11-19-2006, 05:42 PM
Wii Sports - *The* Party Game
I got a chance to play Wii Sports and 7 other friends today and it truly was a blast. I had played it earlier by myself, but it was truly a different experience playing it with other people. Wii Sports is truly a party game and it truly is a unique experience. Of all the games we played, we had the most fun with game and kept coming back to it.
When I played by myself, I sampled all the other games, worked through the tutorials, and even tried the fitness and they were all fun. I really enjoyed bowling and golf was pretty fun once I got the hang of it. By myself, boxing was painful and it really didn’t do much for me. Baseball was interesting, but not worth my time. I tried Tennis, but it just wasn’t fun since I couldn’t tell where to hit my ball.
When we played multiplayer, we tried all the games and Tennis turned out to be the fun game for us. After that, Bowling was fun because the controls were just so nice. The rest of the games were all fun playing with other live people, more than single player, but Tennis really just outshined everything.
Presentation – 9.0
I was a little discouraged when I opened up my Wii and Wii Sports only came in a cardboard box. I know it’s anal, but I like my games being cases and it really just pains me having to keep my game in a blank DVD case. Still, the game has great charm and everything is clear and concise. The menus tell you exactly what you’re going to and the controls couldn’t be simpler to pick up. The graphics are over simple and other Mii’s don’t have feet, but it still fits with the overall game.
Everything in this game just fits very well and it does leave a good impression. The game has an incredible feel and the simple style just brings everything together into an impressive presentation.
Graphics – 7.0
Graphics aren’t everything and Wii Sports proves that. It is clearly obvious that Nintendo envisioned gameplay over graphics. The Mii’s look great and stand out really well. What detail in the environment the game does offer also comes out nice.
That all being said, the graphics are just really simple and there just isn’t much to them. I personally love the style of this game, it just feels great. This game doesn’t push the Wii’s graphical capabilities, and it doesn’t even come close to playing it safe. The simple graphics are very welcome, but I just can’t give high points for something that isn’t there.
Sound – 9.5
From the sound coming from your TV to the sound coming from the remotes, the sound design in Wii Sports is incredible. Every sounds timing is spot on and makes you feel like you’re part of the game.
The moment that really made me impressed with the sound quality of Wii Sports was during baseball when one play pitched and the other was at bat. You can hear the ball leave the pitchers mitt and travel all the way to the bat. When players play tennis, every time a player hits the ball, you can hear that player hitting the ball. The speaker in the remote really made the sound for this game.
Gameplay – 7.3
This game is really hard to judge on the gameplay because it is five different games and those 5 games each take on a different dynamic when players with actual people. About the only way to do this is to just go through the games one by one and explain the ups and downs for each game in single and multiplayer and score each game from a 0-2 with 0.5 points for single player play, 0.5 points for multiplayer play, and 1.0 point for overall.
First up is Baseball. In baseball, players use the remote to swing the bat and throw the ball. The controls are simple enough, swing the remote to swing the bat. Move the remote in a throwing fashion to throw the ball. As players become more advanced, they can start swinging the remote in different arcs and try different stances and throw fastballs, screwballs, curve balls, and split balls. Sadly, baseball doesn’t offer more than batting and pitching. The other players are controlled by the AI and don’t do much for the game. This does have its advantages though since it makes the game simple and stays with the theme.
This game in single player really isn’t worth the time. It’s fun, but it really needs that interaction with people to be something you keep playing. In multiplayer, it’s a little more fun, but it’s so hard to hit anything other than a foul ball. The controls are nice and it is fun, but you’ll end up getting frustrated by all the foul balls and move onto something else. All in all, the game was fun but just didn’t quite cut it. I give it a 0.2 for single player play, 0.3 for multiplayer play, and a 0.5 overall for an overall 1.0.
The next game is bowling, which is by far my favorite. When you play this game, it actually feels like you’re bowling. We actually had one person accidentally let go the remote like they were bowling a ball. Luckily, she was wearing her handy wrist strap and nobody got hurt. All in all, this game by far had the best controls. You can move a player left or right, turn them to get the perfect angle, put a spin on the ball, and control when you let go of the ball. If you even time it right, you can “accidentally” through the ball behind you and watch in joy as Mii’s jump out of the way of the speeding bowling ball.
Bowling is really enjoyable in single player and multiplayer. You of course get the better experience in multiplayer, but single player and multiplayer are just loads of fun. Everything was just spot on and this game is one of the reasons you will keep coming back to Wii Sports. Bowling gets a shiny happy 2 with a perfect score in all areas.
