E3 06: Wii Sports: Airplane Hands-On

LOS ANGELES--While nobody is going to confuse the Wii Sports: Airplane flying demo for Microsoft's Flight Simulator series, there was something compelling about the game's elegant controls that kept us engaged during the time we spent with it at the Nintendo booth today. The flight game, one of a series of small sports minigames designed to show the possibilities of the Wii controller, was as straightforward as could be: You simply flew across a bright cartoonish world, guiding your plane through a series of suspended hoops and earning points all the while.

Though the goal of the demo was simplistic, the controls were the focus of the game. Practically every move you could pull off in the plane was executed with a twist, turn, or shift of the Wii remote. To turn left or right, you simply moved the controller in that direction; to pull up or make a nosedive, you gently moved the controller forward or back. Some more-advanced moves were possible as well--we pulled off a pretty cool-looking barrel roll at one point through a combination of turning and twisting. Honestly, though, it was more of a happy accident than a conscious decision, though we suspect with a bit more practice we could do it again. Finally, by sharply jerking the controller backward or forward, you could decelerate or accelerate the plane; the game camera would zoom in or out depending on your speed as well.

Graphically, the game's cartoon environment ranged from grassy hills to rocky cliffs, and it had a simplistic, whimsical feel that felt right in line with a Nintendo game. One charming effect was the small band of seagulls that joined us in the air as we flew across a stretch of ocean. Like the rest of the Wii Sports lineup (which includes baseball, tennis, and golf), we're not sure if what we saw today was the actual final product or if the final game will be more full-featured. Regardless, as a proof of concept of the Wii remote's capabilities, Wii Sports: Airplane's mission is accomplished.