... But wait! There's more!

An interesting feature added to each of the games is the ability to track the progress of each character. For example, if you win a match of Tennis, the character you played with will get some points. When 1,000 points are reached a Pro status in that mode is earned. Not much happens when Pro is reached (despite some little tweaks in some of the games) although that doesn't stop it from being a target for those perfectionists amongst us. Not that it is particularly difficult to do so, though.

Alongside the five games are the Training and Wii Fitness modes. Training is basically a bunch of mini-games based on the five core games. Each game has medals to earn although the game offers no way to view the medals you have unlocked. The games are somewhat diverse, with one requiring you to knock down as many punching bags as possible in a set time limit while another requires you to volley a tennis ball for as long as possible. Training Mode adds a lot of substance to the game and gives you something to do when you are bored with the main titles. Wii Fitness Test is an interesting concept based on the mini-games (some slightly tweaked) from Training Mode. Basically you play three randomly chosen mini-games in a row. The game will give you a Fitness Age depending on your performance in each mini-game. This isn't very accurate however, your score often depends on how competent you are at the mini-games selected. If you have only a few minutes a day to play, the Fitness Test is your best bet.

One highly talked about feature on the Wii is the ability to create cartoonish-looking characters. Each Mii, as they are affectionately known as, can be used as a playable character in Wii Sports. While it may seem like a shallow idea on face level, it is a lot of fun to see your creations chill out in the Bowling alley or play alongside you in Baseball. Who wouldn't want to kick ass with Schwarzenegger in Wii Sports Boxing?

Simple is best?

One look at the game is enough for someone to realize that it doesn't set out to showcase the graphical capabilities of the Wii. The game looks like it will be more at home on the N64. The graphics are incredibly simple. The game sports a very bright persona with very little noticeable details. The arena for each sport is very basic, Baseball having multi-colored squares for an audience and fielders with no feet. The character models have balls for hands. With that being said however, the clean graphics are far from being bland and perfectly suit the game. A crafty person with a knack for the Mii Channel can create characters with more personality than many a high-polygon model. And those with compatible hardware will be pleased to hear the game features progressive scan and 16:9 for a smoother experience.

Wii Sports isn't very heavy in the sound department. As far as music goes, this game offers little more than simple, yet catchy tunes. However the sound effects do set out to portray the small speaker built in to the controller. It is comforting to hear a ball hitting a bat in Baseball or the sound of racket whipping through the air in Tennis, all coming from the controller. It goes a long way in making the controller feel less like an input device and more like a piece of equipment (of the sporting variety). The sound effects suffer from the limitations of the speaker as some effects -especially the short voiceovers- come out somewhat muffled.

Going hand-in-hand with the simple graphics and sound is a solid, yet simple presentation. The game offers slick menus with overly large buttons for easy selection with the pointer functions of the controller. There aren't too many options to fiddle around with. The noteable exception is that the game does allow southpaws to play left-handed.

Fun for all

Wii Sports can be a great single player experience but the hardcore gamer in us craves for something more meaty. Multiplayer on the other hand will keep players coming back for more. This game excels, like few (if any) before it, in getting the whole family wanting a go. Playing siblings or parents who haven't touched a game in their life is humorous and comical ? until you get beaten...

Getting a bunch of friends over and playing Wii Sports for a couple of hours is a great way to pass the time. Two-on-two Tennis is excellent with four people playing simultaneously. Golf and Bowling allow up to four people to play with a single controller however waiting for three other players to have a go can get tedious. It is a shame the game offers no online play. It is definitely the perfect game for garnering a family-friendly online community that everyone can enjoy.

Wii Sports was never meant to be a strong single player experience. All five games are very simple, giving the game a sort of tech-demo feel but that doesn't stop the game from offering a lot of enjoyment. The multiplayer experience is superb and we all know that watching faces light up as they play Tennis is something that will never get old.