Wii Sports Resort

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Best all-ages sports compilation yet -- great for groups.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning3
Best: Really engaging, great learning approach.
Very Good: Engaging, very good learning approach.
Good: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
Fair: Somewhat engaging, okay learning approach.
Not for Learning : Not recommended for learning.
Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this excellent compilation of sports games plays well across generations from kindergartners to grandparents. However, families with young children may want to skip the sword fighting game because it is all about whacking other avatars with a sword that you wield. This game comes bundled with the new Wii remote add-on called the Wii MotionPlus and it must be played with that add-on. This game is best played with others, but all the games can be played alone. Parents might want to turn off the importing of Miis from the Check Mii Out Channel because that content may present Miis that seem inappropriate.

  • All of the characters shown in the game are supportive of you and exhibit good sportsmanship. For example, while on the golf course, you opponents are shown quietly waiting for you to take a turn.
  • Your avatar and those of the people you are playing with will always demonstrate good sportsmanship. If you decide to allow the importing of Mii Characters from the Check Mii Out Channel, you may see Mii characters that represent stereotypes.
  • What makes this game so good is the ease by which players of different abilities can play. For newbies, there are easy difficulty levels and in some games, the ability to turn on "Automatic Control" which means that you simply use arm movements to play. For gaming veterans, the controls can be set to require more precision, like having to time the release of the bowling ball by letting go of the "B" button.
  • In one of the 12 games there is mild cartoon violence where you use your Wii remote as a sword and you slash at other avatars until you knock them down. Both your avatar and the characters you are fighting are wearing protective gear.  There is no blood shown and the other characters simply fall over. If you knock them off a bridge or other high surface, they have their own personal inflation system and they float to a safe place. You can also crash your airplane but again, your avatar will parachute to safety.
  • Not applicable.
  • Not applicable.

What kids can learn

3

Kids can learn about and engage in several popular physical activities in this broad-ranging compilation of sporty, motion-controlled mini-games for multiple players. Kids will be introduced to several sports they may never have had opportunity to try in the real world, such as archery, canoeing, and wakeboarding. They're also likely to get a good little workout as they imitate the movements required in each sport. Wii Sports Resort wasn't created to act as a learning tool, but kids playing it will be introduced to a wide range of real-world athletic activities and practice teamwork.

Subjects
  • Language & Reading
  • Math
  • Science
  • Social Studies
Skills
  • Thinking & Reasoning
  • Creativity
  • Self-Direction
  • Responsibility & Ethics
  • Tech Skills
  • Health & Fitness
    exercise, fitness, movement

What's it about?

WII SPORTS RESORT is the long-waited sequel to the award-winning Wii Sports game. This time around, there are 12 categories of sports to explore, and fun variations within most of these sports. You can play archery, Frisbee, basketball, golf, table tennis, bowling; and explore the air sports of skydiving and flying a plane. You can also try wakeboarding (a form of water skiing), sword play, power cruising (driving a jet ski), cycling, and canoeing. All of these sports are played by doing intuitive arm motions that are associated with the sport. So to throw a Frisbee, you will flick your wrist, and to play table tennis you will swing an imaginary paddle. And with the new Wii MotionPlus, the controller is so sensitive, that you can now add spin and other sophisticated moves.


Is it any good?

 

Wii Sports Resort is a vacation destination that you won't want to miss. Each of the sports is fun to explore either alone and with others – although the game is most fun when played with a group. It is the best sports compilation that we have reviewed on the Wii, and would be a great addition to any family games library. We tested it with octogenarians all the way down to kids and it was a hit with all ages.

Nintendo has done an excellent job of simplifying each sport into something that would be fun on the Wii, while still maintaining some depth to the gameplay. The new Wii MotionPlus controller add-on provides a new level of sophistication for those that want it, but the play of each game can still be very simple and intuitive. You can turn on "Automatic Control" in several of the games so that the gameplay is simply about making the motions and not about timing the release of buttons. One of the better games is Frisbee golf where you use three different-sized discs to mimic the golf driver, iron, and putter. The game is played on a golf course where wind is a big factor.

