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Wii Sports

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 4, age appropriate for kids over 5; suggested age 8.

  • Is it any good?

    5.0
  • Common Sense says

    Inclusive sports played a new way -- fun for all!

Why We Rated This on for Ages 8 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Players learn about sports and practice physical coordination. Playing the games involves exercising.
  • Messages:

    Fosters cross-generational gameplay. However the gameplay in Wii Boxing involves beating opponents up for sport.

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    In Wii Boxing players simulate a punching motion by swinging their arms. These punches hit an opponent's face and body; there's wincing and a thudding sound, but no blood. You win a round by knocking an opponent out.
  • Sexy stuff:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    The baseball scoreboard says "Nintendo Wii," and there's a banner advertising Wii Sports in the tennis stadium. All other banners display innocuous, made-up slogans like "Big Bat," "Superstars," "Power Up!" and "Hit a home run!"
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Wii Sports was written by Erin Bell

Parents need to know that everyone from 5-year-olds to grandparents will enjoy playing this game, which is bundled with every new Wii console. While the multiplayer mode is the most fun feature, parents should make sure that all players have enough room to move and swing their arms. The only violence occurs in the boxing game, which parents of younger kids can skip. It requires players to jab with the Wii controls, hitting an opponent's virtual head and body to try to knock the opponent out.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about what makes this game so much fun. Is it the ability to simulate real sports or is it that you can play with friends and family? Do you think Wii Sports can help you get better at real sports? When you play on a team -- like the doubles matches in Wii Tennis -- what constitutes good sportsmanship?
Did this review help you decide?

OK for Your Kids to Play?

Do you play it? Review It!

More on 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.

Publisher’s Details

Developer: Nintendo
Released on: 11/19/2006, Price: $0, not online enabled
ESRB Rating: E for Mild Violence

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 9
    I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

    During the bowling there's booing when you don't knock down any pins.

  2. I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 3.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    Good family fun

    The only problem I have is that young kids might not have on the wrist srap and throught the remote through a window in exitement.

  3. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    I rate this title on for age 7 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Easy to play

    A fantastic Wii title!!

    This game came with the Wii I got for christmas. It's a fantastic game. Even though it only has five games, it's fantastic! Every Friday night me and my family play this for 3-4 hours. It never gets boring. The fun part is the Wii Fitness Test, where you test your Wii Fitness Age! You do three tests, and then it tells you your age. My best so far is 33 and the best age is 20. :D! The boxing has some un-realistic voilence, but it's no big deal. Players don't talk at all so everything else is not an issue. The golf and baseball might be hard for some younger players, but they'll catch on

  4. I rate this title on for age 3 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    great game! certantly better than wii sports resort

    i really like it! when we got it we wouldnt stop playing it, but it did get boring after awhile. a great party game violence-in boxing you beat people up

  5. I rate this title on for age 6 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    kul game

    with every purchase of a wii u get this as a free game to go along with it. IT is fun and kul. I enjoy every game: boxing, bowling, golf, baseball, and tennis. It teaches the basics of playing these sports to younger kids. Safety is not an issue. The only concern about this game is boxing which is indeed vilont but not bloody.

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