Wii Sports - Game Review

Quite often if the manufacturers give you a free game with a console then it’s likely to be naff. But Nintendo have given you a totally engaging range of games with the Wii Console.

In the Wii Sports disk you get five sports games:

Tennis
Baseball
Golf
Bowling
Boxing

This range was probably decided on because it should appeal to all their major markets: US, Japanese and British.

The graphics may not bowl you over, but the game-play should get you hooked and provide a valuable introduction to the revolutionary Wii Remote.

If you’ve played sports games, especially football then you would have jerked the control to get that extra bit of power and direction on to the ball. This remote will actually allow that instinctive action to be part of the play.

The only concern I have is where are you going to put the console to enjoy Wii tennis for example? If you have it in your bedroom, will you have enough room? I certainly doubt that playing that sort of game on your bed won’t raise a few eyebrows downstairs. If you’re playing it in your living room then make sure you’ve moved the vase that Aunt Beryl gave you for Christmas. Also think light bulbs and lamp shades! Playing the Nintendo Wii is a risky business.

Wii Sports – Tennis
The first problem you’ll have to over come is the height of your ceiling. To serve you obviously have to raise your control hand above your head and smash the ball down. Anyone that doesn’t live in a Georgian mansion may have a problem.

The bit I often fail on when playing console-tennis is getting into position. Thankfully Wii-Tennis does this for you so all you have to do is concentrate on your deft touch.

The nice feature is that four of you can play against each other, so you’ll be having late-night matches after the pub.

What you’ll need:
Wii Console with Sports Pack
Loads of Space
Extra Wii Remotes for multiplayer.

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Wii Baseball
Now we’re talking. I’m not really into baseball – it’s a bit too much like rounders at school. But the two player version looks awesome. Well not the graphics as they’re a bit “Johnny Hart” but having one of your mates pitch and you try and smack him out of the stadium sure sounds good to me. I’m not sure if there’s a “girlie” underarm through option, but I’m sure you can have a load of fun trying to get it to bend and dip and strike your mates out.

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Wii Golf
Now I loved Tiger Woods on the Xbox, I was totally addicted to it. At real golf I’m pants, but the Nintendo Wii version, everyone should be able to get a good score and have good fun trying. It should be a good warm up to the proper golf games coming up, so get hold of your remote, work out your swing and go play.

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Wii Bowling
This takes me back to late one Saturday night after a night clubbing. A mate got out a Game Cube and loaded up some bowling game. After a few beers and the odd rum and coke bowling isn’t the easiest thing in the world – even harder than trying to call your Missus in that state of inebriation.

But now you’ve actually got to bowl correctly using the control as your arm this could be a tad more difficult, especially when you’ve got to try and add spin on the end. I can see some sore wrists after the first weekend of launch!

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Wii Boxing.
This is a bit more socially friendly than getting tanked up and having a brawl outside your local nightclub, and somewhat more pleasing with it. Again you’ve got the control in your hand and you can make the traditional boxing moves. My advice is not to do it when you’re in a bad mood or had a few too many WKD’s as you may end up dropping the controls and starting on each other. Nintendo and myself take no responsibility for anyone’s injuries – and that includes pride.

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