Online interaction: If parents allow the importing of Mii Characters from the Check Mii Out Channel, a service where others create and then vote on the most popular Miis, kids might see some Miis that seem inappropriate.


Explore, discuss, enjoy

  • Families can talk about why playing active games is important to your health.

  • Did you notice a change in how easily the Wii was able to detect your motions? Will it be hard to go back to playing games that don't use the extra sensitivity of the Wii MotionPlus?

  • Which games were best for groups of people to play and why? Is it fun to play as teams or as individuals all competing against each other?


This review of Wii Sports Resort was written by

What kids can learn

3

Kids can learn about and engage in several popular physical activities in this broad-ranging compilation of sporty, motion-controlled mini-games for multiple players. Kids will be introduced to several sports they may never have had opportunity to try in the real world, such as archery, canoeing, and wakeboarding. They're also likely to get a good little workout as they imitate the movements required in each sport. Wii Sports Resort wasn't created to act as a learning tool, but kids playing it will be introduced to a wide range of real-world athletic activities and practice teamwork.


Subjects
  • Language & Reading:
  • Math:
  • Science:
  • Social Studies:
  • Arts:
  • Hobbies: sports
Skills
  • Thinking & Reasoning:
  • Creativity:
  • Self-Direction:
  • Emotional Development:
  • Communication: friendship building
  • Collaboration: teamwork
  • Responsibility & Ethics:
  • Tech Skills:
  • Health & Fitness: exercise, fitness, movement

What's it about?

WII SPORTS RESORT is the long-waited sequel to the award-winning Wii Sports game. This time around, there are 12 categories of sports to explore, and fun variations within most of these sports. You can play archery, Frisbee, basketball, golf, table tennis, bowling; and explore the air sports of skydiving and flying a plane. You can also try wakeboarding (a form of water skiing), sword play, power cruising (driving a jet ski), cycling, and canoeing. All of these sports are played by doing intuitive arm motions that are associated with the sport. So to throw a Frisbee, you will flick your wrist, and to play table tennis you will swing an imaginary paddle. And with the new Wii MotionPlus, the controller is so sensitive, that you can now add spin and other sophisticated moves.


How kids will learn

Kids will learn about physical activity by being physically active. They'll work up a sweat as they make authentic paddling motions in the canoeing game and pump their arms up and down to pedal harder in the cycling game. Some games, like basketball and Frisbee, offer kids a chance to play together in a friendly competition, providing a good opportunity for them to work on their communication skills.


How parents can help

  • Organize a competition for your kids and their friends. Set up a tournament and make sure each kid has an equal chance to play and be included.
  • Grab a Frisbee and head to the park to recreate the game's Frisbee golf activity. Mark out "greens" and see who can land on them in the fewest throws.

This review of Wii Sports Resort was written by
Adult
August 4, 2009
 
Perfect for Most Ages
Seriously, why eight? I was playing worse games than this measly one at six and yet I somehow managed to turn out alright. Seriously it is whenever the parent feels it is ok for the kid to be able to responsibly handle playing a Wii without throwing the remote. This game barely has any violence, and as much as overconcerned parents want to take these games away from their children they need to understand that there will always be some violence in the world that you cannot protect your kid from. The swordfighting is ok because most children do it with things anyway and better them take out their frustration on the game than on someone else. And what about Miis is inapropriate?
What other families should know:

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Parent of 5 and 6 year old
December 7, 2010
 
Easy to play, appealing to everyone and overall great for the whole family
This game is simple and fun for the entire family. We actually got the game because I enjoyed playing it so much when we tried it out on the in-law's wii. But the wonderful thing about it is that has appeal for everyone and is simple enough that even younger kids can play yet challenging enough that adults will find it fun as well. One of the great things about this game is that there are LOTS of games within the game itself and most all of them are fun and value-added (with a few exceptions depending on what you enjoy). Just the airplane flying alone will provide hours of fun for anyone in the family. One thing to note is that some games (such as the airplane game) only allow one player while most of the other games can be played by yourself or with multiple players. You must have a special add-on for your remote that makes it more sensitive for each remote being used, though. So it can get quite expensive if you want the entire family to play. That said, I think the remote can be shared on some games (such as frisbee golf or bowling). This game is a big hit in our house and my husband turns of the playstation occasionally to play this instead. I definitely recommend it for all ages.

