EA Sports Active 2: An Overview

If the goal is to shed a few pounds by exercise while having fun right at home, then EA Sports Active 2 is for you. The follow-up title to last year's highly successful EA Active Sports arrives with new fitness challenges, and on more platforms.

Released in May of 2009 (North America), EA Sports Active, a fitness training "game" for the Nintendo Wii, quickly became a favorite amongst consumers wishing to get in shape right in the convenience of their own living rooms. Shortly thereafter, in November 2009, EA Sports Active More Workouts arrived and added an additional variety of exercises to the mix. Now, just in time for the holiday gift giving season, and in time to start preparing for a new Spring look, EA Sports Active 2 arrives for the Nintendo Wii, The Sony PlayStation 3, and Microsoft's Xbox 360.

The new titles, although with slight differences between platforms, maintain the same core play, and add additional functionality.

A variety of exercise modes are available in the title. Both 3 week and 9 week trainer-led programs include a mix of cardio based activities that increasingly become more difficult over time. Players may also prefer to create their own routines from the available list of dozens of (over 70+ individual) categorized exercises.

In the game, motion based sensors are used to detect the speed and location of the body's movement. On the Wii, and the PlayStation 3, motion sense is dependent on small devices to be strapped to both arms and a leg, while the Xbox 360 supports the new Kinect full body motion sensor technology. All console versions of the title also include a Hear Rate Monitor that is used to track BPM (beats per minute) in the arm strap. As play is enjoyable, and motion response is fantastic, keeping the leg strap in place on the thigh without having it gradually sliding down while running or performing any other activities that involve the leg, can be a challenge if not placed just right. This was also a problem in the original EA Active Sports with the Wii Nunchuk strap. Regardless of the slight nuisance, the title does a very realistic and satisfying job of giving the body a great workout. Exercises do include warm-up and cool-down sessions, and calories burned are provided in the end of workout reports.

A mobile variation of the game is also available for the iPhone, and iPod Touch.

EA Sports Active Website