Wii Fit (universe)

Wii Fit (universe)
Developer(s)	Nintendo Ganbarion
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Genre(s)	Exergame
Console/platform of origin	Wii
First installment	Wii Fit (2007)
Latest installment	Wii Fit U (2013)
Article on MiiWiki	Wii Fit (universe)

The Wii Fit universe refers to the Super Smash Bros. series' collection of characters, stages, and properties that hail from the Wii Fit series by Nintendo. Debuting in 2007, the Wii Fit franchise consists of three installments (two for the Wii and one for the Wii U), each of which can be bundled with a Wii Balance Board. The Wii installments of the series went on to gain notable traction among the casual market in particular and ended up among the best-selling video game titles both for the system and of all-time, with the Wii Balance Board in turn becoming one of the most successful console peripherals to date.

Franchise description

For the release of the Wii console near the end of 2006, Nintendo placed the system's focus on reaching out to demographics that had not played video games before, and the pack-in title Wii Sports was designed with this aim in mind by being simple and accessible enough that both first-time and long-time video game players could interact relatively equally. Wii Sports managed the feat of displacing the original Super Mario Bros. as the single best-selling video game in the history of the industry, leading Nintendo to release a variety of other titles in the Wii line of system-exclusive titles that carried on the same general philosophy. One of these titles was Wii Fit, the result of Shigeru Miyamoto's inspiration from his and his family's increasing frequency of having health-conscious discussions with each other; Miyamoto found there was appeal in attaching gameplay to the concepts of exercising and then weighing oneself, and therefore began an ambitious development project centered on an electronic balance board, a comparatively large and high-tech peripheral for the Wii.

Wii Fit was released at the end of 2007 in Japan and in the Americas six months later. Upon launch, it was an incredible sales success, especially for a game that was not bundled with a console and was dependent on an additional external piece of hardware. As of 2012, the Wii Fit bundle sold over 22 million units. Media outlets praised the product as an effective blend of straightforward entertainment and a low-intensity fitness training outlet that provided an adequate introduction to a daily exercise regimen, while removing some of the daunting atmosphere commonly associated with working out. The Wii Balance Board itself is similar in shape and design to a typical bathroom weight scale, but is stated by the developers to be more accurate, and has become a proven and endorsed tool for assessing a user's center of balance. The title was also adopted by various health clubs and nursing homes as a means of applying gentle physical therapy, though it was criticized for having some limitations that prevented it from assembling a full, unbroken workout, including an inconvenient interface.

Miyamoto, inspired by the commercial success of the game, decided to produce an enhanced version that utilized the same balance board peripheral and aimed to address consumer complaints over its inconvenience of use. Wii Fit's interface was carefully recreated and adjusted, and a large number of new minigames and activities were added, some of which feature additional elements of mental coordination. This enhanced edition, Wii Fit Plus, was released in October 2009 to critical and commercial success; critical feedback praised it as an improvement of the genre, while it sold almost as many copies as Wii Fit. A Wii U follow-up to the series, Wii Fit U, was first made available as a temporary download on November 1st, 2013, and then formally released for retail on January 10, 2014. In addition to utilizing the existing Balance Board once again, the game incorporates the Wii U GamePad and comes bundled with a pedometer called the Fit Meter, which may be used while away from the game and Balance Board itself. It also includes many other activities that involve the Wii U GamePad, although some games from Wii Fit Plus were dropped in exchange. Although the Wii Fit branding ended with the end of the Wii line of consoles, Nintendo continued to release new peripheral based fitness games such as Ring Fit Adventure, which featured remixed Wii Fit music in its rhythm sub-mode.

In any edition of Wii Fit, the player registers and plays through a user profile assigned with their birth, height, and Mii. Their weight, body mass index, and center of balance may be assessed by the game’s Body Test while standing on the Wii Balance Board. There are also four primary categories of available activities that may be performed on the board, with two focusing more on raw fitness: Yoga, which scores the player based on how well they keep their balance while holding a specific pose for a set duration, and Strength Training, where the player performs a set number of repetitions of an exercise motion. Both involve an on-screen representation of a personal trainer (who players can select between male or female) that displays the exact poses and motions the player must imitate as precisely as possible. The other two categories feature minigame-like activities that display the player's Mii on-screen: Aerobics Games use the Wii Balance Board like a traditional console "controller", where the player must make the right bodily motions on the board to win, while Balance Games test not just the user's capacity to maintain their center of balance, but to manipulate it in specific ways.

