Wii Sports Resort Review Page 2

27 Jul 2009 at 16:50:11 by Tim McDonald
Systems used to review this title: (WII)

Things pick up, though. Frisbee is saved by its alternate game mode, frisbee golf, which is exactly what it sounds like: all of the golf courses, with the hole replaced by a target area and the act of swinging a golf club replaced with the more visceral act of hurling a frisbee. It helps that the minor corrections to your throws have more of an impact on the way the frisbee flies than the way you swing the Wiimote for golf, and it's a fun little aside.

Really, fun little asides are what the game is made of. The sports we haven't mentioned yet – cycling, air sports, sword fighting, and basketball – are fun in different respects. Basketball's simple shot-taking takes a back seat to three-on-three matches, which feature slam dunks, blocks, and stealing. Sword fighting has all the trappings of a samurai movie in Showdown mode, which pits you against dozens of opponents that all need to be taken down, while Speed Slice is a fun minigame for two players which requires fast reactions to slice the thrown object in the required direction. Oddly, the best tends to come from the basic duel mode, as once you progress up the ranks this becomes hard enough that knowing how to block and parry is just as essential as being able to strike quickly and accurate. No random arm flailing here.

The other two games are great for very similar reasons. Cycling is an arm-killer that requires you to waggle your arms as though you were pushing the pedals with your hands, while tilting the Wiimote and nunchuk to either side turns the bike. Your Mii tires if you push him too hard, though, so carefully rationing when to speed up is imperative. Air sports, on the other hand, is divided into three: a boring skydiving game, a dogfighting game which has you hold your Wiimote like a paper plane and move it around to change direction, and the island flyover, which is magical. Both air sports and cycling have one thing in common that makes them absolutely incredible: the island.

Wuhu Island is the real star of the show. Nintendo has succeeded in crafting a wonderful little world with lush forests, dark ruins, hazardous mountain paths, sunny beaches, and everything in between, and the company's comments that it's likely to reappear and expand in all sorts of future titles makes me happy because it's a fantastic place. Every single game in this package takes place somewhere on it, and cycling affords you a close view of it all. The air sports flyover simply lets you explore, giving you free reign to fly around the island at different times of day and find points of interest which explain a little more of the island's background and how everything ties together. Wonder where the bowling alley is on the island? Well, you can find out. Want to swing by and see where the sword fighting colosseum is? It's there. All the while, finding points of interest unlocks more and more things to keep you wandering back. There are plenty of easter eggs on the island which I shan't spoil, save that at least one elicited a girlish squeal of joy, and the stylised graphics make the scenery look stunning as you look for them.

But how does it hold up, as a package? Very well. It's yet another minigame compilation, but Nintendo has proven time and time again that these don't have to be simple throwaway titles and can instead prove compelling, even to a solo player. What you have here are the best versions of the old Wii Sports titles along with plenty of great new ones and a nice showcase of the MotionPlus' capabilities, and there's enough challenge and variety for even someone on their own to get a lot out of it. Oh, you'll doubtless tire of it, but in terms of games that you'll stick on every few weeks when your mates drop round for an evening, I can't think of much on the Wii that can top this. Despite the chaff it's both accessible and fun, and comes highly recommended for any Wii owner who likes to enjoy themselves.

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