Game Review: Wii Sports
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that all brand-new Wii consoles come
bundled with a free copy of this game. What makes it so special
is that everyone, from 5-year-olds to grandparents, will get a
kick out of playing it; it's truly a cross-generational game.
While the 2-4 multiplayer mode is the game's most fun feature,
parents should make sure that all participating players have
enough room to move and swing their arms safely without
accidentally whacking the person (or lamp or vase) next to
them. It's also strongly recommended that players secure the
Wii remote to their arm with the wrist strap so it doesn't go
flying. The only violence here occurs in the boxing game, which
parents of younger kids can easily skip. It requires players to
jab with the Wii controls, hitting an opponent's virtual head
and body. You win by knocking the opponent out.
Families can talk about what makes this game so much fun. Is it the ability to simulate real sports or is it that you can play with friends and family? Do you think Wii Sports can help you get better at real sports? Do you think you will be able to bowl a better game at the bowling alley after a few rounds of Wii Bowling? When you play on a team -- like the doubles matches in Wii Tennis -- what constitutes good sportsmanship?
Common Sense Media Review
Bundled free with every Wii console, WII SPORTS is a
collection of five mini-games that does a great job of
introducing players to the Wii's fun motion-sensitive
controller. You'll actually use the Wii remote (at times paired
with the Nunchuk) to mimic the actions of swinging a golf club,
baseball bat, and tennis racket. You can also launch a bowling
ball and throw punches as if you were in a boxing ring.
Up to four players can play Wii Sports, and there's also a single-player mode against computer opponents. Players are represented by their Miis (cartoon-like customized avatars), and any other Miis stored on the Wii will randomly appear as teammates and spectators.
Are the games simplistic at times? Sure. Wii Baseball, for example, is little more than a gussied-up batting cage where you try to hit balls out of the park while computer-controlled teammates run around the bases. (In two-player mode, the other person pitches.)
The other games, however, offer more depth and subtlety. For example, in Wii Tennis, your player moves around the court automatically, but you control the ball's direction, spin, and speed as you hit forehands, backhands, overheads, and lobs. Similarly, in Wii Bowling, you control the ball's angle, speed, and spin. Wii Golf offers fairly intricate courses complete with fairways, roughs, sand traps, and water. The game also provides help with aiming and swing velocity, and automatically provides the correct golf club for the situation.
The only game that might be of concern to parents is Wii Boxing, where two boxers (either human vs. computer or human vs. human) square off with the goal of knocking each other out. Players jab with the Wii remote and Nunchuk to land blows to an opponent's face or body, curl their arms in to block, and move side to side and front and back to dodge. With each blow successfully landed, a player loses a segment of stamina until they collapse.
Wii Sports also offers fitness tests and a training mode with exercises based on the five games. These extra modes help players hone their techniques by letting them practice a single action, like a volley or backhand shot in tennis.
Because of its simplicity and easy-to-learn controls, Wii Sports is the kind of game that everyone -- even non-gamers -- can participate in together, and that's what makes it so compelling. It fosters cross-generational interaction, making it great to bring out at family gatherings and parties. And the fun multiplayer mode means endless re-playability. This game ushers in a new way of playing video games, one that motivates players to move, stretch, bend, swing their arms, and be active.
For more mini-game collections on the Wii, check out Wii Play , WarioWare: Smooth Moves , and Rayman Raving Rabbids .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
