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Very few games are able to prove at launch that upgrading to a new, powerful, shinier, and sometimes very expensive gaming console is worth it and is needed to move the industry forward. Most are able to push the envelope when it comes to graphical and audio presentation but VERY few are able to prove that these extra chips and powerful motherboards can change the face of gaming. If there is one console that needs this game the most is Nintendo’s Wii. As the original name stated, Nintendo wants the Wii to create a revolution among the industry and the fans by creating a whole new way to play. Instead of using traditional controllers they created something that they called the Wii remote, or Wiimote for short. This unorthodox controller that resembles a remote control has you fully controlling every motion presented on screen. In other words, instead of hitting a button to swing a sword, you actually swing the remote like a sword and thus the motion is translated over to the game, allowing for impressive gameplay never before done in a gaming console.
So, which game is able sell this point across the best? That game, at the moment, would be Wii sports. For the first time since the Super NES Nintendo has bundled a game together with the console, and Wii sports it is. Many boycotted the idea when it was first unveiled since they felt it raised the price of the console, especially since it was viewed as a glorified tech demo. They couldn’t be any more wrong…
The game
Wii sports is a simple collection of sport games that make full use of the Wii controller. It may lack the depth of its big league brothering, but what lacks in uber fancy mechanics makes up in potential and fun!
Review
As I mentioned at the start of this review, Wii sports was first viewed as a tech demo. That’s because Nintendo used it as a way to demo the concept of the Wii back at E3 2006. Not only that, it featured very simple, but clean, graphics that screams “we put this together just before the show opened!” While the E3 impressions were good fans were still dubious of the overall quality of the final game and many even worried that this simplified presentation would hurt the future potential of the Wii and its games. This became stronger when it was announced that the game would come bundled with the Wii.
But if there’s one thing Nintendo is good at is telling people to shut the heck up and try the darn game, and that they did in the grandest way possible. Needless to say, many people had to admit they were wrong…and are very glad they were!
Wii sports is basically a concept game, a simple and clean way of showing that the Wii can make even the simplest of concepts into some amazing gaming experiences. Each one of them uses the Wiimote extensively to showcase their basic gameplay structure.
The events are as follows:
- Tennis: Use the Wiimote as a tennis racket in a 2 on 2 match against friends or the computer. Up to 4 players can participate.
- Baseball: In this event the Wii mote turns into the baseball and the bat in a simple but effective version of America’s favorite past time. 2 players can participate in this.
- Bowling: You guessed it! The Wiimote becomes the bowling ball in a traditional game of bowling. Up to 4 players can participate.
- Golf: The ever patience testing sport. Use the Wiimote as a golf club to get the lowest score possible! Up to 4 players can play.
- Boxing: The only event that uses the nunchuck attachment (included with your Wii), the controllers become your fists in a heated match against the best opponents…or your mother! Only two players can participate.
And…what else is there to say? Wii sports isn’t a violent game, nor a very deep RPG featuring an emotional, epic storyline or even stands up against Nintendo’s behemoths in terms of grand gaming. But it’s certainly an important game in its own right. Why? Not only is the games oodles of fun its one of the games that best sells the magic of the Wii at launch.
Take note that these are simplified versions of the sports. First of all, you won’t even have control over the characters in some of the events; you only control some of their basic actions (such as swinging the racket in tennis or throwing the ball in Baseball). There aren’t any player stats or deep team managing mechanics. Nothing. If you are expecting EA Sports type gameplay, you will be disappointed…but chances are that you won’t care after a quick Wii sports session.
It’s this simplicity of gameplay that makes Wii sports a huge hit. Since there’s nothing getting in the way of the game’s enjoyment players are able to focus better on the goal ahead rather than worrying about many technicalities. This is essential when showing the game to non and casual gamers, which is Nintendo’s goal with the Wii. They will not be intimidated by the depth that lies ahead and instead just want to have fun. Wii sports does this greatly. In fact, chances are that if you were one of the naysayers that believed that Wii sports was not worth it you end up falling in love with it.
Heck, Wii Sports is not only recommended as a great family activity it is being promoted a fun exercise alternative! Seriously, some of the sports will get you moving, especially Wii Boxing during its harder levels. The fact you may lose a couple of pounds helps sell the game a bit, no?
But how it controls? After all, the Wiimote control is Wii Sports’ claim to fame. Save for boxing (and some small issues with golf), everything controls as well as you had hoped.
