Wii MotionPlus review: it works, but so far the games aren't worth the fuss
By Paul Miller 
posted Jun 30th 2009 11:12AM
posted Jun 30th 2009 11:12AM
Major thanks to The Golf Club at Chelsea Piers for letting us test this out at their facilities, and to golf pros Herb and Marj for letting us waste some of their valuable time.
The hardware
Outside automatic system software updates included with both games (to add the MotionPlus support, presumably) there was nothing we had to do on the software side to activate or implement the add-on, which in a way was almost disconcerting. The games didn't offer much info as to whether we were using a MotionPlus-enhanced control setup or not. A few screens mentioned added features with use of the MotionPlus, but seemed unaware that ours was plugged in, and Grand Slam Tennis didn't blink an eye when we unplugged MotionPlus and went without.
Despite all this simplicity, there's a three minute instructional video included with the games for helping figure out how to plug in the MotionPlus, which taught us absolutely nothing and yet proved unskippable once started. One thing it mentioned was placing the Wiimote face down to reorient the controller in case it got out of step, but we never had occasion to do so -- it worked flawlessly through our testing.
Not as much could be said for our muscles, however, which were sorer than usual from the relatively mundane movements. The additional weight of the MotionPlus and the hugemongous protective cover (we never sent away for ones for our original collection of Wiimotes) really wore on us after a while, at least in the rapid back and forth motions of tennis.
The games
Grand Slam Tennis
The first game we tried was Grand Slam Tennis, and we'll just say it: we don't get it. That is to say, we don't get why this really needs MotionPlus, at least for relatively casual players like us. See, while MotionPlus does seem to do some work with helping the controller stay oriented and perform precisely measured skill shots, its implementation in the game is pretty much limited to that. So a player who invests 10 hours or so in practice and actually likes the deep strategy and complexity of tennis will probably find MotionPlus a definite addition to the existing Wiimote setup, but most people who just pick up and play won't even be able to tell the difference.
We'd say the big problem -- and not a small problem for game developers, to be sure -- is the fact that true 1-to-1 tennis gameplay would be a major undertaking to simulate. So they don't. On occasion the system seemed to pick up our random Wiimote stylings and reflect them in our onscreen character when the ball wasn't on his side of the court, but when it comes to hitting the tennis ball the game is just picking up predefined strokes. What the MotionPlus adds is better sense of the exact hitting angle, which makes for better ball placement in advance modes, but provides quite a considerable learning curve. As demonstrated in the video, at one point we resorted to a mere one dimensional "waggle," which resulted in wild skips and jumps of our Nadal avatar, who managed to pick up tennis balls on either side of him, jumping as far as six feet or so away from just a tiny flick of ours.
While appropriate Wiimote twisting applies topspin and backspin, drop and lob shots require respective button presses that shatter any other illusions we might've had about MotionPlus turning this game into some sort of true tennis simulator. We also found it incredibly frustrating how much of a delay there was at times between our swings and the actually onscreen swing, especially during our serves. The good news is that folks who feared the MotionPlus would usher in an era of physically taxing 1-to-1 gameplay (like real sports) don't have to worry about this game outside the added heft it brings to their existing flicks.
Luckily, the game isn't sold bundled with MotionPlus in the States (it is in Europe, but that's what those suckers get for living in Europe), so if you're still interested in a decent tennis game without the added "work" of MotionPlus, that's always an option.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10
EA has pre-packaged Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 with the MotionPlus add-on, and for good reason: it works. Where its implementation in Grand Slam Tennis didn't bring us any closer to the "real" game of tennis, its addition to Tiger Woods' little cash cow really does bring us to a closer approximation of golf from the comfort of our living room.
To be frank, we're not really big golfing junkies. We found its implementation in Wii Sports to be tantalizing but ultimately frustrating, and all of our "real life" run-ins with khaki pants and well-manicured greens have all ended up with us in a near homicidal state. Where Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 could change all that (or at least has a shot) is the great consistency and accuracy of the controls. It takes the blame game out of golfing (my clubs, this Wiimote, that sensor bar, your face), proving once and for all that we just suck at it.