As the Wii Fit property is technically one of the most successful and world-famous video game IPs in Nintendo's history as a video game developer, the male and female personal trainers have been included as playable fighters alongside established Nintendo characters in the crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros. 4 and its sequel Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The Wii Balance Board also appears during their on-screen appearances and within Wii Fit Studio.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Wii Fit is mentioned among the titles listed in the Chronicle in Japanese versions of Brawl. However, no other content from the series is seen anywhere else in the game.

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Following its massive success in the previous console generation, the Wii Fit series received far more representation in Super Smash Bros. 4, mostly centered around the addition of a new fighter in the form of the trainer from Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus. Notably, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS does not feature any stages or music from this universe, unlike the Wii U version. This is a distinction only shared with the R.O.B. universe (and the Duck Hunt universe prior to Version 1.1.1), so as such one of several miscellaneous stages are used when fighting Wii Fit Trainer or R.O.B. in Classic Mode in this version.

Fighter

• 
  Wii Fit Trainer (Starter): The female trainer from the games appears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4, with a moveset inspired by various yoga poses and a few fitness exercises. She was the third newcomer confirmed for the game during a special showcase at E3 2013, shortly after the reveals of Villager and Mega Man as part of the game's initial reveal. Her male equivalent from the Wii Fit series also appears in the game as an alternate costume. Their Final Smash is aptly named Wii Fit and acts similarly to Mario Finale.

Stage (for Wii U only)

• 
  Wii Fit Studio (Starter): A stage based on the room from Wii Fit where Wii Fit Trainer exercises appears exclusively in the Wii U version. It is a relatively simple stage with walk-offs on both sides and several Wii Balance Board-shaped platforms that switch randomly between 125 different configurations. The mirror behind the stage will occasionally be replaced by a white background with a silhouette of the Wii Fit Trainer performing various poses.

Music

Original Tracks

Arrangements and remixes unique to SSB4.

• Super Hoop: A remix of the track that plays during the Hula Hoop minigames from Wii Fit.
• Wii Fit Plus Medley: A medley of tracks from Wii Fit Plus, including the Obstacle Course, Rhythm Parade, Perfect 10, and Snowball Fight themes.
• Skateboard Arena (Free Mode): An arrangement containing the track that plays during the Free Mode of the Skateboard Arena minigame, as well as the results screen theme, from Wii Fit Plus.

Source Tracks

Tracks sourced directly from the Wii Fit games.

• Rhythm Boxing: Taken directly from Wii Fit, this song plays during Rhythm Boxing.
• Mischievous Mole-way: Taken directly from Wii Fit Plus, this track plays during Segway Circuit.
• Core Luge: Taken directly from Wii Fit U, this song plays during Core Luge.

Victory Theme

• Victory! Wii Fit Trainer: A remix of the tune that plays when selecting a file in Wii Fit.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The Wii Fit universe returns once more as a main universe, with the amount of content being mostly similar to the previous installment.

Fighter

• 47.
  
  Wii Fit Trainer (Unlockable): Both the male and female variants return as an unlockable fighter after beintg a starter in Smash 4. Notably, their faces have now changed to be based off Wii Fit U and include more prominent pupils, something that director Masahiro Sakurai claimed to be "a request from the Wii Fit developers." [1]

Stage

• 
  Wii Fit Studio (Starter): returns functionally unchanged from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U aside from very minor visual upgrades, similar to many other returning stages from that game.

Music

Original Tracks

Arrangements and remixes unique to Ultimate.

• Main Menu - Wii Fit: A medley of tracks from Wii Fit, including "Main Menu", "Advanced Step", "User Settings", and "Rhythm Boxing".
• Training Menu - Wii Fit U: A remix of the training menu theme from Wii Fit U.

Returning Tracks

Arrangements and remixes taken from previous Smash games.

