 "Graduates of the DS handheld's Big Brain Academy are encouraged to re-enroll with the "Wii Degree" version of Nintendo's best-selling, brain-stimulating series. Once again players are challenged to rapidly solve a series of visual and audio puzzles to win one of four medals. The control scheme in this installment incorporates the Wii Remote as a pointing device, allowing players to quickly select answers, draw patterns, position pieces, and more. Like the original game, areas of focus include thinking, memorization, computation, analysis, and identification. Quick-thinking contestants can challenge nearby friends with a split-screen version of the game, and those connected to the Internet will be able to import top scores of Miis from around the country. |
 "Rockstar Games, the industry's lightning rod for controversy, continues its reputation for edgy, unusual material in Bully: Scholarship Edition for Wii, an enhanced version of the PlayStation 2 game with eight new missions, four additional classes, two-player mini-games, and unlockable items. Starring a juvenile delinquent in a reform school for troubled teens, Bully has players attending classes, socializing with other students, and exploring the grounds before curfew. Fifteen-year-old Jimmy Hopkins reluctantly attends the strict Bullworth Academy for a year, during which he'll develop skills, befriend peers, romance girls, and make a name for himself as either a hero or a miscreant. The world in Bully in many ways adheres to a structured schedule, with students attending two periods of classes and engaging in other daily routines. Yet there is also a degree of freedom in how players go about their daily tasks. They can elect to skip classes and cause mischief, at the risk of being sent to the principal's office for reprimanding. There are also missions to undertake on behalf of the five main cliques populating the school: jocks, nerds, greasers, preps, and bullies. Hopkins can interact with each character positively or negatively, through carefully worded dialogue or via pranks such as shoving students in lockers or pouring itching powder on garments. Activities Hopkins will engage in include zipping across campus on a skateboard; pedaling through town on "borrowed" bikes; playing video games in his dorm room; signing up for dodgeball, boxing, or wrestling in the gym; and even snapping photos for a yearbook. Mission types range from straightforward errands to more elaborate stealth and slingshot shooting segments. While there are no guns in the game, weapons such as baseball bats, garbage can lids, and similar items can be found within the environment. Hand-to-hand combat options include combos, disarm moves, and "humiliation" attacks, with a control system that relies more on timing than on learning complicated commands. |
 "The vile I.N.K.T. Corporation may have depleted Chroma City's color and vitality, but you're going to change it back, one shade at a time. THQ's de Blob has you controlling an amorphous creature that leaves behind splashes of color wherever it travels. Swinging the Wii Remote allows de Blob to transform a dreary, monochromatic world filled with buildings, landmarks, and alien citizens to a vibrant hotspot. In addition to the single-player campaign, the game offers four-player competitive battles via split-screen display. |
 "Dead Space Extraction is a sci-fi survival horror shooter made exclusively for Wii, based on 2008's Dead Space for high-def consoles and home computers. Players use the Wii Remote as a light gun, to aim and fire at onscreen enemies and other objects. The game is played as an on-rails shooter, with the lead character moving ahead automatically through dark and twisting caverns and corridors, challenging players to watch for upcoming enemies and react quickly. As a prequel to the original, Extraction puts players in the role of deep space explorers in the distant future, battling creepy alien entities that can mutate and animate human corpses. To keep these alien Necromorphs from repeatedly coming back to life, their space zombie hosts need to be systematically dismembered. The game also features environmental puzzles, and players must choose the direction to take when the on-rails path splits, as it does often throughout the adventure. Sci-fi circumstances and space suit abilities featured in the original Dead Space, such as zero gravity areas and "stasis" slow-down powers, are factors in combat and puzzle solving. A second Wii player can join the Extraction action at almost any time, through the game's drop-in cooperative multiplayer features. |
