Wii Sports

Overview

Wii Sports is a sports-themed mini-game collection developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Wii (as a launch title) in North America (on November 19, 2006), Japan (on December 2, 2006), and Europe (on December 8, 2006). In regions outside of Japan and South Korea, the game was included as the system's pack-in game.

Making use of the motion-sensing capabilities of the Wii Remote, Wii Sports includes simplified simulations of five different sports: tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, and boxing. Aspects of each sport, such as the throwing of a ball or the swinging of a club, are mimicked using the Wii Remote (with the Nunchuk attachment also being used in the Boxing mini-game). It also features numerous unlockable training mini-games for each sport and a built-in daily "fitness age" test (Wii Fitness) that tracks the player's balance, speed, and stamina in randomly-selected training mini-games.

It is the first game to utilize Nintendo's "Mii" player avatars from the system's Mii Channel, allowing players to use their crafted Mii to represent them in-game and to save their personal stats. It also integrates with the system's Message Board to track player performance.

The game was later re-released outside of Japan in May 2011 as part of the "Nintendo Selects" label. It also received a sequel in 2009, titled Wii Sports Resort, and an updated remake for the Wii U in 2013 (as Wii Sports Club).

Games

Tennis

Tennis has players mimicking the swing of their Mii's tennis racket (or both of their Miis' rackets if they control both teammates) as they attempt to defeat the opposing team in a three-set Doubles match.

Moving is done automatically, leaving players only to worry about if the racket connects with the ball (forehand and backhand swings), and what kind of shot it makes, with direction based on swing timing and speed control based on whether the ball is sliced (high-to-low for faster returns) or lobbed (low-to-high for slower returns). Serving is done by swinging the Wii Remote upwards (to throw the ball upward, also done by pressing A) and then downwards (to strike the ball), with the correct timing causing a more powerful serve.

In addition to computer opponents, the game supports simultaneous multiplayer for up to four players, with split-screen enabled if both teams have at least one human player.

Training Modes

• In Returning Balls, players must return as many serves as they can without faults. As the game progresses, players have less time between serves and must periodically move close to the net for five close-ranged returns.

• In Timing Your Swing, players must return as many serves as they can while hitting an orange wall (at the back-end of the court) with each return. The wall shrinks and moves left-and-right with each successful hit. Unlocked after completing a round of Returning Balls.

• In Target Practice, a large brick wall is placed on the center of the court and, players must serve and then volley the ball on the wall, hitting as many targets as they can before the ball bounces on the ground twice. As each part of the wall is hit with more volleys, that part begins to crumble and create holes. Unlike other modes, this mode has a wider playfield. Unlocked after completing a round of Timing Your Swing.

Baseball

Baseball has players alternating between two phases (Batting and Pitching) in a single full inning. Other than the batting and pitching motions, all other aspects of the game (such as fielding and running) are done automatically.

During the Batting phase, players mimic the swing of their Mii's baseball bat as they attempt to hit the opposing pitcher's pitches, with faster swings landing more successful hits (with the chance of home runs).

During the Pitching phase, players mimic their Mii's throw of the baseball and can control the ball's positioning using the D-Pad (for general direction), both A and B buttons (A button spinning the ball left, B button curving the ball right, and both buttons dropping the ball downward), and the speed of the throwing motion.

In addition to computer opponents, the game supports two-player simultaneous multiplayer, with each player alternating between batting and pitching.

Training Modes

None of the three training modes make use of the main mode's pitching controls, with players only using batting controls.

• In Hitting Home Runs, players must hit as many home runs as they can with 10 fast pitches.

• In Swing Control, players must carefully hit 10 pitches towards the specified direction (four pitches towards the center, then three towards the left, then three towards the right). Each direction is marked with a multi-colored "target zone", which grant different amounts of points (10 points for the dark blue area closer to the center, 6 points for the light blue area farther away, 3 points for the white area farther from that, and no points either if it misses the target area completely or if the player fails to hit). Unlocked after completing a round of Hitting Home Runs.

