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Name: Wii Sports Resort

Following on from the Nintendo Wii’s launch title, Wii Sports Resort has been a long time coming. You could say that Wii Sports was just a glorified demo, bundled so that users could get to grips with the Wii’s controls and the new platform, this prelude to its sequel Wii Sports Resort, offers much of the same but this time is included with the bundle Wii MotionPlus accessory.

As with its prequel, Wii Sports Resort is more a collection of mini games which can be played either alone or with a group of friends. One of the great added benefits of this is that the majority of games can be played with one controller which you pass around on each players turn (only on some, not all). Since the MotionPlus accessory is a requirement for playing all of the resort games, it can become quite expensive having to buy one for each controller you own, so having this option like in the original is thankfully a welcome addition.

The whole game keeps the look and feel of the original, its quirky graphics where your character is your Mii, bright colours and simplistic graphics, it’s nothing to call home about, but it gets the job done nicely. Considering the amount of time that the Wii has now been out and since the original Wii Sports launched at the same time, you could have come to expect top notch graphics due to the time span as is true for most consoles, the good games come with time and so do the graphical improvements. The audio is similar as well, keeping things simple and accessible with some nice holiday music which captures the feel that the resort is trying to convey. It could be look at as a negative, but then you have to remember that these types of games are made for all ages with no specific category in mind. Everyone may not find lasting enjoyment out of them, but their certainly good for playing with a group of friends.

The biggest addition as mentioned previously is the MotionPlus accessory. As motion control technology progresses, so does its ability to track your movements in game and the new Wii MotionPlus is no different. The addition which fits neatly to the bottom of the Wii Remote may look like a white plastic block which makes your controller larger, but their is more to it's controller extending plastic block than you might first think. The whole premise with the accessory is to keep the fun and flexibility of the Wii’s motion controls but improve upon them in such a way that even the slightest flick of the wrist is captured. I’m glad to say that the accessory is a great addition to the controls, it truly tracks the slightest movement you make while in game, from the flick of your wrist to the speed you use to throw a Frisbee, making you judge the distance you want to achieve. Similar to the other Wii accessories like Wii Fit, you’ll be happy to know that the MotionPlus add-on will work with other games as well so you can look forward to seeing these controls in any future games, as long as they are incorporated in during the development process.

So, enough about the background, what exactly does Wii Sports Resort come with? You get a choice of 12 sports to choose from which include; Swordplay, Wakeboarding, Frisbee, Archery, Basketball, Table Tennis, Golf, Bowling, Power Cruising, Canoeing, Cycling and Air Sports, the only two games from the original being; Golf and Bowling. The two games have been improved upon though so they aren’t direct ports from the games sequel which add more depth and features to two of the great games that most players enjoyed. While the game includes more sports for the player to choose from, one thing which is missing is the fitness regime and tracker from the original, no doubt because you can get Wii Fit which you couldn't when the original was released. To be honest it's not something that's really missed, it wasn't very accurate when it first came out and if people wanted to use a game to keep fit they would probably end up purchasing Wii Fit and the balance board.