Customer Reviews

We Cheer

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a game for kids who dream of being a cheerleader or for "old kids" who didn't make the final cut for cheerleader and never got over it. It's one to add to the "Get up off the couch and move" list of Wii games and it's a way to get some very good exercise while having some fun.

I just got this today and have been playing with it for the last couple of hours. That's as long as I could play because by arms and shoulders are ready to fall off! This game really gives your arms a great workout and once I get better at it and can follow along with the foot movements it should be an all around great exercise game. (Walking and chewing gum at the same time can be challenging) There is also a "Work out" section that's has a choice of quick or extended exercise routines which involves a lot of footwork as well as the arms. That, BTW is a good way to practice getting the cheer moves down.

There's a Campaign Mode where you can compete with another person for team captain or Party Mode where you can play with up to 4 people and have your own squad. I probably won't be playing in those modes since most of my friends would think this 50-something woman had totally lost it if I asked them to come join my Wii cheerleading squad. (Why didn't they name the game "Wii Cheer"?

I like the music and the cheerleader characters are all bubbly and enthusiastic (perky?) which is good motivation to get moving. They're also chatty with recommendations and small talk, which you can hit the A&B buttons to skip if it gets old after a while.

I barely made it past failing after a couple of hours and that was on the easy songs. It's fun even when you don't hit every beat. I did improve by doing the routines over and over. I've found that watching the cheerleaders is the best way to stay on the beat. A good sense of rhythm helps. It seems to have enough different songs to keep it interesting and challenging.

I'm glad I bought it. It's big, big fun and anything that keeps me exercising for over 2 hours is a good thing.

Update 10/18/08 - Well it's almost 1:00 in the morning and I've been playing with this game for almost 3 hours after the rest of the household has gone to bed. I've been trying to clear more stages in order to unlock that song in the trailer, "Walking on Sunshine". I finally did it! This game has become a major addiction.

Also, the points scored in this game are based completely on arm movements (although it makes it easier to stick with the rhythm if you move around a little) so if you're hesitating about this game thinking it involves a lot of jumping around, doing back flips or the splits, not to worry. You could pretty much stand in one place and play this game. It's all in the wild flailing (and precision movements) of the arms. That said, you might want to keep your drapes closed when playing so as not to confirm the suspicions of the neighbors that you are totally out of control.

Update 11/5/08 - If you're having trouble hitting some of the movements when it seems like you're doing everything right, and you're using an HD LCD TV, try going into the options menu and adjusting the timing. I ended up setting it a couple points down and this seemed to make all the difference. I think there might be a slight delay between the music and the display with some TV's and this seems to solve the problem, although I'm not really sure how this works. (Still loving this game!)

Update 11/4/09 - I just got the new We Cheer 2 and it's just as much fun as this one with some nice additional features.

I am a grown man who loves rhythm games. I played Dance Dance Revolution on Playstation for months. Then I played Stepmania on my computer for twice that. I am still playing Guitar Hero. My favorite "exercise" on Wii Fit is the stepping one.

Given the empty space between Guitar Hero 3 and World Tour (Aerosmith doesn't count since it blows), I bought this game. It's GREAT and I LOVE it.

The control takes a while to get used to but I find large, flowing movements are generally awarded. The songs are very upbeat. Given my age I absolutely hate the song "Come N Ride It(The Train)", but now I love it since I cheered to it (strange that the opposite happened in Guitar Hero Aerosmith).

The only complaint has nothing to do with the game play. Before and after each song are pep-talks that I just skip, but the loading time for them are a pain. Also, while I have a new-found respect for the athletic part of cheerleading, I still find cheerleader talk to be completely ridiculous. Every Oh. Em. Gee. makes me die a little inside. Like. For sure.

I guess it would have been more socially acceptable for me to like this game if instead of cheerleaders these are all karate masters or something, but it's no more self-delusional than dancing on a foam pad or playing a plastic guitar controller.

I recommend this game to EVERYONE who have enough space in front of their wii to enjoy it to the fullest. I also recommend getting wrist and ankle weighs and turning this into a pretty respectable work-out.

