Wii Sports

Remember the good old days when gaming was pure fun? No intense storylines, complex controls or monotone futuristic landscapes to explore? Wii Sports, Nintendo's free title bundled with the Wii, puts the fun back in gaming.

The game's premise is to get the player comfortable with the motion-sensitive Wiimote controllers. All of the games are one to four player and use comical, colourful, animated athletes (Mii's) - digital representations of yourself, made on the Wii.

The game of the package has to be tennis, a simple game played over a few rounds. The player swings the controller like an actual tennis racquet, allowing for some fun and precise gameplay, especially when you get a good rally going. The Wiimote's in-built speaker lets off a satisfying 'THWAP' when you strike the ball or a humiliating 'WOOSH' if you flurry and miss completely. Bowling is enjoyable and sees the player swinging the ball realistically. Let go of the ball too late and your Mii throws the ball too high resulting in an embarrasing crunch as it hits the pine. Boxing is a fun (if exausting) experience which allows you to throw a whole range of punches at your opponent. The motions sensor picks up every uppercut, low blow, dodge and block you make, resulting in a game that feels tactical yet fun.

Wiisports is the perfect party game and although it loses some charm when played solo, it does exactly what it sets out to do: familiarise you with the innovative controllers and provide a fun gaming experience without wading through hours of menu screens or storyline. Get yourself a Wii, get your friends over and prepare to have a blast! [Dave Cook]