At last year's E3 when Nintendo announced the MotionPlus attachment their featured title was Wii Sports Resort. At the time all we knew about the game was that it would feature lots of different recreational activities, all of which would be featured in a true 1:1 ratio. Now, a year later, we finally got a chance to get our hands on the near-finished version and put Nintendo's new peripheral through its paces. The results are quite promising.

In our half-hour demo with the game we got to put three different events through their paces, each of which showcased different fun new quirks of MotionPlus. First up was swordfighting, though with a much more family-friendly bend. Our two Miis (decked out in full safety gear of course) stood on a platform high above a pool and bashed at each other with sabres vaguely resembling the q-tips from American Gladiators. Attacking was as simple as swinging the Wii-mote in the desired direction, and you could hold B and move your controller into position in order to block. While our first round went by quickly as we flailed wildly at one another, subsequent rounds were affairs which balanced strikes with defense, and positioning took on a much more important role.


What was most impressive about this otherwise goofy game was the precision of movement with the Wii-mote. The MotionPlus really does allow for much more precise onscreen tracking than we've ever seen before, and it really makes the controller feel like an extension of your arm. The controller is finally able to pick up subtle nuances of movement, and that translates very well into the game.

When we were done swordfighting it was time to move onto basketball, but this time the extent of MotionPlus' usefulness was less pronounced. This competition had us utilizing a standard jump shot movement to attempt baskets, but without having an actual ball in your hand it's very hard to judge speed, power and distance. I couldn't really tell while I was playing what changes I was making to my shooting motion or release point that caused some shots to tickle the twine while others rattled off the rim. While it felt that MotionPlus may have been making a difference of some sort it was incredibly hard to determine what that difference was or how substantially it actually affected the gameplay.

The final event we tested was archery, which tested aim, judgment and steadiness of hand. This was the only of the three games we played which utilized both the Wii-mote and Nunchuck, using motions with both controllers to mimic raising a bow and drawing back the string. As any real archer can tell you, half the battle with a bow and arrow is holding the weapon steady long enough to get off an accurate shot, and that's something MotionPlus captures adequately. While you don't have the tension of the string and the weight of the whole device causing fluctuations in your aim, even slight movements can throw your entire shot off target, so players must be absolutely steady. The game also does a fair job compensating for wind and distance, so shots from further away must be slightly arched, and when shooting in gusty weather you'll need to adapt accordingly. While it may not be the most exhaustively accurate recreation of archery every, it definitely gets the job done.

In a lot of ways Wii Sports Resort is just a means to show off MotionPlus, much the same way the original Wii Sports was just a means to show off Nintendo's new motion-controlled system. As with that now classic title, Wii Sports Resort seems primed to make believers out of those who currently doubt Nintendo's latest peripheral. We'll all be able to judge for ourselves in just a little over a month, but it would seem the groundwork has been laid for an entertaining title that will be a hit for the whole family.