Wii Fit’s biggest challenge may be finding one

Local electronics and video game retailers had a hard time keeping the new Nintendo Wii Fit on shelves its first day out.

Those who pre-ordered the fitness game system were the lucky ones.

“The majority of people who came in to get it already had it reserved,” said Javier Morales, assistant manager of Best Buy in Houma.

“The ones on the shelf were gone in 15 minutes … maybe 10.”

Customers paid five dollars to reserve the latest addition to active-player game consoles. Wii Fit retails for $89.99.

“I wanted one of these, but I can’t get it now,” said Best But stores supervisor Melissa Jeblonski.

She might have a better chance at another store. GameShop in Southland Mall and both Wal-Mart stores in Houma each had three left (as this article went to press).

None of the stores’ managers would reveal how many units they actually received. But by all indications, Nintendo’s latest release is in hot demand – and short supply.

Wii Fit is a combination of a wireless rectangular balance board and software. The balance board measures the player’s weight and detects shifts in balance with each movement.

The software has over 40 fitness activities ranging from yoga and aerobics to balance games and strength training.

Using each player’s personal avatar, or Mii, players enter the virtual world workout with a weigh-in that measures body mass index (BMI) based on height and weight.

Players are labeled “normal,” “underweight,” “overweight” or “obese.” The Wii then keep track of activities and adds or subtracts pounds to your Mii, depending on what it finds.

While users should not expect dramatic weight lose solely from playing Wii Fit, fitness instructors say there would be definite health benefits.

“It gets kids up and moving around using their arms and legs where otherwise they would be just sitting around,” said Mickey Lusco, group exercise coordinator at Renaissance Health & Racquet Club in Houma.

“Any kind of movement is better than sitting in front of TV,” he said.

Nintendo’s Wii Fit is a hard find in the Tri-parishes. The Wii video game was sold out across Houma within minutes, local businesses reported. * Photo by KEYON JEFF