Metareview: Wii Sports Resort

by Justin McElroy { Jul 30th 2009 at 7:30PM }

OK, so maybe high quality from a first-party Nintendo title isn't surprising necessarily, but we can't help but be a little shocked at how much we and the rest of the enthusiast press have been enjoying it. But, in the inimitable words of LeVar Burton, it's not necessary for you to take our word for it.

Giant Bomb (100/100): "Unless you're the kind of sullen misanthrope who can only feel at peace when getting headshots with some kind of virtual scope, you'll surely find something about Wii Sports Resort that keeps both you and your non-gaming friends or family coming back for more."
1UP (A-): "Like Wii Sports, not every minigame in Resort is worth your time, but almost every one is unlocked right from the start, so you're free to ignore whatever parts you don't like and focus on the events you have the most fun with."
Joystiq: "Wii Sports Resort deserves to be in every Wii owner's library, whether you're a hardcore gamer or someone who only occasionally picks up the Wiimote and Nunchuk. It has every sport unlocked out of the box, but for those that want to spend the time, there are plenty of variations to unlock in the long run. Some of the games are tiring (looking at you, Canoeing!), but overall Wuhu Island has plenty to enjoy and is a necessary destination for anyone that enjoyed Wii Sports."
PGNX Media (93/100): "Even though Nintendo didn't hit 12/12 I'd say that four of the games (Swordplay, Archery, Table Tennis and Power Cruising) are amazing, must-play experiences, another four (Basketball, Canoeing, Air Sports and Wake Boarding) are fantastic, and the rest (excluding Cycling) are worth a few play throughs."

Tags: metareviews, nintendo, wii-sports-resort

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Jul 30th 2009 7:35PM

100/100 from Giant Bomb? I trusted those guys :(

Wildside @ Jul 30th 2009 7:41PM

just a matter of opinion. Doesnt have to be a 'core' game to get great scores. Either that or it's just dramatizing :P.

Jason Statham (Aka Vegeta) @ Jul 30th 2009 7:45PM

So because they really liked a game that you don't, you don't trust them?

That doesn't even make any sense.

ArchiGamer [Wiizer Sweatshop Human Resources] @ Jul 30th 2009 7:50PM

So, because someone enjoyed playing a video game that is a minigame collection and gave it a high a review, you don't trust them?

Or am I missing something here?

Dragod @ Jul 30th 2009 8:00PM

Nothing deserves a 100/100. No game is perfect. Saying "This game is perfect" is like saying you're completely happy with every single part of the game and absolutely NOTHING could have been improved.

Basically, it's like saying "You can't trust this review".

dantebk @ Jul 30th 2009 8:01PM

The game is really good. You should continue to trust them.

Leroy_Octopus @ Jul 30th 2009 8:05PM

Of course no game is perfect, but if you give a movie like The Godfather a 100/100 score would you be arguing? No. No one is saying it's perfect. It just got the top review score possible.

Moptimus Slime (Leader of Princess Griffins Royal Guard) @ Jul 30th 2009 8:25PM

god dammit Joystiq, just once I'd like to submit a post and not have to worry about it going to the wrong spot

WiredKnight @ Jul 30th 2009 8:30PM

Wait a minute, you guys still pay attention to the numbers?

Moptimus Slime (Leader of Princess Griffins Royal Guard) @ Jul 30th 2009 8:37PM

well of course we do! How else are we supposed to justify our purchases?

Jim @ Jul 30th 2009 8:48PM

this is the best game ive played in a really long time. I have wii 360 ps3 ds etc. this ive enjoyed more than any of their major releases. ive honostley had more fun with this than gears of war

Mr Khan @ Jul 30th 2009 9:03PM

Giant Bomb is a horrible place for Wii owners anyway. We all know it, so we just take this (and the 5/5 they inexplicably gave to Punch-Out!!) as a neat bonus

CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Jul 30th 2009 10:25PM

Let's all calm down guys. Usually I've found that I have about the same reception towards a game as these guys have, we usually have the same tastes, games they've scored high have been games that I've liked, that's what I mean by trusted. I played this at Best Buy last night for a bit and didn't really find it that great. I guess I'll possibly pick it up once I need a motion plus for another game, but the only game I actually liked on it was the sword fighting.

Roto13 @ Jul 30th 2009 10:35PM

"Nothing deserves a 100/100. No game is perfect."

Don't be an idiot. When Ebert and Not Ebert give a movie two thumbs up, do you take that to mean they think the movie is perfect?

MarioSpitza @ Jul 31st 2009 12:27AM

"Nothing deserves a 100/100. No game is perfect."

