 Review By: Andrew Joy |
Developer: | Nintendo |
| Publisher: | Nintendo | |
| Genre: | Compilation | |
| ESRB: | Everyone | |
| # Of Players: | 1-2 | |
| Online Play: | No | |
| Accessories: | Bundled with Wii Remote | |
| Buy Now: |   |
When it comes to the controls, I’d really like to say Wii Play is the sort of game you can just pick-up and play. I mean, after a little experimentation, it didn’t take me very long at all to get the hang of how each mini-game uniquely used the remote. However, I must also take this opportunity to admit that, while it came fairly naturally on my end, most of the family played so poorly that more than once I had to check and make sure their controllers were even on...and they’ve been enjoying the console alongside me since day one! From this, I think you can likely draw only one of two conclusions. Either A) despite its unusual control scheme, the Wii is easier for traditional gamers to learn, or B) my family has actually been kidnapped and replaced with shaved monkeys wearing pants.
No matter what the correct answer is, it often took several demonstrations of the “right way” (my games) and the “wrong way” (their games) before they finally grasped the concept. In all honesty, I think the biggest hurdle was understanding the relationship with the sensor bar – which, oddly, no one seemed to notice until I literally got up and pointed it out to them, picking it up and waving it about. Once they realized that the Wii was not watching them with some sort of hidden camera (which means more clothing-optional gaming for most of them, I’m sure), their games improved a great deal, sometimes even progressing enough to eventually beat me. So, while things turned out fine in the end, the fact that Wii Play didn’t exactly come like second nature for everyone is a bit concerning on a console (and, more specifically, a game) designed to do just that.
And, speaking of design, if the oh-so-simple direction Nintendo took with Wii Sports bothered you, Wii Play probably isn’t for you – you’ll only get more of the same here. So much so that, were it not for the fact that your Mii is used in every Wii Sports event and your full body is rarely even seen in Wii Play, the two games are almost identical to the point that they could be part of the same package. Like Wii Sports, I think some are too quick to bash the graphics in Wii Play. They are not crude and they are hardly Nintendo 64-esque in appearance, quite the contrary in my opinion. I think it should be noted, for the benefit of those who have never seen either game, that the graphics are actually very smooth and very polished. The way I see it, the only possible complaint someone could have is that the game is lacking in detail and seems more likely to appeal to a kindergartner than a college-bound adolescent, but the Mii use may be to blame for some of that.
As I’ve mentioned, both games make use of the Mii (though in somewhat different ways), and like Wii Sports, Wii Play will import them directly from your console, but most of the time you will only see their face, usually plastered on a target or the cue ball. Apart from that, the only sign that you are even supposed to be playing the game is the occasional hand that you’ll use (as a sort of on-screen pointer) to grab hold of your fishing rod, table tennis paddle and that sort of thing. The music, when there is any to really speak of, is also used to minimal effect, providing a campy or sort of tune that doesn’t really impress, but at the very least seems to suit a mini-game compilation. In stark contrast to anywhere-but-the-Uncanny-Valley graphics and droning music, Wii Play’s sound effects were pretty spot-on, with a number of decent ones even coming straight through the Wii-mote’s own speaker.
Though unfortunately limited to just two players (though the game is also a grand spectator sport, like most Wii titles), every mini-game in Wii Play can still be a multiplayer excursion, with each player picking up a Wii Remote and competing for a high score, even if they aren’t directly facing-off against one another. As one might expect, multiplayer is the big draw of Wii Play, however, the game’s single player mode should not be discounted either. In addition to being great practice for some of your multiplayer matches, players can also spend hours alone merely trying to perfect their game and earn the series of medals available for each game. The scores are, of course, different for each one, you can eventually earn a bronze, silver and gold medal in every activity. And, much like earning a Pro Status in Wii Sports, each time you do earn a medal, your Wii will receive a system alert, allowing you to forever cherish the moment, if you wish. Naturally, doing so will take a lot of dedication, and even after all the hours I’ve logged into the game, I still haven’t collected all of them, so the game will probably sit in your library for at least a few months, not as a gaming staple, but at least a quality fallback.
Bottom Line:
Though they offer two different gaming experiences, Wii Sports and Wii Play seem cast from the same mold. Both games look to attract traditionally non-gamers into our much-criticized little realm, offering simplistic graphics, (what should be) simplistic controls and, perhaps the most telling link of all, neither game is really worth full price on its own. However, this seems to be a problem Nintendo took into consideration. When it came to Wii Sports, the game could certainly serve to introduce you to your new console, so the game was included as a pack-in (whether that was the right choice or not still remains a matter of debate). As for Wii Play, the game seems designed to familiarize players with the bizarre new controller, and it certainly does just that, easing them into the many ways it can be used. That said, the game is complemented perfectly by the Wii Remote (sans Nunchuk) it comes included with. Though one would certainly be hard pressed to claim Wii Play is a game worthy of a $50 price tag on its own, it could certainly be argued that, with a standalone Wii Remote being priced at $39.99 and Wii Play selling for $49.99, one is actually saving a bit of money and that the game is perfect for anyone looking to add another controller (not to mention a fairly decent game) to their collection. Unfortunately, as the saying goes, opinions are like...well, you know, and everyone’s got one. But, fortunately for Wii Play, this is one opinion that I certainly hold myself.
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
|---|---|---|
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| 7.5 |
Posted: 2007-07-05 13:31:21 PST