I suppose sense I just told you my favorite game, it would only be fair to tell you my least favorite, boxing. When I heard that Wii Sports was going to feature boxing, I couldn’t be more excited. Sadly though, the controls just ruin this game. I think developers could learn from this game and make something great, but boxing for now just isn’t there. Boxing uses the remote and lets you punch with your left and right hands (and really punch) with jabs and uppercuts. You can also dodge opponent’s punches by moving the remotes and can even activate a quick slow-mo mode when you dodge something just right. Still, the controls just aren’t as responsive as I would have liked them to be and it really affects the game. Your Mii doesn’t always do what you want it to do and just makes the game very frustrating. On an up note, you do get a great workout from playing this game. Of all the games, it really is the most active.
Single player boxing just isn’t fun. I quickly became bored of this game just by myself. By the end of my first fight, I was ready to never come back to this game again, but I still kept trying hoping I would learn more about the controls. Sadly, just playing against the computer isn’t fun. The controls just don’t feel right and not having anyone there to experience the game with just makes the game dull. The multiplayer experience is a little bit better because you’re experiencing the game with someone else who doesn’t really know what’s going on. I think the most fun part we had with this was when we both knocked each other out at the same time. Other than that, boxing really just doesn’t offer much to the player. It gets a 0.1 for single player play, 0.3 for multiplayer play, and a 0.3 overall for an embarrassing final score of 0.7.
Next up: golf. Golf is interesting, but the sensitivity can be frustrating. You swing your remote as if you’re swinging a golf club and it just feels really good. The only downside to this game is that it’s hard to figure out just how hard to swing your remote. Still though, this game does offer very nice controls and options with the ability to switch clubs and is fun.
Golf really shines in single player, but doesn’t do great in multiplayer. Single player is fun because it is a nice relaxing game of golf in the comfort of your own home that does feel like playing golf. Multiplayer golf is fun as well, but it really just moves too slowly. I often found myself bored while waiting for my turn, unlike in bowling where I really enjoyed watching every other player go through the motions. Still though, this game is a lot of fun and deserves a decent score. It gets a 0.4 for single player play, 0.3 for multiplayer play, and a 0.9 overall for a final score of 1.6.
The last game is Tennis, and this game is great and leaves potential for a great tennis game. It took me a little while to get use to the controls, but once you get them down, this game is loads of fun. To play, you simply swing your controller from left to right for a quick swing and from right to left for a backhand. For the skilled players, you can do a super fast serve that will almost definitely get you points. The only upsetting thing about Tennis is in multiplayer, it often gets difficult to see the ball because of the split screen (even in widescreen). Still though, that is only a mild inconvenience and it’s still easy to know where to go and when to swing.
Single player tennis is fun once you get the hang of it, but where it really shines is in multiplayer. This is the game that will have your friends coming back to play with you. You will have grudge matches that can last quite a while and watching your Mii’s on screen just makes it better. Tennis also gets a 2 because even in single player, it has fun gameplay and the multiplayer is just incredible.
Wii Sports is very fun and you will come back for more, but some games do definitely outshine the others. With a little more work, the controls on all of these could have been incredible, but the game is still fun. Add onto that the fact it’s free and there is no reason not to be happy with this game.
Lasting Appeal – 8.5
Wii Sports is a great game to get you use to how the remote works, offers fun single player play, and it a great multiplayer game. Anytime you have a group of friends over, Wii Sports should always make an appearance. The games are quick and fun and get everyone laughing. The single player experience will keep you entertained throughout the holidays and maybe even a little past then until more games start coming out for the Wii. After your Wii library grows, Wii Sports will start to collect dust expect for when friends come over to play. Wii Sports is a great party game that offers something for everyone and you will love playing with your friends over and over again. This game gets an 8 for its party pleasure.
Overall – 8.3 Excellent
Nintendo promised they would change the way games are played and they delivered on their promise. Wii Sports proves that it can get players moving and playing with their friends in a new fun way. Even though the graphics are simple, it looks and plays greats and watching your Mii play with your friends Mii’s makes the game even better. While in a month or two you won’t be playing this game by yourself, it will constantly make an appearance any time your friends come over to play.
Wii Sports just goes to show that graphics aren’t everything. It set a benchmark for how Wii games should play, look, and feel that will pave the way for even more impressive games. I feel very comfortable in giving Wii Sports an excellent rating of 8.3 and I definitely recommend sharing this game with all of your friends.
Scores Roundup
==================
Presentation – 9.0
Graphics – 7.0
Sound – 9.5
Gameplay – 7.3
Overall – 8.3
I got a chance to play Wii Sports and 7 other friends today and it truly was a blast. I had played it earlier by myself, but it was truly a different experience playing it with other people. Wii Sports is truly a party game and it truly is a unique experience. Of all the games we played, we had the most fun with game and kept coming back to it.