This game is by far the best WII game I have played. It is SO much fun! I played it for 6 hours straight yesturday, and so far today I have played it for 3 hours and Im not done yet! :D

If you are into dancing, and stuff like that than you will like this game. I recommend it for ages 9 and up. For kids younger than 9 it might be a little to complicated. I am 15, and this game is my new obsession :)

First off...I'm a married man with two children and definitely in touch with my Y chromosome.

That said, who would have thought I'd like cheerleading!?

Well, this game, which I initially bought for my oldest daughter, has become a sensation and addiction for both my wife and I. It provides a fun workout for your arms (and if you have enough skills, your body). You will workup a sweat if you do this game with vigor.

The music is great, and even songs which might have otherwise annoyed me, I've found have worked their way to my Ipod.

My daughter is 6 1/2 at the time of this writing, and I'd have to say the game is much too difficult for her. Its hard for an adult, or at least one who isn't a natural dancer/cheerleader. I'd put this game at just right for those over 11, but it has a steep learning curve as you try to learn what the arrows mean. Easier to just watch what the cheerleader on screen is doing and try to mirror it. This may be difficult however if she turns her back to you, because if you do the same, you'll have to look over your shoulder to get the next move correct.

The game is very (overly)sensitive to mistakes, so you will find some frustrations as it tells you you screwed up when you really think you were on target. I took 1 star off the overall review over this issue, because I think this is a real problem.

Great party game!

11/6/08 - small update. Well, I came home from work and my daughter surprised me by showing how she could beat the C'mon N'ride it routine on easy level, after working on it a while. So, with patience and practice, seems a 6 to 7 year old with good self-control can succeed at it.

This is a great game, but it does have a learning curve. I was almost ready to give up after several failures, but after lots of practice combined with tips gleaned off the internet, I caught on and started passing. I've now passed all the stages and I'm hooked on this game! This plus Active Life Outdoor Challenge and Helix have really brought my Wii back to life.

The game's biggest problem IMO is that the directions and tutorial don't do it justice. First, READ the manual. Unlike most video game manuals that are mainly ad copy plus warnings not to play Wii in the bathtub, the We Cheer manual explains how the "championship" mode works (passing the stages and unlocking songs). Two other points that will help you succeed:

-- Mirror the cheerleader! Don't just focus on the lines, like in Elite Beat Agents. Try to copy her arm movements as if you're doing an exercise video. Even following her body will help, like kneeling on the ground, twirling and jumping. Get ready to sweat!

-- This game is 3-dimensional. In other words, you're not just tracing lines on an imaginary wall in front of you; you also need to move your arms forward and back and around your body. Watch for when the cheerleader turns to one side, makes swimming motions, hand rolls, hands on hips or puts her hands behind her head; follow along exactly and you'll score! This game really picks up on exactly where your hands are and what direction and speed they're moving. Make big, hard, sharp motions just like a real cheerleader. Keep your wrists straight and lock out your joints. (I picked up those last 2 tips from a cheerleading site, and they do help with We Cheer!)

The workout mode, like another reviewer noted, is a good way to practice and is a real hoot. A fat boy asks you to make him over, and at the end of the workout (2 minutes or 4 minutes long) he becomes a thin "after" picture and presents you with a uniform. The moves are very simple, like squats and step-touches. I just wish you could select a song from the songlist rather than listening to generic music. Speaking of the songlist, it is awesome! It's so great to hear original hits by original artists instead of cover versions.

We Cheer has only a few minor technical flaws. Once a song starts, it has to play all the way through; you can't pause or fail out or abort or even go back to the Wii menu. (That doesn't really bother me, but I know others will complain.) Loading times are a bit long, and I wish there was some way to get rid of the "how to hold your remotes" screen (which comes up even if you repeat a song!) and the instructor afterwards telling you how you did.

I really hope enough people have enough patience with We Cheer to make it a hit and a series like DDR or Guitar Hero. For the sequel, it would be fantastic to have multi-song courses or some way to program your own courses. The E-10 rating seems appropriate; younger kids may be frustrated with the skill level of this game. But if you're a grownup, We Cheer may turn you into a kid again. Whooo!

