I move with the grace of a geriatric walrus with two left flippers. What am I doing with a dance/exercise fusion fitness thing?
Unlocking achievements, while shaking my stuff is what. Well, OK, there may be a bit of wobbling mixed in with the shaking these days.
For those in the know, Zumba Fitness World Party is the globetrotting sequel to Zumba Fitness, a Wii/PS Move/Xbox Kinect release from three years ago. Never having played the original, I’m at a loss for a comparison.
For those really not in the know, Zumba is a fashionable fitness programme which is basically a mix of aerobics and dance to a nifty Latin beat. I didn’t know. I had to look it up.
As with many of the cardio fitness games, I have to tackle World Party in small doses. But if both my doctor and my wife agree that more exercise is necessary, then exercise I must. World Party does help make it fun.
But what you are getting here is a couch potato’s view.
At first glance, World Party is not especially challenging. Like many exercise games, it has taken positive reinforcement as its mantra, and no matter how badly I executed moves, the digital commentary kept telling me it was “nice” and “good”, with the occasional mild admonishment to try a little harder.
That made me feel pretty warm and fuzzy. May be I’m not such a bad mover after all? Then a friend with several actual Zumba classes under her belt gave it a try, and it was apparent that, whatever it said and whatever achievements it gave me, I was a severe disappointment to Zumba World Party.
However, she was keen to borrow it to work her moves before her next class.
Is it fun? Yes, it is. It’s got a pretty good track list of songs from around the world, and the gimmick that you’re trotting the globe to try different Zumba styles. Come summer, when it’s too hot to exercise outside, I can see this being a major part of my daily routine.
But right now, it’s an occasional adjunct to brisk walks in the park or 20 lengths in the pool. It’s too much of an exercise plan to make it a party game.
But for someone who’s got some Zumba experience this looks like it’ll help reinforce your classes. There is a tutorial section which helps break particular moves down so you can practise them in isolation, and it’s got to help reinforce the skills and mindset.
Box
Zumba Fitness: World Party
Developer: Zoe Mode
Publisher: Majesco Entertainment
Genre: Fitness
Platforms: Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360 Kinect, Xbox One
Version tested: Xbox 360 Kinect
Star rating: 3.5/5
