Wii Sports Resort

I recently purchased Wii Sports Resort along with the included Wii Motion Plus, and it has been an excellent game so far. Included are 12 games, 10 of which are new and two of which are updates to the classic Wii Sports games- golf and bowling.

Starting with the updates, I feel that Wii Motion Plus adds a lot to the gameplay for the golf game. More sensitive controls make it far more challenging endeavor, adding somewhat to the realism of the game. Also, I find that it is a lot more enjoyable to swing the club in this game than it was in the original. In bowling, it is much easier to add a spin to the ball. Of the additions, I would say that archery and swordplay are standouts, and I wouldn't be surprised if they make it into other Nintendo releases (i.e. Zelda). The game captures the illusion of actually playing with swords or a bow-and-arrow really well. I also really enjoyed most of the water sports, especially power cruising, which reminded me of Wave Race. Some of the sports, on the other hand, are less satisfying, such as cycling, since pedaling with your arms does not feel natural.

The Wii has seen a lot of "waggle-fests" released, and the nice thing about including Wii Motion Plus is that it really improves the motion-sensing fidelity of the Wiimote. I hope more games use this accessory in the future. For some of the multiplayer events, you may need to purchase additional copies of Wii Motion Plus (or get it bundled with another game), while others simply allow you to pass one Wii remote around. The graphics of the game are simple and colorful, and the game features nice water effects.

However, here are a few aspects of the game that I wish were better. Although this game has more depth than the original Wii Sports, with more games, multiple game play modes, and achievements, I still wish that there was some additional depth to some of the games (i.e. more courses, objectives, etc.), especially considering how enjoyable some of the activities are. Some people found that the original Wii Sports did not have sufficient depth, and those individuals may be disappointed. Also, it would have been nice to have online play for this game, since the game really seems to shine in multiplayer, and it is not always easy to find others to play.

Overall, I think that most people who enjoyed Wii Sports will similarly enjoy Wii Sports Resort.

Wii Sports Resort, which was released in stores this past Sunday, 7/26, is a delightful spin on the Wii Sports favorite. There are 12 fun activities in this game and it comes with the special attachment, Wii Motion Plus, which you snap into the bottom of the Wii-mote for a better playing experience.

The Wii Motion Plus sensor is better at picking up your subtlest movements than the Wii-mote by itself. This makes for less frustration and easier game-play. With longer use though, the Wii Motion Plus sensor may lose calibration and won't be as sensitive to your movements. There is an easy fix, though. All you have to do is pause the game and set your Wii-mote down on a flat surface for it to re-calibrate. This shouldn't take much longer than five seconds to right itself. The more sensitive sensor works great in games like Bowling, (which is back in this game in an updated version), because you can get a better spin on your throw. However, it can also work against you in games like Golf, (which is also back and updated), since you actually have to swing straight and even, like a real golf club, or you will have a serious angle to your strike. No more flicks of the wrist in this golf game!

The game opens with an adorable, interactive sky-diving movie where you meet up with all of your past Miis. Once you get to the main menu, you will see the plethora of games that lie before you, however not everything is unlocked yet. You have to earn certain scores to unlock different modes of certain games. This is akin to Wii Sports' Training section, where each sport had three different modes you could try out. Below is a brief synopsis of the mini-games included in Wii Sports Resort.

Cycling--this can get a bit frustrating in two person mode. Both of you have to try to pedal in unison to keep your energy up and depending on which way you tilt the Wii-mote depends on which way your wheels will turn. So you really have to make an effort to work together! But it can be hysterical when you don't!

Sky-Diving--this is really cute. You have to try to link up with as many people as possible. The minute you link up with someone, the shutter on a camera will start timing you for a picture. Every person you hook up with re-sets the camera's shutter. Once you hook up with four people, it's considered "perfect", and the camera will take your picture. You have to make sure that everyone's faces are looking at the camera for maximum points. After a few rounds of this, it will conclude with you trying to hook up with everyone in the air for a huge finish.

Basketball--the initial game is a basic dunking game, trying to see how many balls you can dunk before the timer runs out. Once you have reached a certain score, you will unlock a 3 on 3 pick-up game, which is a lot of fun. You can jump up in the air and block people's shots as well as steal the ball away from the other team.

Canoeing--this one seemed to be the hardest of the mini-games, especially in two-player mode. Like cycling, this relies heavily on both of you moving in sync to get as far as you can in the canoe course.
Waverunning--in this game, you are on a jet ski and your points are calculated by the stylish jumps you can do.