11/8/08 - Since everyone else is updating :) - I agree with the others that We Cheer is a magnificent, addictive, unique game that is easily worth ten stars or more. I'm in my 40s and my joints have never felt this loose and flexible, and that's after years of doing workout videos. (I don't like yoga or pilates, and most dance videos emphasize legs rather than arms.) This game has real potential in phys ed classes or community centers that use Wii, especially since it doesn't require a floor pad or balance board that can get beat up from heavy use.

This game is excellent. I'm a 30 year old MALE, and no I'm not gay. I'm about as manly as you can get, and I have been into rhythm games since the Playstation 1 era (Guitar Freaks, Pop'N Music, Beatmania, etc.) and I own pretty much every music based game there is... I can say with a straight face this ranks among some of the most enjoyable. No lie.

If you've ever played a Japanese rhythm game (before the craze finally expanded to the US) or even if you've played Dance Dance Revolution, this game brings an all new experience. The closest comparisons would have to be a mix of ParaPara Paradise and Ouendan (aka. Elite Beat Agents) but with 3D movements. Sure, the pretty-in-pink face it sports may throw you off, but if you can put your inhibitions aside, and have fun, then you're in for a treat.

Unfortunately, this game isn't without its faults:
1. It's pretty unforgivable with its lack of allowing for mistakes.
2. The in-game tutorial is awful, and will NOT prepare you for the brutally sharp learning curve. You won't make it through about 1/2 of the songs the first/second/third time because you won't have an idea of what certain motions the arrows are asking you to perform.
3. It's rather short once you get the hang of it (I beat it in two nights, approx. 10 hours) due to the small track list.

However, for each of those faults, it is made up for by being extremely fun once you figure out what motions it actually wants you to perform. My wife makes fun of me every time I play it, but it's worth it...lol.

At $40 brand new, it's a steal.

BUY THIS GAME!

Simple interface, great songs, excellent up-to-date dance moves-- rarely any sexual gyrations - if any - if that's a concern; just clean, straight-forward cheerleading moves! What a workout! I'm 36 and I've bought cheerleading dvds that didn't touch this one in choregraphy or fun!

Big bonus: a seemingly never-ending challange and variations of routines.

You can use We Cheer with only one Wii Remote, too.

We cheer is a massive full-body range of motions, movements, and freedom, unlike All Star Cheer Squad where you stand on the wii balance board. We Cheer demands an honest time commitment, like any serious routine to learn; challanging but you don't notice you're working out because the music is so great. We Cheer takes the same over-and-over-and-over attempts as trying to clear any standard video game level, but here you use your body and your brain and you sweat, sweat sweat and have fun.

The positive enjoyment mixed with progressive, acheivable long-term challange is a real motivator to me. I know this will take time and work and I like that in a video game. I don't like 'impossible' or 'killer' but if I work hard enough i can get it? That I like. And WORK is the key word here. This doesn't fall into your lap or cut you many breaks. It's just pure, old-fashioned, try try and try again repetition. It's got great music, not covers, very modern.

The moves themselves have the perfect timing between too slow to keep interest, and too hard to learn - so perfect rythum for long-time play.

Yyou use your entire body in it, with jumps and spins, modified to your fitness or energy level at the moment - but no cords or nunchucks to tangle in and no wii balance board to limit you.

You're going to 'fail' the cheers at first, many a time, no doubt, but it's not impossible to learn - it does take a time commitment of repetion. But so does any dance class. And the moves progress upon each other, which builds confidence so you can master speed. Total, rocking non-stop workout, makes you feel like you should have been on the cheer squad. Great for adults and kids a like, 100% fun!

About the choreography: Most of the routines are over 2 minutes long! Its going to take time to learn them. I think you need space - time - and some privacy - not an audience snickering. It is not 'complex' at all -- the moves are simple in and of themselves -- BUT there are about 100+ moves strung together in a very quick tempo for each song. You need to expect yourself to take a lot of TIME to learn these generous-length routines. This isn't a dvd an average person throws in and expects to learn in a day or two - for me it took five days in a row, about 40 minutes a day to learn the easiest song on it and I still haven't nailed it all. So plan accordingly.

