Wii Sports Resort

I guess this is technically the sequel to Wii Sports, but how does a game without a story really have a sequel? It's like calling Madden 10 the sequel to Madden 09. I bought the game recently (it's only been out for like a month or so) and can say that I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it's great to finally have extreme precision in the Wii remotes with the new controller add-on, Wii MotionPlus. On the other, wasn't the Wii always supposed to have precise one-to-one controls? Because this game more than any other is one to enjoy with friends, it's more or less a given that you need to purchase at least one additional Wii MotionPlus with this game. All said and done, you're looking at $70 to play a game with no story, bad graphics, and a "we should have seen this three years ago" feel. But the game has one huge saving grace in its replay value. With a dozen gametypes to choose from and several subsets of each gametype available, some of these games will just never get old. The improvement from Wii Sports of five games to twelve is really the only thing that makes this worth buying. Be warned, though: two games, golf and bowling, are repeats. The massive appeal of Wii Sports Resort helps its case as well. This is a game anyone could enjoy. Even game-o-phobes like grandparents and girlfriends can get a kick out of it, and I guess tapping into such new markets is really Nintendo's mission these days. Now, I've been playing this game on and off for the past month, and finally decided that it can be called "beaten" today. Have I unlocked every single gametype and found everything there is to collect? No. But I have played every gametype at least a few times. I have cleared every "level" of certain one-player gametypes. One of my apartment-mates and I have succeeded in various goals and missions. We've gone "pro" at several gametypes and we've bested each other's personal records several times over at many others. Can I say that I've completed this game? No. But beaten? I don't see why not; I've seen all there is to see from Wii Sports Resort and do not feel as though I would be missing out on anything big if I never played it again. Of course, I will play it again, and probably as soon as tonight; it's a big hit in the apartment and I'm sure I'll be coaxed into playing it multiple times in the foreseeable future. It's a bit pricey for the total experience, and it's nothing you'll be reminiscing about in ten years, but Wii Sports Resort is fun, social, and incredibly simple. Were you expecting it to be anything else? I wasn't. Three out of four stars.