There are five games included here: Baseball, Bowling, Boxing, Golf and Tennis. Other than a Training and Fitness mode that let you sample from each of the five sports, you will spend most all your time immersed in playing one of these games. The Fitness mode is actually pretty fun and takes you through small excerpts of each sport with specific goals. Once you find a few favorite sports, however, you won't be likely to spend much time on this "sampler."
Baseball is actually a very trimmed down game, if you come expecting regulation play. As a single player, you alternate between hitting and pitching. When more than one player gets into the game, you can try hitting against your partner's pitches. Hitting is a matter of controlling timing and placement of your Wii-mote. Pitching allows for a few more control options like selecting a fastball, slider or other special throw. Depending on the strength and placement of your hitting, the ball will be returned quickly or slowly and your Mii just runs the bases without you controlling anything. The same type of play happens when fielding, so you don't have to position players or run to catch balls. As simple as it is, Baseball is a lot of fun for two players.
Bowling - If you're like me and don't much like breathing smoke fumes, drinking stale beer, or wearing other people's shoes, virtual bowling has its appeal. This is a nice, if somewhat touchy, version of the classic game. Unlike the control in baseball, bowling feels a bit haphazard and unintuitive. The motions are right, but the feeling you get from a heavy bowling ball can't be recreated with a Wii-mote. Once you master the controls, you can have some fun here. The look and feel of a busy bowling alley is here and you'll find that your customized Miis will gather in the background and watch while you play.
Boxing is the the only game in Wii Sports that requires the use of the Nunchuk controller. The two controllers are used to simulate the punching motion with a right and left hand. Other useful gestures include blocking and leaning. Moving around will help dodge punches and those you can't dodge you should block. A meter shows when you are wearing down your opponent or when he lands a few good punches on you. Once you knock a fighter down, the count will start. If you win, you'll move on to a harder opponent. Boxing, like the other sports, rates you on your performance at the end of each session.
Golf - The best part of golf is swinging on the straightaways for big yardage. Trying to putt or do precision shots is less appealing, but it grew on me. A handy guide shows you how much power to use in your swing and then the only problem is adjusting the swinging gesture you make with the Wii-mote. I was a little surprised at how I could practice a shot and then take the real thing and get very inconsistent results. It's mighty satisfying to sink a ball, but the overall game is lacking in depth. The basics are all here, including the ability to change clubs and choose your approach to the green. Unlike the baseball game, you do have a full golf experience contained here, but there isn't a lot of diversity in the courses you play.
Tennis is one of the games, like golf, that you may aspire to play in the real world. If you lack skill and time to improve your skill, this is the way to go. The Wii Sports tennis game is a doubles match where you can play both players on one side or choose a partner to play against, or control just one of the characters. The idea of doubles with four players is very cool, but it would have been nice to see a one-on-one challenge also. Hitting regular or with a backhand stroke is a nice touch and it's very easy to recognize when to switch. Tennis, like Baseball, felt very intuitive. Even serving is part of the mix and it's very satisfying to drive a massive strike down the line and watch your opponent miss the return.
