[TheZeeMan]

EA Sports Active 2

• Official site www.easportsactive.com
• Developer: EA Vancouver
• Genre: Fitness
• Alternative game name: N/A
• Players: 2
• Xbox Live supported?: Yes
• Uses avatars?: No
• Age group: Teen - Adult
  

EA Sports Active 2 - The good

• I really like how it sets up the workout programs from warmup, active to cooldown
• Very nice variety of different things to excercise to
• Interesting to see your heart rate, is it necessary no, but it is cool
• Tutorials are very well explained and shown
  

EA Sports Active 2 - The not so good

• It takes awhile to setup your initial player from very detailed character customization to all of the setup instructions
• Price is $99.99 which like I stated, a heartbeat monitor which really isn't needed, but they make it mandatory, they also include batteries for the monitor and a very cheap resistance band. It almost forces you to get the better ones they sell separately.
• If you don't have adequate room and proper lighting, you are going to have some detection issues with the floor excercises
  

EA Sports Active 2 - Story
No story mode, but it does have 2 programs with additional programs to download. The 2 to start with are either a 3 week cardio program or a full blown 9 week program. It schedules what days to work out for you and you can adjust your workout schedule based on your real life schedule. Pretty cool to me

EA Sports Active 2 - Kinect experience
Kinect works very well with this game, except in my case, I didn't have a large enough play area and the lighting kept having issues when I was doing the floor excercises. Having the heart monitor on is awkward but I think it's because I'm used to no addons with kinect.

EA Sports Active 2 - Graphics
Graphics are good, nothing superb, but just like any other EA Sports game.

EA Sports Active 2 - Gameplay
It's not really a game, so there isn't much game elementals to it. You either do the excercises right or it doesn't let you progress. There are some non-regular excercise routines, I was only able to experience mountain biking which is interesting, dodgeball which is just like the volleyball dodging game in Kinect Sports, and a cardio boxing which was a tad buggy, but again, it was requiring me to crouch and jab and it kept missing the hit, so I'm going to blame my setup/lighting on that one. There was also a regular sprint race which was cool but not even close to being realistic, you can jog and it looks like you are running 50mph. This was what was part of my program, you can also select individual excercises as well, but I was pretty exhausted so I didn't do anything else.

Game Name - Multiplayer options
This is the only excercise game that allows simultaneous 2 player excercising together, however you have to purchase another heartbeat monitor and EA has not made them available yet.

Conclusion
It's a completely different experience from Your Shape. I really liked how you didn't do normal excercising routines such as lunges and squats, instead of doing regular lunges and squats, it throws in the resistance bands and you actually feel like you are working out, not just stretching your muscles.

The bad thing is, the resistance band they give is just a piece of green rubber, and you have to knot it yourself. It seems like its going to break very easily. I picked up the heavy duty resistance bands 3 pack which are way better. I would of given it an 8, but because they are at least packing in a cheap resistance band instead of nothing, they get one more point. To me using a resistance band is so much better than using nothing at all.

Screenshots
Not really a screenshot, but rather show you what you get.



More EA Sports Active 2.0
[order game here] [Online Possibilities (Compared)] [Accessories] [news] [trailer] [gameplay] [screenshots] [achievements]

[legreffer]

(01-29-2011 02:45 AM)ywith Wrote:  

(01-29-2011 02:34 AM)legreffer Wrote:  How is the resistance band ?
Do you have to be in sync with the instructor like in YourShape ?
(sync is really difficult sometimes in YS)

1) You don't have to be in sync at all. As long as you do the reps. The football, dodgeball and step aerobics require timing though.

2) not tried the resistance band or even opened it. When I got the game for the Wii I spent £5 on amazon and got the heavy one and then put the heavy and wii medium one together to get a nice 4 or 5kg resistance overall, which was fine for me. If you are really big on weights just use your own ones in the game rather than the band and that works. I prefer my system though with my custom resistance band mockup as I can shorten (i.e. fold and step on it) to add resistance for stronger muscles like when doing a biceps curl which i find too easy if i don't shorten. However, the lateral raises i use only one foot and no folding as they kill my arms lifting that weight repeatedly to the sides. If you want to build your arms just focus on doing the pressups more as the easy setting makes you do 2 sets of 10 usually in a 30 min workout. If you put it on hard or do a custom workout or trainer generated workout for upper body you'll have guns of steel by the summer.

Thanks ! I think this game will be more useful for me than YS

[ywith]

Well if you do get it, add me on xbox live (gamertag Ywith) and I've set up a workout group if you'd like to join.

[legreffer]

(01-29-2011 03:38 AM)ywith Wrote:  Well if you do get it, add me on xbox live (gamertag Ywith) and I've set up a workout group if you'd like to join.

I will.
I just ordered it from gamestop.com for 40$ + 15$ shipping (i live in Canada). So it may take 1 week or so to receive it.