 "The Xbox 360's retro-themed shooter series thrusts onto Wii with Geometry Wars: Galaxies. Inspired by classic arcade titles like Asteroids and Tempest, the game mixes vector graphics and non-stop blasting action within colorful, grid-shaped solar systems. The controls attempt to mimic the dual-analog system of earlier versions by using the Wii Remote as a pointer for 360� aiming and the Nunchuk for movement. Blasting enemies will leave behind items called Geoms that increase bonus multipliers for high scores. One of the biggest changes to the series is the inclusion of a drone ship companion, which can be ordered to attack, collect Geoms, deploy defensive turrets, and perform other strategic options. Four multiplayer modes are available for both competitive and cooperative action with a friend, and Galaxies supports connectivity with the DS version for bonus content. The full version of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved is also included as a special bonus. |
 "GoldenEye 007 returns to a Nintendo console as an exclusive, updated version of the 1995 film. Featuring a slightly altered storyline written by screenwriter Bruce Feirstein, who co-wrote the film's screenplay, GoldenEye for Wii adds completely new levels, alternate locales, destructible environments, and even a new Bond: the original film's Pierce Brosnan is replaced by the likeness and voice of Daniel Craig. Each level can be played in different ways, depending on your style. Those who enjoy stealth can attempt to slink through areas unseen, while those who prefer a more direct approach can engage enemies with guns blazing. Bond will be able to use 25 different weapons in the game, from assault rifles and rocket launchers to proximity mines and smoke grenades. Like the original GoldenEye on N64, multiplayer support is a key component. Eight classic Bond characters, such as Jaws and Oddjob, are playable across ten maps and three main game types. Matches can be further customized with a choice of 17 modifiers. Up to eight players can compete online, earning experience points to unlock gadgets, perks, and weapons, while up to four can challenge each other via split-screen display. Multiple controller configurations are supported as well, including the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, Classic Controller, GameCube controller, and even the Wii Zapper. Two versions of the game are available: a standalone release and a limited edition that includes a gold colored Classic Controller Pro. |
 "A highly stylized game filled with enough blood-soaked ultraviolence to make Malcolm McDowell blush, MadWorld drops players in the midst of a twisted sports show known as Death Watch. Created by a group of terrorists who call themselves "The Organizers," Death Watch pits competitors against one another in a gruesome, Running Man-style battle for survival. Gamers step into the role of Jack, a contestant who must master the deadly weapons found in each environment in order to advance. MadWorld makes use of comic-book-inspired black-and-white art, but players can interrupt the monochrome with frequent splashes of crimson blood and viscera. Comedic commentary narrates the over-the-top action as gamers use their Wii Remote and Nunchuk to rack up combos by thrashing enemies and performing brutal finishing moves on hulking bosses. Those looking for human competition can choose to join friends in hot seat mode for a series of violent mini-games known as "Blood Bath Challenges." |
 "Longtime competitors Sonic and Mario can finally settle their differences (peacefully) at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. The unlikely combination of Sega and Nintendo mascots results in a choice of 16 characters, eight on each side, in 20 official Olympic events. Each character has distinct ratings in speed, power, skill, and stamina, with Sonic and Shadow edging out all rivals in sheer swiftness. Single Match involves earning medals in a choice of events, while Circuit Mode has players trying to place third or better in multiple circuits spanning three to five events. Mission Mode offers a total of 96 individual challenges, with each character facing six different goals to complete. All events use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers in various ways. Running consists of alternating up and down motions with each hand, while jumps are initiated by lifting the Wii Remote upwards or at an angle. Featured events include the long jump, hurdles, swimming, archery, trampoline, pole vault, hammer throw, skeet shooting, fencing, and more. Up to four players can compete simultaneously in certain events, and top scores can be posted online via Wi-Fi Connection. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games also lets players import their Mii characters for a more personal touch to the character-based competition. |
