First, there was Body Pump, then Body Combat and now there’s Zumba! I must admit, having not been to a gym in erm, nearly 2 years I had no idea what my Mum was talking about when she said that she had seen a new dance class advertised on the TV called Zumba. I remember telling her she must have got it wrong, surely she meant Rumba? You know how mothers can sometimes get these things a bit wrong!! But no, after a little research on the internet it turned out she had got it right, there was a new fitness craze sweeping the nation and yes it was called Zumba!
Zumba Fitness
Being a Mum to two little cherubs I don’t have much time or expendable cash to attend the gym anymore so I clubbed together with Mum to buy the Zumba DVD set so that we could give it a go at home. That was about 6 months ago and I still haven’t even put the DVD in my player. Mum has had a go a couple of times but says that it goes too fast for her to follow and it gets too confusing.
When the opportunity to review Wii Zumba Fitness was placed before me I knew that I couldn’t say no. Surely this would be a better way to get fit and learn Zumba? I have all of the Just Dance games and more besides so this seemed the obvious step for me.
Zumba Fitness Belt
The game comes with a Zumba Fitness belt which you need to wear to hold your Wii Remote so the game can monitor your hip movements. You begin by creating a profile for yourself so that you can monitor your progress and the game has the capacity to store up to 8 profiles so the whole family can join in. It has tutorials to teach you the basic dance steps for all dance styles, they start off really slow and then very quickly speed up. When you are getting the moves right the instructor glows green and the more in sync with your instructor you are the more energy points you build up.
Personally, I would have preferred it to have the same structure as the Just Dance series with little figures along the bottom of the screen to warn you when the moves are about to change as I find myself just getting the hang of a move before it changes and I get confused again. It’s tempting to skip the tutorials but you just end up with your legs resembling spaghetti junction so it’s worth taking the time to follow each tutorial before delving into the Zumba game itself. I guarantee you are more like to enjoy it and stick to it if you do the tutorials first!
Great Home Workout
Like most things, practice makes perfect and the more you do the game and start to remember the routines the better you get at it and the more you enjoy it too. Zumba is a very fast-paced game but I’m really loving it and I definitely feel like I’ve had a good workout when I’ve finished my session.
Zumba Class
Zumba Class lets you select any unlocked class to complete alone or with friends. Classes are set to different skill levels and durations including the 60 minute Zumbathon (and no, I haven’t managed to work my way up to that one yet!).
Zumba Party
In Zumba Party, you complete 10 progressively more advanced classes from beginner through to expert. Once you have completed all 10 classes you unlock Zumbathon level. This is the mode that I tend to use the most, I like that I don’t have to make a decision (it always takes me so long to choose).
Single Routine
Single Routine allows you to choose any single routine to play on your own or with friends and in Multiplayer mode you can dance with up to 4 friends in fun sessions and competitions against each other.
There is also a workout calendar so that you can plan your own personal fitness schedule, this is something which I am intending to do as I had set myself a few goals to reach now that I have lost my post-baby weight I want to increase my fitness levels and get myself bikini fit again too!
I had intended to post a video of me doing one of the Zumba classes as part of this review but I’m sorry I’m just not ready for that yet, perhaps one day when I look like the girl on the front cover I might give it a go but for now you’ll just have to take my word for it that the game is lots of fun and gives you a really good workout. At least when I’ve done a Zumba session I know I’ve worked hard.
To find out more information or to link up with other Wii Zumba fans why not check out their Facebook page and Twitter feed.
DISCLAIMER: I was given a copy of Wii Zumba Fitness in exchange for my review, all words and opinions are my own.