As Pokemania is currently sweeping the nation and pretty much the world, it is getting gamers out of their chairs and moving around. This could be unintentionally the greatest fitness game ever created as reports come in that a population of nerds are smashing step counts all over the world. There are very few video games that involve real life hunting to play them and that makes Pokemon GO quite unique in this way. That being said I wanted to take a look at some of the other games that also got gamers away from the standard in-front-of-a-screen position and moving about. Staying away from sports & fitness games which should have you up and about I want to focus on games that are not about fitness but about fun. Hopefully, there will be some useful tips here if you’re looking to be a bit more of an active gamer.

Resident Evil 4 – Nintendo Wii

Now this first one might be surprising because it probably only applied to me, especially if you played Resident Evil 4 on GameCube or a different console. The Wii revolutionised the way we play games, no matter what you think of the console or the company it brought an entire group on non-gamers to video games. Standing in front of my TV physically slashing and hacking down zombies with my nunchuck and pointing my remote like a gun made me fall in love with this game. I felt more involved in the game which not only made me enjoy it more but it elevated my heart rate and really got me moving. You’re unlikely to lose any major weight playing the game but it’s much better for you than playing while lying down eating crisps. Plus you won’t notice how active you’re actually being while you’re screaming DIE ZOMBIE, DIE!

Tony Hawks Ride + Shred

Maybe a little bit on the sports category but I’m clinging to that it’s not an everyday sport (unless you skateboard every day, then I know nothing and I’m sorry). Tony Hawk has had many a video game made in his honour but what made Ride & Shred different were that they came with a compatible skateboard. Now you can be Tony Hawk (or insert your favourite skater here) in your living room, performing tricks and being an all round skateboarding badass. If you’re not a skateboarding fan this could still be a fun one to try, see if you actually have the skills to make it as a pro boarder.

Rockband & Guitar Hero

On the complete opposite end of the scale from sports are video games that make you feel like a rockstar in your front room. In terms of being active, you get out of this one what you put in. So you could just sit on your couch tapping your coloured buttons along with the music. Alternatively, you could be up on your feet, jumping up and down sliding on your knees and swinging your shirt around while your girlfriend looks at you confused and a little annoyed. Just me? Rockband is even better for getting yourself moving, throw yourself on a drumkit and be the next Animal from The Muppets (couldn’t think of a real drummer).

Dance Dance revolution + The millions that followed

Originally released on arcade machines in the late 90s the game was brought into homes on the Playstation and Dreamcast consoles with a plastic dance mat accessory. I’m finding it really hard not to write bust-a-move but now it’s out there I can say, that’s exactly what this game allowed you to do in the comfort of your own home. Easily up there as the most active you’ll be playing a video game and unless you’re about 6 years old you won’t be marathoning this game. Since this game, the dance genre has evolved and spawned games such as Zumba, Just Dance and even a DDR Mario Edition. If you’re not big on hitting the dancefloors then this one might not be for you but it’s definitely a game that will get you moving.

Virtual Reality

We’re at the very beginning of the VR movement and I’ll be completely honest in saying that I’ve not yet experienced VR gaming for myself. Although, from what I’ve seen VR in the home looks like it could be the most fun and interactive way to get gamers off their couch and up shooting zombies, being Batman and even scaling summits in games such as The Climb. Again with a lot of these games in terms of movement you’ll get out of it what you put in but playing Resident Evil in VR is bound to get your blood pumping, plus you’ll move pretty fast when zombies are coming at you from behind.

In summary, I’d just like to add a little something about the sports & fitness games which I purposely left out of the list. If you’re a gamer and you’re looking to be more active don’t just reach for a game you’re not going to enjoy like EA Fitness or UFC Trainer. Go for a sports game you’ll have fun playing and for me, Wii Sports tops the list, it’s fun and anyone can play (I say this as the current family Wii Tennis champion).