Not too long ago, I got a chance to get my feet on Namco Bandai’s “Active Life: Outdoor Challenge” pad, on which I jumped to avoid rolling logs and stomped to whack hapless moles.

But all the while, I couldn’t help but wonder: How is this different from the original Power Pad?

The first Power Pad was developed by Bandai in 1986, and at first glance, the “Active Life” pad didn’t seem much different from the now 22 year-old technology of the Nintendo Entertainment System. Though I’m not sure why or how, I expected the new Power Pad to be well, new (at least the Wii Balance Board tells me how bad my posture is).

I wanted to know how the “Active Life” pad for the Wii was made, if there were any differences from the old Power Pad, and what they plan to do with it next. So I asked “Active Life: Outdoor Challenge” producer Yusuke Sasaki a few questions, and he answered them via e-mail, translated from Japanese.

Multiplayer: Did you look back to the old Power Pad for inspiration?

Sasaki: We did, and actually were looking into using the same design for the “Active Life” pad initially. However, we decided to update the overall look of the mat and also make some slight changes to its overall ease of use, which led us to the final design.

Multiplayer: What are the differences between the new “Active Life” pad and the Power Pad? Is the technology basically the same?

Sasaki: Obviously there are going to be technical updates going from an early system such as the NES to the Wii, but the basic functionality and concept is pretty close. The “Active Life” mat actually has more buttons in a unique configuration that works well with different types of games as well as multiplayer gameplay on a single mat.

Multiplayer: Did Nintendo offer any support in the creation of the “Active Life” pad?

Sasaki: As the “Active Life” mat is an official Wii peripheral, we received excellent support and feedback from Nintendo on a number of matters including ease of use, design and technical issues.

Multiplayer: With the Wii Balance Board out, among other games (”Guitar Hero,” “Rock Band,” “DDR,” etc.), do you think that there are too many peripherals for the Wii? How will the new “Active Life” pad stand out?

Sasaki: We consider the Power Pad to be a forefather of home video game peripherals that is still iconic with a large number of gamers. Beyond its heritage, we want to make sure that the mat offers a great value, since nobody wants to buy a peripheral that they rarely get to use. “Active Life: Outdoor Challenge” offers more than a dozen different games, as well as multiplayer features on a single mat. We’re also looking into creating other games that use the mat in the future, so gamers should feel confident that it will have a long lifecycle.

Multiplayer: How often do you plan to release games for the “Active Life” pad?

Sasaki: This is still under consideration so I can’t share our exact plans just yet, but we do want to continue to utilize the mat in the future in a number of different ways. I hope that “Outdoor Challenge” will keep gamers having fun for a long time until we reveal our next title that uses the mat.

[Note: Namco Bandai didn't answer everything I asked. The following are the questions that went unanswered: Will you be working with Nintendo to make more compatible games for the pad? Do you think the total number will surpass 11, the number of Power Pad games for the original NES? Will any Virtual Console games be compatible with the "Active Life" Pad?]

“Active Life: Outdoor Challenge” is slated for release in the U.S. on September 9.