Virtual reality - arcade games which provide exercise

Men's Fitness, Dec, 1998 by Michael S. Yessis

Rating the thrills: High. Hit a jump or a wave at full speed and feel your stomach bottom out.

Station 5: Rapid River

As with Top Skater, speeding to the finish line is only one of many game options on this whitewater-rafting simulator. You can perform a little whitewater rodeo in the rapids or play around in the giant whirlpool until your rotator cuffs feel like they're going to rip apart.

Where's the burn? Triceps, biceps and your cardiovascular system.

Game controls: A single metal paddle that's situated parallel to the ground at shoulder level. Sit in the roomy seat and move the oars rhythmically in clockwise circles to paddle; the quicker you spin, the faster your raft goes. To turn, stop paddling and dip an oar left or right. One person can control the paddle at both ends, or two players can work side-by-side as a team.

How it plays: The paddle turns smoothly and responds to commands quickly and, as it should, the game rewards a strong, rhythmic rowing motion, I felt the closest to real whitewater rafting, though, when we smacked the raft against the rocky shoreline. The pneumatic machinery provides ample bounce, and that really forces you to concentrate in order to keep the desired paddling rhythm. One drawback: The virtual [H.sub.2]O provides minimal resistance.

Rating the thrills: Medium to high. Though the game fails to recreate the soaring adrenaline surges of a real whitewater excursion, the bouncing raft and some unexpected obstacles - whirlpools, ice patches, powerful raft-flipping geysers - will quicken your pulse and churn your stomach. What are you waiting for?