Wii Sports (WII)

Could this be the "definitive" Nintendo game...

Game of the Day

Name: Wii Sports

Released: 2006

Developer: Nintendo

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Before I give the rundown on why I believe this game is worthy of being the definitive Nintendo game, I need to give some backstory. Nintendo has prided themselves on making sure that their launch titles (particularly for their consoles) are really good and showcase off what the systems can do. The NES (or the Famicom, either one is fine) had Super Mario Bros. as its launch title, the SNES (or Super Famicom) had Super Mario World, the 64 had Super Mario 64 and the GameCube had Luigi's Mansion. I'm sure you can see a theme occurring. So how does Nintendo sell the idea of motion controls as the main part of the system? Simple: by totally ditching the Mario characters and making a sports game. Now, onto the game itself. What makes this game so brilliant and worthy of being the definitive game is how simple the game mechanics are for the sports that anyone would be capable of playing and enjoying themselves. Which was exactly the selling point for the Wii - fun for the whole family. Granted, it doesn't provide much if you're looking for some deep gameplay but for casual players, it works. Musically, there isn't much but the theme is so brilliant and catchy that I personally don't mind. Graphics aren't cutting edge but still not bad. The other great thing about this game is how well they utilised the Miis in the game (for anyone unfamiliar, on the Wii there is a program where you can customise a character to look like yourself - hence the name Mii). Seeing those characters in the game is a real joy whether you're actually playing as them or appearing as a cameo in the grandstands. To sum up, this game is no Super Mario Galaxy or Twilight Princess but as a launch title, it does its job and is a fun game to play.