[legreffer]

(01-29-2011 03:38 AM)ywith Wrote:  Well if you do get it, add me on xbox live (gamertag Ywith) and I've set up a workout group if you'd like to join.

Ok i have it, i played this weekend, so how does the group work ?

[TheZeeMan]

You have to register an EA account online. It's all done through the website as far as I know, however the website is still in Beta so it might not be fully functional.

[legreffer]

(02-08-2011 04:45 AM)TheZeeMan Wrote:  You have to register an EA account online. It's all done through the website as far as I know, however the website is still in Beta so it might not be fully functional.

I had and it's working very well, but there is no group to join

[TheZeeMan]

Ohh yeah, someone has to create one and invite people lol I'm a loner though and the wife plays it more than me lol

[legreffer]

Here some FAQ from EA Sports forum:

Q: Can I do two today to make up for yesterday's missed workout?
A: Yes, you can do the missed one and the current day's scheduled one on the same day. If in fact you missed more than one you could do all the missed ones on the same day if you're up to it.

Q: Please, if you can, describe what the Workout Groups are all about
A: It just basically shows you among the others and how much each person is doing.

Q: How many people can be included in a workout group?
A: The maximum number of people in a workout group is 12.

Q: I would like to use dumbbells instead of the EA SPORTS Active 2 resistance band. Do I need to put how much one dumbbell weighs, or the combined weight of both dumbbells when I input into the settings?
A: You can enter the weight of one dumbbell into the setting, not the combined weight of two.

Q: What is the proper way to put on the peripherals?
A: The heart rate monitor (the sensor with the "Heart" on it) should be placed on the outside of your left arm. If you were to turn your arm like you were to look at your watch, the heart logo should be readable (not upside down). The arm band should be on your forearm, and not past the elbow. The lights on the left arm will be facing down, when your arms are at your sides, and the peripheral should be facing outward.

Q: How do I ensure that my heart rate is being tracked accurately?
A: When working out, ensure that the heart rate peripheral is snug on your left forearm and you should be able to read the logo. It should be facing out, when your arms are by their sides, with the lights of the device facing down.

Q: How do I turn the peripherals off?
A: The peripherals will automatically turn off after a certain amount of time without activity, around 10 minutes. If you would like to turn them off immediately, simply push down on the power off button for a few seconds to turn it off.

Q: I am having trouble syncing the heart rate peripheral
A: Here are a few helpful tips that you can try in order to help resolve the problem:
1) Check to see if the batteries are still charged
2) To sync up the heart rate peripheral, hold the Power button on the peripheral (round button on the face of it) until it starts to light up. Then, HOLD the Sync button on the peripheral, located on the side, as well as press the sync button on the Xbox 360, located on the face of the unit under the memory unit area. The lights on both the Xbox 360 and the peripheral should start to cycle around to show that they are attempting to connect to one another and assign a port. After 30 seconds they should connect.

Q: How do I correctly tie the resistance band to the straps?
A: Please follow the steps below to assemble your resistance band
1. Lay the resistance band out flat on a table or other smooth surface.
2. Place one end of the flattened band on top of a black strap. The big loop of the black strap should be facing you. The black strap should be 2-3 inches from the end of the resistance band.
3. Take the big loop of the black strap and fold it over the resistance band.
4. Then pull the big loop through the smaller loop of the black strap.
5. Continue to pull the big loop of the black strap through the little loop and tighten. Make sure the knot is secure.
6. Repeat these steps on the other end of the band.

Q: How do I correctly use the resistance band?
A: Follow the steps below to properly use the resistance band:
1. Lay the middle of the band flat on the ground. Place your feet in the middle of the band and firmly grasp the black handles at each end of the band.
2. Raise your arms to test if there is enough resistance.
If there isn’t, step off the band, fold some of the middle of the band over itself and step back on.
3. Once the desired resistance is established, you are on your way to an effective upper body workout.
4. Feel free to substitute with different resistance bands if you like.

Q: I am experiencing issues with EA SPORTS Active 2 detecting my movements
A: For the best experience using Kinect, we recommend an open space (6-8’) with good lighting conditions. The best height for the camera is 3 to 5 feet off of the floor. Before starting, calibrate the camera so your entire body fits comfortably inside the Kinect window. The camera can be calibrated using the Kinect Tuner option within EA SPORTS Active 2. For ground exercises, make sure you start in a standing position, and wait for the prompt message to sit down. When sitting, be sure to keep your face looking at the Kinect sensor.