And don't be hard on yourself. I, hands-down, sucked the first three days, it was pityful. I also can say that I really got in better shape. With increased fitness came ease of motion, quicker reflexes, and knowledge and practice of what is really a very high level routine as far as length and brain power to memorize goes. You may never have learned a routine this long in your life. 2 minutes and 15 seconds sounds short till you try it.

You can take this 'game' very seriously and be a perfectionist and do more than just score high: you can learn all the nuances of the lower body motiones and work very hard with if you want to. I've got a lot of 'learn to dance dvds', about 20+ of them -- and none of them touch the fun or grant the possiblity that I MIGHT be able to learn the routines if i practice enough the way this one does.

We Cheer is FAST. It's not half-time speed, and there's no setting to slow the moves down, so learning takes time - and you may give up. But the actual moves themselves NOT complex moves. Just simple, quickly strung-together moves is the best way to visualize it. And so ultimately? A challange, but a fun one that I think anyone who gives some effort to can pull off. Unlike some dance/cheer dvds where neither your effort, heart, nor determination is going to realize.

My actual experience was as follows --

48 hr update:
using one wii remote is absolutely doable, it's better than not having the game at all, but I find myself totally favoring the arm holding the remote, while the other arm loses beat constantly. It's natural because with only one remote plugged in you only see arrows directing you on screen for one side.

Tips:

-This game is really H U G E range of motion. Giant! You can whip yourself around, do kicks, spins, sky's the limit; or you can be very controlled with a limited range and not wild at all. No nunchuck is used so, your arms can fly, wind-mill in all directions.

- To actually learn the routines to perfection pretend you're in a dance class and DO them to the best of your ability; fumble around, fall, feel silly, be constantly out of step and repeat repeat repeat and til you got it down! Doing the *precise* full body range of motion moves won't give you a great score for a very long time so ignore scoring, but it is a way to *learn* the wonderfully indepth routines. You are memorizing, learning, a good 3 quarters of a song! Which is generous for almost any dance dvd much less a dance game.

-I really sweat. This is on par with a serious dance class if you can nail all these moves in difficult, you're a homegrown superstar.

- One last tip for this update - the moves are cheerleading moves mixed with dance. When we dance on a dance floor we don't do sharp, snapping moves that return to a center position. You really need to get your almost-robot groove on, thinking in a constant 'return to center, keep the moves sharp' mentality because cheering is different than say just a freestyle ddr motion. You catch on quick tho!

72 hr Update:
WHOA BABY -- This is the best dvd/vhs/game I ever owned for working out and dance. Today I concentrated on probably the easiest song, "Perfect Day" (rated 1 out of 4 stars for difficulty.) The whole thing faces front, straight on, and the moves are the slowest, most logical pace, on about a 4/4 beat, so doable, but still challanging. I did it, cleared the song after about 5 tries. I then went on to change that 1 out of 4 song for difficulty, to it's hard mode (awesome idea, We Cheer!); hard mode on any song (regardless of it's star rating for difficulty) adds more 'score-able' moves to a routine you already knew. Which is perfect for just knocking the song out of the park after your already used to it.

Newfound respect for cheerleaders! The sweat was just pouring off me after 9x repeating the 'Perfect Day' routine (about 25 minutes of working out). Dance is such an awesome workout becuase you don't realize it but you reach and twist and stretch and make muscles move that don't usually get the opportunity to, but you don't resent it becuase it's so fun.

If you like DDR you'll probably like this too. It's so upper bod.

**** Two remotes for this game really made it twice the workout and much more satisfying. It frankly isn't as rewarding with one, but I'd do it over doing anything else. I went and bought another remote and it was worth every penny for adding to the satisfaction of the dance experience****

I think this is worth a hundred dollars or more - because I'm a casual dancer and fancy myself a would-have-been great cheerleader who lost her way, and I am so sick of buying cheerleading dvds and dance dvds that are slow, boring, or both. What a totally FUN TIME.

