Game Rating: E
Game Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Release Date: July 26, 2009
Buy this at: Amazon for $44.99

When the Wii was first released, I was hesitant. It’s not that I didn’t think all the cool motion features were nifty, but let’s be honest. I’m in a wheelchair and it looked like way too much motion for me to handle. One of the reasons I play video games is because I can go snowboarding, drive a race car, and do a lot of physical things I can’t physically do, due to my limitations. I ended up contacting Nintendo about my concerns. I wanted to know that if I invested in purchasing a Wii that I would get my monies worth. Nintendo assured me that the Wiimote was sensitive enough that I’d have no problem, even with limited mobility in my hands and arms.

Well, come to find out, games with the Wiimote were either hit or miss. On some games, Ashtyn (my able-bodied girlfriend) could barely get the Wiimote to do what she wanted it to do. Others required smooth enough, small motions, and I could handle them. Still, others required massive, grandiose movements that just weren’t happening for me (not from my chair or my bed). Most of the time, I stuck to playing Xbox 360 and my PS3. That’s depressing for someone who grew up with Nintendo, but I figured, maybe Wii just wasn’t right for me.

Enter Wii Motion Plus…

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one having problems with the Wiimote. Nintendo devised the much more sensitive Wii Motion Plus, and it’s major release comes with the “Wii Sports Resort” video game. I have the original “Wii Sports” game. I can handle most of the “Wii Sports” games, but I’m not that coordinated when I play them. I did, however, beat Ashtyn at cow racing (a small victory). The Wii Motion Plus has restored my hope in Nintendo. It’s sensitive enough to use, and even those with very weak arms (yet minimal amounts of movement), like myself, can actually enjoy playing a Nintendo system again.

The controls were a breeze to use. I admit I faltered at a few of the motions (don’t attempt to bowl while in bed, if you can’t really roll your arm in an under arm bowling motion), but on the whole, I found “Wii Sports Resort” to be a much better executed, more fun, easier to play sequel to “Wii Sports.” It is definitely a workout, which I think is an added bonus to Wii. I can gain strength a little bit, despite having a progressive muscle disease, and I can definitely maintain strength, slowing down progression. When playing Wii fit, I actually feel the burn I feel when doing Physical Therapy exercises like hand cycling. If this game can do this for me, imagine what playing it regularly could do for most of you out there who are able bodied.

The benefit of Wii is that it gets you moving, and if you are anything like me, you feel a strong desire to compete. When Ashtyn beat my basketball three-shot score, the competitor in me came out, and I steadily shot baskets until I tied with her. Considering she got 15 baskets, and then I came back with 15 baskets of my own, I was pleased. Of course, the more I tried to beat our tie, the more tired my arm was, but I didn’t give up trying until I could barely score a basket anymore! I still haven’t beaten her though I am certain I will beat her score eventually, because that’s just how much fun it is to play “Wii Sports Resort.”

You get to play as your Mii in a series of sports-like competitions. The story is this. You and various other Miis have been dropped off on a secluded island paradise, the Sports Resort aka Wuhu Island. Here you can partake in a series of sporting events. The competitions range from light and casual to hardcore with everything from sky diving to sword fighting. Along the way, you accrue points in each activity, as you attempt to compete against up to three other people.

On a side note, though I don’t have first hand knowledge, I’ve been told Wuhu Island is also featured in the Wii Fit Video Game.

Enjoyment/Fun Factor:

The best part of buying “Wii Sports Resort” is the fact that you receive one WiiMotion Plus controller device with Wiimote Jacket cover. You only get one, so if you plan to play against others in your house without having to take turns, you are going to have to buy additional WiiMotion Plus devices. Luckily, you can pick them up for about $10 a pop. Getting the WiiMotion Plus is not only necessary to play Wii Sports Resort, I highly recommend it merely because it makes the Wiimote much more sensitive and easier to use.

Like every other game, navigating the Wii Menu to play “Wii Sports Resort” is fairly simple. You’ll need to calibrate you Wiimote(s) before playing, after hooking the WiiMotion Plus up to it. If, at any time during your gameplay, you feel that the Wiimote isn’t sensitive enough, you can pause your game and re-calibrate your Wiimote/Wii Motion Plus. I really didn’t find this necessary. The Wiimote re-calibrated itself before I played a few different games, and since it only takes a minute or so, I don’t really mind this. With as easy as the Wiimote with WiiMotion Plus movies, I feel the minute spent re-calibrating is well worth it.

Once your Wiimote has been calibrated, you can hop right into playing. Once you head to the game list menu, you can choose from a total of twelve different sports games to play.

