Wii Sports

"Looking for a reason to buy a Wii? Here it is..."

Introduction:

As all gamers who are following the latest craze of the Nintendo Wii will know, Nintendo released a free game, Wii Sports, with every system as a quick way to begin learning about the control system and incorporating your Miis, which are basically little people that you customize and can put in games. I don't think that Nintendo, or for that matter anyone, anticipated how much impact Wii Sports was going to make.

Gameplay- 7/10

The gameplay of Wii Sports is a fantastic showcase of the Wii's capabilities, as well as a fun way to break a sweat, or just a great game to have for a party. It is a very basic game, which is both its greatest advantage and disadvantage. In Wii Sports, playing as one of your Miis you take part in five different sporting events: boxing, bowling, tennis, golf, and baseball. Obviously, the games are quite simple since it's a free game and all, but they can be very addicting, as well as the training mode which allows you to practice your skills in each sport by taking part in three training modes for each. For example, to train for baseball you might play a homerun derby, or for boxing you might work a punch-bag until it breaks. There is another cool feature of the game called the Fitness Test in which you can take part in once a day. In the test, you must complete three random drills from the training mode as your Mii, and then the computer generates your fitness age, which will improve (or not) as your skills do (or don't). The real excitement in this game comes from using it with friends. Having a nice 9-hole game of golf and playing a couple rounds of bowling can both be done with multi-players with one WiiMote; however, you must buy additional ones for the other three sports. It is very fun, and competitive, to play against your friends to see who can have the lowest fitness age, who can hit the most homeruns, who can win in a boxing match, etc. The only drawback on this game is the lack of content. If it went into more depth with the games and maybe added some features then it would be like a gift from the gods. Nevertheless, it is a truly fun and exciting game.

Controls- 7/10

This was Nintendo's attempt at showcasing the capabilities of the WiiMote, and although it does leave us in awe at is futuristic powers, it does not fully explore the possibilities of the controller and nunchuck attachment, which is only used in boxing. On the positive side, it is very cool in certain games, notably bowling and baseball, in which the motions you do with the controller almost exactly mirror what you would do it real life, and this is quite impressive. However, some other games, notably golf, are incredibly picky about the controls and somewhat unrealistic (though still pretty cool). You rarely press buttons in the different sports, it usually requires just a swing of the remote, like in real life. It is a shame that Nintendo didn't develop the game so that it incorporates the nunchuck and other motions of the controller, but the basic features do get the job done.

Graphics- 6/10

Graphics aren't really stressed in Wii Sports, but they still do look decent. The scenery I have no complaints about; it looks wonderful. However, the way that Miis are designed so that they all look very cartoonish takes away from the game's realistic other aspects. For one thing, all the Miis don't have arms, so in some of the games the racket or bat or whatever just floats near your character, looking kind of cheesy. I just think that the game would be better if it looked like a real person you were boxing against, not some snowman-like figure with no ears or arms and two lines for its eyes.

Sound- 10/10

The sound aspect of Wii Sports was done incredibly well, and it gives me goose bumps to think about the potential of the speaker in the WiiMote. For those of you unfamiliar with the controller, it has a speaker built into it, so you can hear things from both the TV speakers and the one you hold in your hand. Wii Sports uses this feature very well- it is always nice to swing the remote like a tennis racket and hear the sound of the hit come out of the remote, the place where the sound would be in real life. In addition to the use of the WiiMote speaker, the game also plays music during each sporting event, which adds a nice, complete feel to it. Trust me, once you experience the thrill of KO-ing someone in boxing and hearing the WiiMote scream “Knockout!” at you, you will fall in love with the technology.

Replay Value- 10/10

This game will bring you back for countless hours of sporting fun. For parties, it is always popular to bust out the Wii and start some good, wholesome fun with a couple rounds of golf or a game of doubles tennis. And personal desire to be the best will bring you back all the time- you know you won't be able to sleep until you bowl that 300.

Overall Take- 8/10

Wii Sports is one of the greatest presents Nintendo could have given us. The sports are addicting, the technology is inspiring, and the fact that it's free is, well, amazing. Once you play this game, you will know you made the right decision in buying a Wii.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/11/06