Fancy going on holiday in your own living room? No, us neither, but that’s exactly what Wii Sports Resort is all about, minus the sunburn, currency confusion and food poisoning, obviously. Set on a tropical island, Wii Sports Resort is one of the first games to use Nintendo’s MotionPlus add-on, and comes with said waggle-sensitive attachment in the box.
Slotting it into the standard Wiimote is simple, and after a slightly patronising instructional video on slotting thing A into socket B, you’re off and skydiving.
Yes, skydiving. The introduction to Wii Sports Resort is hilarious, and brilliantly inventive. It’s a theme that runs throughout the whole game with very few exceptions.
Once your Mii’s feet are on virtual terra firma you’re free to engage in sword fighting, frisbee flinging, wakeboarding, archery, basketball, table tennis, jet skiing, canoeing, cycling, air sports (that’s skydiving and plane flying, really), oh and golf and bowling.
It’s an exhaustive list, and frankly, more than we get up to on a typical holiday, But that’s where Wii Sports Resort falls down. While some activities are riotous fun, others are overly simple and dull.
Golf and bowling, for instance, seem like carbon copies of the Wii Sports versions, only enhanced by the extra sensitivity of the MotionPlus add-on.
Elsewhere, the slightly erotic-sounding Swordplay is more fun than, well, beating your buddies with sticks. Which is exactly what it consists of. It’s easy to work up a sweat parrying around the living room, and variant games challenging you to slice objects or beat off hordes of opponents are laugh-out-loud brilliant.
Wii Sports Resort storms to number one
Cycling too is surprisingly addictive, but it’s a shame gamers will be forced to shell out on a second MotionPlus add-on to enjoy two player games.
Overall, Wii Sports Resort is a triumph. Sure, there are some damp squibs here (Frisbee is best left un-played, if you ask us), but as a follow-up to a game most Wii owners still regularly fall back on, it’s spectacular.
Buy it. Buy it now. Swordplay alone will keep your arms swinging, and the laughter flowing, for hours. And after you’ve finished playing holiday hero, you’ll have a MotionPlus controller ready for the next wave of Wii games.