While there are naturally still the video game-style enhancements to the game of golf (like power meters and detailed info-graphics), the actual swings are actually being simulated at a level of detail never available on a home console before. Based on the twist of your hands, the range of the swing and the speed of the stroke you control fade, draw and power. The main thing still left up to the virtual realm is topspin and backspin, which would naturally be horribly difficult to simulate with a handheld controller.
The downside of all this is that we're not incredibly great at the game yet. Straight drives aren't super hard, but our short game is miserable and our putting could use some work. What's nice is that we really do feel the difference between a shot with 40 percent power and a shot with 80 percent power, and the slight struggle to keep our shots straight is a gentle reminder of how impossible it is to do so in real life. Putting required a bit more "oomph" than should be necessary, but it still felt pretty "real" -- certainly a long ways away from the frustratingly glitchy implementation in Wii Sports.
Disc golf
Tiger Woods disc golf
We'd be remiss if we ended this review without mentioning the disc golf mini game in Tiger Woods. Not only because it's a fun little bonus to an already feature-packed game, but because it's actually the most impressive technical demonstration of MotionPlus available at the moment, even if the actual gameplay falls a bit short.
If you were wondering if your MotionPlus add-on worked, just fire this puppy up. The first time you pick up a disc you're playing with it in 3D space in almost perfect 1-to-1 motion. You can twist and bend a flick and the on screen hand and disc track your motion perfectly.
Unfortunately, that's perhaps the most fun to be had here. The game allows for a few different throws and is fairly sensitive to angle and release point, but unfortunately the differentiation between a good flick for 100 percent power and a (what we supposed would be) powerful full body throw for 60 percent power is hard to track down. It was particularly frustrating for those among us who were actually good at throwing frisbees in real life. The disc also just doesn't hang in the air "right," which cut away some of the strategy and realism of disc golf.
That's not to say the game can't be learned or even enjoyed, and we'd certainly say it has an advantage over the regular golf game as far as instant accessibility, but we found ourselves a little frustrated by the overall mechanics -- and our elbows weren't thanking us for all those mis-judged phantom snaps.
Wrap-up
Overall, we'd say EA has provided a mere glimpse at the possibilities of MotionPlus with these two games. If you're inclined to play virtual tennis or golf, these two games are probably the best two physical simulators of those particular activities available for the home at a reasonable cost, but outside of that (or some strange fascination with disc golf) there's no "must have" experience to be found here.That said, MotionPlus does serve in both of these games to deepen the experience. From our perspective, that added depth added complexity and potential frustration to Grand Slam Tennis, while it deepened the Tiger Woods gameplay without actually adding complexity. The difference between the two probably amounts to the pacing. In Tiger Woods you can preview the draw and fade and power of your swing, in Tennis you just have to go on intuition -- your only visual cues are colored motion trails for topspin and backspin, and of course where the ball lands on your opponent's court. The problem is that the game is learning more about your swing, and therefore can add deeper simulation, but since it's not giving back enough visual feedback, or acting in a 1-to-1 manner (which of course would be a little dangerous in a living room if actually implemented) it's hard tell exactly what you're doing.
The $20 cost per MotionPlus isn't horrible, and you don't really need to buy extras for golf, but it'd be a major stretch to spend $80 on add-ons for four player tennis. We'd say at least wait for Wii Sports Resort with its own bundled MotionPlus, since we have a feeling that like most things Wii, the first party experience will be the one to beat. We've also come away a bit more excited for the upcoming motion controls of the Xbox 360 and PS3, since it's clear that controller technology only gets you so far: you need graphics, physics and gameplay to make up the rest of an effectively immersive and (most importantly) entertaining experience.
Is that Will Ferrell on the cover?
I sure hope you're joking.
Yep. "Semi Pro II: Electric Boogaloo".
John McEnroe
That's actually Wii Ferrell.
Nope its Tiger Woods :P
My wife and I are enjoying TW10 quite a bit.
Cool game!
Not sure about the motion control, but the Disc Golf in Tiger Woods is awesome.