Infact, I was trying so hard, once I got familiar with most of the upper body cheer moves (where you get scored) that I instinctively started moving my lower body in time to the beat. Gosh, this game is a work out! Like a broadway workout on speed. Just glue yourself to one song and don't stop til you got it! I don't know how I'm going to do the rest of the harder songs.. I'm actually scared - but in a good way. Excited-scared. Laughing.. this IS fun if you love to dance! I really feel a sense of satisfaction in having actually gotten a routine somewhat down for once. Not perfect, but down. I can see teens in much better shape than me learning it much more quickly.

120 hr update:
it's amazing after 5 days that I am still very motivated and interested and compelled by this maxium-output-required dvd! Usually anything dance/cheer is either so complex i literally can't perform it or get a leg up on a routine no matter how hard i try or how many times i try. Or worse, it's so slow and so much blabbing I can't stand it the frustration of it and the ending routine is all of 25 seconds and not worth the brain power. WE CHEER tho? - is a 10/10 for replay-value, *length* of routines,and *number* of different routines (30!? that's unheard of in dance or cheer dvds - utterly and UNheard of amount of routines for 40 bucks, plus there's a hard and easy version of all those 30 routines? unprecidented, I'd say).

You do get tossed right in. It's more kid-minded than adult minded. Kids I think just naturally want to see the end routine and then start building skills, where as adults expect much more broken-down steps. There are NO broken-down steps or half-time lessons. And tho you do trade off on in We Cheer, what you get in return is 30 over two minute routines in cheerleading. Something you can't get anywhere else on any dvd I know of. And I have them all. Even Cheeracise doesn't come close to this in fun or depth or replay-value, tho it's a great dvd, and probably the best cheerleading one there is to date.

I can't even express how valuable this game is for working out if you like dancing. This IS a workout, a cheerleading CLASS, and a viable weight-loss option if you learn the routines, upper and lower body,and give it your physical all. You can take as seriously as you want which is a great option. Or you can just play around with it for fun. I'm taking it really seriously and it's paying off.

New tips:

-Go to the 'dressing room' and watch the cheerleader routine in there, she does a lot of the moves half speed. Do them with her get a better sense of timing and practicing basic moves.

- holding these 3/4 pound wii remotes in each hand, which are much heavier than real pompoms have a learning curve of strength all their own. Don't be surprised if your arms hurt after. The gravitational pull of circling these things and flinging them in and outwards is real lol

Well it's been 120 hrs. Usually I get bored after 48 or less. My learning curve may be slower than the average person's (i'm not too great with patterns or remembering which way is left or right), and my determination may be a bit higher, I enjoy personal challange when i'm sufficiently rewarded as i am trying, and I do love to dance and sweat - all this along with the pure fun of it containing a higher-than-normal capacity to intice me to keep coming back to 'play'.

10 Day Update:
Still playing! Doing it every morning. Started a new routine!

Tips
-- Championship mode can be a distraction to learn a routine in because of the really fabulous graphics going crazy in the background and fireworks going off, and the fact that squad is set up in the formation of bowling pins so there's a lot of arms and legs and pompoms moving around, it's easy to lose your way visually. Try this if you are having problems seeing how the moves are done in any particular routine: go in to 'cheer off' mode and pick a girl and play against the other four. Four of you all stand in a straight line with no background visuals. To make it even less distracting, go into 'options' and under 'lines' turn off the thick or thin lines to the 'star' only. Then watch the third cheerleader in the line up of four, and you can see what their arms and legs are doing much better without the distraction of the lines and stars whirling around. The routines in 'cheer off' mode are the same as in 'championship' mode. The other great thing about learning in 'cheer off' mode is no matter what your score is, you're always in first place when you play alone which feels kind of good and is a good boost of confidence for people sensitive to 'failing' constantly while learning a routine in 'championship' mode.

