Review: Wii Play Motion

Mini-games collections come in all shapes and sizes. From the Mario Party and WarioWare games of the world to the simplistic controller-free body-shaking madness of Kinect, this sector has come a long way since the days of the Super NES. Since its inception, Wii Play has been a frontrunner within the genre, and with good reason. In addition to the solid selection of quick, easy-to-grasp gameplay modes, Wii Play came bundled with a Wii Remote (which retailed for $40 at the time). This was a tremendous value for consumers looking to purchase another controller. Now, more than four years later, Wii Play has returned for another round of mini-game goodness. Like its predecessor, Wii Play: Motion comes equipped with a Wii Remote. But this isn't any Wii Remote – it's the Wii Remote Plus, a refined controller that comes with a built-in MotionPlus adaptor.

Wii Play: Motion features 12 mini-games: Cone Zone, Veggie Guardin', Skip Skimmer, Trigger Twist, Pose Mii Plus, Jump Park, Teeter Targets, Spooky Search, Wind Runner, Treasure Twirl, Flutter Fly, and Star Shuttle. Each game is played with a Mii (homegrown or default), and each one uses the Wii Remote in a different way. In Cone Zone, for example, you are tasked with holding the Wii Remote upright like a giant ice cream cone. While attempting to keep your hands steady, oversized scoops of ice cream are dropped onto the cone, setting your Mii off balance. The goal is to keep your hands as steady as possible while tilting left and right to compensate for the wobbly additions to your cone. Veggie Guardin' is a new take on the classic whack-a-mole game. In this mode, players must quickly whack the pests as they pop up from the ground and prevent them from stealing your vegetables. Skip Skimmer is a simple game of stone skipping; simply pick up a stone by pressing the A and B buttons and then toss it across the water by swinging your Wii Remote. While playing Trigger Twist, the Wii Remote is used as a light gun to take down a series of alien ships. In Pose Mii Plus, however, you must tilt the Wii Remote in all directions to position your Mii so that he or she will pass freely through the silhouettes of a series of gates. In Jump Park, your Mii jumps in the direction that you point the front of the Wii Remote. It's a cool concept; by pressing the A button, your Mii will dive feet-first in the opposite direction. By using these two simple mechanics, players can send their Miis flying all over the screen.

Teeter Targets is perhaps the most traditional mini-game in Wii Play: Motion. Here, the Wii Remote controls one or more platforms. Tilt the controller left or right to tilt the platform in that direction, and then use this mechanic to bounce a ball around the screen and hit the various targets. Wind Runner is a mini-game that uses wind and an umbrella to guide your Mii through the air while collecting as many gems as possible. It's somewhat reminiscent of the gem-collecting mini-game featured in the older Sonic the Hedgehog games. Treasure Twirl is one of the most creative mini-games offered in Wii Play: Motion, as it requires the player to physically twist the Wii Remote forward to lower your Mii down into the water, and twist it backward to raise your Mii to the top. The goal is to collect a few treasure chests while avoiding the various underwater hazards. Flutter Fly is slightly reminiscent of the bubble-floating mini-game in Super Mario Galaxy. In this case, however, your Mii isn't trapped in a sensitive bubble. Rather, your Mii is one of several balloons that must be blown through the air (wave your Wii Remote to create a gust of wind).

In Star Shuttle, your Wii Remote becomes a spaceship that must be guided toward a specific target. The goal is to keep your ship steady and apply the right amount of thrust (forward, backward, left or right) to ensure your Mii docks safely at the end. Finally, there is Spooky Search, Wii Play: Motion's most original mini-game. This is, by all accounts, just as simple and easy to grasp as the rest of the mini-games. But it uses sight and sound to create an experience that is truly unique. When the ghosts appear, they quickly scatter away from the screen. It's your job to capture them, but how are you going to do that if you can't see them? That's where the surprise comes in: you must point the Wii Remote away from the screen and listen to the beeps of ghost radar, which are emitted from the tiny speaker on your controller! Since you can't actually see the ghost while it's hiding, the only way to capture it is to pay close attention to the sound. All told, Wii Play: Motion is a fun collection of family-friendly mini-games that fans of motion controlled games will instantly love. Whether playing individually or with a group of friends, this sequel is one that won't disappoint fans of the original.