The innovative controls of the Nintendo Wii are its best selling point. They are one reason why the Wii was able to tap into a new market, with people who'd never owned a console before lining up to get a Wii, and the controls were a major factor in getting people who already owned an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 to buy a second console.
However, the Wii really hasn't lived up to its potential. Many of the bestsellers for the Wii, including Mario Kart, Super Mario Galaxy, Smash Bros. Brawl, were powered more by being next in a long line of great games. For example, Super Smash Bros. Melee and Mario Kart: Double Dash were two of the top three best-selling games for the GameCube.
And due to its success, the Wii has been buried under an avalanche of sub-par 'casual' and 'mini-game' titles that have done little to live up to the high potential of the gaming system.
Will the Wii MotionPlus deliver the gameplay we are waiting for?
The Wii MotionPlus is set to hit stores on June 8th, 2009, with the much-anticipated sequel to Wii Sports -- Wii Sports Resort -- coming on July 26th. The Wii MotionPlus tracks player movements in much finer detail and with greater accuracy, which will allow games to provide a much more realistic and one-to-one experience.
Grand Slam Tennis and Tiger Woods 2010, both of which will utilize the Wii MotionPlus, have been getting great reviews based on early glimpses of the games. IGN notes that Grand Slam Tennis becomes a brand new game when the Wii MotionPlus is attached.
This is exactly why many gamers bought the Nintendo Wii in the first place. Fast action and intense graphics are best on the PS3 or 360, but the Wii makes the idea of a great tennis game go from a neat diversion to something that might be utterly cool. Especially when the game can be played online, so you can really take it to your friends McEnroe style.
It might just be time to dust off that Wii this summer and see if it can truly live up to its potential.
Tiger Woods PGA Pro Tour 10 Motion Plus Demo from IGN:
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