Joystiq E3 hands-on: Wii Sports Resort

What Wii Sports did for the Wiimote, Wii Sports Resort does for the Wii MotionPlus. The added precision of the Wii MotionPlus gets to show off in the title and, from the three minigames we experienced, it gives an idea of how other games could benefit from the accessory.

We had a chance to try out Disc Dog, Power Cruising and, our favorite, Sword Play. Nintendo says the Wii MotionPlus gives 1:1 control, but that's stretching the truth just a little. The controls certainly feel more precise than the Wiimote in its current state, but we're not exactly sure just yet if it'll fulfill gamer fantasies of precise lightsaber duels.
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Let's get the other two games out of the way with the quickness so we can talk Sword Play, the standout of our hands-on time. Disc Dog is a game where a frisbee gets tossed and a dog will go and try to catch it. No buttons are pressed, it's all about making a frisbee toss motion and flicking your wrist like you've released a frisbee at the correct time. There's a target on the screen that the player is trying to make the dog run to catch the frisbee. The easiest way to play is to look at where the target is on the screen compared to the Mii, imagine yourself as the Mii, and just flick your wrist at where the target would be if it were in the real world. For example, if the target is at the Mii's two o'clock, just flick at your two o'clock -- ignore the TV.

Power Cruising is simplified Wave Race 64 ... um, yeah, that's pretty much it. Hold the Wiimote and nunchuk like a handlebar to steer, twist the Wiimote to boost like one would on a Jet Ski. Easy-peasy.

OK, Sword Play. This minigame ended up creating laughter, humiliation, cheering, agony and glee. Basically, it's sword fighting and everything that we thought Red Steel should have delivered, which we now feel could happen with Red Steel 2 using Wii MotionPlus. The controls aren't perfect, but it certainly feels good. It would be absolutely worth purchasing Wii Sports Resort for this minigame alone ... if, it had more depth, which it doesn't. There is much potential found in Sword Play which we hope developers take advantage of. The minigame takes the waggle out of the Wiimote and shows how it could be a more elegant instrument.

Wii Sports Resort is an excellent showcase for the Wii MotionPlus. Although we could go without every playing Disc Dog or Power Cruising again (although they both have their charm), we'd certainly like to go back and try Sword Play again and imagine the potential for future products.