Wii Sports Resort
Currently this review is only based on the first 4 events in the game. There are 12 events total, so keep checking back for more info and the real final verdict on this game.
The kind of sequel to the most played Wii game ever. It’s a pretty lame statement, but it’s true. Wii Sports sold millions of Wiis. It’s what both hardcore and casual gamers fell in love with those first couple months and was the number one party game. However, for over half of those gamers Wii Sports was the first and last Wii game they cared about. So how does this sequel live up?
Event Series 1: Swordplay
Well, first off was Swordplay. When I finished my first round of Swordplay, I was shaking my head. If this is how the rest of the game was going to be, it was going right back to the game store tomorrow. It was flat out terrible. I’ve played quite a few matches now, and can’t find any strategy that seems to work other than flail your arm around as fast as possible. If there is a strategy to this game, please let me know. Ideally you should be able to anticipate your opponents move and counter them or hit them where they are open before there attack lands. But if they are just swinging their remote like crazy there’s no way you’re getting in there. So with both of you swinging like crazy, it just comes down to luck. Playing 1 player against the computer isn’t so bad, but this isn’t the kind of game that’s enjoyable to play alone.
After playing some Swordplay you unlock the Slicing Competition. This is already getting a lot better. Items drop in front of you and your goal is to slice it in the correct way faster than your opponent. Playing this unlocks the final Swordplay game, which involves running through a level and beating a series of opponents along the way. They usually only takes one hit which makes for some fast and interesting gameplay. There are 10 stages to play through.
Event 2: Wake Boarding
Well everyone who’s been waiting for a new Wave Race game… keep waiting. The wake boarding here is actually a decent mini game, the point is just to do jumps off the waves the boat makes. Flicking the wiimote at the right time will allow you to jump higher. You have to have your wiimote flat to land the jumps and score points. There’s really not much else to it. If you’re playing multiple players you have to take turns.
Event Series 3: Frisbee
The Frisbee throw takes some time to get used too. You have to throw the Frisbee as if you would in real life and let go at the right moment. If your posture and release time is correct you’ll send it into the area you’re aiming for and your dog will catch it earning you points. In the later half of the game a balloon is added to the middle of the field. Hitting the balloon and completing the shot correctly earns you a point bonus.
After playing that game, you’ll unlock the Frisbee Golf game. It’s a great addition and contains 3 new resort courses as well as the 3 golf courses from the original Wii Sports. The goal is just to throw the Frisbee close the hole is in the least number of tosses. You have 3 different discs to choose from for each throw, a short range, medium range, and long range disc (like clubs).
Event 4: Archery
Archery is one of my favorite events. It’s simple but also combines some basic golf/bowling elements to make a fun game. You need the nunchuck for this game. You hold the Wiimote in your left hand and the nunchuck is like your drawstring. Holding Z will pull back the string, and pulling back on the nunchuck yourself increases the speed that the zooming feature works. You can then aim (accounting for wind and distance) and let go of Z to shoot.
The game is played in 4 rounds of 3 shots. Each round the target gets further away and the shots get trickier to make.
Remember the review at this point is only based on the first 4 (of 12 events) at this point Wii Sports Resort makes for a fun game. But the events just aren’t as compelling or active as the original Wii Sports. Check back tomorrow for the next installment of this review.
