Wii Play

"A great collection overall, but some poorly executed games are included"

Wii Play, one of the newer titles for the Nintendo Wii is a sort of sequel to the first release "Wii Sports". It is a collection of mini-games all of which can be played with 1-2 players. I'll sort out this review by reviewing each mini-game, and then average them out to get the final score. Ready? All right, let's go.

1)"Shooting Range"
This game is a sort of remake of the NES's Duck Hunt, but you shoot tons of other things besides ducks. The items pop up; you aim your little target at them, and press B. Simple enough. Throughout the mini game's five levels, the items begin with things like targets, but evolve into cans, ducks, Frisbees, and even UFO's. The UFO's begin to abduct your Miis, whom you must save, and you get ten extra points at the end for every Mii you have left. This is a great mini-game. It's very fun two player, while still enjoyable to play by yourself. This game, like most of the games in Wii Play, would become extremely boring after an extended amount of playing time, but it is fun to play for small stints.

8/10: A great mini-game, but not fun for extended periods of time. Plus, there are only five levels.

2)"Find Mii"
A "Where's Waldo" game, but with Miis. The game tells you whom to find, and you find it through several different environments. This game is really boring one player, but really addicting when played as a multiplayer. It can get very frustrating, but this is why it is fun. This is not one of the best mini-games, but it's good to play every once and a while.

6/10: Boring as a single player, great as a multiplayer.

3)"Table Tennis"
Self-explanatory, if you don't recognize "Table Tennis", try "Ping Pong". This was the game I bought Wii Play for, but I was highly disappointed. The use of the Wiimote is not as great as I had anticipated, in fact; it is a horrible use of the controller. You simply move the controller from side to side, watching the ball bounce across the table.

5/10: A great concept, but not great execution.

4)"Pose Mii"
Your Mii can be posed in three different positions, match him with the pose in the bubble to make it pop. If the bubble passes the white line, you're out. This is the worst game on Wii Play, by far. It is no fun. I was not expecting much of it anyway. The multiplayer is lame, if a bubble of your color passes the line, then you're out, but you can destroy your opponent's bubbles, thus distracting you from your own. Single player? Just don't try it. It sucks.

3/10: Horrible. Just Horrible.

5)"Laser Hockey"
Air Hockey, with laser lights. Looks awesome. This is one of the better games included in the Wii Play collection. It's very entertaining, when played as a multiplayer. Single player is still enjoyable, but it's just not the same. The rules are basically the same as Air Hockey, but with a smaller table. You are not allowed to cross the half point, and don't try to, you'll regret it when your opposition attacks from the sides of you. I really enjoy this one.

9/10: One of the better games in the collection. Great multiplayer, and could be played for a while.

6)"Billiards"
Billiards, or Pool as some might say, using the Wiimote. This is a great game. It is fun as a single player as well as multiplayer. The use of the Wiimote isn't bad, but it's not great. You are able to lock on the ball before striking it, which should not be the case. Does you cue lock on to the ball in real Billiards, mine doesn't. I wish that it had had more options, instead of just nine-ball play. Did a little Solid/Stripes game ever hurt anyone?

8/10:Could have used the Wiimote better. Could have used more options. This mini-game is very good, and I'll continue to play this mini-game.

7)"Fishing"
You hold the rod, fish nibble, you reel 'em in (sort of). This game isn't too shabby either. Although the fish and their environment are unbelievably unrealistic, it makes for great fun. The use of the Wiimote is all right, but I wish that the player would actually do something to reel the fish in, rather than just yank it like Animal Crossing. Still, this mini-game is very entertaining.

7/10: Really enjoyable, with the exception of childish graphics. I still wish that we would have to do more than yank to reel a fish in.

8)"Charge!"
Race, hit scarecrows and jump hurdles, all while riding on the back of your very own cow. This game has a great use of the Wiimote, using it as a sort of steering wheel. It's a great multiplayer mini-game, as well as a great single player game. The world in which you race seems to be made entirely of yarn, which actually gives the mini-game a great feel. This is definitely one of the better games featured on Wii Play.

9/10:Great fun. Great multiplayer, great feel. Great Wiimote use. I just can't give it a ten, but I don't know why. Ramming your friends cow is like the most fun thing ever. Just be careful when steering.

9)"Tanks!"
This is the best mini-game by far. I've played it for hours without getting bored. It's a simple, yet brilliant concept. Toy tanks riding around, shooting each other to the death. This game gives the option of using the Nunchuck to control your tank, which gives great control. You can leave bombs, and shoot missiles. It's totally awesome.

10/10: Wonderful concept, the best game in the collection.

So that brings us to the overall score. I find about 6 of these 9 games to be really enjoyable and memorable, the others just plain suck. I'd definitely recommend the games Tanks, Charge, Laser Hockey and Billiards. This game is great to play for an hour or so, but becomes a chore to play for an extended period of time. Overall, not a bad game. I'd try renting this to see if you personally like it before buying it from my opinion. I've heard rather mixed reviews, so check it out for yourself.

Overall Score: 7/10

This game only gets this score because three or four of these games were poorly executed. And one just plain sucked. This game is not great to play for extended periods of time, but is wonderful to play for an hour or so. Multiplayer is very enjoyable as well. Try it out, and decide for yourself.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/26/07