Wii Play
© Nintendo

Mania Grade: C
Platform: Wii
ESRB: E
Genre: Party
Players: 1-2
Online: No
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Suggested Retail: $49.99
Graphics: C-
Sound: C+
Gameplay: C-
Replay: B-
Fun Factor: C+
Buy it now!

Related Links

0

"Wii Play"

When the Wii was released fans were treated to a new experience with the free game bundled into the system. Some thought it was a cheap ploy to sell more systems, and if that were the case, it worked. These mini-games were sports based, allowing you to play through baseball, tennis, bowling, golf, or boxing. They were fantastic games to include with the system, since they not only showed what the system was capable with, mainly with simple games, but also showed how smoothly that they worked. Truth be told, even today I pop Wii Sports in about once a week just for some mindlessly fun gameplay. 

But rumours on the Internet indicated that North America was shafted when it came to purchasing extra Wii-motes. In Japan it seems that they were included with the extra Wii-motes since launch, but of course those are just rumours. Now we also have the same chance to play these games, just like they apparently have months ago. This compilation includes many more games than Wii Sports, but on the same note it is more than just playing sports game. The games included are Shooting Range, Find Mii, Table Tennis, Pose Mii, Laser Hockey, Billiards, Fishing, Charge, and Tanks.  

Shooting Rang is similar to Duck Hunt, where it basically uses the same background. What pops on the screen is a totally different matter, where you will scroll through plenty of light gun like targets, which seem to be from the past. You have the chance to blow away ducks, cans (which you juggle), clay pots, and targets. When playing with multiple people, targets with people’s faces will show up, and shooting them could give them points. The game is fairly fun, but it lacks a certain lasting appeal. 

Find Mii is exactly that, trying to find different Mii’s in situations. Sometimes it will be matching the similar Mii’s on the screen, while other times it is about spotting the Mii that is not like the others. This can be a fairly amusing experience early on, mainly if you have downloaded a few different people’s Mii’s. If you have a hidden Jesus or Hitler on your system, this will be the best way to find out. This one holds a little extra lasting power when playing in single player mode, verses two player, since you can go on for quite some time. Instead of battling for points, you battle for time on your clock so that you can continue further in the game. The game is fairly fun, and has a certain lasting appeal. 

Table Tennis is a lightweight Tennis version, where the game seems to be stripped down to the bare minimum. The Mii’s are gone and all you have are floating paddles, which you must keep within a certain space. You must allow the ball to bounce once on your side, before returning it, or else they will gain a point. Perhaps the lamest part about this is that you only need to line up the paddle, nothing more. If a person only catches the ball with the side of the paddle, it is returned much more slowly than the regular return, and the ball will be rocketed back to their side providing the defending player can connect. Every few turns the paddlers will switch sides, though it hardly matters. If you have the regular tennis, you may as well stick with it. This game is marginally fun, but lacks lasting power when compared to the original Wii Sport’s Tennis. 

Pose Mii involves needing to line your Mii up with the slots on the screen. There are three different poses to switch through, but early on you will only need to use one. You will need to use the rotation ability on the Wii-mote to fit them in the slots, and when you connect you gain points. Sometimes the Wii-mote did not seem to respond as quickly as it should have, which was quite frustrating. There is not too much more to this game sadly. The game has no lasting appeal, unless you really love your Mii. 

Laser Hockey is like taking Pong to the extreme. There are paddles on either side, which bounce a ball back and forth. You can turn your Wii-Mote to change the direction of the return, which keeps things running quite nicely. The goal is to try and bounce the ball into the open slit on your opponent’s side, and when you do a point is scored. There is some lasting appeal in this game, but mainly if you are playing against another human. 

Billiards is a straight up game of nine-all pool, where you break the pack and try and sink what is on the table, moving up from one to nine. It is very simple, and when lining up your shots there is even a straight line to guide you to your target. You can also choose to put spin on the ball by choosing where you wish to hit it. You must hit the lowest ball on the table each round, or else you will get a foul. You can also get a foul by sinking the cue ball in any pocket. When you get a foul, you can place the ball anywhere on the table to make your next shot, and once it is placed on the table, even if in a position slightly off, it is stuck there. The only issue that I had with the game is that the Wii-Mote did not pick up all forward motion that I made, which is needed to push the ball around the table. This game has the most lasting power, and is great to play alone or with a friend. 

Fishing is all what the name indicates, where you drop a line in a pond and try and get the biggest series of fish. You try and use your Wii-mote just like a fishing pole, and when the fish bite, you pull it back towards you. Some fish, mainly the small ones, reduce your score, while the larger ones can rocket up your point total. It is fun and simple, but you probably will not get more than a half hour out of the game, unless you are a fishing nut. 

Charge is another simple game that has you racing down a track as a cow, while holding the controller sideways to steer (oh I love puns). Your goal is to get as many points as possible, which is obtained by running over scarecrows. Sometimes there are obstacles in your way, though you have the option of jumping over by flicking the Wii-mote upwards. It is over fairly quick, and hardly has any lasting appeal, unless you want a medal. 

Finally with Tanks, which appears to be a new version of the classic Atari project Combat, you will attempt to destroy all tanks on the field. Bullets will bounce off of walls once, and you can also drop mines on the ground. Playing by yourself, you have three lives, but you can earn more. With two players, you can keep playing until both people die on the level. This was my favourite game on the system, and can even use the nunchuk to stir your mechanical beast. There is some decent lasting power in this game, mainly when you are trying to out do your score. 

In the end, this game is worth the extra ten dollars over the regular controller, but by itself it is not worth the admission price. If you have four controllers, you may wish to overlook this bundle since you probably will not need a fifth controller. If you enjoy quirky mini-games, like myself, it still is worth picking up but only marginally. Not all of the games are fun, but they do provide short-term enjoyment. Wrapping up, Captain Gordon gives Wii-Play a C+. 

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? CaptainGordonEdward@Gmail.com