Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sports game promotes healthy activity, friendly competition.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Racquet Sports
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
The latest of many racquet-themed games for the Wii, RACQUET SPORTS lets players have a go at five different sports, including: tennis, ping-pong, beach tennis, squash, and badminton. Players can get their feet wet in the training mode, which leads them through the basics of each sport, or just dive into one of the main modes and consult instructions and sport rules on the fly as needed. The Quick Match mode lets up to four players pick a sport and a court and start playing. One or two players can take on a more ambitious challenge in Around the World mode, which will see players traveling the globe entering tournaments and challenges in each sport and unlocking plenty of characters, racquets, balls, and venues along the way. Party Mode takes players through a series of quick, 90-second challenges with various game altering effects, such as balls that slowly gain in speed and blazingly quick forehands. The deluxe version of the game, which costs $10 more, comes with a camera that will sense arm movements and translate them as racquet swings, eliminating the need for a Wii controller.
Is It Any Good?
Racquet Sports is definitely one of the better racquet-themed Wii games. The graphics are great. We loved the glass squash court on stilts above a lush jungle, and the view of New York from the window of a loft that played home to a ping pong table was fantastic. Each game has its own feel, whether it’s the rapid fire pace of badminton, the careful timing of squash, or the more measured and strategic shots of ping pong and tennis.
Our only issue is with the interface. Using the Wii remote is simple and intuitive, but imprecise -- even with the MotionPlus enhancement. There were plenty of times when even slight movements between shots would be picked up as swings, leaving us ill-prepared for the ball when it actually arrived. We adjusted by making smaller movements and keeping perfectly still between shots, but that took some of the fun and authenticity out of the game. Using the camera is just as simple, but it reduces the already limited variety of shots you can take. It’s fun to try, but not for serious play. Best save your money and stick with the version without the camera.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about becoming active while playing games. Do you feel better after playing games if you’ve spent the time standing and moving your arms around rather than sitting on a couch? Do you think that playing games this way makes you healthier?
Families can also discuss how realistic the sports in this game might be. What sort of liberties have the developers taken to make these sports more accessible in video game format? Has playing this game made you more interested in trying new racquet sports in real life?
Game Details
- Platform : Nintendo Wii
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : UbiSoft
- Release date : March 9, 2010
- Genre : Sports
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : August 31, 2016
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