 "Gaming's most recognizable personalities return to internationally celebrated athletic competition in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. Following their 2008-based summer games outing in Beijing, the two mascots and their corporately aligned teams head to Vancouver for the 2010 games, to do their best in cold-weather sports such as alpine skiing, speed skating, snowboarding, and bobsled. The game features all the playable characters that competed in Mario & Sonic's original summer games, as well as new personas, such as Metal Sonic and Donkey Kong. Each character is rated in three basic areas -- speed, power, and skill -- so different characters excel in different events. Players can also choose to play as a Mii character, and new options allow customization with winter clothing and accessories. A "Festival Mode" allows characters to take part in opening and closing ceremonies. The game features adjustable difficulty settings, and other options designed to make play accessible for competitors of all ages and skill levels, while still providing a challenge for console gaming experts. Olympic events in the Wii version of the game feature motion controls, with same-screen competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes. The Wii version of the game also allows players an option to use the Balance Board accessory in some events (although it is not required). Published by Nintendo in Japan and by Sega elsewhere around the world, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee. |
 "The original kart racer is back on track with a motion-controlled edition for Wii. The 2008 release features classic characters, courses, and cups from previous Mario Kart games, both on consoles and handhelds. New tracks and championships are available as well, along with a new vehicle type. For the first time in the series, characters can race motorbikes as well as go-karts. Bikes can perform wheelies, and mid-air tricks add a speed boost upon landing. Many of the series' other classic power-ups return to the circuit in abundance, with plenty of koopa shells, bobombs, and invincibility stars. Several control schemes are available, making use of the Wii Remote (with or without the snap-on steering wheel handle), the classic GCN controller or Wavebird, or the Wii's Classic Controller add-on. Following the lead of the DS version of the game, Mario Kart for Wii supports online multiplayer competition, for as many as 12 players in various modes. |
 "Serving much the same purpose as the Virtual Console, only for games too large to fit on the Wii's internal memory, Nintendo's New Play Control! series lets gamers use the motion-sensitive Wii Remote to enjoy classic GameCube titles. Taking cues from the ultra-popular tennis portion of Wii Sports, the updated version of Mario Power Tennis lets players physically serve, spike, and volley with their favorite characters from the Mario universe. |
 "The superhero universe is embroiled in civil war, and it's time for players to choose sides in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. The game is a mission-driven action-adventure with a focus on small-squad combat, viewed from an isometric perspective. As in Marvel's earlier 3D action games (such as titles in the X-Men Legends series, as well as the original Marvel: Ultimate Alliance), role-playing aspects also influence the adventure, with gamers choosing which heroes to control, and how to improve their various superpowers and abilities as they gain experience by defeating enemies and accomplishing goals. In most scenarios, a team of four Marvel heroes battles a path through areas teeming with high-tech defenses, heavily armed thugs, and rival superhero and supervillian enemies. Players can switch control between the characters, while the computer takes control of additional teammates. Co-operative multiplayer modes for up to four are available. While all the heroes and villains can perform basic maneuvers such as leaps and melee attacks, each also has a distinct superpower. Over two dozen heroes and villains are available for play, and the special powers of any two super-beings can be combined into a new, even more powerful "fusion" ability. A team with a good mix of special abilities is better prepared for the diverse dangers and challenges that wait in each mission. The story of the Ultimate Alliance 2 is taken from the Civil War saga, the major crossover event that was first revealed in the pages of multiple Marvel comics in 2006 and early 2007. The U.S. government is calling on all super-powered humans to reveal themselves and register with an official agency, for the safety and protection of the population at large. Heroes and villains now reevaluate past loyalties and regroup according to their stance toward this conflict, which pits the security of the people against the liberties of the individual. |
 "Nintendo's signature series returns to its side-scrolling roots with new levels, new power-ups, and a host of multiplayer modes in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Players choose to guide Mario, Luigi, or two versions of Toad through a variety of colorful worlds on another quest to rescue Princess Peach from the clutches of Bowser. As always, the game worlds are filled with pitfalls and enemies, but players can fight back thanks to the new ice flower, which allows them to hurl snowballs, the new propeller mushroom, which lets gamers float through the air, and the new penguin suit, which provides surer footing in icy environments. The game makes use of a classic Super Mario Bros. control scheme, though propeller-suit actions and the spin jump incorporate the Wii Remote's motion sensitivity. Multiplayer action comes in both competitive and cooperative forms, letting up to four gamers interact with the environment and one another in a variety of helpful or hurtful ways. |