While you don’t control the movement of the characters in Tennis the swing movements of the racket are nearly spot on and even fun to execute. In Baseball you control the bat…as if the Wiimote was a bat! The controls change when you are the pitcher. Alongside the throwing motion if you hold the button you can make different throws. Bowling is perhaps the easiest to learn of the bunch. You just make the rolling the ball motion (while holding down the B button on the controller of course). Golf is a tad complicated, though. The controls, well, control just like real life golf. You hold the Wiimote like a golf club and the force of your swing determines the strength of your hit. I mention this is a tad hard because you must watch out how you swing. Too soft and the ball will barely go, too hard and it will likely end up in a sand trap.
And finally there’s boxing, the most complicated Wii Sport of them all. For this you use the nun chuck attachment to simulate the fists. Throwing punches in the air, as well as dodging left and right, are very easy to pull off. What is hard, though, is how you throw punches. See, it takes A LOT of trial and error in order to make the motion you want. For example, no matter how low you hit the game takes a while before it recognizes what you are doing. Uppercuts and side punches are much harder to pull. Again, when you just throw punches in the air there’s no problem. However, if you want to pull specific punches it will be a while and frankly, it makes for a frustrating experience against the computer.
But save for the expected launch title issues, Wii Sports controls wonderfully and greatly sells the motion-based concept of the Wii.
Outside the main game are two more options. The first is ‘Training”. In here you will play mini games based on the sports. These mini games will help you hone your skills in the various sports. Everything from timing your bat swing to avoiding punches is covered here. As in any true blue game, you will be given medals when you beat the high score.
And finally there’s the Fitness test. Think of it as the Brain age of sports. This option consists of a daily test where it determines your fitness age according to how well you perform in the sessions. The mini games are the same as in the Training session. The ideal age is that of 21 (just like in Brain age), so get some training and get that desired youth!
One player is really fun, but where the game truly shines is in the multiplayer mode. Save for Baseball and Boxing all games support up to 4 players. Thanks to how inviting the game is you are bound to get a lot of people playing in no time. Thanks to the universal appeal of sports chances are that even those that have never played a game before will get up and start playing.
But in the end, the whole thing is amazing. It may be a simple package game, but there’s power behind those Apple-ish graphics and sounds. Who knew that the strongest games of the Wii launch would come in a game that was heralded as a shiny tech demo?
GAMEPLAY SCORE: 8.5 out of 10
Graphics and sound
Even if the graphics are not up to the standards, they are very clean and polished.
The biggest graphical aspect of the game lies on the players themselves, which are the beloved Miis! If you have many Miis saved on your machine (as well as on your Mii parade), not only can you play as them, you can see them cheering you on in many of the games!
Whoever thought of the Miis should get a raise. Seriously, they may be cheap looking poly characters, but they add A LOT of personality to the package. There’s nothing more enjoyable than seeing your friends and family behind you while you play bowling, or seeing random creations jumping up and down in boxing. This also adds to the charm that many non-gamers can’t resist.
Outside the Miis the environments aren’t fantastic, but get the job done. The menus are very nice; they match those seen on the main menu of the Wii console.
Music is very light and breezy, but add the right amount of atmosphere to the sports. The only trace of voice acting you will find in the game is the announcer (which sounds A LOT like the announcer from the Super Monkey Ball series).
So in short: Graphics are passable, Mii usage is excellent and music is just right.
GRAPHICS SCORE: 7.5 out of 10
SOUND SCORE: 7.5 out of 10
Final score
Yeah, every console will come bundled with Wii Sports (at least for now). But don’t fret; Wii Sports is one of the best introductions to the Wii so far. True, it doesn’t have the humor of Rayman Raving Rabbids, the epic storyline of Twilight Princess of the surreal ideas of Wario ware but as far as concept games go, Wii Sports is perhaps one of the best yet.
Redundancy be damned, the game isn’t the deepest sports experience ever. You can’t directly control the characters in some of the events; the game doesn’t keep detailed stats of your performance or even offers you seasonal gameplay. But this isn’t Wii Sports goal. Its goal is to invite one and all to enjoy the Wii through the use of simple ideas with effective execution, and that it does in great numbers.
Remember, simply because it looks like a tech demo it doesn’t mean it isn’t fun!
Good things about Wii Sports
- Solid one-player options
- Smooth controls for many of the sports
- Great party game
- Extremely inviting gameplay
Bad things about Wii Sports
- Boxing and Golf suffer from control issues
- Not the deepest sports experience ever
Final score: 8.5 out of 10
Topic: Wii Sports - Pap's review (Read 4594 times)
