Gamertell

Title: Personal Trainer: Walking
Price: $49.99
System(s): DS
Release Date: May 26, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Nintendo (Creatures, Inc,)
ESRB Rating: “Everyone”
Pros: Easy to use, fun to check and surprisingly useful. Able to import you Mii from your Wii.
Cons: Overpriced.
Overall Score: One thumb up, one sideways; 85/100; B; * * * 1/2 out of five.

According to the latest inclusion in Nintendo’s Personal Trainer “game” series, I am not a fat, lazy slob. Instead, I am as active as a Daytime Deer and, some days, an Evening Owl.

Thank you, Personal Trainer: Walking. You make me feel thin.

Walk This Way

Walking‘s premise is quite simple: You walk and the “game” charts your progress. To accomplish the first part, Walking ships with two mini pedometer accessories, one black and one white, both with an optional and appropriately colored clip that doubles as a battery cover replacement.

To sync the pedometers, you put in the DS cart and point and click the button on one of the given pedometers at the DS. You then get to pick an avatar (or import your Mii from your Wii), make a few basic clothing choices and start walking.

When you want to find out how many steps you’ve taken, a simple button press send the data to the DS cart which is then displayed in quick-paced charts, with feedback about your shortest and longest periods of walking, when you set a record as well as when you reach your daily steps goal. Each pedometer stores up to seven days worth of steps.

Your daily step charts overall step counts are also displayed in four different and cute alternatives to bland ol’ charts: “Walk the World” where steps are translated into famous structures, “Illuminate” where your steps (and anyone else’s which are registered through your cart) are turned into watts to light a house and “Space Walk,” a world-wide way of combining steps via WiFi to march Miis between various bodies in space.

There’s also a setting for pets so that you can see exactly how many steps your cat, dog or whatever other large-enough-to-wear-a-standard-collar creature takes each day.

This is Not a Game

That’s right, this is really not a game (which is why I put that word in quotes above). It’s instead a simply-to-use, cartoony way to track how many steps you take each day. It appears to work very well, tracking your steps according to time so you can even see when you are the most active (or laziest) throughout each day. Even the three chart alternatives are not as much games as simple and fun to watch, well, alternatives.

Besides a daily step goal, which you can change, you are also given little tips for a healthier life (“Try to eat a balanced diet today,” “Try to spend 10 minutes relaxing”) which are especially cute and silly when coming from a cartoon version of your pedometer. The feedback will also seem a little silly to some, referring to your step count in terms of when you are most active and the type of animal your activity seemingly indicates.

The pedometers are especially small and light, which is nice if you put on in your pocket or attach the clip. The only drawback might be that it’s so light you won’t even notice if you lose it but that simply testifies to how unobtrusive those little pedometers are.

And, of course, there’s the ability to import your Mii, which appears to permanently activate the feature on your Wii with a few button presses.

The main drawback of Walking is the price. Yes, I understand that a single decent pedometer can cost $20 or more and you get two with the system but those pedometers usually have mini screens for instant feedback. Fifty dollars is a bit much to swallow for what seems like two buttons with clips and a cute charting app. For Walking you also have to remember to sync it with the cart at least once a week (never mind remembering to put it on each morning, else it might think you were especially lazy that day) or you lose some data.

Personal Purchase-r?

Personal Trainer: Walking is certainly a positive example of Nintendo’s attempt at becoming the game company that cares about your health. Viewing your feedback each day will, at the very least, keep the idea of outperforming the previous day’s step count in the back of your mind.

Setup and use are quick and easy enough for any gamer who is able to read the menus. Again, the main drawback is the seemingly hefty price for two buttons and an app but do keep in mind that you are getting two pedometers and a more-fun-than-normal charting system. If the price ever drops to $30 or less, this would undoubtedly be a no-brainer purchase.

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Check out the gallery: Personal Trainer: Walking screen shots