Frisbee--there are two exciting versions of Frisbee. The first one you get to play with a very cute dog. You throw the Frisbee as close as you can to the center of the bulls-eye and where the dog catches it determines where it lands. This gets increasingly challenging, as you later on have to pop a balloon and try to hit the bulls-eye for maximum points. After you reach a certain score in this game, you will unlock Frisbee Golf, which is a ton of fun. You have a choice of three Frisbees designed like golf clubs and you play Frisbee within the rules of Golf.

Swordplay--this is great fun. The game plays like the tv show "American Gladiators" in that you have to knock your opponent off of the board to win. Later on, you can unlock other games like a one-player mode where you try to hit as many people as you can, forming as high of a combination as you can, without getting hit three times. This is a great game for getting out aggression and would be surreal with a light saber attachment.

Archery--the fun of this mini-game lies in its challenge. Not only do the targets get further and further away, but you have to work with the wind mileage also, (like in Golf).

There is so much to do in this game, yours truly hasn't even unlocked everything yet and I've owned the game for two days! This is definitely an improvement on Wii Sports, if even for the Wii Motion Plus alone. There is much more of a challenge in this game, since you aren't handed everything from the beginning and you have to unlock most of the modes. There are so many things to do in this game, it is guaranteed to please. Even the old favorites of Golf and Bowling have been made more interesting. The 100-pin mode that you had to build up to in Wii Sports is a 10-frame game in this version. And Golf includes the classic boards from Wii Sports, or you can play on the newly designed Wii Sports Resort green! Bottom line, if you enjoyed Wii Sports, you should definitely consider picking this up.

I love Wii games.
I love Wii fitness games.
Granted, no one is saying this is a fitness game...you will want it because its FUN but...

While this is most assuredly tops in player fun, even if you are as thin as you ever wanna be and don't count a single calorie and don't buy it for anything but to have fun...but if you happen to be like the majority of Americans you are gonna get one great unexpected bonus to really fun play: BIG calorie burn. Whether you want to or not your body will MOVE and that makes it all the more fun anyway! You are totally engrossed in play!

I wear a bodybugg to accurately measure my daily calorie burn. I mention this only because my statement isn't an assumption or that it "felt" like my heart rate was up...I wasn't even thinking of it as a workout the first time I played. But I played my first few games for 30 minutes, looked down at my wrist display...and I'd burned as much as I do with my workout dvds!! But I didn't care...I wasn't playing it for that...this game is GRAND! In fact, I wouldn't have stopped so soon had it not been hijacked by my honey. I took it back over as soon as I could and, with the other games, got the same results. Big fun. Big caloric burn. It's truly two in one. We've both laughed and "wooo hoooed!" and had a blast with the games. This one doesnt feel rushed in the designers planning and putting it together...there are not only tons of games (you unlock more as you improve) but they are so "full" of action and stimulus that it will fast become a favorite in any Wii collection, no doubt.

First, you'll begin to see the wonder of the Wii motionplus as you are dropped into the island via parachute...start playing with the controller right then and you'll witness the difference in it truly tracking your movement in supreme accuracy and time over the old remote. The cost of the Wii motionplus isnt' cheap so for it to be included in the game is a bonus because, to me, the game alone was worth the price. You know how, before the motionplus, you'd wanna yell at the tv "Hey! that's now what I was doing!" when you did one move but your mii did another? The motionplus will morph true time and reality with what you are actually doing with the remote. I've been blown away in all games in which I've tried it.

Then pick one of the many games offered for fun play on your island vacation adventure here. The detail and accuracy of every one of this could bear witness to too long of a review if I went into each one but they can't go without mention...for example, you won't just wakeboard through the ocean, you'll pass cruise liners and hear the passengers aboard cheer for you if you do a smooth jump as you pass by, you'll pass by islands, see birds and hear them and the waves will crash around you in both sound and visual. You'll see the Wii blimp fly by... so the accuracy of visual game play surrounds you while the game takes you in by feeling as though you really are behind a boat and seeing that what you do with your remote as your wakeboard handle changes the game play...do jumps in the air, try to land smoothly, become a wakeboard God...

...but here's the thing...for those who care...while you don't realize it, you are getting your heart rate up and doing ab moves! The same moves I used to jump the wakes twisting my arms and body are the same I do in my core workouts! You just don't even think about it much until you watch someone else do it and see what you've burned!

Wanna play basketball? Twisting your body to bend down, grab a ball and then throw it through the hoop gets your same ab moves workin and your arms moving for great cardio. But few would even notice that. BUT IS IT FUN? HECK YEAH! I don't care if you don't care at all about fitness every game is so detailed in all you can do, unlock, and accuracy with the motionplus that it's just filled with visual and physical and mental stimulus that makes it way beyond addictive for this household! Unexpectedly though...you may just wind up with some MUSCLE.

