"Woah there F-words! Free, fun, fantastic!"

Wii Sports is one of the best ideas for party games that they've ever made yet. And by they, I mean any company. But I guess I shouldn't give all the credit to the game, it's the system that makes it great. Being Mii-compatible, it's like you're really in the game.

The game is simply what it sounds like. Little sports games. Yes, little, there isn't much to them. Swing without running, bat without stealing, it's all very, very basic. It seems almost like a tech-demo, but hey, it's free so I'm not complaining. I'll explain all the simplicity I'm talking about in detail for each individual game, but before, I must say that it is in no way a bad thing. In fact, it's just the opposite, it is a good thing, if not great. "What's so great about it?" you may be asking. Well, for anyone who has never used a Wii before, or you little sisters or brothers who don't know how to use a controller that well yet will get some good kicks and fun out of the games. Because it's all very simple, such as a flick of the wrist or a simple throwing motion, anyone can learn it. And because half of all other movements are done for you, there wont be frustration in learning to play, but simple fun right out of the box!

Now there are five games total. Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf, and Boxing. All games, with the exception of Boxing will use the Wii remote as a controller only. Boxing will use the Wii remote and the Nunchuck attachment. When playing you use your Mii's that you've created in the Mii Channel to not only play, but store data on how well you've done. Your Mii is basically your account that stores stats and fitness age. If you've ever played Brain Age, it's like that, but with fitness. How old you're ranked on average, compared to how well you do in the sporting events.

In Tennis, all you do is flick your wrist. Flick to serve, flick to hit. You can flick forehand or backhand, and depending on the speed of your flick, the ball will land accordingly. There is no controlled movement, your character will simply run towards the ball, and leap at it if you swing a bit early. This supports up to four players, and it's quite fun for a party.

Baseball, is up to 2 players. One pitching, one hitting, as you would expect. Theres no stealing, there's no sliding or even controlled running. The batting is simple. Swing and have some timing. Pitching can get a bit fun. You can throw fastballs, curve or screwballs, and even a splitter, if you understand this baseball talk. You can control if you're throwing an inside, outside or straight pitch as well. The game is short, with only three innings. The Mercy rule is applied too, so if someone scores 5 runs over his or her opponent, the game ends there. Running is, as I've said, automatic. How far you run is determined by how long it is before someone catches your ball. It's fun on singleplayer as well.

Bowling makes a fun game alone or with friends. It's just like real bowling. You'll automatically run towards the lane, and have just about forever to actually throw the ball. You can aim yourself by moving to the left or right, as well as changing your angle. You use the Wii remote as a real bowling ball, and swing it. Speed, accuracy and even spin is all dealt into play. Supports up to four players, all using the same Wii remote.

Golf. Well, there was never much to golf games. But at least now you'll be able to really swing instead of hitting a power meter just right. With three different difficulties, a 9-hole mode and four different clubs to chose from and it all depending on your real swing, Golf can be fun. I was never much of a golf fan, if you can't tell, but even I've enjoyed the play. Take control of your swing, angle and know the wind speed, and be sure to enjoy yourself. This supports up to four players, all on the same Wii remote.

And last, but not least, Boxing. Some people live it the best, others hate it the most. This utilizes the nunchuck attachment to the Wii remote. One for your right hand, the other for your left. No buttons are used in the long battles of a three 1-minute rounds fights.Using the Wii remote and the nunchuck as your hands, you'll throw punches with them to make your character throw them just as you do. Hold them up to block or move them forward, back, left, and right to move. Throw jabs, hooks, uppercuts and all that jazz. Get your timing right and you'll be able to give off some power punches, and combos. One player or two, it makes a great fun game.

Now that I've given you the basics on how it plays, you'll be able to see just what you're missing with the Wii. The Wii system itself is almost designed for dorm rooms and parties, and this game makes the most of it. The graphics may be simple, as well as the gameplay, but the fun that you can have with friends overpowers all of it. I gave it a fair rating because of the graphics and gameplay, but I'll tell you that it's much better then it seems. Plus how can you go wrong with something so free? And because it's so integrated with the Mii Channel, your friends wont need to gunk up your Wii Remotes, let them use their own that holds their own Mii. In fact, just invite everyone over. I've seen people ages 6 to 81 enjoy this game, and never seen someone dislike it. Even Wii haters have enjoyed it. So, if you're looking for reasons to buy the Wii, add this to the list.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/08/07