-I thought one mode was going to be easier to learn the routines from - either championship mode with the tracerlines whirling around, or 'cheer off' where i could concentrate on one cheerleader in the middle with no lines or stars whirling around; I've come to find out, I need to learn routines in both modes, so it's nice to switch back and forth!

The only thing missing from this game is the ability to slow down the moves so you can learn them. But i'd rather have more routines anyday.

Update: I've thought of recording a routine I'm working on with my camcorder and then uploading the mpeg to my harddrive, then using quicktime movie player to slow the speed down about half (under 'windows' > 'a/v control' in quicktime player) so I can learn all the fast combinations. Also quicktime player can loop said video over and over so that you don't have to keep resetting the song. A possible answer if you're stuck on a difficult routine.

We Cheer

Ok, please don't say anything, but this game is COMPLETELY CHEESY FUN! I'm a complete grownup, with A Real Job, a 6-year-old son, and A Real Life. But this game lets your inner Cheese come out. I'm enjoying the Workout feature as well as trying to complete the actual routines.
The only very slight drawback is that once you pick a person, you can't change it once you go beyond the initial screen. So choose carefully!
Even a decent selection of songs.
Takes a bit of getting used to holding the controllers up & down while moving around, but it's not too bad.
Great fun---but don't tell my coworkers, k?

Please don't tell my neighbors or co-workers, but I have found a new love in this game. I'd like to pretend I got it for my children, but they are two boys, ages 5 and 6. I couldn't use it for an excuse as my husband raised his eyebrows at me when he learned of the purchase. The truth is I was dying to try this one for myself. The setup is pretty easy. You choose your character for your profile, head to pick out uniforms and poms, then you're off to practice. After an easy but informative tutorial, you hit the floor cheering. Head to the workout area to do simple to complex routines meant to burn calories as you train out of shape participants. They reward you with goodies like new uniforms. Or head to the cheer competition featuring several cute locations and familiar FUN songs. Each location offers four songs/routines varying in difficulty. Pick them off by scoring points, thus filling your rainbow megaphone. Master them, and you earn a new location with new songs. I must warn you, this is embarrassingly addictive. Also be warned, it takes a while to get into the groove and get the feel of the tracers, as well as how to hold the wii-motes. It feels strange at first to use the two wii-motes, but you'll get the hang of it no time. My boys have played, and they really love it. My 5 year old even beat me on the Corbin Bleu "Push It" song. :-) I like the upper body workout, and am even starting to add some footwork to it. You should know that you are literally thrown into each routine without being taught it first. It takes several times to get an idea for what the routine is like. Then it becomes very enjoyable. So, pull the blinds, put on your workout gear, and get moving. Don't forget the water... you'll need it!

I had looked at this game a couple times and immediately assumed it was for kids, based on the artwork and the commercial. But when I started reading the reviews from mostly adults I decided to give it a try, and I have NOT been disappointed!

I haven't worked so hard, or had so much fun dancing since my cheerleading days in High School (over ten years ago). I get lost in customizing the uniforms, and matching the clothes. I even have the uniforms customized with my favorite college team, and colors.

First off, if you have an LCD TV, or feel that the game isn't detecting your moves, you can go into the options screen and adjust the lag. Another reviewer mentioned this, and it's very important. Too bad you can't test it, like with Guitar Hero. So you may have to try a few times before you get it right, but it makes all the difference in game play.

A few times in practice mode learning how to hold the Wii mote, and you'll be ready to "cheer". This game isn't easy, that's what makes it so fun and challenging. To see if you can learn the routine and get better and better each time. You can get your whole body involved, not just your arms for a great and fun workout. I have owned Dance Dance Revolution as well as Wii Fit, and this is by far the most fun, the most effective for an exercise supplement, and the most affordable. I work up a sweat everytime. There is even a workout mode, which is great. I haven't spent a lot of time with it, as I'm still perfecting my dance moves.

The song selection is really good. Good balance of difficulty. Fun for us 20somethings, as well as kids. Really fun and creative dance routines. This game doesn't get boring, or tedious, rather you'll find yourself addicted. I HIGHLY recommend this game!!