When I played by myself, I sampled all the other games, worked through the tutorials, and even tried the fitness and they were all fun. I really enjoyed bowling and golf was pretty fun once I got the hang of it. By myself, boxing was painful and it really didn’t do much for me. Baseball was interesting, but not worth my time. I tried Tennis, but it just wasn’t fun since I couldn’t tell where to hit my ball.
When we played multiplayer, we tried all the games and Tennis turned out to be the fun game for us. After that, Bowling was fun because the controls were just so nice. The rest of the games were all fun playing with other live people, more than single player, but Tennis really just outshined everything.
Presentation – 9.0
I was a little discouraged when I opened up my Wii and Wii Sports only came in a cardboard box. I know it’s anal, but I like my games being cases and it really just pains me having to keep my game in a blank DVD case. Still, the game has great charm and everything is clear and concise. The menus tell you exactly what you’re going to and the controls couldn’t be simpler to pick up. The graphics are over simple and other Mii’s don’t have feet, but it still fits with the overall game.
Everything in this game just fits very well and it does leave a good impression. The game has an incredible feel and the simple style just brings everything together into an impressive presentation.
Graphics – 7.0
Graphics aren’t everything and Wii Sports proves that. It is clearly obvious that Nintendo envisioned gameplay over graphics. The Mii’s look great and stand out really well. What detail in the environment the game does offer also comes out nice.
That all being said, the graphics are just really simple and there just isn’t much to them. I personally love the style of this game, it just feels great. This game doesn’t push the Wii’s graphical capabilities, and it doesn’t even come close to playing it safe. The simple graphics are very welcome, but I just can’t give high points for something that isn’t there.
Sound – 9.5
From the sound coming from your TV to the sound coming from the remotes, the sound design in Wii Sports is incredible. Every sounds timing is spot on and makes you feel like you’re part of the game.
The moment that really made me impressed with the sound quality of Wii Sports was during baseball when one play pitched and the other was at bat. You can hear the ball leave the pitchers mitt and travel all the way to the bat. When players play tennis, every time a player hits the ball, you can hear that player hitting the ball. The speaker in the remote really made the sound for this game.
Gameplay – 7.3
This game is really hard to judge on the gameplay because it is five different games and those 5 games each take on a different dynamic when players with actual people. About the only way to do this is to just go through the games one by one and explain the ups and downs for each game in single and multiplayer and score each game from a 0-2 with 0.5 points for single player play, 0.5 points for multiplayer play, and 1.0 point for overall.
First up is Baseball. In baseball, players use the remote to swing the bat and throw the ball. The controls are simple enough, swing the remote to swing the bat. Move the remote in a throwing fashion to throw the ball. As players become more advanced, they can start swinging the remote in different arcs and try different stances and throw fastballs, screwballs, curve balls, and split balls. Sadly, baseball doesn’t offer more than batting and pitching. The other players are controlled by the AI and don’t do much for the game. This does have its advantages though since it makes the game simple and stays with the theme.
This game in single player really isn’t worth the time. It’s fun, but it really needs that interaction with people to be something you keep playing. In multiplayer, it’s a little more fun, but it’s so hard to hit anything other than a foul ball. The controls are nice and it is fun, but you’ll end up getting frustrated by all the foul balls and move onto something else. All in all, the game was fun but just didn’t quite cut it. I give it a 0.2 for single player play, 0.3 for multiplayer play, and a 0.5 overall for an overall 1.0.
The next game is bowling, which is by far my favorite. When you play this game, it actually feels like you’re bowling. We actually had one person accidentally let go the remote like they were bowling a ball. Luckily, she was wearing her handy wrist strap and nobody got hurt. All in all, this game by far had the best controls. You can move a player left or right, turn them to get the perfect angle, put a spin on the ball, and control when you let go of the ball. If you even time it right, you can “accidentally” through the ball behind you and watch in joy as Mii’s jump out of the way of the speeding bowling ball.
Bowling is really enjoyable in single player and multiplayer. You of course get the better experience in multiplayer, but single player and multiplayer are just loads of fun. Everything was just spot on and this game is one of the reasons you will keep coming back to Wii Sports. Bowling gets a shiny happy 2 with a perfect score in all areas.
I suppose sense I just told you my favorite game, it would only be fair to tell you my least favorite, boxing. When I heard that Wii Sports was going to feature boxing, I couldn’t be more excited. Sadly though, the controls just ruin this game. I think developers could learn from this game and make something great, but boxing for now just isn’t there. Boxing uses the remote and lets you punch with your left and right hands (and really punch) with jabs and uppercuts. You can also dodge opponent’s punches by moving the remotes and can even activate a quick slow-mo mode when you dodge something just right. Still, the controls just aren’t as responsive as I would have liked them to be and it really affects the game. Your Mii doesn’t always do what you want it to do and just makes the game very frustrating. On an up note, you do get a great workout from playing this game. Of all the games, it really is the most active.
