Wii Sports, the casual-friendly minigame collection Nintendo packages in with every Wii, has some definite shortcomings. But, as a launch title, it showed developers how to take Nintendo's minimalistic remote and create fun, engaging games. Wii Sports Resort takes that same pick-up-and-play formula and expands on it, with the help of the MotionPlus accessory (an add-on that comes bundled with the game and heightens the Wii Remote's motion-sensing capabilities). 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.
My favorite minigame in Resort is Swordplay. The MotionPlus adapter provides a one-to-one level of control over your remote; the padded, on-screen blade even mirrors minute adjustments in your hand position. I never got tired of smashing through computer opponents in the game's free-for-all Showdown mode, and everyone who stopped by to watch me play wanted to face off in the one-on-one Duel mode. Since the controls are so precise, picking up the Wii-mote and swinging it around feels immediately natural.
Archery is another minigame that makes me giddy each time I play it; watching my arrow arc across a field, guided by wind and my carefully considered trajectory, is a heady experience. I know it's not real, but I still squint at the screen, trying to get an exact bead on distant targets. And Resort's Table Tennis fills in the void left by my personal favorite event from Wii Sports, Tennis. This time, not directly controlling your character feels a lot more natural (because of the miniaturized playing field), and the spin and arc you're able to put on the ball makes it so you almost feel like you're swatting at real-life ping-pong balls.
Golf and Bowling make a more direct return from Wii Sports, and, as you probably expect, the MotionPlus accessory improves both dramatically. In Bowling, you can put a realistic spin on your ball as you send it barreling down the lane. And while Golf still isn't "realistic" (it's too easy to over swing and curve or slice your ball far away from your intended target), as long as you maintain control and take a steady, careful swing, you'll have a lot more power over the direction you send your golf balls flying.