 "Travis Touchdown is the name, slicing and dicing is his game. No More Heroes is a stylishly violent combat game in the sardonic spirit of films like Kill Bill. Players must take out ten rival killers, with names like Death Metal, Dr. Peace, and Destroyman, and their hellish henchmen before they "intercept" Touchdown. While Touchdown's primary attack is an upgradeable beam katana blade, he is also schooled in grapple moves made popular by professional wrestling. In between assassination attempts, players can relax in Touchdown's interactive motel room (where he can play with his cat, watch wrestling videos, or save progress by sitting on the toilet). Players can also work a number of side jobs to earn extra spending money. Mowing lawns, collecting coconuts, and other offbeat occupations are available as mini-games, each taking advantage of the system's motion-sensing controls. The action takes place within the fictitious city of Santa Destroy, home to a video store, baseball stadium, burger joint, gym, pizza parlor, and other hangouts. Players will travel from target to target on a massive motorcycle that can perform wheelies, jumps, and pavement-scorching turbo boosts. Directed by Goichi Suda, best known for Killer7 on GameCube and Contact on DS, the M-rated No More Heroes features a distinctive cel-shaded visual style. |
 "Ubisofts limbless mascot returns for his most unusual adventure yet, one that involves saving the world from a wacky warren of demonic bunnies. Using the Wii Remote, players will control a revamped Rayman who wears outlandish outfits from different eras, including a purple afro and 70s-style threads, to further enhance his powers. The character is joined by a number of creature comrades, many of which can be ridden to help traverse treacherous areas or to combat the rabbit regime. Player can hitch rides atop spiders, sharks, and other animals while exploring an assortment of colorful, free-roaming environments. Raymans creator, Michel Ancel, reprises his role as lead designer for this offbeat installment in the successful platform game series. |
 "Red Steel is a first-person shooter that combines gunfights and swordplay with the Wii's unique motion-sensing controls. After the Yakuza abducts an unnamed American's Japanese fianc�, he journeys into the heart of Japan's underworld to confront a crime syndicate boss and his well-armed minions. Players begin the game equipped with a pistol and a sword, both of which showcase the platform's unusual control scheme. Holding the Wii Remote like a firearm, players point the controller at the television screen and squeeze the trigger-like B button to shoot. More precise shots are accomplished by extending one's arm to zoom-in on targets, as players freely look around their environment, duck, or jump using the analog-based Nunchuk attachment. Those who dispose of enemies with efficiency and precision are rewarded with "focus," a technique represented by a gauge, which lets players freeze time and isolate multiple targets before taking them all out in one John Woo-inspired finishing move. The game's Tokyo-based locales will take players through gardens, corporate offices, dojos, restaurants, gaming parlors, and crowded streets, each offering destructible elements such as aquariums, pachinko machines, cars, neon lights, and more. The goal in each setting is to work your way past armed thugs and onto boss duels involving swords rather than guns. Swordfights are approached in a slightly different manner, as attacks require specific, pre-defined motions instead of the sword responding to your real-time movements. Red Steel also includes support for up to four players in a variety of competitive game modes. |
 "One of the Wii's high-profile launch titles receives a revamped sequel featuring a cel-shaded presentation, a new setting, and retooled play mechanics. While the first game's distinctive combination of gun slinging and swordplay returns, you can now freely switch between the two combat styles at any point in the action instead of being forced to use one weapon during specific levels. Your sword also benefits from the added precision of the Wii MotionPlus accessory, allowing for true 1:1 movement that also tracks the strength of swings. The protagonist, known as the "Swordsman," is inspired by "The Man With No Name" film series starring Clint Eastwood. You are a strong but silent hero who finds himself wandering through an unusual city named Caldera in the middle of the American desert. Mixing elements of Western and Eastern cultures, Red Steel 2 offers combat against up to six enemies simultaneously and a number of stylized moves, from dramatic finishing blows to the ability to deflect bullets with your blade. Your goal is to free the town from a tyrannical warlord, whose minions include katana-wielding swordsmen and agile ninjas. Red Steel 2 is available in two packages: the standalone game and a bundled version with the Wii MotionPlus, which is required for play. |
