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Your support makes all the difference.When launching the original Wii console, Wii Sports was a chance to show off what the nascent motion controls could do. Captivating many who had previously thought video games were not for them, it became a hit with families and gamers alike, leaving many people flailing amusingly around their living rooms attempting to play tennis like a pro.
With this Wii U update, Nintendo aim to serve up an ace by finally allowing players to compete online. This ability instantly makes all of the now-familiar games more appealing, as single player was always of limited entertainment. Now you can bypass the constraints of solo play, with competitive opponents always available in an efficient online system including regional leaderboards. The ability to purchase sports separately means if you've a favourite then you needn't splash out for all of them, although a disc version is available featuring all five sports.
Requiring two Wiimote Motion Plus controllers makes boxing one for the peripheral-blessed, but the problem doesn't only lie in the controller requirements - input often seems haphazard as the computer struggles to recognise which punch you've thrown - especially noticeable in the rhythmic punchbag minigame where an uppercut instead of a jab can ruin your run-through, causing much unwanted frustration.
Bowling is as fun as ever, and perhaps one of the best events to play with friends as you save yourselves the journey to the local alley, reducing the chance of catching some awful foot disease from dog-eared rented bowling shoes. The controls here function better than the boxing, and the satisfaction found in hitting a strike is undiminished with time.
Tennis now allows players to add topspin, but it might just as easily add backspin, another inconsistency that exasperates, although perhaps it seems even more satisfying when you send a successful drop shot over to the other side of the court. A perennial favourite, the ability to play online doubles is an excellent addition to Wii Sports Club.
Baseball makes good application of the GamePad and consequently is most fun when pitching or fielding, as hitting a home run feels near impossible in most circumstances. Golf is also one of the best facilitated sports, the GamePad finding another use with the option to look down at the ball you are hitting to execute exacting shots.
It's a shame that more of the games couldn't find a use for the GamePad, as the Wii U's subtle move away from motion control and towards asymmetrical play finds Wii Sports Club trying to position the console as a halfway house. This doesn't particularly benefit consumer or manufacturer, especially in this case where the lack of innovation in an eight year old title leaves you wishing perhaps Nintendo had ported the fuller experience of Wii Sports Resort. Without more novel uses for the GamePad, its difficult to shake the feeling that you've seen most of what Wii Sports Club has to offer before.
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