jOG for Wii review

jOG for Wii is a device that makes your character in Wii games only move when you jog on the spot. Perfect for getting fit while engaged in immersive, adrenalin gaming like Twilight Princess and Resident Evil.

What is the jOG for Wii?

Well, for one thing it’s not to be confused with Wii Fit which I also own (and I was so excited by Wii Fit I once actually exercised until I puked – true story. The moral being, don’t exercise for an hour on Wii Fit after two glasses of wine on an empty stomach, or at least don’t tell anyone about it).

jOG for Wii pros and cons

+ Encourages exercise
+ Nice design
+ Affordable
+ Fun addition to your normal gaming experience
+ You can de-activate it when you want to game as usual
– Limited amount of compatible games

Wii Fit is an exercise-themed game experience – you do the Wii Fit exercises shown to you on the screen. jOG for Wii is a handy little device you attach to yourself while you’re playing OTHER games. Doubling up as a pedometer so you can tell how many steps you’ve taken during a session, the jOG for Wii clips into your nunchuck. Then, in order for your character to move, you have to jog on the spot.

Great if you like gaming more than exercise

Okay, the Wii isn’t a hardcore gaming console, but you know what I mean. If you’re more interested in a fun game but would like to exercise while you’re playing a computer game you actually like, then the jOG for Wii is great. You can get fit while playing Lego Star Wars, Zelda, Resident Evil… You name it.

Great for games with an adrenalin rush

For games which get your heart pumping anyway (I’m thinking tense third and first person shooters, Rez Ev, Pro-Evo, that kind of thing), jOG for Wii is a godsend. I absolutely loved jogging about in Resident Evil and in an hour of gameplay the pedometer told me I’d burned 213 kcal. Sweet. Jill Valentine eat your heart out.

Great for immersive games

I am and always have been a Zelda nut. Running about in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (I mean, actually running) made me feel even more a part of Link’s world. And battling the big boss Diababa in the Forest Temple was doubly rewarding. Haha, boss! I am exhausted – genuinely! Because I’m having to jog on the spot while I fight you! And yet your defeat tastes all the sweeter – for, with genuine sweat on my back, I actually do feel like a bit of a hero…

Christ. Will I have to jog constantly to play my game?

No! There came a point where the jogging got too tiring, but there’s a button on the device to de-activate it so I could get back to some couch-gaming for a bit until I got my wind up again.

Does it work with every game?

So far there are about 90 games you can use it with. jOG for Wii only works with games that feature character movement and use the nunchuck – so you do need to check if your games are compatible.

Does jOG for Wii actually get you fit?

Um, the science bit. Well, a recent study from John Moore’s University in Liverpool showed that the energy expenditure over an hour of gaming whilst using jOG was 225kcal as opposed to only 85kcal during a normal gaming session. During 5 minutes of jOG gaming, gamers took an average of 630 steps and the level of exercise was comparable to brisk walking. If jOG for Wii gamers play for an hour they would take more than 7,5000 steps. The daily recommendation for adults is 10,000 steps per day, for boys 11,000 and for girls 13,000.

I definitely felt like I got a bit of a workout, plus the jOG for Wii added an interesting level to my gaming experience. For me it’s not just about burning off calories to lose weight – I work at a desk and don’t really get my heart rate up much, so I was grateful to the jOG for Wii for getting my heart pumping in a way that didn’t seem boringly odious.

Well done, jOG for Wii!

Jogging through Twilight Princess was pretty good fun.