Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout Review
When The Biggest Loser made its video game debut on the Wii, it offered a suitable workout experience, but was overshadowed by the likes of best-selling titles Wii Fit and EA Sports Active. Now, with impressive utilization of Kinect’s full-body motion detection capabilities, The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout takes fitness a step further with customizable workouts and robust health features that make it a worthy competitor.
Creating a custom fitness program in Ultimate Workout is easy, requiring a fitness test and use of the game’s body analyzer that determines the intensity of your program and areas to focus on. The body analyzer is a helpful tool to keep track of your progress over the course of your regimen, since it uses the Kinect camera to perform a surprisingly accurate scan that calculates measurements for neck, waist, and hips. If you’re unsatisfied with the program the game generates for you, you can make modifications, but wading through the menus is an exercise in frustration thanks to the questionable controller-free navigation. Thankfully, spotty movement detection only applies to menu screens.
Ultimate Workout offers a wide variety of workout styles ranging from interval training to yoga. Even with more elaborate exercises, such as getting down in a plank position and quickly jumping back up into a standing pose, the Kinect camera never lost sight of me. Your silhouette appears alongside the trainer of your choice (either Bob Harper or Jillian Michaels) and looks like it’s covered in slime for motion fluidity. The silhouette follows you perfectly as you perform moves, making it easy to compare your form with the trainer. On-screen prompts notify you if you need to correct your form, and the trainer provides some verbal feedback as well. Some of the trainer commentary fails to correlate with your actions; if you leave the room for a water break, Bob or Jillian may commend you on your form. The trainer will occasionally ask to see how you are holding up, providing multiple options on screen that you can repeat aloud. If you’re feeling tired or need water, just say so during these segments and the workout will pause accordingly.
Other features, such as the ability to record video diaries, a calorie counter and intake log, lean recipes, and more make the entire package a worthwhile fitness program. Even though all Kinect titles offer some degree of exercise, The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout gets you on the right path to a healthy new start.
Products In This Article
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
