Remember when consoles came with a pack-in game? While optional bundles often come out after a system has been around for a while (I held out for the Super Mario Sunshine/Cube bundle myself), it's been a while since a new console came with a game, standard, day one.
So what does the latest Nintendo console come with—a AAA Mario or Zelda title? Nope. A Collection of five simplified games called Wii Sports.
Designed to both show off the motion controls of the Wii remote
and appeal to "lapsed" gamers intimidated by the complex controls of modern games, Wii Sports is a success.
Add the ability to create and play as caricatures of you and your friends (or Admiral Akbar for that matter) and you have a game that doesn't quite have the across the board appeal of Guitar Hero, but nevertheless is pretty fun for both casual and hardcore gamers and maybe even their moms.
So let's take a look at each game individually. Of the five, Tennis is the middle of the road for me, but is probably the most accessible of the lot. A game for 1 to 4 players, the computer controls the player's movement, leaving you to concentrate on the swing of your racquet. Swinging is more or less intuitive—with the wrist strap in place so you don't throw the Wii remote at a loved one (or god forbid the T.V.), pretend you are holding a tennis racquet and swing when the ball is in front of you. It's mostly a game of timing, but it is surprisingly fun.
Baseball is a cross between a home run derby and real baseball. You control pitching and batting, while the rest of the game is automated. Batting controls are near one-to-one, while pitching mostly captures the speed of your throw (you choose the type of pitch by holding different buttons beforehand). Three innings is just about the right length for Wii baseball and half the fun is seeing which of your Miis the computer chooses for your teammates.
Bowling is probably the best in the bunch and holds up well against other great bowling games like League Bowling and Ten Pin Alley. You can play up to four players even with one controller. You adjust your position and angle before each throw. Then, like Wii tennis, pretend you are bowling. You'll be letting go of the B button though, not the whole controller (again, the wrist strap is your friend). The game captures the "English" on the ball nicely and the pin physics are very good. I really wouldn't change a thing.
Golf is my second favorite. There are nine holes and you can choose to play a set of three holes (beginner, medium or advanced) or all nine. There are only four clubs and you can't hook your shots, making the game all about your swing and reading the lay of the green. The golf swing isn't exactly one-to-one, particularly when putting. However, you can practice your swing as much as you like, and it becomes second nature pretty quickly. It's really fun and I'd love to see Nintendo release a standalone Wii Golf with a full set of clubs and more courses.
Boxing to me is the odd man out. While it uses the nunchuk attachment for two handed play and has the novelty of fighting Miis against each other, the controls are just too loose to seem skill based, making it a flailing version of a button masher at best.
The music and sound suit the games well. While simplified and stylized, the graphics are crisp with very good texture work. Control varies from game to game, but is excellent for the most part, involving you in the real life motions of each sport. The training modes are worth a mention, as some of them are practically mini games in themselves.
Bridging the gap between casual gamers and the hardcore, Wii Sports is an excellent pack-in to showcase the Wii. You may dismiss it as a tech demo at first, but if you give it a chance I think you'll find that it's deeper than you think.
2008 ben langberg, all rights reserved.