Byline: Brier Dudley; Seattle Times technology columnist
I'm a little concerned about how much my wife and daughter enjoyed 'Wii Sports Resort,' the new Nintendo game going on sale in the U.S. Sunday for about $50.
Specifically the swordplay duel, a version of Japanese kendo.
My family was a little too excited about whacking me with a wooden sword, sending my Wii avatar plummeting into the sea in slow motion.
I had been thinking 'Wii Sports Resort' was a little on the expensive side, but perhaps it will avoid counseling fees down the road.
Swordplay is not only cathartic, it's one of the most fun new activities that 'Sports Resort' brings to the Wii.
The game includes a dozen sports that your Wii avatar plays on the fictional resort of Wuhu Island.
'Sports Resort' is an update of the 'Wii Sports' game that's included with the purchase of a Wii. The original sports games -- baseball, tennis, golf and bowling -- were intended to help people learn how to use the Wii's motion-sensitive controllers.
'Sports Resort' is also a demonstrator, showing off the capabilities of Motion Plus, a new accessory that snaps onto the end of the Wiimote to give it more precision.
The dongle comes in a longer protective rubber sheath that stretches over the Wiimote, a procedure that may prompt a few smirks.
The game comes with one Motion Plus, but you'll end up buying more -- at $20 apiece -- so multiple players can compete in swordplay, table tennis, airplane dogfighting and other activities.
Other air sports include sky diving onto Wuhu or flying planes. Watersports include canoeing, wakeboarding and Jetskiing.
They're all reasonably fun arcade-style games. But a few are outstanding, including swordplay and basketball, which you play by dribbling the remote up and down, slapping it sideways to steal a ball and arcing it upward to make a shot.
Basketball is one of those Wii games that captures some special essence of the real game, similar to the way bowling worked so well on the original 'Wii Sports.' It makes you want to drop the controller and pick up a real ball, but it's so fun it's hard to step away from the console.
Archery is another standout. You hold the remote upright in your left hand and pull back on the Nunchuk attachment as if it were a bowstring. You release a button to shoot the arrow at a series of progressively harder targets.
The one complaint about archery -- and perhaps the entire game -- is that it doesn't take long to work through all the mini-games. You're left wanting new levels and challenges after you've gotten used to the techniques.
Maybe that's the idea. Nintendo will no doubt give players a chance to apply their archery, swordplay and flying skills in upcoming Motion Plus games.
I can't wait for more. I just wish the training didn't cost quite so much.
Brier Dudley: 206-515-5687 or bdudley@seattletimes.com
Check it out
Nintendo is taking its 'Wii Sports Resort' show on the road to summer festivals around the country. You can test the game today and Sunday at the 6th Street Fair in Bellevue (www.bellevuedowntown.org/events/sixth_street), and July 31-Aug. 2 at the Chevrolet Cup at Seafair (www.seafair.com).
CAPTION(S):
Nintendo: Basketball is a standout on ''Wii Sports Resort.'' (0409383457)
Nintendo: Watersports include canoeing, wakeboarding and Jetskiing. (0409383395)
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