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Wii Sports Resort is set to release, bundled with the MotionPlus Wii Remote add-on, in Spring 2009.

Wii Sports is the best selling game for the Wii, which may not mean much considering it comes bundled with every Wii console. The next best selling game is Wii Play, but that also comes bundled with something, a spare Wii remote. However, it is still the most talked about Wii game on the market currently, possibly because everyone has it, but more importantly because everyone plays it.

Wii Sports Resort is the true sequel to Wii Sports, and it again is going to be bundled with hardware, though this time that hardware will be important to gameplay. It will use the Wii MotionPlus, an add-on for the Wiimote that dramatically increases the sensitivity of the Wii remote.

Unfortunately, the spokesperson on hand couldn’t describe what the MotionPlus does save for make the Wiimote “one to one” with the Wii, but we’ll get the technical details on this new piece of hardware shortly.
In terms of hardware specifics, I’ve been told that it will be bundled with the game, but not how many would be with each title. It will be sold separately, but for an unknown price. It comes with a port for nunchuk use and the previously released plastic skins have been elongated to use with the MotionPlus, though based on the Nyko Cord-Free, it’s highly likely that the older skins will work just fine, even if mildly stretched. No word has been given whether third party developers have access to the MotionPlus.

Wii Sports Resort currently offers three games to play, all utilizing the MotionPlus. The first game is jet skiing, where players hold the Wiimote and nunchuk with their tops facing each other as if on a jet ski. My tests of the system showed that it was very realistic in terms of control. Anyone who’s used a jet ski will be comfortable with the controls, even if the nunchuk cannot simulate an actual grip. I set the high score for the event, only to be beaten by one point by my cameraman.

The next game is a Frisbee throw. An animated puppy onscreen kindly demands you play, and throw the Frisbee for it to retrieve. The throw is done like a normal Frisbee throw, so there is some skill with a Frisbee required. What was interesting is that while the physics react normally, throwing it doesn’t just work based off of the velocity the Wiimote is moved, but the actual force behind it, which is where I believe the MotionPlus is kicking in. Frisbee throwing was very realistic, and I was generously reminded of how poor I am at throwing one.

Finally, the best for last, swordplay. Using the Wiimote with MotionPlus as a sword is actually possibly with two hands because the Wiimote is longer, though it does take getting used to. As someone who has actually trained with a sword, it isn’t comfortable, but it’s the closest I’ve seen to making a realistic swordplay game.

It starts off by allowing both players to get adjusted by cutting blocks of wood, then places both players on a tall round surface to battle. Gameplay is simple: knock the other person over the edge. Hitting or successfully blocking pushes them back. Because it doesn’t use the nunchuk, movement was somewhat difficult, but meant to be unnecessary.

The MotionPlus registers movement by moving the Wiimote far to the right or left. In my match against the Nintendo spokesperson, I won first by tremendous skill, lost by a tremendous lack of it, and tied by running out of time. Overtime makes the circle so small that a single hit or block would throw either player over the edge. While he was talking, I took my chance and won. Suffice to say, expletives were voiced.

Normally I’d say that yes, the game is fun in the way that Wii Sports was fun; simple games that don’t require much and are familiar activities (c’mon now, who doesn’t pretend to play with swords?). However, the most important innovation is the completion of the Wiimote, which has been severely lacking in many titles we’ve reviewed for the Wii.

Developers have complained that yes, while the Wii is unique in its motion sensitivity, it wasn’t capable of enough. Based on what I’ve seen, I believe it is now. The only problem is timing. The MotionPlus is not due out for quite some time.

Wii Sports Resort is set to release, bundled with the MotionPlus Wii Remote add-on, in spring 2009. It is claimed to possibly house as many as 10 games, but Nintendo has not commented on the exact number.