Only the experienced needs to hit the dance floor...

Posted 5 months ago By EastonAssass1n - Luke Brown

Since the release of Kinect for Xbox 360, there have been numerous attempts at creating a competent workout video game capable of replicating the gym experience. Already having delivered one entry for the Kinect home gym library, Zumba Fitness now introduces Zumba Fitness Core to those hoping to keep shaping up in the living room. Providing a lot of challenge along with a ton of variation, Zumba Fitness Core is a decent way to burn some calories as long as you can keep up.

No two bones about it, Zumba Fitness Core will wear you out. Whether you decide to work out using any of the default options (20-, 40-, or 60-minutes) or create your own custom playlist, the high-intensity workouts Zumba provides will put you through the ringer. There’s very little about Zumba Fitness Core that could be considered easy. Virtual instructors will jump from one choreographed routine to the next with little consideration for your real, human body, often leaving little room for mistakes from newcomers. Each and every song is tailored to get the maximum amount of effort from you, and it can at times be a struggle to keep up with the frantic pace. However, the more you play and become accustomed to the routines, the better you’ll become at matching the instructor beat for beat.

"The action and intensity of the real experience is definitely replicated in this title."

The learning curve for those unfamiliar with Zumba Fitness isn’t helped much by the lack of adequate in-game feedback. The game only uses a four-tiered system for letting you know how accurate you are (from miss to perfect, or Zumba), and it’s often tough to discern what you’re doing wrong. The frenetic routines don’t help much either, as the instructor is often already onto the next segment before you can make the proper adjustments. It’s almost as if Zumba Fitness Core assumes you’re into the workout craze already, and every user will come with the requisite footwork, endurance, and agility necessary to string together whole routines without mistakes. It can be a bit frustrating early on, especially if you’re struggling to earn high marks. As with any workout, constant repetition will lead to improved results. The more you play, the better you get, and the more you’ll start to see just how much Zumba Fitness Core has to offer in regards to toning your entire body.

Zumba Fitness Core allows you train with a friend, though we have to recommend a large playing space for either player to get the most out of the workout. The game will also track your usage, overall accuracy in your performance, calories burned, and goals as you progress. The six different instructors in the game all bring something slightly different to the table, and Zumba Fitness Core does a nice job of rotating them in and out in each playlist. While a game like this is more about the workout you’re getting than it is about the aesthetic, Zumba Fitness Core has some decent graphics. There are some different locales to visit, but it’s all just window dressing for the actual workouts. Oddly enough, even though there are some 40 different songs available in the game, several tracks appear quite often across the various playlists. It’s not necessarily a bad thing as long as the routine is fun, but over the course of our time with the game, we heard “Paris (Ooh La La)” in every single playlist we chose.

Final Focus

There’s certainly a lot to appreciate about Zumba Fitness Core. The action and intensity of the real experience is definitely replicated in this title. While that’s a good thing for die-hard workout nuts, Zumba Fitness Core lacks a certain ease of entry for people looking for an alternative to gym memberships or classes. You’ll definitely get a solid workout from the game, and the variety of workouts will keep Zumba Fitness Core from getting stale. Like any exercise game, you’re only going to get out of it what you put in. If you’re committed and have the desire to work hard on tuning and toning your body, Zumba Fitness Core can help you achieve those results.