29. Wii Sports

Nintendo. Wii Sports. 2006. ASIN: B0017Q4DGI












Rating
E for Everyone

Overview
Wii sports allows groups of gamers to play in five different sporting contests, including: boxing, golf, baseball, tennis, and bowling. Each of these athletic competitions is controlled by player movements through Nintendo's innovative wireless remote controls and sensors. These motion based games are extremely simple to play. For the baseball game, players swing the remote like a bat when hitting, and perform a throwing motion with the remote when pitching. The interactive nature of the different sports games allow players to feel like they are actually playing the sports on the screen. Players can also develop their own characters to play in these contests and up to four player total can participate in games like tennis. Wii sports is a packaged game that comes with the purchase of a Nintendo Wii and for many Wii users will be their first experience with the console.

Critical Evaluation
The athlete inside us all is unleashed with the release of Nintendo's Wii Sports. The innovative motion based gameplay of the Wii turns athletic competition into a fun and interactive experience to be played by friends and family in the comfort of the home. Each of the five playable sporting events in Wii Sports offer a unique gaming experience. Games like bowling and tennis allow up to four players to compete at a time, and other games like golf are extremely entertaining and challenging to play solo.

The success and enjoyment from Wii Sports comes from the simple playability. In a matter of seconds inexperienced gamers will be able to challenge the best Wii boxer, or bowler with ease. The option to create and save your own characters on the Mii channel is also a joy in itself. Players in no time will have a small army of "Mii's" to represent their family and friends. All of these pros overshadow the one con of poor graphics. The characters and their movements are very stiffly animated and appear more like small children's toys than actual athletes. This may turn off some teen gamers, but it may also be alluring to others. In order to reach a broader audience, Nintendo made the conscious decision to simplify the look of games like Wii Sports to attract the hesitant gamer. By making games appear visually simpler, reluctant gamers will be less hesitant to jump on board Nintendo's gaming empire.

Player's Annotation
Create your own character and challenge your friends to five different sporting events in Nintendo's new motion detecting video game Wii Sports.

Console Information
The Nintendo Wii is a popular video game console released by the Nintendo company in 2006. The system utilizes special remote controls and sensors that allow players to control game play with different body motions. The console is backward compatible with Nintendo's previous gaming console, allowing players to play all of their favorite Game Cube games. The system plays optical discs and also has the capability to download classic game titles through the Wii shopping channel. The Wii interface is based around channels, similar to television channels, featuring news, weather, photos, and a Mii channel that allows players to create their own customizable characters. The system utilizes simple graphics and interactive gameplay that target a broader non-gamer audience. This system is appealing to the whole family and many of the games are best enjoyed through group participation.

Genre
sports

Curriculum Ties
physical Education

Reading Level
N/A

Challenge Issues
N/A

Reason For Selection
The Nintendo Wii is one of the most popular video game systems on the planet and the Wii Sports game that comes packaged with the system is partially responsible for its success.