• In Batting Practice, players must successfully hit as many pitches as they can with 30 pitches. As the game progresses, the pitcher begins to use different throws (such as spinballs). Unlocked after completing a round of Swing Control.

Bowling

Bowling has players mimicking the throw of their Mii's bowling ball as they attempt to clear as many pins as they can in a standard ten-frame game of bowling.

Players must hold down the B button during the throwing motion and release it at the right time to successfully throw the ball. Prior to throwing the ball, players can choose their Mii's positioning and direction for more trickier shots, and can put a spin on the ball by twisting the Wii Remote during the bowling motion.

The game supports multiplayer for up to four players, with each player taking turns.

Training Modes

• In Picking Up Spares, players must bowl a single throw on each of the 20 lanes, with each lane having a different pin configuration. For each lane, players gain a point if they mange to knock down all remaining pins.

• In Power Throws, players must bowl 10 throws on a single walled gutter-less lane. After each throw, the lane is reset and widened, with an additional line of pins added in the back. Players gain points for how many pins they knock down on each throw (which is doubled if all pins are knocked down). Unlocked after completing a round of Picking Up Spares.

• In Spin Control, players must bowl a single throw on each of the 20 lanes, with each lane having one pin and a configuration of walls to bowl around. For each lane, players gain a point if they mange to knock down the pin. The final lane is unique as there are no walls and all ten pins must be knocked down. Unlocked after completing a round of Power Throws.

Golf

Golf has players mimicking the swing of their Mii's golf club as they attempt to get their ball across the course and into the hole with the least amount of strokes they can. The game includes three 3-hole courses (Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert) as well as a single 9-hole course combining all three.

The game supports multiplayer for up to four players, with each player taking turns.

Training Modes

• In Putting, players start at locations on the green and must putt a single stroke in each of the 10 rounds, gaining a point if the ball lands in the cup. If the player misses on five of these putts, the game ends prematurely.

• In Hitting the Green, players start at locations near the green and must chip a single stroke in each of the 10 rounds, attempting to land as close to the pin as possible. Unlocked after completing a round of Putting.

• In Target Practice, players play 10 shots from the tee on a unique hole with two large targets and gain points the closer they are to the target (up to 100, with more points gained closer to the center of the target). Unlocked after completing a round of Hitting the Green.

Boxing

The only game to make use of the Nunchuk accessory, Boxing has players mimicking each of their Mii's boxing gloves with their Wii Remote (their dominant hand) and Nunchuk (the other hand) as they jab, uppercut, block, and dodge against their opponent in an attempt to bring down their vitality first and knock them out.

In addition to computer opponents, the game supports two-player simultaneous split-screen multiplayer.

Training Modes

• In Working the Bag, players have a limited amount of time to knock as many heavy punching bags off their chains (by throwing punches in a constant rhythm) as possible.

• In Dodging, players have a limited amount of time to dodge as many tennis balls thrown at them (by dodging from side-to-side) as possible. Points are deducted for each time a tennis balls hit the player. Unlocked after completing a round of Working the Bag.

• In Throwing Punches, players have a limited amount of time to strike the training mitts as much as possible. Points are deducted for failing to hit the mitt at the right time and for hitting the trainer. Unlocked after completing a round of Throwing Punches.

Updated Version

Nintendo has silently updated the Wii Sports game with minor enhancements that were found in European regions at first. This includes NPC baseball players throwing to base, a replay of a knock outs in boxing, players lining up before baseball, etc. This seems to be because the game might have shipped while not being completely finished and Nintendo assumed these updates were not really necessary to delay the release of the game and or console. The game also started coming in plastic cases instead of the cardboard "fold-up" ones that the first Wii consoles were shipped with.

Trivia

• Some of buttons in the game are shaped differently in other foreign copies of the game.
• This website tracks Wii Sports world records: Wii Sports World Records
• According to the NPD Wii Sports as surpassed Super Mario Bros. as the best selling game of all time.