Gamertell

It turns out that all the way back in 1987,  a game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was tricking its unsuspecting users into exercise routines. Bandai’s Dance Aerobics is the spiritual predecessor to Nintendo’s Wii Fit and natural movement.

The game features a few modes of following an instructor’s robotic stomping pattern that you repeat on a Power Pad accessory. I didn’t have my pedometer on but I can’t imagine I was burning many calories. What’s worse is that if you ever do get your heart up to a target rate, you can still flunk out of the routine early. After 10 missteps, you’re kicked back out to the main menu. Since there’s no introduction period when a new step is kicked in, you’re required to have some sort of amazing aerobics prescience.

Part of Bandai’s Family Trainer series, the whole affair reminds me of some of the clumsier non-games for the DS. It’s got an attractive selling point (“Play games and lose weight!”) and almost zero design sense (“Get frustrated, eat a slice of pizza!”). But there’s an awesome mode where you get to use the Power Pad as a keyboard. It’s strange, probably belongs in another game, and yet is rather fascinating.

You do get a save password if you pass a routine but, trust me, you won’t be back. Past the ridiculous nostalgia factor, this game is a total train wreck. But, hey, Nintendo could learn a lot from this kind of stuff. Like, uh, pink is a good color for a virtual instructor?

Site [Bandai]  Product Page [Wii Fit]