Wii Sports - I'm Going Pro!!
Written: Aug 26 '08 (Updated Aug 27 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Boxing 1 Player, Training, Going Pro!
Cons: Golf, Boxing 2 Player, Wii Age
The Bottom Line: A great introduction to what the Wii has to offer, with hours of entertainment!
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| rapoob2's Full Review: Wii Sports |
Wii Sports is the game that comes with the Wii Console, so chances are if you have played the Wii (especially if it was new and they did not have time to get new games), you have played or at least seen Wii Sports.
Overview
As I said above, Wii Sports comes packaged with the Wii console, and is designed to be an introduction to the technology behind the Wii - specifically, the Wiimote. It consists of five sports games - Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf, and Boxing - that each teach you a little something different about the possibilities of the Wii. It also is the first game that allows you to use you Mii, which is your character that you design when you set up your Wii console. So without further ado, let me review the lineup (which you do not have to play in order, just FYI):
Tennis (1-4 Players, 1 Wiimote per Player)
The game at the top of the Wii Sports list, so it only seems natural to start here... Tennis gives you the option to constantly play doubles, either against the computer or your friends (or a mixture of both if you'd like!), in either 1, 3, or 5 sets. Unlike a good game of rock, paper, scissor, which is properly played best out of 3, I recommend playing best of 5 sets, which means that (hopefully) both sides will get to serve at least twice. The game uses only the Wiimote and is designed to teach you timing - which unfortunately means that you do not move your characters at all.
Designed to teach you timing? Do Go On!
In not having control of your character, the game becomes less of a mind game (where you can run your Mii to where you think your opponent will hit the ball next), and more a game of timing, meaning you only have to focus on hitting the ball and not positioning your player as well. It also becomes a game of timing in the sense that the earlier or later you swing at the ball, you can control if you hit it left or right. You can also chose you have your front Mii volley quickly (if you are playing by yourself and have control of both Mii's on your team) to try and throw your opponent off, or leave it for your back player.
Overall, tennis is a lot of fun and has a lot of multiplayer replay value.
Baseball (1-2 Players, 1 Wiimote per Player)
Baseball is a lot of fun, either by yourself or with a friend (only two people can play at a time, though). There are two things that you do in Wii Sports Baseball - Pitch and Hit (what else would you want to do, really?) - during a three inning game (which is subject to the mercy rule, but not subject to extra innings). Like tennis, you do not have control over the movement of the characters, so it is another game designed to teach you timing and power.
The Wii picks up how hard you pitch??
That's right kids, the Wii picks up how quickly you pass by the sensor. This is mostly evident with pitching, because the first ten games you play will inevitably have you pitching the ball and landing it about 10 feet in front of home plate until you get the hang of it (**Tip for how to beat your friends that are new to Wii Sports - don't swing when they pitch!** I will accept compensation for this tip in any form you are willing to give). It is a lot of fun once you get the necessary power and speed down, though (Tip 2: Press the 2 button before you pitch and pitch sidearm - it really screws people up! I will only accept compensation in the form of hot dogs for this one).
But wait - no control over the players?
You once again do not have control over the players, which means that once the ball hits the bat, it's anyone's game. Your players will make errors on ground balls for no reason (noted by a giant ! over their head), or drop fly balls. It also means that the outfielders slowly float over to the ball, and depending on how long it takes them to get there is how good of a hit you have.
Float over to the ball?
Oh right, the players don't have arms or legs, just hands that somehow stay in place. It's a baseball team full of colorful Casper the Ghost's - and it freaks me out.
Overall, you're not going to get a lot of Sportscenter top ten plays here, but you are going to have a lot of fun with a friend.
Bowling (1-4 Players, 1 Wiimote Necessary)
Bowling is the first game where everyone doesn't need to have their own Wiimote (since everyone is not doing stuff at the same time) - sharing is caring! The point of bowling, aside from having your score astronomically higher scores than you can in real life, is to teach you about spin and, once again, power. The idea is for you to mimic your actual bowling form, so you take two steps while bringing your arm back and forward, and as you swing forward you release the B button, which is equivalent of letting the ball go. Power is pretty straight forward here - the harder you swing your arm, the harder you will let the ball go. Spin is a little more complicated, however.
Putting spin on a bowling ball? I'm lucky if I can pick the sucker up...
In addition to being able to pick up horizontal and vertical Wiimote movements, the Wii can also pick up how much you turn your wrist while hurling a bowling ball towards an unsuspecting group of confused maracas. Because of your natural arm movement, you are bound to have a slight spin on your throw, which can be confusing at first for the casual bowler (e.g. everyone aside from Pete Weber and Norm Duke), but very powerful once you get the hang of it (no bumpers here!). The more spin you have on your ball, the greater the explosion of pins (sometimes), not to mention the increased wow factor that you will undoubtedly have.
While in real life you may have a great bowling game if you somehow get two strikes, you will be disappointed in Wii Sports Bowling if you do not mark (strike or spare) on everything but two frames. Bowling offers a lot of replay value, and is a great introduction to Wii for people who are not ready to try baseball or tennis (you are dealing with a still ball, not a moving one here). Great game overall with hours of entertainment behind it.
Golf (1-4 Players, 1 Wiimote Necessary)
Wii Sports Golf is designed, like real golf, to teach you finesse and that too much power is a bad thing (remember, with great power comes great responsibility). The idea behind golf is that you want to control your power - if you over-swing, you hook or slice it, and if you under-swing you'll have yourself sitting in the bathroom with soap in your mouth because of what you just yelled out in front of your kids.
Love/Hate?
