The Wii Sports game cover.
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Wii Sports (Wii スポーツ Wii Supōtsu) is a sports video game developed and produced by Nintendo as a launch title for the Wii video game console, and part of the Touch! Generations. It was first released in North America along with the Wii on November 19, 2006, and was released in Japan, Australia, and Europe the following month. The game is included as a pack-in game with the Wii console in all territories except Japan, making it the first game included with the launch of a Nintendo system since Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy in 1995.
The game is a collection of five sports simulations, designed to demonstrate the motion-sensing capabilities of the Wii Remote to new players. The five sports included are Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf, and Boxing. Players use the Wii Remote to mimic actions performed in real life sports, such as swinging a Tennis racket. Players also got to play as their Mii for the first time. The rules for each game are simplified to make them more accessible to new players. The game also features training and fitness modes that monitor players' progress in the sports.
Overall, Wii Sports has been well received by critics and received awards from the gaming press and entertainment community. It is the best-selling video game of all time, having outsold the previous best-seller, Super Mario Bros., in 2009. By the end of 2009, 60.67 million copies of the game had been sold worldwide. Wii Sports has been featured on television in Wii commercials, news reports, and other programming. The game has become a popular means for social gatherings and competitions among players of varying ages. It was followed by a sequel, Wii Sports Resort, in 2009.
Reception
IGN
IGN enjoyed the simple, pick-up and play style of the game, but critizied the low graphic quality and lack of depth. It was given a 7.5.
Gamespot
GameSpot liked the additional training features to the game and the basic pick-up and play features, but still felt it lacked in graphic quality and depth. It was given a 7.6.