Wanna swordfight? You'll burn calories like upper body kickboxing moves but you'll have a blast knocking your opponent off a platform, hearing drum beats, the roar of the crowd then slicing through other objects with your sword in other games.

The crowd is so in tuned to what you do in every game that you'll even hear them count for you sometimes when numbers matter. This doesn't sound canned...YOU FEEL like you have a live audience.

The graphics stand out throughout the game to bring each game to life...take bowling, for example, you see the sheen on the polished wooden floor and wood grain and feel like you are truly in a real bowling alley within your livingroom because of the sound and graphics and accurate movement to bowling. The camera pans in as your ball moves, and their is always color, movement, and crowd noise through each game..

..even more than crowd cheering, there are visual clues in the games as well. Such as when, in basketball, you break your record, fireworks explode before you. Unlock the full out basketball game and you may even smack your face on the court when you fall.

After every game you'll see how you did and your results or awards.

this is made to be a game but beats the heck out of any of the other Wii fitness games on the market because you just have so much fun and expend an incredible amount of energy doing it just is a side bonus you don't even think about whereas the others are fitness with a little bit of fun as a side bonus...this just feels like PLAY.

Take cycling, you'll furiously move your hands up and down but feel competitive to beat the other bikers, hear your pedals and gears, ride over rocks but through mountains and water and trees then hit the city and see patio cafes and hear the wind and take sips from your water bottle. it's amazing all that goes on while you just play! Petal too hard? Your head turns red and starts throbbing! So much going on in every game...

We have been playing non-stop and have yet to have found a game we could deem unfun. I kid you not.

I always try to end every review with a negative. I feel no product is perfect. For the game, I wracked my brain and couldn't come up with one so I'll add that I wish it had a second motionplus. you don't want to play it without it and if you have someone else in your house watching you play this game, they will no doubt hijack it within minutes or whine a whole bunch. (UPDATE: At the time of my review, they had no game that came with 2 motionplus'. I recently saw one in a store that had 2 motionplus attachments inside the game so they are out there if needed. Also, since it's been awhile since the release of this game since my review, people may be already getting some motionplus add-ons in games so that this is no longer much of an issue.)

CONCLUSION: My favorite Wii game. What more can I say? Jam packed with games, ease of figuring out how to play each one, extreme visual and auditory realism AND GI-NORMOUS FUN. and sssssh, it'll just happen to burn the heck outta what you ate for lunch.

Overall this game is definately worth it. I would have payed the full 50 dollars if it was sold alone, but the addition of the Motion Plus is a great deal. You can use it with other games that are already out such as Tiger Woods, or for upcoming games like Red Steel 2 and possibly the next Zelda. Let me give you a reveiw of each game.

Swordfighting- This activity is easily the best. The controls are great and you actually have to use stragey to beat your opponents, something that was unheard of in the first version. You press B to block. When you block your opponents swings, that gives you an oppurtunity to strike. It's very realistic and fun. There is also speed slice mode and showdown mode. Speed slice is when you have to slice things a certain way before your opponent. It got very intense. Showdown is when you fight through an army of Miis. It's fun getting combos.

Wakeboarding- This is one of my favorites as well. Catching big air and landing tricks was a blast. The controls were very responsive. At first it is simple, but once you unlock the harder difficulties it becomes more complex. You have to dodge obstacles and stuff.

Frisbee- This looks simple, but it was pretty hard.I could never get the frisbee to go where I wanted it too, even after going through the tutorial multiple times. I'm even good at frisbee in real life. There's a large learning curve to this game. There's also frisbee golf.

Archery- This was surprisingly a great game. It is slow paced, but it showed just how precise the Motion Plus can be. I love the feeling of accomplishment I get when I almost get a bull's eye. It requires focus and is a fun challenge. The controls are really tight.

Basketball- One of my least favorites. As a basketball fan, it was dissapointing. You can do the 3-pt shoot out which wasn't really fun, but I was surprised at how realistic my shooting motion had to be. The pick up 3 on 3 halfcourt games weren't terrible but were very slow paced and boring.

Table Tennis- This is just like the original Wii Sports Tennis, except on a table. The controls worked well for the most part, but it was sometimes frusturating when the motion plus didn't register that I switched hands. That only happened occasionally though and the game is still fun.

Golf- You get a new course plus the original course, and improved controls. I thought it made hitting from far away harder but putting a lot easier. It picks up every little curve you make, so hitting a nice shot with your driver is difficult. I didn't think this game had to be remade.

