Wii Sports

Prior to this review, we asked some of the girls who work in our advertising department to stop by our demo room and play both Wii Sports bowling and tennis. They don't play games and had only a very limited understanding of Nintendo's new console. We armed them with Wii remotes and very briefly explained the basic controls. Within seconds, they were competently going back and forth on the tennis court and knocking down pins in bowling - and they were having a great time playing. In fact, just about everybody we've introduced to the sports compilation has walked away happy, whether they have been a gamer for years or completely new to the activity. It's clear to us that Nintendo is onto something and sure enough, Wii Sports might even truly capture some of those non-gamers.

Not so awesome Wii Sports is a particularly difficult game to review because it is so different and also because it's free. We had to ask ourselves, should we cut it some slack because it comes packaged with the system or should we instead weigh the game's strengths and weaknesses individually? We've taken the latter approach. After all, we're reviewing the game and not the package. Furthermore, the offering is not free for everyone, as Japanese players will attest. There is more to consider, though. For instance, exactly who is this title for? If your intention is to play Wii Sports for an hour per day with friends, you will probably love the title, whose bowling and tennis outings are especially addictive. However, if you're the hardcore type who wants a deeper sports videogame, you will find Wii Sports' overall depth sorely lacking. It is our job to consider both potential audiences and make a recommendation based on all the factors.