Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Far from perfect, but a fun way to get kids exercising.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Shape Up
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
SHAPE UP is a collection of 90-second fitness-focused mini-games. Using the Xbox One Kinect camera (required), your likeness is scanned and imported into the game. You'll then take on a number of fantasy challenges, such as shooting asteroids, bench-pressing an elephant, or boxing an opponent. Along with providing a score for the various cardio- or strength-based tasks, you'll also see estimated calories burned to serve as extra motivation. Although it's optional, you can record your workouts to challenge yourself or friends in an upcoming round or take on a four-week challenge.
Is It Any Good?
In theory, Shape Up is a great idea because it fuses physical activity with fantasy-based challenges, such as running across a moving train while avoiding helicopter gunfire, shooting at aliens, or wrestling a Mexican fighter (lucha libre-style). Plus, the sub-$30 price point is half the cost of new games for Microsoft's platform. But when it comes to execution, Shape Up doesn't quite live up to its promise. It has too few scenarios to play (so you should get used to repeating activities such as "Squat me to the Moon"). There's little incentive to replay these mini-game activities (other than an end-level boss to defeat) and graphics that are only so-so. Still, any game that gets kids moving instead of lounging around isn't a bad thing -- it's just that Shape Up should offer more than it does to keep players engaged over longer periods of time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about exercise in gaming. Do you like getting exercise by playing video games? Should you put away the game in favor of exercise outside, or does this motivate you to exercise more? Why?
Talk about the violence in the mini-games. Should you be concerned about the violence because you're physically going through movements to destroy enemies, or is it so unrealistic that it isn't a problem?
Game Details
- Platform : Xbox One
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : UbiSoft
- Release date : December 25, 2014
- Genre : Exergaming
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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