The whole thing plays out as a tech demo; even if Nintendo refuse to admit it.
Tennis is easily the best game on offer. The controls are all pretty straightforward; you serve by flicking the controller up and then swinging forward whilst the ball is in the air. You lob by swinging the controller lower than you normally would and add top-spin by hitting the ball from a higher angle, you can even curve the ball by flicking your wrists at certain angles as you strike the ball.
While these are pleasing when you pull them off effectively you don’t have the option of moving your character around the court, so after some time with the game you can learn certain techniques to best your opponent without giving them so much as a chance to return the ball. Surely it would have been easier to implement the nunchuck into the proceedings considering it comes with the console anyway.
Even so it still gives you total control of your power and timing which is adequate enough for a good few hours of solid fun, especially when you add friends to the mix. It allows up to 4 players to jump in and partake in a doubles match, and while purchasing those 3 extra controllers can be pricey I guarantee that everyone involved will have an absolute blast.
Baseball is extremely simple, you can either bat or pitch. Batting is all about the time of your swing, unfortunately this allows you to cheat the system, listening to the ping of the ball flying from the pitchers glove can be used to get a home run on a semi-regular basis. If only they added a few more techniques into the process then it wouldn’t feel like such a monotonous affair.
Pitching also has its flaws, it doesn’t matter if you swing your arm slowly or thrust it at the TV so hard you risk dislocating your shoulder, the speed of the ball at times seems entirely random. It’s also a shame that curve balls and split balls are dependant on a button push as oppose to the movement of your controller.
Bowling while less enthralling than the other sports due to its mellow nature is a welcoming change and works really well. You treat the controller like the ball, a push of A represents your grip and as your swing your arm you release the button (your grip) just like you would do in real-life. Well in most cases anyway, I have to admit I had a habit of throwing the ball backwards into the crowd at first. Whoops!.
What you do with your wrist can also have a big impact on how the game plays out, you can control the direction, speed and curve of the ball all by moving and twisting your hand in different directions before you release the ball. With a bit of time and patience learning the different techniques Wii Bowling can really make for a rewarding experience.
Golf has never really appealed to me, while others say it’s relaxing I say it’s plain boring. Putting that aside (pun intended) it’s truly apparent that this game in particular doesn’t have the skill or depth needed to keep your interest for all that long, it’s a classic case of power over precision. Putting is about the only thing worthy of your time here which makes you wonder why they didn’t replace this with a crazy golf game, surely that would have been their best move.
Boxing is an absolute farce, the whole game is dependant on the figures reacting to your movements but more often that not they will perform a punch you didn’t enact or simply stand there like a dithering idiot. Unfortunately punching isn’t the only problem, blocking is a complete waste of time also, by some small chance your character does actually block where you would like them to your opponent will probably just hit through it as if you never bothered in the first place. It really is one of the most frustrating thing’s I have had the misfortune of experiencing with the Wii so far and here’s hoping it doesn’t become a common trend.
In addition to the main attractions the game also offers a training mode which features a series of mini-games designed to improve your skills in certain areas. Each one relates to one of the five sports, from hitting certain targets with a tennis ball to punching a dummy senseless with your boxing gloves. How well you do in these challenges determines your Fitness Age. Those familiar with Brain Training for the DS will be all too familiar with this concept, your progression is charted and shows you whether you’re improving or wasting your time by comparing your Fitness Age from various time periods. While this is all well and good it’s more to do with your proficiency at the games and less to do with your actual fitness.
Wii Sports is certainly not going to win any awards in the graphics department, you would think considering that this was intended to highlight the machines capabilities they would have made it look a little sharper. Think early years of the GameCube and you’re close to the mark.
At times the audio is bearable and others it can be downright annoying, probably because half the tunes wouldn’t feel out of place in an elevator. The sound effects that come out of the controller are a nice touch though, it’s really pleasing to hear the twang of a racket as you return a tennis ball in a rally or the thud of a bowling ball as it trundles towards the pins.
Despite the novelty of throwing your favourite Mii’s into the action the whole thing plays out as a tech demo; even if Nintendo refuse to admit it, and while it’s hard to tell at this point whether these so-called ‘revolutionary features’ will stand the test of time Wii Sports offers just enough variety and innovation to keep me optimistic for the time being.
Gameplay - Fun for all the family, the only problem is the fun is over a little prematurely.
Graphics - Doesn’t flatter the console at all, what is designed to showcase the systems visuals does nothing of the sort.
Sound - Tunes can get a little tedious but the sound effects more than make up for it via the controller’s built-in speaker.
Value - Tennis is the jewel in a pretty rusty crown, Baseball is too simple, Bowling has potential, Golf is uninspired and Boxing is a disaster.