Although the Nintendo
Wii was quite the revolutionary console when it was released, the
downside of this console was the limited accuracy of its wireless
controllers. This is not to say that the games were poor but rather,
it limited the player to what could be achieved in the grand scheme
of gaming... until now!
Thankfully Nintendo have taken note and whether it was spurred by
its competitor's to challenge the gamer such as Microsoft's new
Project Natal or something else, the new Wii MotionPlus takes Wii
gaming to a complete new level of accuracy and fun.
With some clever
marketing on behalf of Nintendo, it comes bundled with Wii Resort
and Impulse Gamer was ready to test the hype with Nintendo's
official sequel to Wii Sports. So if you loved Wii Sports, than get
ready for another party game experience!
Before embarking on our Wii Resort adventure, we needed to install
the new Wii MotionPlus controller which is basically an attachment
that neatly plugs into the bottom of the Wiimote.
Thankfully it also
comes with a new handgrip, ensuring that nothing or no one gets
damaged in play. Once we configured the controller and sat through
the introduction video of the new MotionPlus attachment (this went
for too long), we were ready to start playing some sport and Wii
Resort includes the following games;
The first games we wanted to test in Wii Resort were the games that
were already part of Wii Sports that included Bowling, Golf and
Table Tennis. Straight away, we noticed a considerable amount of
improved accuracy and you could actually point in the direction
where you wanted something to go.
Bowling was not just pot luck
anymore and Table Tennis was a pure treat and if I wanted to hit the
ball near the end of the table, I could pretty much just do that.
Golf was no longer limited to good or bad shots, it now included a
wide range of shots and if you hit a bad ball, this was now the
gamers' fault rather than the poor motion sensor abilities.
So what about the other games on Wii Resort? Swordplay was a fun
game that basically had the player trying to knock the other player
off a ledge. In terms of accuracy, it's more of a hack and slash
game with the person who gets the most hits in, generally becoming
the victor. However it does involve in some strategies which made
this delightfully entertaining.
Basketball is another fun game and actually mimics a real-life shot
quite well. Archery is an example of the accuracy of the Wii
MotionPlus that played extremely well. Of course, not all games were
super-fun such as canoeing which seemed a little forced and
contrived, although it did give you a slight workout. Cycling is
another game which is more workout than fun.
Wake Boarding
however, was quite fun as you attempt to flick the controller in the
air to not only get air in the game but also perform some cool stunt
maneuvers. With a mixed bag of good and a few duds, the majority of
games in Wii Resorts are quite playable and thoroughly enjoyable.
Graphically, the title is visually quite colourful and contains some
well-designed gaming environment that although are quite simplistic
in nature, suits the genre perfectly.
Even though not much has
changed since Wii Sports in terms of graphics but generally when you
see those classic Wii graphics, especially from Nintendo, you know
that you are in for a treat. Musically, it's that classic sounding
MIDI instruments with the odd sound effect thrown in for good
measure, cool and cute.
With 12 sporting games included in
Wii Resort, there's definitely
something for everyone and although the game will eventually get
quite boring in single-player, where this game does shine besides
it's party-game atmosphere is through the new Wii MotionPlus
attachment that takes Wii gaming to its next evolution.
Add in some
unlockable content and Wii Resort is a sturdy party game that makes
gaming fun once again, without all the convoluted mechanics of many
modern titles today. The only downside of Wii Resorts is the
limitations of the single-player game, even so, this is another
slick game from Nintendo.