The list of games includes:

-Air Sports
-Archery
-Basketball
-Bowling
-Canoeing
-Cycling
-Frisbee
-Golf
-Power Cruising
-Swordplay
-Table Tennis/Ping Pong
-Wakeboarding

Some of the games have multiple playing options. For example, in basketball, you can play a timed three-point shootout game or a 3 on 3 game. The Air Sports includes sky diving, flying a plane to sight see and collect locations, and so forth.

How you play the sport is based on whether you use the Wiimote and the Nunchuk or not. The motion of the Wiimote mimics the motion you’d use if you were really playing the sport. While I recommend going all in on each individual sport, if you, like me, have limited mobility in your arms, you will find that most of the games allow for similar yet smaller movements. For example, instead of flicking my arm/wrist above my head to make three-point free throws, I was just able to flick my wrist in a certain manner and hit the basket well enough to compete with Ashtyn. The Wiimote is that sensitive. Of course, games like golfing and bowling took a little more creativity to come up with a way to mimic the sport without having the ability to extend my arms and emulate the motion of using a golf club or throwing a bowling ball.

Most of you will have absolutely no problem using the Wiimote with WiiMotion Plus. The level of accuracy is amazing. The control you have when playing the games in “Wii Sports Resort” are so vastly superior to those from “Wii Sports,” it’s like a drastically different game. It’s better, of course, but still different. I found this game to be less frustrating and the game options have a better selection the second time around.

It’s good to have the nunchuk handy. While most sports allow you to play with just the Wiimote with WiiMotion Plus, you cannot do archery or cycling, for example, without the nunchuk. Also, nearly all of the games allow you to share one Wiimote and take turns, with up to four players. However, in order to compete at canoeing, you must have multiple controllers or you cannot compete.

Other than having fun, “Wii Sports Resort” has one other, very important primary purpose. The game gets you moving. Your heart starts pumping. Your adrenaline is coursing through your veins. The whole family gets off the couch for some real exercise and some healthy competition. Exercise made fun…What more could you want?

Replayability:

I feel like I keep repeating myself, because the biggest improvement between “Wii Sports” and “Wii Sports Resort” is the ease of use when it comes to using the Wiimote and WiiMotion Plus. The sensitivity makes using the Wiimote much easier than ever before. Every time you play a game there are clear instructions on how to play, what buttons to press, and in some of the games (such as canoeing) you can even practice before you play, to get the hang of how to use the Wiimote.

The majority of games have you swinging, flicking or moving the Wiimote in some way while releasing a button. It’s not hard at all to get the hang of playing these games. Once you run through the basic instructions, you shouldn’t need to a second time. It doesn’t get any easier than this.

Ease of Use:

If you’ve seen the Miis then you know exactly what to expect when it comes to visual quality for “Wii Sports Resort.” The animations are sharp. They run smoothly. I can’t point out any particular moment that is filled with visual errors. The bright colors and cartoon-y animations just add to the fun factor when playing this game.

Visual:

The audio quality for “Wii Sports Resort” is pretty good. The primary sounds are effects and a musical score. Everything is decidedly cheerful, which is what I expect of this type of game. On the whole, everything comes through loud and clear. The score is pretty good, but hardly taxing. It isn’t like the score you’d hear for a much heavier game. For what the game is, the music fit perfectly. As for sound effects, everything from the swish of the basketball as it flies through the net to the slapping of the paddle as you canoe through the water can be heard with relative ease. Also, each sound is quite realistic.

Audio:

While I don’t allow Accessibility to factor into the overall vote for the games I review, I do like to mention how accessible the game is for those with physical disabilities and those who are hearing impaired. The instructions for how to play each game are clearly labeled on the screen, so those with hearing problems can easily read them and play the game.

As far as physical disabilities go, you probably do not own a Wii if you have no mobility in your arms or hands. I have limited mobility in both, due to muscle weakness. I found that, overall, “Wii Sports Resort” was relatively easy for me to play. I had to run through a few of the games more than once until I got the hang of them, but there were very few games I simply could not play.

No matter whether you have a disability or not, playing “Wii Sports Resort” is excellent for your muscles. The more you can move the more you will get from this game. If you are looking to lose the pounds or maintain your weight, this is a fun alternative to traditional exercise.

I am impressed by how much the WiiMotion Plus improves usage of the Wiimote. This makes “Wii Sports Resort” a lot more fun that its predecessor. Unless you are completely incapable of using your wrists, hands and arms, I highly recommend “Wii Sports Resort.” It’s a safe, family friendly game that gamers of all ages can enjoy and appreciate. There isn’t really anything bad to say about this game other than I wish there were more hours in the day, so I could spend more time gaming! With games like this I have hope for Nintendo’s future and continued success in the gaming industry.

Overall Rating:

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