 "The critically acclaimed Resident Evil 4 on GameCube staggers onto Wii with a retooled control scheme and additional bonus content. The sinister storyline and zombie-blasting action are unchanged, but players can now move their character with the Nunchuk attachment while independently targeting enemies with the Wii Remote. Nintendo fans will also be able to experience content previously exclusive to the PlayStation 2 version, delving deeper into character Ada Wong's history with the franchise in a revealing scenario entitled "Separate Ways." One new weapon is available, the powerful PRL 412 gun, which can be unlocked along with new alternate costumes for both Leon S. Kennedy and Ashley Graham. |
 "Featuring classic environments from earlier releases in the series, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles allows gamers to the explore mansions, underground testing facilities, and hospitals of games past on a next-generation console. Players lead Jill Valentine, Billy Coen, Rebecca Chambers, or Chris Redfield through each viral landscape, using the Wii Remote or Zapper against a never-ending barrage of zombies and other unsavory enemies. While out in the infected zone, gamers move on a path, and can adjust their field of vision to view unseen areas with the D-pad. Looking closely is essential, as key information is often within each interactive scene. This chapter in the Resident Evil franchise is playable alone or with a friend, and gamers may replay any mission to earn higher rankings and more effective weaponry. |
 "Normally known for gritty, mature-themed action adventures, the development team at Rockstar San Diego serves up this unlikely sports game, intended to translate the furious and intense action of table tennis to the Nintendo Wii. Designed to mimic the exciting experience of international table tennis competition, the game allows players to choose from 11 distinct characters, which vary both in appearance and abilities. These up-and-coming athletes must train, to master various shots and techniques. When they are ready for competition, they will compete across 19 venues while sporting authentic equipment and apparel from some of the top names in table tennis, including Killerspin, Adidas, Joola, and Butterfly. |
 "Sega's action-oriented fishing series is lured from the arcades and Dreamcast onto Wii with motion-sensing controls simulating both casting and reeling. As in previous iterations, Sega Bass Fishing focuses on catching the "big ones" as quickly as possible instead of waiting patiently on a boat for a nibble or two. Four play modes include Arcade, Tournament, Practice, and Nature Trip. The latter is a Wii exclusive, allowing players to enjoy the thrills and spills of competitive fishing without worrying about time limits or achieving specific objectives. A total of 15 venues are available, seven of which are new to the Wii version. Players will be able to choose from 20 lures to land four types of bass: Florida Large Mouth, Red Eye, Small Mouth, and Northern Spike Large Mouth. Adjustable options include season, time of day, and weather. |
 "Gamers are invited to get some air and slalom down a mountainside in SSX Blur. Designed as a "best of" version of previous SSX titles, the game offers a variety of single-player experiences along with two choices for multiplayer competition. Returning to the series are several gameplay modes including "Quickplay" and "Tournament." "Quickplay" allows gamers to sample several half-pipe, slaloming, and racing competitions while "Tournament" requires players to take on many competitors as they attempt to reach the peak of the mountain. The 12 courses in the game feature updated versions of classic levels along with a selection of stages created specifically for the Wii. Gamers may select from a cast of ten returning characters or choose one of two new avatars and then attempt to make it down the slope using the Nunchuk and Wii-Remote to pull off impossible tricks and combos. During a run, players can collect pickups that unlock a special "Uber Trick." To land an Uber Trick, gamers must fill their Groove Meter by completing a successful round of tricks. As the meter fills, the in-game background music adjusts to antagonize the intensity. With friends, gamers may compete in two-person split-screen or four-person alternating action. |