• Super Hoop: A remix of the track that plays during the Hula Hoop minigames from Wii Fit.
• Skateboard Arena (Free Mode): An arrangement containing the track that plays during the Free Mode of the Skateboard Arena minigame, as well as the results screen theme, from Wii Fit Plus.
• Wii Fit Plus Medley: A medley of tracks from Wii Fit Plus, including the Obstacle Course, Rhythm Parade, Perfect 10, and Snowball Fight themes.

Source Tracks

Tracks sourced directly from the Wii Fit games.

• Rhythm Boxing: Taken directly from Wii Fit, this song plays during Rhythm Boxing.
• Advanced Step: Taken directly from Wii Fit, this song plays during Advanced Step.
• Yoga: Taken directly from Wii Fit, this song plays during yoga lessons.
• Mischievous Mole-way: Taken directly from Wii Fit Plus, this track plays during Segway Circuit.
• Core Luge: Taken directly from Wii Fit U, this song plays during Core Luge.

Victory Theme

• Victory! Wii Fit Trainer: A remix of the tune that plays when selecting a file in Wii Fit. This track returns unchanged from Smash 4.

Games with elements appearing in the Super Smash Bros. series

The Wii Fit universe has games represented throughout the Super Smash Bros. series with a total of 3 games. The latest game represented in this universe is Wii Fit U, released on October 31, 2013.

Wii Fit

• Playable character:
  • Wii Fit Trainer debuted in, and uses the designs (male and female) from, this game.
• Stages:
  • Wii Fit Studio, the mirrored training room from Wii Fit appears in the Wii U version of Smash 4 and Ultimate.
  • Wuhu Island first appeared in Wii Fit.
• Stage elements:
  • The Wii Balance Board appears as a background character in Wii Fit Studio.
• Trophies:
  • Most of the yoga poses and exercises featured as trophies were first used in this game. A trophy based on the sentient Wii Balance Board from this game also appears in the Wii U version.
• Spirits:
  • All of the yoga poses and exercises featured as spirits debuted in this game, along with the Wii Balance Board.
• Music:
  • "Main Menu - Wii Fit": An orchestral, brass-focused medley of various themes from Wii Fit, using the menu theme as its basis. Other songs in the medley include Advanced Step, User Settings, and Rhythm Boxing.
  • "Super Hoop": An energetic remix of the music that plays during hula hoop minigames in Wii Fit. Includes an original trumpet part.
  • "Rhythm Boxing": The music that plays during the Rhythm Boxing minigame. Sourced directly from this game.
  • "Yoga": Music that plays during yoga activities. Sourced directly from this game.
  • "Advanced Step": The music that plays during the Advanced Step minigame in Wii Fit. Sourced from the Touch! Generations soundtrack, which features slightly different instrumentation and a higher tempo than the in-game version.

Wii Fit Plus

• Playable character:
  • Wii Fit Trainer's third and fourth/seventh and eighth alternate costumes partially draw inspiration from the outfit worn during normal training and outfit during a custom routine in this game.
  • This game also introduces the Gate pose, the only pose in the Wii Fit Trainer's moveset not present in the original Wii Fit.
• Trophies:
  • The Gate yoga pose is the only one to receive a trophy outside of the ones featured in the first game.
• Spirits:
  • The "Pet" spirit is a Mii dog that first debuted in this game.
• Music:
  • "Wii Fit Plus Medley": A quirky acoustic remix of various tracks from Wii Fit Plus, including the Obstacle Course, Rhythm Parade, Perfect 10, and Snowball Fight themes.
  • "Skateboard Arena (Free Mode)": A synth-rock remix of the music that plays during the Free Mode of the Skateboard Arena minigame, along with the Results theme, both from Wii Fit Plus.
  • "Mischievous Mole-way": Music that plays during the Segway Circuit at advanced difficulty. Sourced directly from this game.

Wii Fit U

• Playable character:
  • The Wii Fit Trainer's outfit in this game is part of the basis of their third and fourth alternate costumes.
  • Wii Trainer's new facial design from this game is incorporated into their new model.
• Trophies:
  • "Wii Fit U Trainer" is based off the female Wii Fit Trainer's outfit in Wii Fit U.
• Music:
  • "Training Menu - Wii Fit U": An uptempo rhythm, drum-and-bass-heavy remix of the Training Menu theme from this game.
  • "Core Luge": Music that plays during the Core Luge minigame. Sourced directly from this game.