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Wii Sports
Wii Sports
Recommended Age:
6 and Up
ESRB Rating:
E
Genre:
Sports
Tested Platform:
Nintendo Wii
Available Platforms:
Nintendo Wii
Number of Players:
1-4
Fun Factor:
*****
Wii Sports comes with the Nintendo Wii (pronounced "We") system (MSRP $250) and is mainly bundled with it to showcase the new control scheme. The Wii uses a controller that looks like a skinny TV remote and, optionally, a rounded device with a joystick and some trigger buttons called a nunchuk. The result is a control scheme kind of like that of a mouse on a screen. Wave the remote and watch your movements translate to the character on the screen. It's very cool.

The disc is filled with lighthearted versions of tennis, boxing, bowling, baseball, and golf. But these aren't simple demos -- each has that "easy to learn, hard to master" quality and the new Wii controllers make the experience fascinating for gamers and non-gamers alike. Children can handle these games, and best of all, there's no real learning curve. Experienced gamers, like teens, finally start on a level playing field with mom and dad!

The reason these games work is the controller. Face the television and hold the remote and swing, using backhand or forehand, or even an overhead smash, as the ball comes near your character in tennis. Hold down the button and swing your arm to send a bowling ball down the lane. One player holds the remote like a bat, while the other swings her remote forward like a pitch (pressing a button to indicate what kind of pitch) and it's a foul ball, pop fly, grand slam, or a strikeout. Hold the remote in a golfer's stance to drive, chip, or put, using your real swing. Hold the remote in one hand, the nunchuk in the other, and block, jab, upper-cut, and haymaker your rival boxer.

The characters in Wii Sports look like a cross between LEGO people and Fisher Price's Little People. They're called "Mii's" and they're customizable. I've made the whole GamerDad family here at home. The result is that the games just don't look violent: even a flurry of punches in boxing is more comical than cringe-worthy.

One benefit about the system is how much exercise you'll get. Try going three fights in boxing and you will be sore the next day. To get the most out of the system you'll need more wands and nunchuks. I'd recommend four wands and two nunchuks for the games currently available. The system does come with one of each currently, but that means only single player play is available.

Parents, take note: Adults and children with injuries or nagging shoulder, wrist, elbow, or other joint problems should be careful and limit their play. Everyone else needs to get off the couch and play videogames the way they were meant to be played -- with your own physical skills! Wii Sports is a terrific addition to our list of Best Video Games of 2006.

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