Wii Sports Resort is Nintendo's new sports game set on a tropical island, with a dozen different, mostly beach-related activities. The game comes bundled with an accessory called Wii MotionPlus.
Wii MotionPlus
Wii MotionPlus is an accessory which is attached to the Wiimote to improve the accuracy of motion tracking, especially for rotational moves. The device can also be purchased separately for about $20 and those wanting to play Wii Sports Resort with multiple players will have to buy more Wii MotionPlus devices.
The device is easy to attach to the Wiimote and there is also an instruction video which cannot be skipped shown on the first run of the game. There are constant instructions on how to recalibrate Wii MotionPlus (by placing it on a flat surface) if the controls start acting unpredictably, but this did not happen during the testing.
Wii Sports Resort Overview
Wii Sports Resort is similar to the Wii Sports game that comes with the console, but it includes mostly beach-themed sports: swordplay, wakeboarding, frisbee, archery, basketball, table tennis, golf, bowling, power cruising, canoeing, cycling and air sports. For some reason beach volleyball, badminton, tennis and swimming/scubadiving are not included.
Bowling and golf are already familiar from Wii Sports and these versions are very similar, but have more interesting graphics and slightly improved controls that make it easier to actually aim where you shoot/throw. Additionally the bowling now has a peculiar extra mode with 100 pins to hit at once and a mode called "spin control" with obstacles for the ball on the alley.
Similarly, all of the games come with several different levels, difficulty levels and/or playing modes, including a practice mode. Some of these modes can only be unlocked by playing, but sometimes only one game is enough to unlock a more advanced mode.
Like its predecessor, Wii Sports Resort is played with Mii characters. The Miis can be changed at the start of each game. All the games count high scores, but only the all-time highest score for each playing mode is saved. It is also possible to earn "stamps" for certain achievements, such as hitting the target every time in archery.
The graphics of the game are similar to the simplistic 3D in the original Wii Sports, but with a bit more eyecandy. The texture of the sea in water sports felt very straining to this tester's eyes, so people who are prone to migraines or epileptic seizures may wish to avoid these games. The music doesn't really catch the attention, but some games have annoying (though luckily mostly idle) commentators.
Of note there are no loading pauses anywhere in the game.
Game Experience
The intuitiveness of the controls varies between different games. For example in the archery one uses the combination of the Wiimote and the Nunchuck as the "bow". Obviously games like frisbee and swordplay (which is more about slicing than fencing) have more intuitive controls than e.g. skydiving and bicycling, where the player actually "pedals" the bike(!)
The most fun activities are probably the table tennis and the power cruising, which is a good old-fashioned racing game. Canoeing is also enjoyable because of its realistic controls - and it is one of the few games that could actually count as meaningful exercise. Some activities felt very boring, like the Island Flying, which comes off like a pointless flight simulator with nothing to accomplish.
Bowling can be played by sharing one Wiimote with several players, but unfortunately one needs additional Wii MotionPlus accessories for all the players to access the multiplayer mode in other games. This is a shame, especially considering how the original Wii Sports is best played as a party game. Network gaming is not supported.
One would expect Wii Sports Resort to be like Wii Sports but much better. After all, there are more different sports and more different options and difficulty levels per sport. But somehow, while Wii Sports is a fun party game even for adults, Wii Sports Resort does not add much to it and seems mostly meant for kids.
Wii Sports Resort Tips
- In wakeboarding you only score points by landing horizontally. This is easy to accomplish: just take care that the Wiimote is held horizontally after flicking it.
- In the swordplay the easiest way to defeat the opponent is to hit him/her in the head.
See Also
EA Sports Active: Personal Trainer Game Review
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