All forms of gamers, casual or hardcore, that own a Wii have something in common, believe it or not. Many of the elitist gaming enthusiasts may try to refute the connection, but more than likely they have played Wii Sports for an untold number of hours over the two and a half years that the system has been on the market. For a simple, low-budget ‘tech demo’, it was a darn fun game that amused audiences of all kinds, especially when there was a party going on with a Wii in attendance.

Now Nintendo has followed up on that with a full-fledged title packaged with the Motionplus accessory which promises more fluent and precise motion controls. Just like the original, Wii Sports Resort accomplishes its two primary tasks; show off what the Wii is capable of when it comes to motion sensing, and it provides an undeniably fun experience for anyone that picks up a remote.

 

In the spirit of the first title, Resort is purely about its gameplay. This is not the kind of game which demonstrates the hardware power of the system. Rather, Nintendo has once again gone with a simplistic visual style that certainly will not make your jaw drop, but at the same time has a clean look to it which actually makes it seem that there was some effort put in there, unlike the vast majority of its copy-cat titles that just look dull and uninspired.

You won’t be playing this for a story. You’re playing because of the 12 [minigames] events found in the game, and with great pleasure it can be said that the vast majority of them are worthy of your time.

Swordplay was probably the most hyped scenario prior to release, and it turns out that it was warranted. Duels, which are kind of mindless and spam-inducing, are good wholesome fun at any party. However the real treat is the other two modes; Quick Slice and Showdown. Quick Slice has you cut an object in a certain direction, giving a point to the player which does it quickest. This is perhaps the most enjoyable thing in the entire game, and will become a big multiplayer hit amongst your friends. Showdown is strictly a single player mode, taking you through gauntlets of grunt enemies across various locations on Wuhu Island. Be warned, however, the later levels can be pretty challenging, you’re going to have a good fight on your hands completing them all.

The Frisbee Dog challenge can be very difficult. It has perhaps the biggest learning curve of any of the minigames, as it requires absolute perfection in your arm and wrist movement. That said, once you do get a hang of controlling your throws, it’s a highly addicting game which you will want to play often to try and beat your high score. Frisbee Golf is a welcome addition just as it was in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, especially if you find the regular golf game in Wii Sports Resort too hard.

Archery is one of the game’s very best, so much so that it’s a real reason to play the game by yourself. Multiplayer may be fun depending on the type of people you have over, but unlike a lot of the other events, its just as much fun by yourself as it is with a group. This is one that you’ll come back to a lot in order to get a higher score, which may not be as easy as you would think. Pointing your cursor at the bull’s eye won’t cut it unless you’re taking into account the wind, distance, height of the target etc. The realism involved makes it so that you can’t just pick it up and hit the center every time, this is one you’ll have to earn a high mark in.

Basketball is a surprise hit, at the least for the Three Point challenge. There is something hugely addicting about that mode, maybe it’s just how much fun it is to shoot the ball with the remote, which does a great job at portraying the real life motion. Reggie may have looked goofy playing this during the E3 conference, but it actually is one of the better multiplayer options for the game. The Pick Up mode is just okay. It’s not really poor or anything, merely kind of plain. There’s little meat to it, if you get the drift.

The various Air Sports events are definitely unique, if mixed in their quality. Skydiving was a great way to start off the game, but you won’t want to go back to it after that, it’s just too mild to really be engaging. The games where you take control of a plane are much better, with the free exploration over Wuhu Island and the one-on-one dogfights, even if support for another two players would have been ideal. It may sound odd in theory, but the remote itself is a fine way to control the planes thanks to Motionplus. This probably is not the best execution for a future Starfox Wii, however the groundwork has definitely been laid for flight games on the system.

Even those events which return from the original are fantastic. Table Tennis is all the fun of the original, only with far better control, a much more frantic pace, and best of all no problems with your character being unable to get to the ball in time. Then there’s the Return Challenge that is sure to bring you back time and time again to push your score a little bit higher.

 

One of the other comebacks is Bowling, and like Tennis, it’s a good fit for Motionplus. The only thing is that it’s a lot more difficult than before. If your throw is the slightest bit off balance, you’re more than likely going into the gutter. Those that were masters of the old Bowling will have to change their strategies quite a bit, especially for those one or two-pin Spares. A new addition to this is 100 Pin Bowling, and it might just be more fun than the regular game. Get a friend or two together and it’s a blast.

The last of the returning events is Golf, and it’s not like you remember. This is another one that is going to present a serious learning curve, even if you played the original to death. You have to find the perfect way to carry out your swing where you don’t jerk your wrists, which just like real golf is a lot harder to do than it sounds. If you do manage to accomplish this, though, it’s a great time, especially with the nine brand new courses that bring the total to 18. All that said, it’s a little disappointing that the three challenge modes from the first Wii Sports didn’t make it in, as they would have been ideal for this new level of control.

We mentioned that Basketball unexpectedly turned out to be a pretty good addition, however the biggest surprise in this whole package is Canoeing. What seemed like a dull idea in previews is actually a ton of fun, alone or with a few friends. It’s a neat experience having to race to beat the clock while performing a steady sequence of paddles to the left and right, and when a few others come by to partake in it, the multiplayer is a silly, indisputably fun party game.

Power Cruising will take some time to get used to as you need precise control over your jet ski to succeed, which is easier said than done when the Motionplus reads every little error you make. It’s also tiring since you have to hold your arms out in front of you the whole time. If you can manage all this, it’s probably the best of the Watersport activities, offering a variety of courses and incentive to come back and beat your last score. The one-on-one races will also be great with other players. Just make sure they have a grasp on it. 

Not everything is stellar in Resort, though, Wakeboarding being one of two big culprits. While not a disaster, it’s simply a very dull experience that doesn’t offer much variety in terms of content or the actions you’re able to perform. If you play it once, you basically see everything it has to present. There’s not much in the way of improving your performance with it.

Last, and certainly least, is Cycling, which is, no doubt, the worst part of Wii Sports Resort. Playing this consists of long stretches where you casually move the remote and nunchuk up and down, then a few brief moments where you tire yourself out by pounding them mindlessly. While you’re doing all this, you have next to no control over your rider, making the whole experience a mess. The most upsetting thing of it is that it makes no real use of the Motionplus, as the movements required for it don’t need that extra precision. Really, there were minigames like this done at the Wii’s launch (ex. Rayman Raving Rabbids)

If it was not apparent throughout all of that, it should be stated point-blank that Resort is not the same pick-up-and-play game as the original was. Motionplus gives you the ability to do way more with your motions, which means you have a lot more ways to screw up. Many of the events will require you to play them for some time before you are truly good at them. It will be frustrating at times, especially for those that go into this title thinking it is a simple, casual minigames fest. It really isn’t; you need to earn your skills in this one.