This fun sequel isn't just a bowling game.
THE GOOD
-Great for parties
-Vibrant visuals
-Wii Motion Plus comes free
-Solid controls for most games
-Plenty of fun games and variations
THE BAD
-Some game's controls mysteriously lose their calibration
-A couple games are a little too shallow
OVERVIEW
Wii Sports is back by popular demand and is one of the first games to utilize the Wii Motion Plus. Just like the previous game, Wii Sports Resort is jam-packed with a bunch of fun sports to play either by you or up to four people. The game starts off with a bang when you get to skydive, with your Mii, towards Wuhu Island. Here you'll get a brief glimpse of the power of the Wii Motion Plus because you can control your Mii with an almost one to one relationship between your on-screen character and the Wii Remote.
Wii Sports Resort has almost tripled the amount of games offered by its predecessor. The games included are the following: Swordplay, Wakeboarding, Frisbee, Archery, Basketball, Table Tennis, Golf, Bowling, Power Cruising, Canoeing, Cycling and Air Sports. Most of the games offer hours and hours of excitement but there are a few shallow ones thrown into the mix. If you've played Wii Sports, which most of you probably have since it came free with the system, you're in for a pleasant surprise because this sequel has the same great charm while offering high quality controls and more games.
GAMEPLAY
The best way to break this review up is probably to go through each game and discuss the pros and cons. Before I do that I would like to briefly mention the stamps that you can earn in each sport. Much like Xbox's achievements and Playstation's trophies, Wii Sports Resort has a stamp system that is basically goals for you to try and reach. Some of the stamps are easy to obtain but there are a few that are incredibly challenging like bowling a 300 and golfing a hole-in-one. This system is a nice new feature that greatly enhances the replay value. Alright so let's get on to the games.
Swordplay offers three different modes: Duel, Speed Slice and Showdown. Duel let's you and a friend duke it out in a good, old-fashioned sword fight. Speed Slice is game all about speed and accuracy. A judge will toss an item, like a piece of sushi or block of wood, and that item will have an arrow directing you to which way you need to slice. The first person to correctly slice the item earns a point. Showdown is sort of like a light action game where you run through hordes of Miis while smacking them with your sword. All the Swordplay modes are fun to play and also gives us a glimpse of what the new Zelda game will be like but because there are plenty of huge motions involved, the Wii Motion Plus occasionally gets un-calibrated. Now you can fix this in-game by pressing the D-Pad but it gets kind of annoying especially during the fast-paced action of Showdown.
Wakeboarding brings you out to the clear waters around Wuhu Island. You're dragged behind a motor boat on a wakeboard and use the boat's wake as a spring board to do some radical tricks. The key here is to perform consecutive tricks while landing your board level with the ocean. Wakeboarding is fun, exciting and easy to play.
There are two Frisbee games that are pretty impressive as far as the control scheme goes. You'll be able to bend the flight of the disc with surprising accuracy. The first of the two games is called Frisbee Dog. Here, you have to try and throw a Frisbee towards a target while you're trusty little pup runs to go and catch it. The closer the disc is caught near the target the more points you'll earn. Disc Golf is the second game and here you'll play the same course as the golf mode, on Wedge Island, but instead of hitting a golf ball you're objective is to try and float a disc towards a column of light on the putting green.
Archery is definitely one of the better sports on Wuhu Island. The objective is pretty simple; hit the target (moving or non-moving) with an arrow. This is one game where the controls are incredibility life-like because of the way you hold your bow and fire your arrow with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. Now this may seem like an easy game but it's easier said than done. You have to account for wind, your own steadiness and good old gravity.
Basketball is one of the weaker sports in Wii Sports Resort mainly because the motions are quite unintuitive. The 3-Point Contest is a better game than the 3-On-3 but not by much. The 3-Point Contest works like the same 3-Point contest seen during the NBA All-Star game. Here the player will grab a ball from the rack and shoot a 3-pointer. There are five balls per five racks with the fifth ball as a "money ball" which is worth more points. The 3-On-3 game is actually quite boring. Here you and a friend can play against each other. You'll always be in control of the player with the ball (or the player defending the ball handler). Shaking the remote will dribble or attempt to steal while shooting and blocking is done just like in the 3-Point contest. Both games feel like the controls were tacked-on and just plain awkward.
Table Tennis (Ping-Pong) is another disappointing game to hit the resort. Whether you're playing a Match against another person or the Return Challenge, you won't be thoroughly convinced with the paddle play. It seems like you don't have the complete control over the spin of the ball as you would hope too. Table Tennis actually gets quite boring after a few rounds and it's sad because I am a fan of the sport.
Golf and Bowling are the only returning games from the predecessor. All the functions work the same with the added enhancement of the Wii Motion Plus which makes these games much more enjoyable. There are a couple different variations to the bowling mini-games but golf is pretty much the same.
Power Cruising is a fun little game where you have to try and maneuver through floating gates in the quickest amount of time while riding a jet ski. Holding the Wii Remote and Nunchuk like the handles on the vehicle is instinctive and well thought out. Not to mention that it's tons of fun to be out on the water.
Canoeing and Cycling are two sports that will really wear you out with the motions. Each game has their own style of racing that can be played with a friend. All in all both of these sports are decent and provide a few hours of fun.
The last game, and one of my favorites, is Air Sports. Here you'll be able to replay the Sky-Diving activity, shoot down your friends in a Dog Fight and take a leisurely flight around the entire island in Island Flyover. The Island Flyover is one of the best games, in Wii Sports Resort, because it's fun and relaxing. Do you remember the old N64 game called Pilot Wings? Well it's sort of like that because you get to fly your airplane around while finding points of interest. Controlling the plane is a breeze because all you have to do is hold the Wii Remote in your hand and turn your wrist to turn the aircraft.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
There is no surprise when it comes to the graphics in this game. The rather simple visuals are filled with vibrant colors that fit the theme well. The light cartoon-like graphics makes Wii Sports Resort enjoyable enough to watch.
Again just like the graphics, the audio is simple but works well with the game. The announcer guy is back to lift your spirits when you do something amazing and the sound effects have the same likeable charm as the first installment.
CONCLUSION
Wii Sports Resort is a fun little game that's great for families and parties. There isn't too much replay value if you're playing by yourself but bring over a few buddies and you've got hours and hours of excitement. The new Wii Motion Plus comes with the game and really takes the realism to the next level. I would recommend this game to anybody but strongly suggest playing with your friends if you want the most bang for your buck. Wii Sports Resort does what Wii Sports did about three year ago; bringing people together in friendly competition. Only this time it does it just a little better.