Am I about to get hooked on virtual walking!?

Yes, it looks like a ripoff of Wii Sports Resort’s Wuhu Island. Yes, “120 familiar songs” probably means I’ll hate most of them. Yes, walking in place is about as basic an exercise as you can get. Yes, the video above is just as fluffy, touchy-feeling and unrealistic as that for any Wii game. And yes, for some incomprehensible reason I am intrigued by Walk it Out. Labeled by Konami themselves as a “music” game but with a clear fitness spin (ya know, Liz in that video is a personal trainer afterall) you’d think I would at least be interested in the potential for interpretive dance. Surprising even myself, though, its the promise of exploration and customization that has me *thiiiiiiis* close to spending the commendably reasonable $30.

Walk it Out isn’t actually new, it’s been out in the U.S. since October and the only reason I even noticed it is because a press release told me it will soon ship across Europe as the sigh-inducingly titled Step to the Beat. Such is the reality of Wii releases. Untimeliness and obscurity aside, Walk it Out holds just a little bit of intrigue for me because as you walk in place (using Remote, Balance Board or DDR mat) to the beat of artists like Ne-Yo, Demi Lovato, and Katy Perry you’re rewarded with monetary musical notes. The better your timing and the longer you walk, the more you get. It’s with these monies that you unlock new areas and bring life back to the unashamedly named Rhythm Island. Flower fields, apartment buildings, rainbows and other attractions spring to life as you walk (and spend). Plus there’s minigames and one of them will probably be some stupid experimental spin on DDR.

Am I really going to buy it? Probably not. I walk all day long at work and by the time I get home the idea of more walking isn’t too appealing. Plus it doesn’t look like any store carries it locally and it would take an impulse situation like uncovering the game in a Wal-Mart dump bin to bypass my common sense… still, though… who knows what wonders are out there on Rhythm Island and, and… it’s for fitness right? In the name of personal health I think I’d be remiss if I didn’t buy this game if I ever saw it in a store. Oh come on! Can Red Dead Redemption or Bioshock 2 or even Endless Ocean 2 be out already so I can stop looking longingly at games like this!?! GAH!