Packing in the fun
| Platform | Presentation | Controls | Variety | Audio | Depth | Value & Fun | OVERALL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wii | 8.00 | 9.50 | 8.00 | 6.00 | 9.00 | 10.00 | 8.89 |
| General Information |
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Multiplayer Importance: Medium-high. Previously played game in the series: None. Television set-up: 19" Sylvania CRT, SDTV 480i, composite cables. |
| Gameplay Description |
| Wii Sports is a collection of sports games including Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf, and Boxing. Each game is simplified such that players only need to know the basic rules. The game comes with every console in the American territories. |
| Dedication Meter | 0.00 |
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If you know how to play any of the five sports, you can immediately have fun with what Wii Sports has to offer. It's that simple, no commitment is needed, it's immediate satisfaction. |
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| Presentation | 8.00 |
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The presentation makes great use of Miis in what can incorrectly be seen as dumbed down visuals. The visuals as a whole come together really well to the point that the visuals aren't even noticed, so while on the technical side, Baseball and Tennis don't look great with their colour-dot crowds, you attention doesn't turn to that. And as a plus, the golf courses look great and the effects in boxing are well utilized and a little flashy. Bowling looks like bowling should, no more no less. One of the little joys of Wii Sports is seeing the Miis in various instances. Miis from Mii Parade and from the ones you've created show up on your team, in the crowds and in the background. When you don't know a particular Mii is in the Parade, you can be quite surprised to see it bowling alongside you (specifically if the Mii is distinctive). In Tennis, and to a lesser extent Baseball, Miis will have hugely exaggerated leaps into the air that is entertaining every time. |
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| Controls | 9.50 |
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Quite simply, the game is fun because of its controls; it's inarguable. If this were a game on another console, it would be a mediocre budget title. As a Wii game, it's excellent. Tennis is simplified down to hitting the ball, but hitting the ball isn't just hitting a button. It's swinging a racket; how hard you swing determines velocity, angle determines spin -- all without the touch of a button. Baseball has you selecting pitch with A and B and location with the D-pad, then throwing the ball. Batting is simply swinging -- height doesn't seem to affect it at all, but in the context of the game it doesn't matter. Bowling has you moving your initial position and angle with the D-pad, the swinging back and then forward with the Wiimote, which also applies spin and release point. In Golf, you aim and change clubs with the D-pad and swing by using the Wiimote. You can take practice swings by just swinging and when you're ready to hit the ball, hold A. And Boxing has you punching, bobbing and weaving by motions of the Wiimote and Nunchuck. Essentially, the controls work exactly as they should and make the games endlessly fun. There are minor problems here-and-there, though. In Baseball, pitching location seems inconsistent and makes pitching against the CPU particularly frustrating. Boxing can feel very disconnected because when you can punch is connected to the actions of your opponent, and punch height can be difficult to get a handle on. The only significant problem is that while full motions work well in all the games, only in Bowling, Golf and Boxing is it the best strategy. In Tennis and Baseball, since the game accommodates the lazy who don't want full motions, you can flick your wrist in a far greater ratio of speed than full motion and thusly get better velocity and power. This doesn't matter in multiplayer where you can regulate it, but when you can't get full results against the CPU, it can be annoying. |
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| Variety | 8.00 |
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Five sports games is a good value even having simpler versions of each game. Tennis has single game, best-of-three and best-of-five, and is only doubles (you can play with or against a CPU player, local human player or combination of both. Baseball is a single 3-inning game of pitching and hitting -- no fielding, which is done automatically by the fielders. Bowling is just bowling a game. Golf has a single 9-hole course, which can also be played in sections of 3 holes. And Boxing is a single three-round match. There are no bonuses, only good versions of each game. But in addition to the games, there are also training modes. There's Wii Training and Wii Fitness. Wii Training is a collection of exercise, three for each game, in which you can earn medals (worthless, but good as an achievement). These training modes are pretty varied and make for actual useful practice in specific elements of each game and can actually make you better. Wii Fitness works like Brain Age in that it uses three short random exercise to judge your age, best being 20. It uses exercises from Wii Fitness. You also gain skill points by successfully playing games. Keyword, successfully as they can also go down. You reach |
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| Audio | 6.00 |
| The audio is simple and does what it should, but leaves something to be desired. Crowd sounds are pretty tacked on, and the music doesn't take long to begin grating on the ears a bit. The sound effects are rather good, though, and come through the speaker clearly. The crack of the bat in baseball is particularly good, as it gives you a good and natural indication of how well you hit the ball. | |
| Depth | 9.00 |
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That's right. Depth - 9/10. Natural motions make the depth in the game far more than what is usually expected, particularly in Bowling. Tennis is a big surprise with regard to this. While you're only hitting the ball, where you hit the ball does indeed matter. The goal is to get the opponent's back player too far away to save a cross-court shot that is more easily said than done (forgive the cliche). Spin also plays into the game, although it's difficult to get a handle on. Baseball is big on velocity and timed use of the splitter. Mixing speeds is essential, and barring flick-wrist cheating, swinging becomes an art unto itself. Bowling is incredibly natural and the gem of the bunch, it really becomes a matter of fine touch that can't be perfected. Golf is probably the simplest due to the easy course and lack of use of spin; only shot power is controller by the swing, which is a disappointment. Boxing has depth in that there's a lot of technique. Dodging, blocking high and low and different types of punches make for a complex fight. The detractors can be seen in Baseball as a mechanic to the splitter of it failing and going as a fastball down the middle is just annoying, and location isn't very specific at all and is utterly frustrating against a good CPU. Box has depth, but it's a bit of a frustrating depth because the slow-motion effects can mess with the rhythm of the fight and the CPU can throw comboes no human can manage -- it's truly a multiplayer-specific gem. Ultimately, the complaints here are against cheap CPU and not the multiplayer where there's a level playing field. |
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| Value & Fun | 10.00 |
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Wii Sports has the best fault a game can have -- it leaves you wanting more. This is due to it being so incessantly entertaining and will remain so, particularly to pull out when people are over, for years to come. Each sports game, regardless of whether you actually like the sport, has its own value, and differently than other games. Tennis is the 3-4 player game and is best when there are that many. It's also the best to get a non-gamer into the mix. Baseball's one that you can spend a lot of competitive time on -- the psychological games are in full effect here; the CPU play is the worst of any of the games, though. Bowling is the single-player game; it can take a while to play with many, so playing on your own can actually be better. Golf is the non-competitive multiplayer game. You don't have to be doing nearly as well as anyone else to have a good time because your play is independent. And Boxing is the spectator sport; not only is it the silliest to see, it's really a bragging rights game. Wii Training and Fitness are a big part of the value. Beating high-scores in Training is something to go back to besides just another game. Wii Fitness is something that just feels right to do each day and gets you into playing some more even if you didn't intend to in the first place. There's not a whole lot to cover here that hasn't been covered in earlier sections. Wii Sports is just fun, and will always be fun. That's what it's all about. |
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| Overall | 8.89 |
| Wii Sports is the quintessential Wii pack-in. Yes, Zelda sold systems, but Zelda doesn't sell the concept. Wii Sports sells the concept; shows that yes, the Wiimote is revolutionary and that this is how you want to play games. While it lacks the full production values and variety to make this a top-tier title, it's a game I would suggest everyone have in his collection, which works out well in that in the Americas, everyone will. | |
Posted by Ellyoda Tue, 19 Dec 2006 00:00:00
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