Customer Reviews

The Biggest Loser

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

... and when I say "wow", I mean it as in "how could something that has The Biggest Loser franchise behind it be so bad?!?"

Let me start by saying two things: 1) I have a Nintendo DS, and not a DSi, so I will not be reviewing those functions involving the camera and internet connectivity, and 2) If you own the Wii version of this game, DO NOT PURCHASE THIS ONE! There is very little this game has that the Wii game doesn't have and the majority of it is repetition.

After you create your profile (by giving your name, gender, birth-date, height, weight, goal weight, and activity level) you create a little avatar with a few functions to change it's appearance. This is where the game immediately went downhill for me! It calculated a basal metabolism rate of 2205 calories and suggested as a sedentary person I eat 2145 calories a day - that's a deficit of only 60 calories! At that rate (barring exercise) it would take 2 months to lose a single pound! Moreover, in the "quiz" section of the game (more on that later), it says that the Biggest Loser doctors recommend eating no more than 7 times your weight in calories. Following that would be about a 500 calorie deficit - which makes more sense - however when you enter your calories in the calendar section, it still says "Suggested Calories: 2145". Already I'm finding this game useless, and am convinced that my free app "Loose It!" for my iPod touch is a thousand times better than this for tracking my calories in and out.

After creating a goal of how much weight you want to lose, you are ushered into the main screen with the four main options which are Calendar, Exercise, Healthy Eating, and Progress. There is also an Options button for changing music volume, sound volume, voiceover on or off, edit profile and delete challenge.

Calendar

From the calendar screen you can track your weight progress over time, use the calorie counter, exercise, and the weekly weigh in. The calorie counter earned this the second star since I thought it might be useful to some people. Many fast food and restaurant menus (34) are included... but it's far from complete. For instance, one shocking omission was McDonalds! Also, all the items in the calorie counter are current as of 2006 - fine for an egg that doesn't change its value over time, but bad if you are looking for a restaurant menu item that was introduced in the past 3 years. Again, my free app for my iPod is considerably better and up to date.

Exercise

Exercising with this is truly unrealistic and perhaps the biggest disappointment for me. The graphics demonstrating each move are two or three images in a loop. They look jumpy and hideously ugly. Moreover, you need to reach for your stylus and click a little check mark to advance to the next exercise every minute or 30 seconds (depending on the duration of that particular exercise). This is no different than exercising to a book - and having done that in the past, I can tell you it's just as interesting. Yes you can browse exercises, create a routine, or use a preexisting routine, but the execution is so terrible that these functions matter not!


Healthy Eating

This section includes Quick Tips (which seem to be repeated from the Wii game), a Cookbook (which is repeated from the Wii game), "Calculators" (which tell you your BMI, BMR, and suggested daily calories (rubbish)), Calorie Counter (the same 2006 edition as in the Calendar section), and two little quiz games. The first game "Choices" is where you answer 10 questions about which two items is the better choice. The majority of these questions insult your intelligence "French fries or baked potato? Soda or Water?" (I kid you not) and there doesn't seem to be much more than 20 questions total so replay is worthless. The same can be said about "Quiz" which asks multiple choice questions. These questions don't insult you as much and can be interesting, but far too few in number.

Progress

Here is a Progress Graph, a list of Accomplishments you've completed (lose a pound, skip desert etc. Mundane to the useful, could be motivating to some) and mini-biographies of past contestants (rather useless in my opinion).

Conclusion:

My conclusion? Shovelware. If you are unfamiliar with the term it means "software that has virtually no value to a user, but that is packaged and/or sold as if it did" or "software that is inflated in value by "shoveling" in all kinds of information, usually free to anyone and generally worthless."

This IS the year 2009, right? Then why are these graphics so incredibly ugly and crappy!? I could make better ones myself on an etch-a-sketch. I really was very excited to get this game, and since it was from The Biggest Loser, I figured some time and effort would be put into the quality of game play. Well unfortunately, I was wrong, and now I'm stuck with this stupid game. I would have rather spent my $30 on the actual cookbook because they only give you a couple of recipes. And I'd rather go to a yard sale and get VHS exercise tapes for $1.00 then stand in front of my DSi, tapping buttons between each workout. There aren't even any other music tracks, just one! That cute little video above for this review is for the Wii, and I can't tell you how far off the DS game it from that! It's only in 12 colors. And they're ugly. I'm so angry right now. Thanks for nothing, Biggest Loser. Maybe I'll eat you for dessert.

Amazon is mistaken...it says there is facebook internet connection...I can't find either, and I have a dsi. The camera works, but you can't save it anywhere.
What's worse...is the during the workout routines , you have to press the check with your stylus after each individual exercise...even during a workout routine...Have people learned nothing from the first wii fit?

The only thing it's good for is the cookbook, of which you could probably find cheaper as a book, and the calorie counter, which you could find
anywhere on the internet for free.

Amazon, should refund their customers who have ordered this...if there is a mistake in their product info. If someone is able to find the internet or facebook connect please let me know if I'm mistaken

Get the wii version of TBL it's great. This is pretty lame.

Really hard workout but worth it and it is more fun than just a workout video.

Game is way too basic as well as offering almost no benefits. A free Iphone app would do better then this poor excuse for a "game"

I thought this would be a great weight loss tool, but after a couple days I found myself loosing interest. It has some usuful information, such as calorie counts of food, but thats about it and it doesn't include alot of foods.

Fantastic product, and the portability makes it so useful!!
There is a calorie counter that is extremely comprehensive and includes many restaurant foods too, making it very easy to tally calories on the go.
There is a cookbook with healthy, delicious, and easy meals.
It helps you create and track personal goals including fitness goals (and it teaches work-out routines).
I learned a lot from the mini-games - tips to live healthier.
It was very motivating to see former contestants who have successfully lost weight AND maintained it.
There are many fun games out there for the DS, it's great to have one that can help you be healthier too!!

I am a huge fan of the show and own an exercise DVD but I have to say how disappointing this product is. I requested this for my Christmas gift and I have to say a pair of sneakers would have been much more helpful. I will make this brief...

1) The voice is choppy and sometimes not even existent
2) The exercises go from the Wii board to the floor back to the Wii board continuously changing the location of the Wii remote.
3) While doing the exercises there is no countdown or clue as to when the exercise change. For example you'll be doing a plank exercise with your head down and it switches without any prompts.
4) Visually I chose Bob as my trainer...the voice doesn't math the mouth, the shoulders look disjointed and the pants are not connected. Maybe a little thing to most but you lose the motivation.
5) Overall this looks like such an inferior product to any of the Wii Fit programs.

This is the first review I have ever written because I felt that others should know how POOR this product is.