'We Ski' Wii Video Game Preview
Selling Points of Namco's Balance Board Compatible Wii Game
Mar 20, 2008
Recently, Nintendo unveiled the new Balance Board accessory for Wii, which will be used extensively in its new game Wii Fit (preview). Fortunately, though, Wii Fit will not be the only game to support the accessory. 3rd-party company Namco Bandai has already unveiled a game that will take advantage of the Balance Board and will come out the day after Wii Fit -- a skiing game called We Ski.
Skiing with the Balance Board
The main selling point for We Ski will, of course, be the game's support for the Balance Board. When gamers get ready to hit the slopes, they will step on to the Balance Board and take the Wii nunchuck and remote in their left and right hands. First, they will start pulling the Wii nunchuck and remote back repeatedly, as if they were planting skiing poles into the ground and then pulling them to get going. Then, they will shift their body's weight to the left and right sides of the Balance Board in order to steer (see pictures of the Balance Board at the bottom of this page).
If gamers don't own the Balance Board, that's okay, too. Instead of shifting one's weight on a Balance Board in order to steer, one can simply tilt the Wii nunchuck and remote to the left or right in order to steer. For the game's multiplayer mode, this control scheme is required, as multiplayer mode will not support use of the Balance Board.
What to Do on the Slopes
The game features 14 courses in all in the large Happy Ski Resort. Racing, of course, would be the obvious activity to engage in on the slopes. However, Namco has also implemented a variety of other activities, such as Search and Rescue, in which gamers can search the slopes for a missing person, or Centipede Races, races in which several skiers are tied together. Players looking for a relaxing time can also simply watch the fireworks while skiing at night, or take pictures of themselves skiing and share them with others online.
Customizing the Characters
We Ski will also allow players to import their Miis into the game (Miis are customizable people that can be created on the Wii), and then dress them with over 170 types of gear, or simply create new characters from scratch. Much of the gear will be locked at the start, but by earning points in the game, gamers can unlock the rest of the attire.
Outlook
We Ski is due out on May 20th in the United States, but released last year in Japan. Thus, some English-language sites such as the 1up website have recently offered up their impressions on the game. 1up notes that the Balance Board works well. However, the website also notes that the Balance Board feels a bit tacked on, since the normal controls work so well, and indeed are required for multiplayer mode.
Thus, the biggest question about We Ski right now is whether the game is fun enough on its own, without the Balance Board, or whether We Ski is mostly a gimmicky game created as a cash-in for the new Balance Board. Websites like 1up seem mostly positive about the game so far, but only time will tell, so keep an eye out for reviews after May 20th.
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