Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2009 Nintendo Wii Review

Workout Potential (3 out of 5)

Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2009 tries to duplicate the experience of being in a fitness boot camp by offering exercises such as running, monkey bars, log walk, rowing, log jump, handcar pump, boxing, cannon attack, pain grenade toss, and punching bag dodge. You can choose the length of your workout: 5, 10, 15, 30, or 45 minutes. Light, medium, and hard intensity options are available under the weight loss, strength training, hill climb, and intervals categories.

A graph function helps you track your progress and monitor the calories burned during each session. If you’re a fan of The Biggest Loser, you can check out a number of Jillian Michaels fitness and diet tips covering topics such as maximizing your workout, gym alternatives, health snacks, and food substitutions.

Graphics (2 out of 5)

To play, you’ll need to create a customized character to represent you within the game. Unfortunately, your avatar options are pretty limited. There are very few skin tones and only a couple of outfits to pick from. And, since there appears to be only one body type, odds are slim your character will look anything like you.

The graphics for this Nintendo Wii game itself are far from inspiring. In the running section which seems to make up the bulk of almost every workout you select, your avatar moves a bit like a zombie and you appear to be passing the same three trees on a rotating loop.

Sound (4 out of 5)

In my opinion, the soundtrack to Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2009 was the strongest part of the game. With a mixture of rock, pop, blues, and country tunes, I found the music helped keep my mind off the more frustrating aspects of the game.

Jillian’s monologue helped add to the feeling of working out with a personal trainer, although I sometimes wondered if she was offering words of encouragement or criticizing my performance.

Controls (1 out of 5)

Honestly, the controls on this Nintendo Wii game are terrible. Trying to get your avatar to perform the correct actions is often more challenging than the workout itself. In the boxing and punching bag dodge activities, for example, my character seemed to always be two or three seconds behind what I was doing. Rowing was also extremely frustrating, although this may be because it’s an activity that simply doesn’t translate well into a video game environment.

Overall (2 out of 5)

If you’re a hardcore Jillian Michaels fan who is willing to overlook a game with multiple controller glitches, this title may be worth adding to your collection. If you’re just in search of a quick, fun, and effective workout, however, stick to either the Wii Fit or Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout.