Review: Wacky World Of Sports (Wii)

The initial concept is an intriguing one, we've all experienced tennis and other popular sports on the Nintendo Wii. In fact you could argue that the market is now saturated with mainstream sports releases and Sega have taken the brave gamble to bring us something off the beaten track. The game features ten unique ‘sports’; we'd be more inclined to label these as pursuits as they are far removed from the sporting realm, as we know it. However the main gaming principles apply as each is broken down into a series of Wii-remote actions to achieve success.

The ten events are tuna tossing, furniture racing, fierljeppen, extreme ironing, log cutting, cheese rolling, lawn mower racing, card boxing, ice golf and mud sliding. We’d like to say that there are some real surprises in terms of game play but any enjoyment fails to materialise. For instance fierljeppen involves running towards a pole and using this to cross a river. Timing and technique may play a small part in achieving greater distances, but the element of luck also features. You can also visit the store and purchase items for specific events that will enhance your abilities.

From the start you can select a character from a typically colourful Sega arcade selection. They are graded on areas such as power, speed, technique and intelligence. Characters are unique to this release and instantly forgettable, oh how beneficial would it have been to have classic inclusions from Sega’s archives.

The inclusion of just ten disciplines results in a threadbare experience; despite the availability of extra modes it just doesn't feel a sizeable experience. Admittedly this is reflected in the lower price point and we should also bear in mind that the target market of this title will most likely play on for hours regardless. So as a budget purchase or weekend rental to sedate a youngster, Wacky World of Sports does have some tangible value, but only just, as parents in the current climate need value for money more than ever.

On paper Wacky Sports promises novelty value yet this fails to materialise. Furniture Racing is a poor racer, Ice Golf is well over par and Extreme Ironing is pointless. Any skill or enjoyment has been lost when these disciplines have been rammed into a mini-game format. You can jump to the Tour mode and plough through each of the ten events in a unique competition against others. Party mode allows you to specialise or plan our your own agenda against others. Arguably it’s amongst friends where some enjoyment can be found with Wacky Sports. Perhaps it’s the sheer novelty or craziness of what you are experiencing onscreen that puts a smile on your face.

Visually Wacky World of Sports is pretty rough and lacks the sparkle of other mini-game releases on the system or any Nintendo title. While the overall presentation harks back to the Sega Saturn and arcade era, Gamestyle could argue that this retro feel applies to the graphics on display. Generally the textures are very poor and no matter how vibrant the colour scheme is it won't cover up such a shortcoming. The level of detail and overall presentation is extremely basic, with the voice acting guaranteed to have you reaching for the mute button. We suspect that Wacky World of Sports has been developed on a tight budget or just hasn't been shown much love in the creation process.

Ultimately Wacky World of Sports is a false dawn for the Nintendo Wii and our consoles will return to their inactivity. Sega may have tried to bring something new to the sporting genre but they fallen foul of the same problems and clichés that blight many releases for the Wii. While we can criticise such a release from a gaming perspective there is no escaping that these mini-game based titles sell extremely well. Sadly this trend looks set to continue, as we wait patiently for that killer Wii release.

Rating: 4 / 10

Words by Jason Julier