Video games may not be the most athletic of activities, but some can be very active and even become a workout. Recently, the major game systems such as the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 have come out with new games to get gamers off the couch. But worry not, couch dwellers, there are also new games in the Madden and 2K Sports franchises to keep you sedentary. Here’s a preview of five major sports games that have come out recently:

Mario Sports Mix

Available for: Wii

Release Date: Feb. 7

The developers at Nintendo have created another stellar game for their Mario franchise. Since 1997, we have seen Mario try his hand at multiple sports including go-karting, tennis, golf and baseball. Now, Mario Sports Mix has added basketball, hockey, volleyball and dodgeball.  Along with these new sports, players can choose from a variety of playable characters from the Mario franchise. In typical Mario fashion, Nintendo added items such as banana peels and green shells that can be used to change the game in an instant. In addition, each playable character has his or her own special move, such as Mario’s fire dunk in basketball, which a player can use to turn the game in their favor.

“I’ve always liked the Mario games for their colorful charm,” Nick Milanes, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’13, said. “It’s always cool to see my favorite Mario characters in a different context.”

Kinect Sports 

Available for: Xbox 360 Kinect

Release Date: Nov. 4, 2010

This sports game features the new Kinect technology from Xbox 360. Similar to the Nintendo Wii, the Kinect uses sensors to pick up the motion of the controller. The Kinect allows players to control not only the character they play with, but also the movement of the character. Kinect Sports puts this technology to use for a variety of games including soccer, beach volleyball, bowling, table tennis, track and field and boxing. Kinect Sports is the first full-body, controller-free sports game. Whether you are kicking a soccer ball or spiking a volleyball, there is no controller; it’s all the motion of your body. “The Kinect, seemed a lot like Wii, without the Wiimotes and the body motion capture felt odd, instead of fluid as advertised, but it was fun nonetheless,” Maximillian Williams, FCLC’ 14, said.

Zumba Fitness: Join the Party

Available for: Wii, Xbox 360 Kinect, PS3 Move

Release Date: Nov. 18, 2010

Dance the pounds off with Zumba Fitness: Join the Party. Available for all three major video gaming systems, Zumba Fitness takes all the intensity of a Zumba dance class and puts it into a video game. With help from motion capture gaming such as the Xbox Kinect, the Playstation Move and the Nintendo Wii, Zumba Fitness gets you dancing in no time! Not only can gamers work out to over 30 Zumba dance routines, they can also learn up to nine styles of dancing including merengue, salsa, rumba and flamenco.

Madden NFL 11

Available For: Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, PC and more

Release Date: Aug. 10, 2010

Arguably the most famous sports video game franchise, Madden NFL returned last August with the new installment for the 2011 NFL season. If you have played any other recent Madden video game, the premise is largely the same: play as your favorite team and make it to the Superbowl. But each year the developers at EA Sports always come out with some new features to make the newest version stand out. This year’s Madden NFL 11 offers a new GameFlow system which essentially puts you in the helmet of the quarterback. In GameFlow, you get to call plays without having to consult the coach. Madden also features a statistics tracker which keeps track of a player’s statistics during the NFL season and it influences how he plays in the video game.

“Throughout the season, you can download stat adjustments for each player as they progress through the regular season,” Mike McMahon, FCLC ’14, said. “The better or worse they play in the regular season affects if a player gets better or worse in the actual game. It’s awesome.”

Major League Baseball 2K11

Available for Xbox 360, Wii,PS3, PC, PS2 and more

Release Date: Mar. 8

The developers of Major League Baseball (MLB) 2K11 look to build on the success of their previous games this March. Set to be released during the Major League spring training, MLB 2K11 offers gamers a basic franchise mode, where you can play a 162-game season with your team of choice. In addition to this, the game also offers a “My Player” mode where you can create a player and follow him to the major leagues. Similar to Madden 11, MLB 2K11 uses a Dynamic Player Rating System (DPRS) that adjusts players’ ratings based on their recent performance during Major League Baseball season. The DPRS will allow gamers to create their lineups keeping the players’ ratings in mind instead of each baseball player having their own stagnant rating.