Q: How do I upload and track my workout stats?
A: This guide assumes that you do not have additional profiles created. For each player in EA SPORTS Active 2 you need to:
1) create a new Xbox Profile (in the Xbox 360 Dashboard)
2) create a new XBOX gamertag via a new XBOX Live account (in the Xbox 360 Dashboard)
3) create a new EA account and email address (create this within EASA2, this is to link your game data through Microsoft's servers into EA's website http://www.easportsactive.com)

Q: How can I set up multiple profiles so different people can workout and track their individual stats?
A: You'll need to press the Xbox button on your controller and sign out and select another profile (that has a separate Xbox Live account if you want online stats tracked). This can be done when in the main menu of the game.

Q: I noticed that my workouts have the wrong date in EA SPORTS Active 2. How do I change the clock?
A: You will need to modify the date and time settings outside of EA SPORTS Active 2, within xbox menu settings.

[legreffer]

List of exercises (63)

UPPER BODY (7)
Bent Over Reverse Flys
Bent Over Rows
Bicept Curls
Lateral Shoulder Raises
One Arm Shoulder Press to Bicept Curl Combo
Single Arm Bent Over Rows

LOWER BODY (9)
Alternating Drop Lunges
Alternating Reverse Lunges
Alternating Side Lunges to Balances
Alternating Side Lunges
Quick Deep Squat
Split Squat
Squat Holds
Squats
Squats With Knife Raises

FULL BODY (7)
Push Press
Reverse Lunges to One Arm Lateral Raises
Reverse Lunges to One Arm Shoulder Press
Side Lunges to One Arm Lateral Raises
Squats With Front Raises
Squats With Lateral Raises
Squats With Shoulder Presses

CORE (7)
Prone Alternating Arm & Leg Lifts
Prone Plank to Side Plank
Reverse Crunches
Star Planks
Straight Arm Planks
Stright Legged Sit Ups
V Sit Crunches

CARDIO (11)
Fitness Trail -- Follow The Leader
Fitness Trail -- Outrun
Fitness Trail -- Sprint
Forward to Backwards Jumps Repeats
Lateral Bounds
Side to Side Jump Repeats
Soccer Field -- High Knees
Soccer Field -- Kick Ups
Soccer Field -- Running
Split Squat Jump Repeats
Squat Jump Repeats

ACTIVITES (6)
Cardio Boxing
Dodgeball
Mountain Biking
Soccer -- Goal Keeping
Soccer -- Striker
Step Aerobics

WARM-UPS (8)
Alternating Shoulder Rotation
Good Mornings
Heel Lifts
Hip Circles
Knee Tucks
Rainbow Squats
Split Squats With Reaches
Windmills

COOL-DOWNS (8)
Arm Across and Pulls
Chest Opener
Figure 4's
Heel Drops
Leg Over
Leh Up
Pretzels
Sideways Ankle Pulls

[legreffer]

Ea Sports Active 2 Update is out

EA Sports Active Facebook Wrote:Hey everyone, wanted to let you know that EA SPORTS Active 2 for PS3 as well as Kinect for Xbox 360 will receive an update today. For those of you who were having trouble with ground exercises you will now have new options to help you complete the exercises. Also, additional profiles will not be set to default when entering multiplayer mode. Thanks again for sending in your feedback – it’s always appreciated!

I will try it tonight...

EDIT : no update for me tonight...

[TheZeeMan]

Sweet, thanks for the news legreffer. The wife is using it again tonight so hopefully she'll be happier now, it was angering her last night lol

[starrynight1984]

I would rate this game a 6/10. My reasoning is this--I have tracking issues all over the place. I bought this game from Amazon when it went down in price and have played it once. I easily did twice the number of reps on each routine because it couldn't track me. None of my other games have this issue. I love the general idea and if the kinks get worked out, then I will fall in love with this game. However, until that time comes, I am going to be doing the fitness classes on YSFE every other day. I have a blast with those!

[TheZeeMan]

Yeah mine didn't prompt for an update yesterday and still having some issues, I'm hoping they release the kinect patch soon.

[legreffer]

I got the patch today (8mb), here's what i've noticed :

- First thing you noticed it's the menu cursor, it is now a small blue dot instead of a hand. It seemed to be more accurate.

- Whenever the coach told me to drink water, it left me time to do so.

- I felt that tracking was better, I had no leg or arm that shaked between two postitions. It seemed to wait for me before starting the next exercise. I did not get the message telling me to put myself standing in front of the Kinect. And he lost me just once and he recognized me faster than before.

- The pause menu seemed to come faster when I got out of the way.

- They removed the tracking during the floor exercises, it is now like warm-up and cool-down. But there is an option to change the mode from automatic to manual, i changed it to manual but just after my workout, so I don't know what this does, I guess it will re-enable the tracking...

- They changed the name of the option : "Quit the program" to "Get out of the program" or something similar (my xbox is in french, so i don't know what is the real name).

[legreffer]

A link to see your Milestones : https://www.easportsactive.com/milestones (there is no link on the main page)
Thanks to FlatwellSequoia from EA's forum.

My PedalPower (mountain biking) Milestone is at 6 % only