Wii Sport's simple, yet creative control scheme still impacts many newbies today.
Wii Spoerts has five sports available, all which makes great use of the Wii's motion-controlled sensitivity. Here's how they work...
Baseball- A normal game of baseball. Two teams with nine players. You can play alone or with a friend. The Wii Remote is held like a bat, and it's literally like a bat. You can position it anywhere, and the Wii will still recognize its position. To swing, swing it like a bat. You can even bunt. For pitching, you flick the Wii Remote as if you were throwing the ball. Fastballs, curveballs, and even splitters can be throw at any direction to confuse the batter and make the ball harder to hit. Fielding, however, is done by the computer, which is a little disappointing. There are only three innings, too, and the controls are a little jittery. But it still feels like a game of baseball, and it's fun, too. Computers can put up one heck of a challenge, and it's satsifying to hit home runs, and even out of the parkers.
Bowling- A normal game of bowling. You position your throw, hold the B button, and swing the Wii Remote like you throwing the bowling ball. Unlike the other sports, this is a full bowling game, and a good one, too. Getting strikes and spares has never been easier, and it even lessens the risk of getting your thumb stuck in the bowling ball hole. Not my favorite, but it's easily the best sport available on Wii Sports.
Boxing- Boxing has never been more frustrating. There are three three minute rounds in which your goal is to K.O. your opponent before he/she K.O.'s you. Thrust the Wii Remote forward for a right punch, and thrust the Nunchuck forward for a left punch. To dodge, sway the Wii Remote and Nunchuck left and right and back and forth. To block, hold the controllers up to your face. There's a health meter telling you how much more you, or your opponent can take. If you neither of you are knocked out when the three rounds are over, the judges decide by voting who was the most dominant each round. The roughhousing is pretty enjoyable, but the controls are finicky, and it feels a little shallow and repetitive.
Golf- My personal favorite. You can play up to 9 holes of golf. Use your Wii Remote to swing you club or putter. Wind will try to ruin your shot, but taking advantage of it will help it. Don't swing too hard, or you'll curve the ball, and it'll end up where you don't want it you be. This happens often due to the jittery controls that make you say, "I did not do that!" over and over again, but the game succeeds because the courses are so well-designed and it's very satsifying to make the shot you want.
Tennis- Again, a normal game of tennis. Swing the Wii Remoter like a tennis racket to hit the ball. To serve, thrust the Wii Remote up, and at the right time, swing it down. Each match has 1, 3, or 5 games, and you need to win the majority out of the maximum number of matches (Ex: Best 3 out of 5). The controls are a lot better and the game can get pretty heated, but like Baseball, the gamplay mechanics need to be improved. You can only play doubles, and I'd like a full match, too.
There are also training games that help you get better at each of the five sports. There are three games for each sport. You can earn medals which depends on your score, and you'll get a notice of the madeal you've earned at the Wii Message Board. Improve you golf shot, work on your dodging in boxing, and even knock down over 90 pins in one shot! It's up to you. These games are a lot of fun, and if you master the, you can easily become a "pro" at the sports.
The last feature is a fitness test. Three of the fifteen training games are randomly chosen, and your goal is to do your best in each part. Whether it's hitting home runs, sinking long putts, or slamming punching bags against the wall, your results of each games will determine your fitness age. The best you can get is 20, and the worst is, well, unspeakable. The Wii Message Board wil give a notice about it. It'll keep you coming back for more, but the Fitness feature sores your body, instead of strengthening it.
What Wii Sports had done has changed the gaming world forever. It's simple, yet creative contol scheme still impacts many newbies today. They can get jittery at times, and some of the sports aren't too deep, but they're a lot of fun to play, the graphics and animation are pretty decent, and the training games are a lot of fun. It will defenitely help you get a better understanding of the Wii, and it's a great game, too.
Gameplay: 7/10
Graphics: 8/10
Story: NA/10
Sound and Music: 7/10
Replay Value: 8.5/10
Fun: 8/10
Overall: 7.7/10
+ Simple controls will appeal to anybody
+ Fine graphics and animation
+ Stats and fitness features will keep you coming back for more
+ Fun training games
- Gameplay mechanics in some sports need to be improved
- Controls can become jittery
- Fitness feature doesn't help with actual fitness
FINAL WORD: It's free with the Wii, and so is Wii Sports Resort. At only $199, it's a steal.