Nintendo offering latest fitness game as free download this fall for one month, after which players must purchase $20 Fit Meter to keep it.

Wii Fit U will be available as a free download starting on November 1, Nintendo announced today. Beginning on that date, Wii U owners with a Wii Balance board and Internet connection can download the game and keep it for one month.

After that, they must purchase a $20 Fit Meter–available beginning November 1–and sync it with the game to keep the full version of Wii Fit U. The full Wii Fit U software will be downloadable from the Nintendo eShop between November 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014.

A $50 packaged version of Wii Fit U combined with a Fit Meter will go on sale December 13, 2013 alongside a $90 bundle combining Wii Fit U, the Fit Meter, and a Wii Balance Board. A “full-price” digital version will launch on February 1, 2014.

The Wii Balance board is required for Wii Fit U and will not be sold separately.

The Fit Meter accessory is described as not merely a pedometer, but rather an “activity meter” that records steps taken, intensity of steps, and altitude. These data points are combined to calculate calories burned and can be transferred wirelessly to Wii Fit U using the GamePad.

The original Wii Fit sold 22.67 million copies, while Wii Fit Plus shifted 20.86 million units globally.

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