Agree, but I must say that I am pretty impressed with the MotionPlus aspect... it's been incredibly accurate compared to a basic Wii Mote. Tiger Woods has been pretty fun, but the frisbee golf stuff rules.
It's more obvious in some of the multiplayer modes, but there's a big difference in very sensitive actions like putting when using MotionPlus. Putting without it is difficult to impossible.
Corrected Headline:
"Wii: the games aren't worth the fuss"
PS3>Wii>Xbox 360
Yes in price
So wrong in so many ways.... Unless your saying by pricing, then you are right!
If you are saying which is the better console, then just move the 360 to first and your in good shape.
Cheers
The avatar sure doesn't give it away... so you're safe...
Let me save everyone some trouble:
PS3 > Wii > Xbox360
PS3 > Xbox360 > Wii
Xbox360 > PS3 > Wii
Xbox360 > Wii > PS3
Wii > PS3 > Xbox360
Wii > Xbox360 > PS3
Both of the MotionPlus tennis games have fallen short of my expectations. I'll be sticking to playing Virtua Tennis on the xbox for now, since even though I'm using a controller, it is still more realistic (considering gameplay and strategy as an important aspect of realism). And I am a big tennis game junkie.
Tiger Woods however is amazing, i haven't had this much fun with a golf game in... well, ever! They nailed it.
it seems real fun to play golf...
You left out Virtua Tennis 2009 which also uses it. Grand slam seems to not use it nearly as well as Virtua tennis. Otherwise motion plus is good for if you actually like having the game react like it should if you wiggle your wrist during certain situations. Virtua tennis does what you were asking for, it does simulate actual tennis based on how you move your hands. So check that out so you can see that EA just is a shill in this case.
FAIL
I'd like one!
This review basically seems to say, unless you like tennis or golf, you won't like these games.
well, duh.
You also have to like the Wii.
On a serious note, the golf game does seem pretty fun. The tennis one seemed pretty lame in the video, can't tell if that was due to the flaws of the game or the player though...
Tiger Woods Golf is pretty fun. Except for the fact that it confirms the fact that I am an atrocious golfer. On that front, the MotionPlus seems to work quite well.
Compliments on your choice of an avatar ;)
I agree with your overall assessment... Tiger Woods has been fun, both golf and disc golf portions of the game. MotionPlus works a whole lot better than I thought and a ton better than a basic Wiimote.
As I see it, the whole point of it is to evolve the experience from the horrible 'wiggle' phenomenon to something more similar to real tennis. But you didn't test it accordingly; From calling the tutorial 'annoying', and doing the actual demo in a typical Wii Sports position. You never really intended to study how to actually hit a decent shot, you just bitched about lags and stuff. This is the disease of the Wii: people are playing pseudo-sports, but when they get to a game that actually demands more than wiggles, you step back to claim "I'm just a casual player". If you had the decency to learn how tennis strokes play out, this review would have had some credibility to it.
Yes, no doubt. If you suck at golf and tennis why are you reviewing a system that aims to add more realism in the movements?
I enjoy the game of tennis, but I'm not a pro tennis player and wouldn't want to put in the effort towards becoming one. Maybe I'm not the target audience, but I just wanted something that "feels" like tennis -- not like watching tennis on TV.
Tiger Wood's is awesome. Best golf game I've played.
Grand Slam Tennis takes a bit of practice to get full control of your character. At first I couldn't get the controls working the way I wanted them too. But after a couple days of playing, my fiance and I were placing shots where we wanted them.
I recommend using the nunchuck to control your character. The automatic character movement is a bit buggy. Besides, placing your own character adds a lot to the game.
It doesn't feel like real-life tennis, but its definitely the best Wii tennis game out there.
I'm simply looking forward to whatever games they come out with next.
the next raving rabbids game will incorporate motion Plus
and i have a feel that REd steel 2 will do so as well.. now that.. will get me real excited!
Xbox360 for life
Thanks, your comments are so very helpful in a review for wii games....