I have come to realize that Wii Sports Golf is a love it or hate it situation. I, unfortunately, fall into the latter. I have become very frustrated with Wii Sports Golf and have fulfilled my golfing needs with Tiger Woods '08. That's not to say that you should hate it too... I'm just saying that since I'm perfect, if you like it you might just find out that you're not perfect... I'm just sayin'...
Boxing (1-2 Players, 1 Wiimote and Nunchuk per Player)
The goal of boxing is to introduce you to the nunchuk, plain and simple. The nunchuk plugs into the back of your Wiimote, and allows your left (or right) hand to finally get involved. You have a little bit more control over your character (you can tilt left and right by leaning both your Wiimote and nunchuk in the same direction), but that's about it. There is no ducking, running away, or cheap shots in the johnson.
So what can you do?
In boxing, you have the ability to dodge punches, and land either single shots or combos on your opponent. It's a lot of fun when you play the computer and can get strategy involved (dodging followed by combos, for example), but I found it very frustrating to play against people who wouldn't try and play, but rather just continuously shake the Wiimote and nunchuck back and forth. Single player mode gets a star. Multiplayer gets a frowning-face.
Going Pro
That's right - consider me Alex Rodriguez, Norm Duke, Roger Federer, Tiger Woods, and Oscar De La Hoya all rolled into one. I'm just that good. Wii Sports allows you to reach Pro level (1000 points) by playing one player modes (or multiplayer bowling). Depending on where you are ranked, how you perform will either add or subtract from your total (and yes, you can lose pro status).
This all sounds really complicated - is there any other way to learn so that I can crush my kids when they get back from school? Oh yes - that's where training comes in!
Training
Training mode offers a different type of competition to the mix, and it also is a great introduction to the games. You can play training mini-games in any of the five sports, and you can do this by yourself or in multiplayer mode.
Tennis
Returning Balls - Return the ball inside the court. Just relax and focus on hitting the ball. - A great introduction to the timing involved with tennis.
Timing Your Swing - Return the ball into the orange bar. Watch your timing, and aim each shot carefully. - The orange box goes back and forth across the far side of the court, and shrinks as time progresses. Your job is to hit the ball through it.
Target Practice - Volley the ball off the wall and hit the targets. Controlling your swing speed and strength is essential in aiming your shots. - The volley shot is a great shot to learn and can give you a huge edge over your friends. Take time to learn this one!
Baseball
Hitting Home Runs - Watch the ball, and try to hit it out of the park. Timing is everything! - That's right, it's home run derby time and your job is to light up the pitcher! Have fun!
Swing Control - Hit into the target zones on the field. Master this, and you'll be a pro in no time! - Parts of the field will be highlighted (left, right center), and you need to hit the ball there. Difficult and a little frustrating, but can be useful.
Batting Practice - The pitcher will keep throwing those balls, so focus on making fast, compact swings! - Keep swinging and hit as many balls in a row as you can! Great practice for figuring out the different types of pitches.
Bowling
Picking Up Spares - Knock down the pins with a single throw. Twist your wrist to curve the ball. - This teaches you how to aim for specific pins and how to deal with situations. A great way to gain an edge on your friends.
Power Throws - Knock down as many pins as you can. A new row ill be added after each set. Strikes double your score! - What could possibly be better than getting a strike? Getting a strike when 91 pins are on the board! You go through rounds, and every time a row is added to the rack. Your job is to launch your ball and hopefully get strikes. This one is a great competition to have with your friends.
Spin Control - Avoid the barriers in the lane and knock down the pin. You'll have to balance speed and spin. - Great for teaching you the importance of spin and how helpful it can be.
Golf
Putting - Drop it in the cup with a single putt. Check the lay of the green by pressing (1). - This teaches you the finesse of putting.
Hitting The Green - Land the ball as close to the pin as possible. Practice your stroke to check the power of your swing. Hold A to approach the ball. - Nothing in golf is more important than the approach shot. And nothing is more frustrating than being 60 yards out and winding up 30 yards away because you messed up... Think of this one as a chipping competition.
Target Practice - Hit the target with the ball. Before you take your swing, be sure to read the wind direction. - You are no longer just aiming for the green, but now aiming for specific targets (this is what good golfers much do...).
Boxing
Working The Bag - Throw punches at the punching bags until you knock them off their chains. Well-aimed combo punches are key. - Combo the bags and knock them off (and another one will appear). Challenge your friends to see who can go through the most bags!
Dodging - Your trainer throws ball after ball at you. Move left and right to avoid getting hit. - If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball! Well, here if you can dodge a ball, you can dodge a punch! It's a good one to play by yourself.
Throwing Punches - Watch your trainer's mitts, and try to hit them. You lose points if you hit your trainer. - Aim for your trainer's hand pads, although it is funny when you hit him... by accident...
Fitness
Before Wii Fit there was Wii Sports Fitness Tests. Basically, you have to complete three of the training exercises that the Wii tosses at you, and then you are given a number that is supposed to represent your Wii age. If you read my review of Wii Fit, you know that I don't really get it and think it's a pretty stupid number...
Overall
Overall, Wii Sports is a huge hit! It is a great introduction to the Wii, and will also provide you with hours of entertainment!
If you're not sure if you're ready for a Wii, please read my review comparing the Wii, XBOX 360, and PS3
Wii Play is another introduction to the Wiimote, and has a Wiimote included too!
Mario Kart Wii is a great example of the Wiimote technology and capabilities
Where to find a Wii Fit, and Wii Fit explained
Recommended:
Yes
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rapoob2
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Member: Ryan Brennan
Location: New York, New York
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