Wii Sports Resort: 8/10

The Evolution of an Addicting Tech Demo

The Nintendo Wii’s success can be traced back to the fact that its small low-budget yet addicting games opened the doors for all sorts of new gamers that want something different, away from the norm. Wii Sports is now the best-selling video game of all-time because of its mix of simplicity, fun, and interactivity. The game is nowhere near as deep as any majorly successful game of this decade, but did indeed appeal to a much wider audience. I myself did enjoy Wii Sports, even if it was a glorified tech demo. Wii Bowling, Wii Tennis and Wii Boxing (whle the latter was extremely frustrating) were the three sections of the game I found myself playing the most.

Wii Sports Resort follows the same safe formula and doesn’t drift too far from what made the Wii so accessible in the first place. The rather disappointed reviews from critics have been flying everywhere but here I am with the truth: it’s simplistically amazing. Wii Sports Resort is a delightful expansion from the original with dozens of different activities to engage in. Then with most being multiplayer and easy to learn, the game is perfect for families across the planet. With the right amount of hype, we have ourselves potentially the next major Wii smash hit.

Wii Sports Resort takes place in Wuhu Island, a place first introduced in Wii Fit. In Wuhu Island, you can play all sorts of sports and different activities; ranging from basketball to table tennis to archery to even wakeboarding. Drifting from normal activities of real-life, you can engage in sword fights against other people (and even groups of people) and even fly a small airplane around the island. Overall, there are a dozen activities to do, and some of these activities themselves branch off into multiple options.

First things first, let’s moan about the graphics, since its all the major gamers do. Nintendo as a company had amazing-looking games in the Gamecube but despite the artistic and technical achievements (See: F-Zero GX, Mario Sunshine, Wind Waker, Metroid Prime) they didn’t deliver the sales they got used to seeing. Now, the focus is away from the graphics, and much more towards the gameplay. With that said, Wii Sports Resort isn’t the best-looking game out there, not even on the Wii. But, it does improve definitely on the original, and does have some shining moments of polish. Flying over the island was a nice experience, and the water physics in the wakeboarding activities remain among the best since the revolutionary Waverace 64 back in 1996.

The new Wii Motion Plus control enhancement definitely improves upon the playcontrol of the Wii itself. You can tell as you fail miserably in Wii Bowling (or we could be using me as an example). Swordfighting would not have been nearly as fun if it weren’t for the added mechanism. While the game does not achieve full 100% motion-control, we are definitely one step closer. One would ponder how the Metroid Prime trilogy, Red Steel 2, and eventual upcoming Zelda title will improve with the new feature coming in with every purchase of a Wii Sports Resort game.

Like previously stated, asking for deep gameplay here is a bit much. Why complicate things when the audience wants simple yet fun activities that are clean and wholesome for the entire family. You want deep and complex games? Play Smash Brothers Brawl. The game is about as shallow as a kiddie pool, but don’t let that discourage you. I personally had a blast swordfighting, flying over the island (when is that Pilotwings game coming out anyway?), wakeboarding, and eventually engaging in an aerial showdown (when is Star Fox coming out anyway?)

Wii Sports Resort is not challenging at all, it can easily be beaten in a matter of hours. However, the bang for your buck relies on who else is willing to challenge you. Exactly how most N64 games played out back in the 90s, the more people you have willing to play, the more fun it is. Wii Sports has become the Mario Kart 64 of the Wii, a game that is ridiculously easy to beat when alone, but becomes a daily activity with other people.

Bottom Line: Love this change or hate it, but Nintendo is nailing the mainstream and has become the Apple of video games: basically becoming more than just a product, but a fad that will not go away anytime soon, even if the competition time and time again has proven that there is potentially better stuff out there. Riding on the mainstream love towards the cheap and friendly video games, Wii Sports Resort is a larger, more laid-back, and superior version of Wii Sports.

While the game lacks a storyline full of expensive cut-scenes, it’s full of delightful moments and things to do. You won’t be bored anytime soon, as long as you set your expectations towards the level of Wii Sports. Bring some friends and family, and this shall be the main event of your Friday nights. The hardcore crowd has to wait only a little bit longer, as they shall receive the sure-to-be-awesome Metroid Prime Trilogy later this month. In the meanwhile, enjoy this sugar-coated gaming treat.

8/10