This wii motion plus impression is flawed in so many ways. Grand slam tennis might not be the full simulation experience you expected, but that wasn't the objective of the game. As for the Tiger Woods impression, it is worth the fuss. The game immerses you in the golfing experience much more than any other game available, and it is much tighter implementation of the wii motion plus. Disc golf is a bonus, so don't expect a lot of polish in real world physics/aerodynamics.
I'm curious about this. I've been toying around with the idea of buying a Wii for my sons and well, Tiger Wood game is mighty tempting. Unfortunately, the wife wants to wait for christmas for them to get a Wii... Sadly...
Dude, first kick her to the curb. Then hop on down to Toys R us and grab yourself a Wii. Once it is all set up let her know she can come back if she wants (heck, she can even play golf against you if she wants).
The reviews for the new Tiger Woods are pretty incredible, and most of it is due to the perfect controls via the MotionPlus. As a matter of fact, the reviews I've read say it is the absolutely most accurate simulation of real golf of any game on any system. I'd say that's worth it for a golf fan.
I REALLY enjoy TigerWoods10. I'm not a huge golf fan, but I am a fan. The fine degree of the controls in this are really great and help immensely. I'd been happy getting my golf in with the WiiSports golf, but I hated landing on the greens where I seemingly had no control over how hard I hit the ball. in TW10 with the motion+ I get every putt exactly as I want it.
To the best of my knowledge topspin and backspin are not added with wrist motion. They are done with arm motion. High to low swing is a slice and low to high is topspin. So far I have seen no option to use wrist turning for these. Am I missing an option or is the reviewer mistaken?
PC + PS3 = Irrelevancy of 360. I get all the Sony exclusives and all the 360 'exclusives', they perform a thousand times better AND Games for WIndows Live is free ;)
Suck it, fanboys.
Morne
PC + PS3 + Xbox 360 + Wii = Irrelevancy of Mornelithe's comment. I get all the "exclusives" on all consoles and I get to play it either on my desktop or sitting on the couch.
Suck it, pc elitist.
Square
"that's what those suckers get for living in Europe"
Wow.
Yeah, I got surprised with this sentence, too. Even though they're kidding, it's a bit over-the-top.
Maybe they're pissed because Roger Federer kicked the ass of Roddick ;) I hope so...
I have a similar experience. Grand Slam Tennis with MotionPlus is actually less accurate than the original Wii Tennis (concerning direction, not spins). I also have more connection problems now with the attachment. What a disappointment.
waste of money
The golf is really good if you like golf. If you turn on the advanced modes, the swing is really accurate, and unfortunately matches my actual poor golf performance. That will cure the straight drives you reported.
Most of the gaming sites I've checked like gametrailers and IGN, have been pretty positive about the motion plus.
"..it's clear that controller technology only gets you so far: you need graphics, physics and gameplay to make up the rest of an effectively immersive and (most importantly) entertaining experience."
Bestest quote ever.
Last time I checked, you couldn't learn either real golf or real tennis in 5-10 minutes. If the realism of the simulation in these games improves - then that naturally means they are going to take longer to learn and get good at. All the reviews of Grand Slam Tennis I've seen elsewhere say the same thing - you have to practice with it for quite a while before you get any good with it, but then it is really very good. What this review basically says is - if you don't want to take the time to learn and practice, no need to buy a MotionPlus and you can stick with Wii Sports Tennis. Of course, the only people interested in dropping $60 for another tennis simulation when they already own Wii Sports Tennis are people who want a richer, more immersive tennis experience. You can't make something that is very difficult to master in real life more realistic without making it harder as well. Also, the fact you can't play like Roger Federer in 5 minutes doesn't mean the title should be restricted to "hard-core" gamers. My father is 70 years old and he plays real tennis several times a week. Despite the fact that he's a complete technophobe, this could very well be something he'd like - because it better simulates the real game he loves.
I generally like the Engadget guys, but this review is really not much more than a bunch of guys who don't have a clue what they are talking about spouting off. If you want to make an informed decision about whether to buy either of these titles or the motion plus, you should probably look elsewhere.
The controller is starting to look like a dildo with that rubber sheath.