Wii impressions: Wii Sports -- Tennis
Simple, intuitive and fun are buzzwords that have been shoved in our face ever since Nintendo announced the Wii, but I can't really think of any better words to describe my experience with Nintendo's distinctive tennis game. Sure, it's just a tennis game, but it's one that requires you to wave an imaginary racket in the hopes of hitting a clump of polygons representing a ball. I wouldn't say that the game is more immersive or realistic for it, as it still feels like a very laid back and simple session of whacking a ball back and forth. The controller is very reactive to your motions, and I quickly felt confident regarding the location of my virtual racket within 3D space. It didn't take long for me to start balancing on one foot and grunting like a pro each time I waved the wiimote.
The only thing that seems confusing about the game, at least initially, is that it doesn't seem to allow you to control the movement of your character on the tennis court itself. My character seemed to gravitate towards the ball on his own, positioning himself just within reach of the ball hurtling across the net. Still, I found that the simplicity merely added to the fun and lightheartedness of what was essentially two grown men waving invisible rackets around. Great stuff.
