'Wii Sports Resort' is a true showcase of what the Motionplus is capable of, and this tactical move of "tech bundling" has ensured a great deal of success for Nintendo.

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, Motionplus is a small attachment for the Wiimote which increases its overall responsiveness, allowing it to handle more intricate and complex movements.

Nintendo cleverly packaged 'Wii Sports Resort' with the Motionplus; a move similar to how 'Wii Sports' was released with the console.

The introduction of 'Wii Sports Resort' is rather fresh and quite unabashedly bold. Instead of opening up with a typical cinematic, 'Wii Sports Resort' throws you straight into the action by throwing you straight out of a plane. This brash start allows Nintendo to showcase the Motionplus' most motion-complex game — skydiving.

Skydiving allows players to experience the full power of the Motionplus as your avatar mimics the exact movements of the upgraded Wiimote. Before you know it, you have landed on Wuhu Island to start your adventure in a virtual paradise brimming with advanced motion-driven games.

'Wii Sports Resort' is essentially a sequel to 'Wii Sports' and the first thing you'll notice is that the interface has been further simplified. This is a good move as the game's main audience is one of a casual nature; however (as 'Wii Sports' has undeniably proven) the game is a lot of fun for all types of gamers, no matter how advanced you are.

Another area of improvement is in the sheer number of games on offer, along with their respective variations. I would go as far as saying that the offering blows 'Wii Sports' right out the water. They even included two previous games and made them better.

All of these games utilise the added responsiveness provided by the Motionplus, adding a much needed dimension to Wii's motion control. That means no more waggle cheating — yes, we were all a bit guilty of being lazy and not swinging the remote as we knew we should have.

Another aspect that comes into play is how the Wiimote feels physically with the Motionplus attachment. After playing through all the games, I can safely say it feels really good. In fact, the little bit of weight gives the Wiimote extra body, which I tend to prefer.

I have no doubt Nintendo toiled to make the Motionplus as subtle as possible. It does not obstruct movement in the slightest and fits snugly to the bottom of the Wiimote (gold stars for all those engineers at Nintendo). Admittedly, the technology should have been included with the original Wiimote, but at least it's finally made it to the living room.

The plethora of games mean there's something for everyone. Probably the most anticipated game in the pack was Swordfighting, which allows players to open up a can of whoop-ass with true 1:1 control. Or you can finally spin the ball and properly control your swings in Table Tennis (sorry folks, that ability you had to spin the ball in Wii Sports Tennis was merely a placebo). A cool addition to the lot is the Flying segment where players can enjoy a casual fly over the island or engage in a mano-a-mano dogfight.

Funnily enough, 'Wii Sports Resort' really impressed me with the returning titles of Golf and Bowling. By playing these titles with the advanced controls, I was truly able to see how much the Motionplus actually improved the gameplay. Especially for Golf, which was a rather irritating and weak game, the improvement is incredible.

The list of sports doesn't stop there as you'll also be able to enjoy the likes of Basketball, Canoeing, Wakeboarding, Frisbee, Archery, Power Cruising and Skydiving.

As per 'Wii Sports', the characters and surroundings are as friendly as ever and your opponents even seem serene as you wack them in the face with a sword. The background setting for 'Wii Sports Resort' is stronger than its predecessor and the island itself is full of character.

The graphics complement the game well and, although they are simple, they are exquisitely polished and good to look at. You must give it to Nintendo, they really know how to get the best out of their systems.

The music is fairly generic yet charming and just the right amount to provide a steady backing to the action.

Though the gameplay is spot on, I wished they could have sported a bit more depth. It is nearly as if Nintendo was showing the beginning of something that could be great — and stopped there. Though casual gamers will be satisfied, more serious gamers may be left slightly wanting.

The last concern about 'Wii Sports Resort' and Motionplus — and this is especially true for South African gamers — is the cost of Motionplus. To get the most out of 'Wii Sports Resort', you will probably need a minimum of two Motionplus'; four Motionplus units will set you back over a grand. Add this to the already high cost of Wiimotes and Nunchuks, and you get a rather daunting figure.

Though it may be viable overseas, it is quite steep for the South African market. This is rather unfortunate as the Motionplus is a great piece of technology.

Costs aside, 'Wii Sports Resort' is a big improvement on 'Wii Sports' and makes the most of the Motionplus. It is definitely a good addition to your library, especially if you're big into social gaming.

PressStart.co.za

8.6/10

Buy this game: Wii

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