Holy Jesus, I still remember when my EGM issues from the 1990's having to put a disclaimer i their review sections saying '10/10 does not mean that a game is absolutely perfect. It just means it's among the top of its class.'

I use to wonder why they need to put such a disclaimer in place.

Kraza @ Jul 31st 2009 1:24AM

GiantBomb gives out perfects every other day. Obviously, anyone who has read giantbomb's keynotes knows that they review games a lot differently then most game sites. So you really shouldn't be that surprised.

ChromeAlchemist @ Jul 31st 2009 1:33PM

For all the flak Gertsmann got in his GameSpot days, this probably doesn't help one bit. He was such a fanboy, I remember when I still used that garbage ass site he did nothing but slam the Wii as soon as it came out. This is why I prefer IGN, console staff rating their respective games, if it's garbage they would say so, they should know.

Silver R. Wolfe @ Jul 30th 2009 7:38PM

Regardless of favourable reviews, I don't think I can get into another mini-game collection. 1:1 or not.

These scores seem outrageously high regardless.

Markez @ Jul 30th 2009 7:44PM

Doubting that you two have played the game, but you're missing the point and value of video game reviews entirely. Instead, your reactions are both 'eff you, this doesn't deserve those review scores!'

While I'm not personally that interested in the title myself, I can handle the fact that people who have had time with it might enjoy it, as well as think it's worthy of critical praise.

Sly @ Jul 30th 2009 8:02PM

silver, your avatar is awesome.

bysk.ha @ Jul 30th 2009 8:09PM

I agree with Markez... You must have not played this. "another mini-game collection" it definitely is not. I'm no Wii Fanboy (I prefer 360), but this game is fun. Play a full 18 holes of golf with your friends on a rainy day. Just one of the many "non-mini-games" on this collection.

Don't just push it aside when you don't know anything about it. Try and keep an open mind to everything.

CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Jul 30th 2009 10:42PM

Well, your point might be valid...except that I have played it.

Ridgecity @ Jul 31st 2009 1:39AM

Wow, you sure don't sound like you've played the first game, which probably means you don't have a Wii.

Markez @ Jul 30th 2009 7:40PM

You heard McElroy, chop chop on the Geordi La Forge wielding a wiisaber photoshop!

tmacairjordan87 @ Jul 30th 2009 7:42PM

Scores are a bit high for a mini game compilation. I just can't understand how someone could be excited to play an archery minigame or a cycling minigame. Sucks for nintendo owners that this is the Wii's "big game" for the year.

Let me know when something worthwhile comes out, like Galaxy 2.

Leroy_Octopus @ Jul 30th 2009 8:01PM

Isn't New Super Mario Bros. Wii there “big game” this year?

tmacairjordan87 @ Jul 30th 2009 8:04PM

That's probably what Nintendo would like you to think, but there's nothing on that system that's going to be bigger than this for this year.

Unfortunately...

Leroy_Octopus @ Jul 30th 2009 8:12PM

I think NSMBWii is going to sell more just because you don't need a peripheral to play it.

Brian @ Jul 30th 2009 9:00PM

Minigame collections that have reviewed well:

Wii Sports

WarioWare GC

WarioWare Smooth Moves (wii)
http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/wii/wariowaresmoothmoves?q=wario%20wii

Super Monkey Ball 1&2 (GC) & Banana Blitz (Wii)

Rayman Raving Rabbids (Wii)
http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/wii/raymanravingrabbids?q=raving%20rabbids

Wii Sports Resort

I know it's hard to believe, but games were made to be fun. And yes, MiniGame collections can be a TON of fun, if you get off your high horse and live a little. You're allowed to not like them, but just because you don't like minigames doesn't mean they don't deserve good reviews when they're good.

This looks and (so far) is more fun than anything released on PS360 this year.

tmacairjordan87 @ Jul 30th 2009 9:05PM

"This looks and (so far) is more fun than anything released on PS360 this year"

funniest thing I've read in a while, thanks for that.

Mr Khan @ Jul 30th 2009 9:16PM

peripherals haven't stopped Nintendo games from selling before. Seems to help, if anything.

bm @ Jul 31st 2009 5:13AM

"Minigame collections that have reviewed well:"

"Super Monkey Ball 1&2 (GC)"

Ok stop right there and go fuck yourself. Calling out the first two Monkey Ball games for being minigame collections is like calling FF7 a minigame collection because it has some minigames in there somewhere. MB 1 and 2 are more game than any mindnumbing space marine shooter out there, and if you haven't reached and beaten the master levels in both games, you shut your goddamn trap about Monkey Ball. D:

Highlar @ Jul 31st 2009 9:03AM

@bm:

He may have been wrong in calling Monkey Ball 1 & 2 minigame collections, but I think you missed the point he was getting at. He wasn't saying they were bad games; on the contrary, he was saying they were GOOD games. His point was that just because a game is filled with "minigames" as its premise, that does not mean the game is automatically horrible. And he's right; the games he mentioned did score well, because the smaller bite-sized chunks of gameplay were FUN. And that's what I've been hearing about Wii Sports Resort so far, and these reviews say the same thing: The game is just executed very well and has a lot of fun potential hidden within it. Although most people seem to agree that the cycling game is pretty sad, the rest all seem to have their own place (particularly I've heard that table tennis is great fun because it really FINALLY shows how WM+ can be used to put true spin on a ball). I may be short of funds at the moment, but as soon as I can I am picking this gem of a game collection up.

