Rob Galbreath, The Wiire Managing Editor
When I was a kid, I tried softball a few times. I wasn't too great at
it, but it was a nice way of improving one of my grandfather's favorite
sports. I kept hearing the same lecture over and over again: "keep your
right elbow up and solid" like a broken record. I never really got it,
so I wasn't too great at it.
Playing baseball on Wii sports
brought those memories back all over again. It didn't help that, after
I swung my first foul ball, a Nintendo staffer behind me told me to
"keep your right elbow up." I was inclined to respond, "thanks
grandpa," but I restrained myself for once.
To my amazement, I
hit 5 out of 10 home runs. Sure there might be a personal story behind
it, but that felt really good. I think I've used the phrase "sense of
accomplishment" a lot lately, but I really think that's what this
system is going to achieve over its life span.
However, I was a
bit disappointed in what they showed. The E3 demonstration only allowed
a player to bat. I'm really hoping there will be a complete game of
baseball in the final version, not just a quick gimmick of what a
baseball game could be like. While it's fun to hit home runs, that will get annoying really quick.
Tennis,
on the other hand, I was really bad at playing. The controls were fine
and responded perfectly, but I simply wasn't good at it. I really feel
that I could improve myself on this game. To me, that's all the more
reason to keep playing. If I can advance myself and really perfect a
game, I'll go for it. If it was similar to the baseball demonstration,
I'd rent the game and leave it at that. I was a huge fan of Virtual
Tennis for the Dreamcast and I reminisced about that style a bit in
this game. There's a bit more freedom than Mario Tennis, and I really
enjoy that.
I won't lie: I ran out of time before I had a chance
to play the final Wii Sports game. However, I'd like to make a
suggestion that I really feel strong about.
Duck Hunt. A shooter
demonstration with the ducks from Duck Hunt were available right next
to these games. I can't give an impression on this game because it's
not a game, but I think it should be. There were balloons, clay shooter
discs, alien ships, and the ducks. If this game isn't planned to be a
part of Wii Sports, I will be incredibly disappointed. Not only
disappointed, but flabbergasted at the opportunity of showing off how
far Duck Hunt has come over the past 20 years. It's been 20 long years
since we've seen this title, and I think it's about time we had a
sequel.
That, and I want revenge on that f@#$ing dog.
