"A Great Package Well-Worth $50"

The Wii is the new hit console, and Nintendo decided to create a second tech demo to show us the power of the console. Luckily, for the price of $50, you get a controller and this game. These games do a great job of showing us how to use the controller and let us have a little fun as well. The controller throw-in lets you play multiplayer right off the bat, instead of having to find one in stores. Both a casual player and a hardcore gamer can enjoy this game, but the casual bunch will have more fun.

In Wii Play you are given a series of minigames, nine to be exact, and you use your Mii's to try to get the highest scores in each one. Each game has two sides, a single player and a multiplayer. There are a few differences between both modes, but the overall concept remains the same. In single player, you try to achieve bronze, silver, gold, and even platinum medals. To get these, you need to score high, and in the case of a platinum, very high. I currently only have three as it is. Multiplayer allows you to compete with a friend and see who can win the most minigames.

Since we have nine different games, I decided to give a small quick summary and review of each one, this way you can see for yourself if you're willing to pay the $10 for these minigames. I'll give a score out of 10 for each minigame as well. I'd say right now that my favorite two games are Tanks and Shooting Range. The best for multiplayer in my opinion are Billiards and Tanks.

First game on the list is Shooting Range. In this game, you go through five different levels shooting things into pieces. If you've ever played duck hunt, then this will remind you of that. You need to hit a series of balloons, targets, disks, cans, and even flying saucers to get through each level. To truly master this game, you need to have quick reflexes and accuracy, because you get bonus points for combos. The reason it's so fun is the fact that you can constantly improve if you keep trying. After a good amount of time, even I was able to get a platinum medal. In multiplayer, the two players battle to get the most points. This is harder because quickness now plays a huge role. Score: 8/10

The second available minigame is Find Mii. While both the single-player and multiplayer are both fun, there isn't much depth. The object of the game is to find pairs, triplets, and all other sorts of Mii's in a big crowd. Here's an example: The game tells you to find a pair, so you have to look through the crowd and find two Mii's that are exactly alike. For triplets you must fins three look-alikes of course. Other things to find are the fastest Mii, a specific Mii, or even the one you're using. In single player there are a total of 100 levels, and completing a level earns you 10 seconds. Run out of time and it's game over. In multiplayer, you must try to earn the most points in 120 seconds. This means you and your friend going as fast as you can to find the objective Mii(s). Score: 7/10

Third game in Wii Play is Table Tennis. The single player is a big letdown, but the multiplayer redeems a few points. In single player, all you do is rally the ball back and forth. Your goal is to get to 100 rallies, which becomes quite easy with practice and concentration. Then you can go for 200 rallies for a platinum medal if you're interested. If you were hoping for a 1 on 1 with the CPU, then sorry. Fortunately, multiplayer lets you go head to head with a friend. Unfortunately though, games only play to 11 and power swings are constantly interrupted when you go off-screen. After mastering single-player multiplayer is all that will keep you coming back. Score: 5/10

The fourth game gracing this review is the highly criticized Pose Mii. Maybe it's just me, but this game isn't as bad as I've heard. The object is to turn your Wiimote around trying to fit your Mii in the bubbles. There are a total of three poses you must change around to fit in these bubbles. Most problems arise when people forget which buttons correspond to which poses. In the high speeds you must work at to score high, this can be a problem. But if you practice the pose changing, the game gets better. Multiplayer is the same batch, except you're with a friend. Score: 5/10

Game number five belongs to Laser Hockey. As I've heard from other people, this is more or less a fleshed out version of Pong. You move your stick (or whatever the thing used to hit the puck is called) with your Wiimote in an attempt to hit the puck behind the opponent and in the goal. As you keep hitting the puck back and forth, the speed of the puck increases. In single player, you try to score the most goals against the computer in a time limit. In multiplayer, you get to match up against your friend in a battle to eight goals. A fun game, but not much to it. Score: 6/10

Game six out of nine is Billiards. As I stated earlier, this is great for multiplayer. While the single player is fun, it isn't as good as a matchup with a friend. If you've never played Billiards in real life before, here's what you do. There are a total of nine balls you need to hit into any of the various six pockets. You need to hit the balls in order of one to nine in the least amount of turns to get a high score. Multiplayer is a bit different, and instead of amount of turns, it's based off points. The 1-Ball is worth one point, the 2-Ball two points, and so on. If there was a best out of three mode, Billiards would have been much better. Score: 7/10

Game seven is Fishing. This is one of those games that could have been good, but that I found to not be so good. The objective here is to score the most points catching fish. Different fish of different sizes are worth more points than others. Don't be fooled though, there are only 4 common fish and 2 rare fish to catch. One of these fish even deducts points. All you need to do is drop the hook in front of a fish, let it nibble, and pull it up after it bites. There aren't any battles with the fish, no matter the size. Multiplayer is the same bag, you just compete to catch the most fish for the most points. Score: 5/10

I've run out of headers for each game, so here we go. Charge, the eighth game on this list, is a short and simple game. All you do is tilt the controller forward to run, then attempt to knock down the most scarecrows as possible, while going as fast as you can. You can jump as well by flicking the Wiimote to jump over hurdles to get to scarecrows without wasting time. Charge is relatively easy, with a gold and platinum medal easily within reach. In multiplayer you have to jostle with your buddy to get the most scarecrows. Unfortunately, the track is always the same and you will get tired of it again and again. Score: 5/10

I saved the best for last, which happens to be my overall favorite, Tanks. In Tanks, you are in a tank, and need to destroy all of the enemy tanks on the screen. You are offered two ways to destroy your enemies, shells or mines. Your shells have the amazing ability to bounce off a wall to strike an opponent. This allows snipers to pick off the pesky tanks from afar. You can also use motion sensing landmines as a weapon of choice. Set one of these babies down and get out of the way. If an enemy tank comes too close, or if you shoot the mine, it will blow, destroying any tanks or collapsible walls nearby. You are offered 100 levels of tank-destroying action that you can complete alone or with a partner. In single player, you start with three lives, and get one more every five levels, lose all your lives and it's back to level one. Multiplayer has you and a friend trying to finish all the levels co-op style, but if both of you die on the same level, restart you must. Score: 10/10

So in conclusion, I think all of these minigames are at least mediocre, and some excel as well. Getting a Wiimote with your purchase is the perfect excuse for buying this game anyway. That $10 is well worth these nine games, so I would whole-heartedly say get this game. Even if you play it for a few weeks and get bored, you will always have that extra Wiimote for use in any multiplayer game in the future.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/08/07, Updated 11/30/07

Game Release: Wii Play (With Remote) (US, 02/12/07)