Bowling- I really did not see the point of doing this over. It is easier to put spin on the ball but other than that there was no change from the regular Wii Sports. There is also 100 pin mode and Spin Control mode. This game is still fun with friends like in the original Wii Sports.

Power Cruising- This was kind of dissapointing. You go through a bunch of rings to the finish line. It got boring and repetitive. I guess it was still enjoyable but I won't be coming back to it very often. I felt the controls did not take advantage of the Wii Motion Plus.

Canoeing- This was a surprise hit. I never expected canoeing to be this much fun. You have to go through the obstacle course in the pond and get to the goal. It was a challenge in the upper difficulties but was still really fun.

Cycling- This definately isn't one of the best sports, but it isn't as bad as everyone says. You pedal by moving the wii remote and nunchuk like you're pedaling, and tilt it to turn. It was very realistic because you can catch tailwind, run out of energy, sprint, and all that fancy stuff. I found it enjoyable, and it was very competitive. The problem is since it's so realistic, you might as well just go out on your real bike. It's a better workout, more fun, and is the same thing.

Air Sports- Island flyover is one of my favorites. You fly over beautiful Wuhu Island and find points of interest. It sounds boring, but it was very relaxing and pleasant. Wuhu Island has a ton of neat stuff. Skydiving also falls into this category, but it is the worst sport. Dogfighting is also in this, but I haven't tried it yet since it's multiplayer only.

Ok, almost done. Here are the pros and cons:

+ Great Variety
+ Sport for everyone
+ Tight controls
+ 12 sports
+ comes with Wii Motion Plus
+ Most of the sports are fun
+ Game is deeper than original with unlockables, difficulties and stamps (much like Xbox 360 achievements)
+ Great with friends

- Poor, poor graphics
- limited multiplayer (why can't I do multiplayer sky diving? more co-op options would be nice as well)
- It's annoying how you have to go through so many reminders and have to calibrate the Motion plus a lot
- Sports have a learning curve, so isn't as much of a pick up and play game

Definately worth it for both hardcore and casual players.

EDIT: Well I've had the game for a little over a week now, and I have to say my impression hasn't really changed. The only problem is, I haven't played it very much. I usually play games I just got a lot more than this. I still reccomend it, but not if you have friends over to play rarely. Multi player is what makes the game shine.

I picked this game up this morning at game crazy and im going to have to say its one of the funnest games ive played for the nintendo wii! Its just as amazing as Wii sports if you enjoyed that and theres more games to enjoy!
A list of the different games:

Wake boarding
Archery
Frisby
Bowling
jet skiing
Basketball
Cycling
Canoeing
Parachuting
Sword fighting - My favorite
Ping Pong
and golf!

Most of the games have unlockable extras like frisby starts with you throwing to a dog then it unlocks frisby golf. I haven't tried most of the extra's yet but im sure there just as fun!. Most games either have 2 extra games that are unlockable or different difficulty levels such as Beginner,Intermediate, and Pro.

If you liked the original Wii sports try this it was loads of fun 5 stars!

I bought two copies -- one for my mother for her birthday and one for my family. All of us (5 adults, 3 kids) love it! My 80+ old grandmother loves the bowling game. My parents, both in their 60s, love several of the games and are still exploring all of the offerings on the disc. My husband, a good friend and I have played it every night since we bought it. Our group of three loves to play the sword duels, archery, frisbee dog, frisbee golf, and dog (plane) fights. My husband and I currently find ourselves strangely addicted to the island flyover game. That's where you fly a little prop plane (a cessna?) all over the islands looking for "i" points or shooting balloons. It is so peaceful and yet it compells you to keep looking until you have found all the hidden items. What I like about Wii Resort more than Wii Sports (and I love that game too) is that it adds a layer of competition and re-playability with the addition of "stamps." When you accomplish certain feats within the game (you may think of them as side quests), then you may earn a stamp. Some stamps are more difficult than others to earn. For example, in bowling, you can earn a stamp by picking up a certain type of split. Another stamp requires you to bowl a perfect game to earn it (my father-in-law has done it). Earning stamps has been a fun addition for us.

We are still exploring other games. Some are definitely more fun than others. I'm sure that there will be one or two games that we won't like at all (I'm thinking specifically about water boarding here). However, the archery, frisbee and flight games are worth the price of the game alone. Bowling is always fun, plus there's ping pong and golf. More than enough to love and balance out any stinkers.

