Nintendo Wii Play

If you were asked what the best selling game on Wii is, you might think of Mario Galaxy, Wii Fit or Super Smash Bros. Brawl. You may be surprised to learn that it's actually a collection of 9 mediocre mini-games. The game is Nintendo Wii Play.

If you don't already know, the reason for Wii Play's success is its value for money. It is such good value for money because the game come bundled with a Wii Remote.

Of course the Wii comes with one controller but most owners will at some stage want to play multiplayer games. The multiplayer aspect of the Wii is one of the main ways the system is promoted. Just look at any of the adverts for Wii games. They always show a family or group of friends having a fun time together on the Wii. They never depict the man playing Zelda until the early hours who looks drained as he’s been playing the game for 8 hours straight, yet feels determined to finish "just one more dungeon" before bed. That is another side of the Wii, but Nintendo focus their marketing on having fun together.

Since a second controller is required to get the most out of the console, most Wii owners will want to purchase one. Wii Remotes typically cost between £26.99 and £29.99. Wii Play with Wii Remote costs around £28. So in some cases you can actually buy it for less than the Wii remote alone. At most you will not pay more than a few extra pounds for Wii Play than you would for the controller alone.

The downside of Nintendo Wii Play is that the mini-games themselves are very shallow and likely to become boring and repetitive quickly. After each game has been unlocked, which can usually been done within two attempts at the previous game, there are no rewards for continued play other than a high score. If some of the games were a little more difficult to unlock, it could add further value to the title.

The following is a brief rundown of each mini-game.

Shooting Range – This is first game available in Wii Play. Players aim their remote at the screen and fire using the trigger at clay pigeons, ducks and flying saucers.

Laser Hockey - Like Air Hockey, two players use a mallet to hit a puck into their opponent's goal. The motion of the remote is tied to the motion of the mallet.

Tanks – This 2D overhead shooting game is the only one in Nintendo Wii Play for which the Nunchuck can be used alongside the Remote. The Wii Remote is used to aim your tank's gun at enemies while the Nunchuck is used to move the tank around the play area.

Find Mii – The remote is used to select a Mii from a crowd which matches criteria given before each round.

Charge – This is the only game where the remote is held in the style of bicycle handle bars. The remote can be used like a steering wheel to race a cow to the end of a track before the time runs out. Bashing into scarecrows is rewarded with time extensions.

Billiards – As you would expect this is a Wii Play version of Billiard. The remote is used to select where the cue ball is hit, then the remote is pulled back and pushed forth to simulate the motion of the cue in order to hit the ball.

Table Tennis – The remote is used to control the position of a bat in a table tennis match.

Fishing – The play must cast their rod by swinging the remote and then move the rod around to catch a fish and pull it up.

Pose Mii – This Nintendo Wii Play game uses Mii characters. Pressing the button on the controller changes the pose of the Mii. The Mii must then be manoeuvre into a matching shape inside a moving bubble.

Nintendo Wii Play is almost a free title given away with a Wii Remote so you needn't think too hard about whether or not to purchase it. Just don't expect the game itself to keep you entertained for more than a few hours.