Review: Wii Play Motion

First, though, let's start with the controller: Players who haven't picked up a Wiimote in awhile may not notice the difference between the original and the new Wii Remote Plus controller. (I didn't.)  Players who have been playing with a Wii Motion Plus -- basically the original Wii controller elongated by the bottom attachment -- will probably appreciate the opportunity to upgrade to the new norm, especially if they have plug-in accessories such as a steering wheel, a tennis racket or a golf club.

But enough about hardware; let's get to the games.

Not surprisingly, all the Play Motion games are exponentially more entertaining (and chaotic) when played with a friend, or two, or even three in some cases. For example: The whack-a-mole game "Veggie Garden" is awesome, with enough variations to keep players interested for a while. And the more mallets gamers throw into the mix, the more ridiculous it gets to keep track of who's hitting what, especially if someone biffs and flattens a Mii.  Doing so sends fruit flying into one's line of sight for a few seconds, and that of course leads to a repeat of the Mii flattening and fruit launching. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

If that seems like a hoot, pairing up with a friend for "Jump Park" will certainly scramble a gamer's brain. The mini game challenges players to take turns making split-decisions on where best to land in one's bouncing Mii in order to properly ricochet and grab blocks (points), or tools to help you grab blocks (points). Confused? Experiencing it for yourself will help... some.

If a player's ability to concentrate isn't completely drained by then, one can take a shot at "Star Shuttle," which forces players to think backwards in order to properly fire a landing spaceship's retro rockers.That's slightly challenging, given that one must think in terms of opposites (activating the left thruster pushes you to the right, the back thruster propels you forward, etc.), It's too hard for little kids, but not challenging enough for the older set, so that particular game tires out well before you get to the finish line on your space station.

The youngest players will thoroughly enjoy trying to keep ridiculous stacks of ice cream scoops from falling to the ground in "Cone Zone"; skipping rocks -- and other goofy if not aerodynamic objects, enhanced with sound/visual effects that no mere rock could hope to acquire -- in "Skip Skimmer"; and getting around a la Mary Poppins in "Wind Runner."

"Trigger Twist" definitely fares better. With a nod to the earliest of Nintendo shooters, "Trigger Twist," starts out fairly entertaining with players shooting aliens and ninjas, but gets plain weird when you're tasked with hunting odd-looking CGI-ish dinosaurs. I guess that's the price of "family friendly" shooting games, but frankly, I was more creeped out by those weirdo dinos than if they had been more believable-looking Jurassic Park-like predators. 

Overall, though, this pack is great for families, especially (but not exclusively) those with younger children, and probably worth a grab, especially if you can find it on sale down the road.

Wii Play Motion
Nintendo
Nintendo Wii
Rated E for Everyone 10+