of heritage packed into the coachwork, its BMW 4.4-liter V8 pumps out 312 hp -- moving this homage to yesteryear from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.2 seconds.
From $125,000
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Tiny Tower seems like a simple, if not silly, game. But that's how it gets you addicted. The premise, like SimCity, is to build your own world -- in this case a tower. The more floors you build, the more money you can make to spend on building more floors ... and the hook is set.
Platforms: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
FREE!
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How many passwords do you have to remember? Thanks to 1Password, you can keep all of your security codes safe and secure on your smartphone. All you have to do is remember one four-digit code and a master passcode, and the info is encrypted and backed up on your computer.
Platforms: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
FREE!
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Yes, the camera on the iPhone 4S is better than previous incarnations. But besides flash and zoom, it leaves us a little cold. Turn your 4S into a virtual DSLR with all the bells and whistles you get with said device, plus all the features you’d expect from a smartphone, such as visual filters.
Platforms: iPhone, iPod Touch
$0.99
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Even if you were born in the CD era, chances are you remember mixed tapes. Bring them into the digital age with the app that turns your digital music player into a virtual portable cassette deck that blasts loaded playlists and helps you create the perfect mix to play and then share on Facebook.
Platforms: iPhone, iPod Touch
$1.99
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Didn't you hear? The end of the world is happening on Dec. 21, 2012. Skeptical? Then check out this app, which explores all the coincidences between the Mayan prediction and what science says. At the very least you'll be prepared to handle the impending end of time.
Platforms: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
$6.99
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The premise of KaleidaCam is simple: Turn your iPhone's camera into a kaleidoscope. You can adjust the trippy-ness of the created image by choosing one of four to 10 slides. It leads to hours of mindless fun for the whole family. You can even take pictures of your creations and send them to Facebook and Twitter.
Platforms: iPhone
$0.99
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This mobile app puts Thrillist reviews in the palm of your hand so you can be the guy who knows the coolest places to eat, drink and shop. Using your device's GPS function, it'll tell you the top places to spend your time and money in more than 19 cities. You'll never have a boring night again.
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android
Free
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'Tis the season for holiday parties, full of finger foods, drinks and treats. This app will track your weight well into the new year so you can stop the festivities from settling around your waist. Just log your bites, licks and tastes, and the food database will calculate the calories you've consumed. Then log your workouts to determine how many calories you burned.
Platforms: iPhone, iPad
$2.99
See It Here -
If you thrive on new music, this is a must-have app. Band of the Day introduces you to an artist that you need to know about every day. You get a bio, a song to listen to, a stream of Facebook/Twitter comments about the artist, videos to view and a list of albums that you can buy, right from the app.
Platforms: iPhone
Free
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Think of this app as your secret weapon to achieving culinary nirvana. It puts all of the advice from the well-respected epicurean website of the same name in the palm of your hand. We love the seasonal options on the home screen that help make sure your feasts are weather-appropriate.
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android, Nook, Windows Phone
Free
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Finding a new place to hang your hat just got a whole lot easier, thanks to the new Trulia mobile app. The clean design of the interface makes it a snap to search homes to rent or to buy Features include sort by price, search by location, and email real estate agents directly.
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire
Free
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The latest incarnation of the Bloons game franchise gets the smart-phone makeover, and it is still as addictive as ever. The objective remains the same: prevent balloons from getting from one part of the maze to the other using your arsenal of dart monkeys, rockets, battleships and other WMDs.
Platforms: iPhone, iPad
$2.99 for iPhone; $4.99 for iPad
See It Here -
The latest army of food carts has turned most city streets into a mobile gourmet road show. But how do you know when your favorite Korean BBQ truck will be by your office? Using Google maps and your iPhone's GPS, StreetEats lets you track your favorite carts and see which ones are in your immediate area and how long they'll be there.
Platforms: iPhone, iPod Touch
FREE!
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With all of the news available to us, it's hard to cut through the noise and get what you're looking for. Editions by AOL is an app that curates a custom, easy-to-navigate daily newsmagazine based on your interests, location, Facebook friends and Twitter followers. The more you use the app, the more highly customized it becomes.
Platforms: iPad
FREE!
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Sick of the same old vodka martinis? Not sure what to do with that bottle of amaretto? InMyBar's simple interface lets you plug in all the booze you have in your liquor cabinet. Then, the app creates a list of all the cocktails you can make, or it lets you know what remaining ingredients you need in order to make a specific drink.
Platforms: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
99 cents
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Music nerds, welcome to heaven. This app tracks music blogs and culls their favorite tunes from the Web, then lets you create your dream radio station. The genre section alone offers more than 100 options -- perfect for deep dives into your particular mood. You can even track what your friends are listening to.
Platforms: iPhone, iPod Touch
$2.99
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Watch your favorite music videos in HD with VEVO HD, which features 45,000 videos, including intimate performances by your favorite artists; a music map showing which videos people are listening to in your area; artist tour information; and ticket-buying capabilities.
Platforms: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
FREE!
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Meeting a lovely lady is now as easy as whipping out your ... cell phone. Blendr collects your favorite interests and then helps match you up with female companions who live in your area and have similar interests. Browse photos, check in to venues and even chat with folks from your own neighborhood.
Platforms: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
FREE!
See It Here
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