 "Mario leaves behind the Mushroom Kingdom and soars into space, of all places, for his debut adventure on Wii. Bowser is once again making trouble for poor Mario, snatching the persistently imperiled Princess Peach and stashing her somewhere deep within the cosmos. The plumber begins his rescue mission from the Comet Observatory, where beings known as Lumas require star energy to power their planet so Mario can reach Bowser. The hero must venture across multiple galaxies to collect stars, while mastering a mix of familiar and new play mechanics along the way. The space setting introduces a number of changes to the classic Mario experience. Instead of running, hopping, and bopping on flat land, for instance, Mario leaps across spherical planets with variable fields of gravity. A new spin move has been added to his repertoire, allowing him to stun enemies, deflect projectiles, break objects, jump higher, and much more. Players will also rocket through space by using the Wii Remote to "latch" onto certain stars like a grappling hook or a tractor beam. Hidden throughout each world is stardust that can be used as a weapon or as a means to gain extra lives. Collecting stars opens up more routes to explore and conquer, and players will visit more than 40 galaxies across six themed regions. Multiple objectives are available to complete within each galaxy, and several transformations are possible with the game's new costumes. The bee suit, for example, has the plucky plumber hovering and climbing sticky surfaces, while the "boo" suit turns Mario into an apparition that floats and passes through barriers. An assortment of racing and other whimsical mini-games are sprinkled throughout each region, and a friend can even join in on the fun by lending Mario a helping hand in the cooperative assist mode. |
 "One of Nintendo's most anticipated games for 2008, Super Smash Bros. Brawl continues the mascot-mauling series that began in 1998 on Nintendo 64. As in the two previous installments, players will choose from an assortment of major and minor characters from the publisher's prolific past, including such stalwarts as Mario, Pikachu, Link, and Samus. New to Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the inclusion of cross-platform stars Sonic the Hedgehog and Solid Snake, as well as such "slighted" characters as Wario, Diddy Kong, and Pit of Kid Icarus fame. Characters will engage in hand-to-hand or projectile-based combat within multi-tiered environments based on iconic locales. Yoshi's Island, Delfino Plaza, and WarioWare are but a few of the featured stages, each offering built-in hazards and a number of surprise twists. One of the game's distinguishing features is its offbeat item list, which has now expanded to include the likes of smoke balls, cracker launchers, and one deadly dinner: super spicy curry. As characters progress through the game's several play formats, including a new side-scrolling Adventure Mode, they can take snapshots, win trophies, and even collect stickers to store in an album. Four controller options are available, and players can once again set up dream matches and tournaments by customizing an assortment of minute details. Some of the industry's most respected composers have contributed to the eclectic soundtrack, which features rearranged theme songs and bonus tunes unlocked by collecting CDs throughout the course of play. Yet the most compelling feature for longtime fans is the inclusion of four-player online support for global competition. |
 "Overkill is an over-the-top, B-movie, pulp fiction-style take on the House of the Dead series. Played from a first-person perspective, the game's seemingly simple goal is to shoot at the zombies, mutants, and other unearthly horrors that come into view, before they can get close enough to take a bite. The lead character quips sardonic comments and macabre jokes, and innocent civilians flee the carnage as he blasts a swath of righteous gore through the writhing hordes. The play mechanics are of the on-rails shooter style used in other House of the Dead games. As in the well-received House of the Dead 2 & 3 remake for Wii, players aim and fire using the Wii Remote, while their characters automatically move forward through the level, pausing at key locations for special challenges and scripted events. The action is set to a rousing pace, with swarming undead and surprise attacks to keep the tension on edge. The motion-sensitive controls also play a role when the creepies get too close for comfort: with a swing of the controller, players can pistol-whip a zombie or smack back a mutant with the stock of their shotgun. Two-player cooperative play is supported, for side-by-side shooting. |
 "Notable for being the first Zelda game launched with a Nintendo platform, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for Wii is an enhanced version of the GameCube title with a new control scheme. Players guide the elfin Link with both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers as he fights to save Hyrule from a shadowy new threat, one that has cast a crippling darkness over the once vibrant land and its surrounding areas. Link has a few new powers up his tunic's sleeve, however, as he can transform into a wolf with the help of a mysterious animal friend named Midna. Familiar elements from previous Zelda games have made the transition to Twilight Princess, albeit with new twists afforded by the motion-sensor controls. As players explore puzzle-filled dungeons, they will shake, point, pull back, and tilt their controllers to throw boomerangs, fire arrows, launch a hookshot, swing a sword, and more. Link can even continue his battles on horseback, running at full gallop into packs of mounted enemies. Twilight Princess also includes several optional mini-games, from canoeing to herding to fishing. The latter has players flicking the Wii Remote to cast the line and then jerking it back to reel the fish in. |
