Hey, kids, let's get fit playing video games!

It's more than just a parent's pipe dream with "EyeToy: Groove," a brand-new Sony PlayStation 2 game.

The EyeToy camera unit puts players on the TV screen. You play by simply moving your body. (The first EyeToy game, "EyeToy: Play," came out last year.)

In the Groove game, players are invited to get up and boogie. Music plays, and points are scored when the hands of your on-screen self (which directly reflects the motions of your off-screen self) hit little target icons on the screen. Rhythm, reaction time and accuracy go into the score. There are 28 songs to flail to, including "Music" from Madonna, "Canned Heat" from Jamiroquai, "Asereje" from Las Ketchup and "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge.

The "EyeToy: Groove" game with camera costs about $50; the game alone costs $30. The Play Station 2 system costs about $150.

There is a calorie-counter option - the first we've heard of with a video game. But this is not the first video game to get players literally exercised. "Dance Dance Revolution" first made serious calorie burning a popular arcade game event. In that game, players stand on a square pad that has sensors in the middle of each side. Arrows on the video screen tell you which sensor to hit with your foot. The game got things hopping in Japan in the late '90s and came to the United States just a couple of years ago. A home version, with sensor pad, costs about $80.

Maybe gamer kids will shake that slothful image for good. Or at least they can try to persuade parents that gaming does a body good.

--Alison apRoberts
Reach her at aaproberts@sacbee.com