Wii Sports Resort Review - Wii

7.5

Gameplay: 8
Graphics: 7
Audio: 5
Multiplayer: 8
Innovation: 7

Introduction

Wii Sports, a launch title for the Wii and now its best selling game, was a unique game. Sure, its great sales numbers are largely due to the fact that it was a pack-in game with the Wii console itself, but this was a game that sold many Wii consoles because people knew that the game was included. The game’s popularity spread, and soon the Wii was the console everyone had to have. With its basic graphics and simple characters, Wii Sports appears to be little more than a tech demo, but it was a good one as it introduced the world at large to motion controls, and it was free. Now, two and a half years later, we have Wii Sports Resort which could also be seen as a tech demo, this time for Nintendo’s new Wii MotionPlus accessory.

Gameplay

Wii Sports Resort offers players 12 different “sports” to try: Frisbee, Power Cruising, Swordplay, Table Tennis, Golf, Air Sports, Basketball, Archery, Cycling, Bowling, Canoeing and Wakeboarding. I say “sports” because clearly not all of these activities are actually sports, take Frisbee for example. This is a big increase over the mere five on offer in the original Wii Sports, and even better is the fact that 10 of them are new. That said, considering that Wii Sports was a free pack-in, and Wii Sports Resort is being sold as a full commercial release (though it does come with a free MotionPlus in the box), this increase in content is to be expected. You’re not buying the MotionPlus and getting Wii Sports Resort as a bonus, it’s the other way around, so the game needs to have more meat to it in order to be worth a purchase. Moving on, each of the 12 games is designed to show off the power of the MotionPlus accessory in a particular way, and some end up being more impressive than others. What makes the game appear more like a tech demo for the new accessory is the fact that it uses the MotionPlus exclusively; you cannot play the game at all without it. As such, if you’re after some multiplayer action, you’ll have to invest in a second MotionPlus accessory, which sell for $35 RRP. This is a slightly annoying but understandable downside, though considering that every “sport” in Resort can be played by at least two players; you’ll probably get your money’s worth.

Each “sport” is a game in its own right, so I’ll take the time to go through them all as part of this review, starting with Frisbee. Holding the Wii Remote horizontally in your hand, you can swing the on-screen Frisbee back and forth, as well as change its angle by doing the same with Remote. Getting the hang of the controls can take a little time, especially since the MotionPlus also registers how much force you put into your swing. The Frisbee game has two different modes, Frisbee Dog and Frisbee Golf. Frisbee Dog is a game that rewards players ...