Motion Plus Note: This game comes with one Motion Plus. You must have a Motion Plus to play, a regular remote won't work. Some games allow multiple players to share a single remote, so you don't have to buy a second (or third or fourth) Motion Plus right away. However, there are some games that can only be played by two or more people at the same time and you must have a Motion Plus for each player. There are three regular players in my house and we played happily for a week with only one Motion Plus. Now we play with two and I don't see an immediate need to get any more.

In short, I think the Wii system has succeeded in doing exactly what it set out to do -- to make gaming fun for everyone and to bring people together and get them off the couch. Wii Resort is the perfect example of that success.

Having only played this game for a day now, I can tell you my entire family is having a blast with it, just as we did when the Wii first launched. There is a more robust selection of 12 "sports", from things like sword fighting and table tennis, to water and air sports, and even revamped favorites like golf and bowling. Only a few games since launch have garnered as much positive reaction from game fans of all ages as the Wii Sports franchise, mostly due to the universal appeal of real life sports games.

The second high point of this title is the bump in graphics, mostly gone are the jaggies that plagued the launch titles for the Wii, and these are on par with the system's best like Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3. Effects such as waves, splashes of water, air currents, and even lighting and human interaction look better than ever, and the vivid colors really take the 480p resolution of the Wii to its limits.

Of course, no review of this game would be complete without mentioning its biggest leap forward, Wii Motion Plus. This simple looking attachment is really a tiny gyroscope that rotates inside its shell for full 360 degrees of detection, for true 1:1 motion controls (or as close as this system will get). It provides so much more control, while adding barely anything to its length, and for those opposed to the Wii condom included with every remote now, yes, the attachment is removable, and even fits over the 3rd party covers my friends and family have been using since system launch. I can only look forward with anticipation to the next generation of titles to come in the following years, as they will be a big leap forward for Nintendo fans, and WM+ keeps this system in line with motion controls being developed by the other two big console manufacturers.

Overall, if you are a hardcore, or even casual Wii fan, do not hesitate to pick up Wii Sports Resort. It is the finest game released on disc for this system in 2009, and will appeal to game fans of all ages and genders. A true resort experience for the entire family.

Off the top I must admit I am paralyzed from the chest down and use a wheelchair for mobility. So I'm looking for Wii games that are fun, competitive and get your heart rate up without requiring "happy feet." I had high hopes for Wii Fit but they were dashed. Wii Resort, however, has been GREAT. I can Sword Play with my granddaughter. Kayaking has given me an ab workout that is almost impossible to find in a way that's "fun." Both cycling and wave-running are real challenges for me.

Now I realize that an endorsement from a grandma in a wheelchair is like the kiss of death for a video game,but the fact that I'm competitive with my son, the granddaughters and my husband lets me play with my family again. In fact, I catch them "practicing" when I'm not there so Noni doesn't beat them.

It's hard to imagine that there are many other games that suit players from 8 to 80, give everyone a workout and are even fun for the spectators. My family has threatened to charge admission to my Wii boxing (from the original Wii Sports) and Wii Kayaking rounds.

You'd be nuts not to add this one to your Wii collection!!

We have 10 grandchildren. I never played a video game in my life. I am an old retired doc who was 'married" to medicine. I got a WII and now have 4 of all the different kinds of remotes and @6-7 games. I play it which for an old curmudgeon like me is something special. The best was last night when we had 4 little ones playing at once. My wife and I watched them and were so happy we almost cried. We have a 58 inch plasma TV and even though it is not HD we could give a hoot as everything is so cool. My advice is for all grandparents to get one of these and especially this game and get prepared to have the best times.

I wasn't sure what to think before I bought the game, but it was well worth it. WM+ works as promised, although not all of the games take full advantage of it, IMO. There is a much wider variety of games than in the original, and each has a few sub-games that make it entertaining. The graphics are on par/slightly better than the first

My favorites thus far:
-Sword fighting (what's better than bashing your friend 100 feet of a platform and watching them fall to the depths below?)
-Basketball (Simple controls, but something that was definitely missing from the first game)
-The WM+ controller (I know it's included in the price, but the game is so full it's like it's free)
-Air Sports (Simple dog fighting and games reminiscent of Pilotwings)

The negatives:
-Disc throw (ridiculously hard, but I guess that just makes it challenging)
-The return of Bowling (Bowling really didn't need to be redesigned and Baseball or Tennis would have been better)
-Golf (I can't seem to grasp the news controls at all, the swing goes back when I go foward, I find this game impossible to play. Maybe I am just to spoiled by Tiger Woods 10)
-No online play (easily the biggest let down of the game, and the reason I gave it 4 stars)

Final verdict: A must-have for every Wii owner, especially anyone who loves playing with their friends