ChromeAlchemist @ Jul 31st 2009 7:28PM

You guys kind of need to stop feeding him. But I'll bite for this one.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

NSMBW

Dead Space Extraction

Monster Hunter 3

TROLL MOAR!

tmacairjordan87 @ Jul 31st 2009 7:30PM

None of those are worth playing to me. Probably won't even consider renting any of those when I get a wii.

ChromeAlchemist @ Jul 31st 2009 7:32PM

That's a shame. Still some anticipated releases though, I imagine most if not all of those will be good quality stuff.

Brian @ Jul 31st 2009 9:02PM

"Calling out the first two Monkey Ball games for being minigame collections is like calling FF7 a minigame collection because it has some minigames in there somewhere."

--

I probably deserve some shit for that -- I haven't played SMB 1&2 in years, I just recall that series having a very party game feel, which is what I think of when I think minigame collection. But the point still stands. The purest minigame collections I can think of are the WarioWare series, and if you don't think those are fun, you're a joyless sap.

Edog Lost @ Jul 30th 2009 7:42PM

Are you serious?

Longhorn @ Jul 30th 2009 7:52PM

my first thoughts, lol

SoshiKitai @ Jul 30th 2009 10:02PM

Are you? :O

Kelly @ Jul 30th 2009 7:42PM

its almost as if they are giving it high ratings just because they know it will sell well...either that or the game is surprisingly fun to play.

But i've played wii sports and its hard for me to say that game would have deserved more than a 7 out of 10, so if wii sports resort follows the same general idea then maybe is should look elsewhere for a family friendly game.

SoshiKitai @ Jul 30th 2009 10:13PM

Wii Sports deserved more than a 7 out of 10 because it came with the system. :P
Tech demo as it may be, it was heavily replayable on dull days or with new guests to the house - - and it was free.
Did I mention that it was free?

The replayability of it made it easily worth the price... IF it had a price.
It's sad to think that only until recently have we had any sports games on the Wii that beat the original "cheated" forms of Wii Sports. And for that, you have to give a downgrade to 3rd party companies while still giving Wii Sports credit for setting a "high" standard.

WSR on the other hand is our 3rd, and best, introduction to advanced motion controls (that tennis game and tiger woods game being the first and second) that's out on a disc for a system. And comparing WSR to WS is rather - - dull. Since WSR easily has twice more things to do on it than the original (multiplayer and single player) and far more advanced controls.

Hell, I'd easily have paid $20-30 just for the Swordplay.
For just the vs, I woulda' stuck to $5-10. With Speed Slice, still $5-10. But Showdown? Oh hell, that game is beyond addictive for me. Probably not the same for everyone (everyone has their own favorites, I happen to favor Swordplay and Basketball - while most others favor Golf and Table Tennis), but I could say it was worth the purchase.
...considering also the fact that the WM+ costs around $20, that would drop the original price of WSR to $30... reasonable to me. A $30 great game with an instant purchase of a single WM+ sounds good to me.

It may not be for you, but it's definitely for the family and casual friends.

---and if anyone complains about not having enough controllers at this point: Shush already. If you haven't bought four controllers and four nunchuks over the years, you probably don't need it now. If you complain about purchasing WM+s, then don't get it: It's not like it's a standard for all future games.

Wildside @ Jul 30th 2009 7:44PM

for one person, no, but in a big family, yes please. Wii Sports Resort is a must, which im sending in tomorrow to get fixed. It's a launch console too n it almost 100% stopped reading my clean games :(.

Wildside @ Jul 30th 2009 7:45PM

that reply was for Silver.......darn comment system.

Wildside @ Jul 30th 2009 7:46PM

i meant sending in my Wii to get fixed xD

Jason Statham (Aka Vegeta) @ Jul 30th 2009 7:48PM

Aaah and already the "I don't like this game so anyone who gives it high marks must be bias." crew is already here.

Is it really that hard to accept nowadays that people, *gasp*, may like Wii sports? If anything at least try the damn game before questioning whether or not the review scores are legitimate.