 "With a new emphasis on online tournaments and refined controls, the biggest name in golf returns for another season of virtual chipping, putting, and driving in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10. Gamers can hit the links on a variety of real-world courses, including the newly added Turnberry (site of the 2009 British Open), Bethpage Black (site of the 2009 U.S. Open), Oakmont, Hazeltine, and Torrey Pines. The inclusion of Bethpage Black marks the first time in franchise history that players get to tackle the notoriously difficult U.S. Open tournament, and dynamic crowds, scoreboards, and weather effects are designed to provide the game with a realistic sense of dramatic intensity. Wii MotionPlus is fully integrated into the game, allowing for more accurate shots and realistic draw-fade possibilities, and Wii gamers get the added bonus of a Disc Golf side-game that lets players toss a Frisbee around all 27 available courses. Online tournaments come in three different varieties, with two of the modes challenging players to post the best possible score to online leaderboards. The "Daily" tournaments find gamers competing in single-round competitions with a 24-hour window, while the "Weekly" tournaments challenge players to post the best four-round score they can over a seven-day span. The "Play the Pros" option lets gamers golf against professionals who are competing in real-life tournaments, so players can go shot for shot with Tiger Woods in real-time. The "Daily" and "Weekly" modes offer four separate difficulty levels to prevent experts from ruining a tournament full of novices, and EA Sports has included a number of potential tiebreakers, such as fairway hits and greens in regulation, to help sort out the inevitable stalemates. |
 "2K Sports' leading tennis series returns to the virtual courts in Top Spin 4. The game's controls are designed to feel natural and straightforward for those new to the series, yet still permit advanced players to make accurate lobs, smashes, drops, and other precision-spin shots. The Wii edition of the game features redesigned motion controls that allow players to more accurately wield their remotes as tennis racquets in off-the-couch gameplay. Presentational updates include television-style camera angles, cut-aways, and commentary, as well as more realistically responsive crowds in famous venues such as Arthur Ashe Stadium, Rod Laver Arena, and the O2 Arena in London. Top Spin 4 also features the deepest roster in the series to date, with both past and present stars of the sport including Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Ana Ivanovic, and more than 20 others. Each athlete is recreated with a "Signature Style," encompassing appearance, attributes, attitudes, and custom-animated swings and stances. In addition to playing as or against the famous professionals, gamers can create their own custom character, to lead through an up-and-coming career and onto championship tournaments. |
 "The first sports title for Nintendo's Wii showcases the platform's unique controller and its potential for revitalizing conventional genres. Versions of tennis, baseball, golf, bowling, and boxing are included in this collection designed for gamers of all backgrounds. In tennis, the Wii Remote is held like a racket, with onscreen athletes responding to the direction and speed at which players swing the input device. Lobs, serves, backhands, and smashes are all performed by moving the controller in lieu of pressing buttons. Both singles and doubles matches on multiple court surfaces are available, with the latter supporting up to four players simultaneously. Baseball and golf follow a similar style, with the Wii Remote functioning as either a bat or a club, while bowling and boxing use the device to simulate throws and punches. Wii Sports is the first game bundled with the launch of a Nintendo console since 1991's Super Mario World on Super NES. |
 "Wii Sports Resort is a sequel to the original Wii pack-in game, Wii Sports. The title's resort is set on a tropical island, where players may take part in a dozen sports-based activities involving archery, basketball, biking, canoeing, golf, jet skiing, skydiving, sword fighting, table tennis, water skiing, and flying disc games with a cute, Mii dog companion. As in the original Wii Sports, Resort players participate in the activities by performing the motions of the real-life sports while holding the movement-sensitive controllers, such as thrusting and parrying with a sword, taking a slicing swing at a Ping-Pong ball to put backspin on it, flicking the wrist to toss a spinning disc, or leaning side to side in order to steer with air resistance while skydiving. |
|
|
