Wii Sports Resort is the sequel to Wii Sports, Nintendo’s launch title, which came bundled with all Wii consoles in South Africa.

The game takes place on Wuhu Island, with 12 activities available for play: archery, frisbee, basketball, cycling, canoeing, power cruising, table tennis, air sports, bowling, swordplay, golf and wakeboarding.

Each game has its own variation and multiple levels of difficulty, which are unlockable. One remote can be used for up to four players in all games except canoeing, where a remote is required for each player.

For the Wii Motion Plus, an expansion to the Wii remote is provided, for more accurate gameplay. The sensor on the Motion Plus enhances the accelerometer and sensor bar on the Wii remote, which depicts identical movements on-screen and in real-time. Movements during swordplay may cause the Wii remote to lose synchronisation with the Wii Motion Plus.

The most enjoyable and truly challenging game is undoubtedly archery, which provides hours of fun. The Wii remote is used as a bow while the Nunchuck is used for drawing. Starting at beginner mode, gamers will end up playing until they reach expert level, it’s that addictive!

One-on-one basketball is fast-paced as there’s just one minute to shoot the most hoops. It’s a little tricky initially, but once you get the hang of it, it will leave you wanting to top your previous score.

Wakeboarding is fun at the beginning, but once all the tricks have been figured out, interest is lost. Of course, it’s nothing like wakeboarding in real life. The least exciting game – maybe not surprisingly – is bowling.

Wii Sports Resort comes nowhere near the Wii Fit, one of Nintendo’s best-selling titles. Unlike the Wii Fit, Wii Sports Resort cannot be played over and over. It’s only exciting in the beginning of each of the various levels of difficulty. Once they’ve been mastered, the game quickly loses its appeal.

Written for Digital Life, September / October 2009.