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Teen, 13 years old
September 6, 2009
 
i think it AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!i love everything on it!!!!!!!!!!!
What other families should know:

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Parent of 8 year old
November 27, 2010
 
Both my 5yr old and 8 yr. old love this game!
I have been searching for Wii titles that my non-gamer kids would like and could pick up quickly. This is the one that has stood out. Swordplay, wakeboarding, ping pong and archery are their favorites. All are easy to learn and engaging. Their friends love playing as well. The game does have some duds though. Namely, jetski slalom, rowing and cycling. Not much fun here. The other downside is that you have to purchase another Wiiremote "add-on" to play two players. So total cost can exceed $80. If you have the original Wii system.

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Parent of 3 and 4 year old
June 22, 2010
 
We got this for our family with two children, 2 & 4. While the littlest one can't play it, she loves to see her Mii on the TV and identifies all our Miis. Our four-year-old loves the flying games, frisbee, table tennis and sword fighting. He's also doing the archery, basketball and golf. The one he really has a tough time with is the wakeboarding, but it's a great way to teach him to persevere and keep trying to learn something new. We focus on being a gracious winner and a good loser and I think he has learned a lot. Whenever he plays, we play with him so he's only playing a few times a week, but I think that's plenty.

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Kid, 11 years old
March 25, 2011
 
This is a fun game I lov eit and suggest it for every age 2-102 is suggested.
What other families should know:

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Adult
August 6, 2009
 
Ehh...Its alright, but is basically recycled content with extra addons.
Nintendo, I want new, interesting games for the Wii, and that's what you promised to the world when the Wii came out a few years ago. But now...we see the Wii has turned into something of a child's toy with a limited library of kiddish games, and very few good ones. Again, if you want real exercise, your going to have to go out and do it yourself. Video games were meant to relax and unwind from the day, not to waggle you hand around in the air like a air traffic controller covered in bees. This game is fun for kids and those who didn't spend a lot of time trying the included Wii Sports game. Otherwise, it is not worth it for those over 12+. Please, release some decent game for the Wii, Nintendo (other than Brawl or Metroid Prime 3).

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Kid, 10 years old
September 29, 2009
 
An unbelievable game that achieves everything and more.
The WiiMotionPlus is a great add on that makes for an even greater game. The video game is quite excellent, with a lot of play modes. By far the best game was the brilliant archery, with the top notch frisbee game and the table tennis game not far behind, plus the sleeper hit of the island flyover game. With tons of great games to play, you will have a good time. There are a few bad ones, such as canoeing and power cruising, but the majority are awesome and if you havent already bought this game, its worth every penny.
What other families should know:

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Kid, 10 years old
February 5, 2011
 
Fun for the whole family!
Great update to Wii Sports. I love ALL the games. And my mom's always trying to beat my highscore on archery, and my dad likes playing the wakeboarding game with me. All the games are simple to understand, and they are very addicting to play. A great family game.
What other families should know:

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Teen, 13 years old
August 1, 2010
 
This game includes even more fun games, like basketball, biking, cliffdiving and even frisbe dog! The golf has been upgraded; now your Wii remote can tell the way you hit the ball better, so it's closer to really playing golf. Of course, it makes the game harder! There are also fun mini games within the games! The Motion Plus is a jacket required in the game, I think that's what makes it sense what you're doing better. Other games include flying in a plane, which is really fun. Frisbe dog is also fun, and the little dog you play with is too cute! But swordplay is more violent. Your Mii can get hit, but it's not very violent. Although these games are fun, they got rid of tennis and replaced it with table tennis. But it's still fun to play, and at least they didn't entirely take out tennis. Nintendo did a really good job with this game. It might be even better than Wii sports!
What other families should know:

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This review of Wii Sports Resort was written by
Topics:sports and martial arts
Platforms:Nintendo Wii
Available online?Available online
Genre:Sports
Developer:Nintendo
Release date:July 26, 2009
Price:$49.99
ESRB rating:E for Cartoon Violence (Nintendo Wii)

This review of Wii Sports Resort was written by

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