Single player boxing just isn’t fun. I quickly became bored of this game just by myself. By the end of my first fight, I was ready to never come back to this game again, but I still kept trying hoping I would learn more about the controls. Sadly, just playing against the computer isn’t fun. The controls just don’t feel right and not having anyone there to experience the game with just makes the game dull. The multiplayer experience is a little bit better because you’re experiencing the game with someone else who doesn’t really know what’s going on. I think the most fun part we had with this was when we both knocked each other out at the same time. Other than that, boxing really just doesn’t offer much to the player. It gets a 0.1 for single player play, 0.3 for multiplayer play, and a 0.3 overall for an embarrassing final score of 0.7.
Next up: golf. Golf is interesting, but the sensitivity can be frustrating. You swing your remote as if you’re swinging a golf club and it just feels really good. The only downside to this game is that it’s hard to figure out just how hard to swing your remote. Still though, this game does offer very nice controls and options with the ability to switch clubs and is fun.
Golf really shines in single player, but doesn’t do great in multiplayer. Single player is fun because it is a nice relaxing game of golf in the comfort of your own home that does feel like playing golf. Multiplayer golf is fun as well, but it really just moves too slowly. I often found myself bored while waiting for my turn, unlike in bowling where I really enjoyed watching every other player go through the motions. Still though, this game is a lot of fun and deserves a decent score. It gets a 0.4 for single player play, 0.3 for multiplayer play, and a 0.9 overall for a final score of 1.6.
The last game is Tennis, and this game is great and leaves potential for a great tennis game. It took me a little while to get use to the controls, but once you get them down, this game is loads of fun. To play, you simply swing your controller from left to right for a quick swing and from right to left for a backhand. For the skilled players, you can do a super fast serve that will almost definitely get you points. The only upsetting thing about Tennis is in multiplayer, it often gets difficult to see the ball because of the split screen (even in widescreen). Still though, that is only a mild inconvenience and it’s still easy to know where to go and when to swing.
Single player tennis is fun once you get the hang of it, but where it really shines is in multiplayer. This is the game that will have your friends coming back to play with you. You will have grudge matches that can last quite a while and watching your Mii’s on screen just makes it better. Tennis also gets a 2 because even in single player, it has fun gameplay and the multiplayer is just incredible.
Wii Sports is very fun and you will come back for more, but some games do definitely outshine the others. With a little more work, the controls on all of these could have been incredible, but the game is still fun. Add onto that the fact it’s free and there is no reason not to be happy with this game.
Lasting Appeal – 8.5
Wii Sports is a great game to get you use to how the remote works, offers fun single player play, and it a great multiplayer game. Anytime you have a group of friends over, Wii Sports should always make an appearance. The games are quick and fun and get everyone laughing. The single player experience will keep you entertained throughout the holidays and maybe even a little past then until more games start coming out for the Wii. After your Wii library grows, Wii Sports will start to collect dust expect for when friends come over to play. Wii Sports is a great party game that offers something for everyone and you will love playing with your friends over and over again. This game gets an 8 for its party pleasure.
Overall – 8.3 Excellent
Nintendo promised they would change the way games are played and they delivered on their promise. Wii Sports proves that it can get players moving and playing with their friends in a new fun way. Even though the graphics are simple, it looks and plays greats and watching your Mii play with your friends Mii’s makes the game even better. While in a month or two you won’t be playing this game by yourself, it will constantly make an appearance any time your friends come over to play.
Wii Sports just goes to show that graphics aren’t everything. It set a benchmark for how Wii games should play, look, and feel that will pave the way for even more impressive games. I feel very comfortable in giving Wii Sports an excellent rating of 8.3 and I definitely recommend sharing this game with all of your friends.
Scores Roundup
==================
Presentation – 9.0
Graphics – 7.0
Sound – 9.5
Gameplay – 7.3
- Baseball – 1.0 (0.2S, 0.3M, 0.5O)
- Bowling – 2.0 (0.5S, 0.5M, 1.0O)
- Boxing – 0.7 (0.1S, 0.3M, 0.3O)
- Golf – 1.6 (0.4S, 0.3M, 0.9O)
- Tennis – 2.0 (0.5S, 0.5M, 1.0O)
S = Single Player on a scale of 0-0.5, M = Multiplayer on a scale of 0-0.5, O = Overall on a scale of 0-1.0)
Overall – 8.3
putting sucks