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Wii Sports Resort review (Wii)

CNET Editors' Rating

4.0 stars Excellent
Review Date:

Average User Rating

3.0 stars 11 user reviews

A wide variety of games and accessible-yet-deep controls make Wii Sports Resort a must-have party game.

Traveling alone can be fun, but the best vacations are often the ones you take with friends (and perhaps your least annoying family members). Much the same can be said about Wii Sports Resort. Going solo to the Resort is enjoyable, and while the number of activities on offer--more than double that of 2007's Wii Sports--means this game will hold your attention longer than the original, the simple nature of each activity makes it a shallow single-player jaunt. But if you throw in some friends, it becomes a much more memorable holiday. Wii Sports Resort shines as a fun, accessible, and varied multiplayer experience, and while not all of its minigames are top-notch, there's plenty here to make this a great party game for any Wii owner.

6213569NoneWakeboarding is one of several new sports available at the resort.

Of course, to get in on the party, you'll need the new MotionPlus accessory because none of the games in Wii Sports Resort can be played without it. One MotionPlus is bundled with the game, and to Nintendo's credit, many of the minigames can be played by sharing one remote and one MotionPlus with a few players. But you'll need to buy more if you're hoping for some simultaneous multiplayer action, and while this may seem like an unnecessary financial imposition from Nintendo, it doesn't take long to become convinced of the new accessory's worth. This isn't some gimmicky plastic peripheral--the MotionPlus gives even the simplest games in Wii Sports Resort an intricate level of sensitivity that is apparent from the moment you first pick up a controller.

For example, take the simple Frisbee Dog minigame. It's easy enough to pick up--you mimic the real motion of throwing a disc by making a flicking movement with the Wii Remote--but the one-to-one movement afforded by the Wii MotionPlus means there are several things to think about in every throw, such as the speed of your flick, the angle and timing of release, and any spin you may want to impart. Unless you're a serious Frisbee freak in the real world, it can be a decent challenge to throw straight consistently. These tight controls make even this basic minigame--throw Frisbee, make dog catch Frisbee--more challenging and fun than you might expect.

That same level of control intricacy can be found in all of Wii Sports Resort's minigames. There are 12 different individual sports, and since many of them feature several modes the total number of activities on offer is more than 20. Not only can you throw your Frisbee to a dog, for example, but you can also hit the links for a game of Frisbee golf, complete with the ability to choose from three types of discs for different distances. This makes Wii Sports Resort a much more varied package than its predecessor, and while not all of the activities on offer have lasting appeal (or even short-term buzz), the majority are good fun, particularly when played in groups.

Wii Sports Resortscreenshot
This is actually tougher than it looks.

 

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Quick Specifications

  • Release date07/26/09
  • ESRB Everyone
  • Developer Nintendo
  • Genre Sports
  • Context Fantasy
  • Number of players 1-4 Players
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