Wii Sports

What’s the Story?

Bundled free with every Wii console, WII SPORTS is a collection of five Mini games that does a great job of introducing players to the Wii's fun motion-sensitive controller. You'll use the Wii remote (at times paired with the Nunchuk) to mimic the actions of swinging a golf club, baseball bat, and tennis racket. Up to four players can play Wii Sports, and there's also a single-player mode against computer opponents. Players are represented by their Miis (cartoon-like customized avatars), and any other Miis stored on the Wii will randomly appear as teammates and spectators.

Is It Any Good?

Are the games simplistic at times? Sure -- Wii Baseball, for example, is little more than a batting cage where you try to hit balls out of the park. But in Wii Tennis, your player moves around the court automatically, but you control the ball's direction, spin, and speed as you hit forehands, backhands, overheads, and lobs. The only game that might concern parents is Wii Boxing, where two boxers square off with the goal of knocking each other out.

Because of its simplicity and easy-to-learn controls, Wii Sports is the kind of game that everyone -- even non-gamers -- can participate in together, and that's what makes it so compelling. It fosters cross-generational interaction, making it great to bring out at family gatherings and parties. And the fun multiplayer mode means endless re-playability. This game ushers in a new way of playing video games, one that motivates players to move, stretch, bend, swing their arms, and be active.