Big Beach Sports (Wii) - Review by Chris

Introduction

Compilation games are not a rare sight on the Wii and will continue to be released as they offer a wide range of activities to appeal to a wider audience than most other sport related games. THQ has been a big supporter of Nintendo's home console with games ranging from platforming to wrestling to sport games and so here they are again with another title that falls into the sporting genre but also sets itself up as a collection of 6 sports to be played by friends and family. But with the 'casual' genre already saturated, do we really need another game with 6 sports which have already been covered extensively in various other titles?

Gameplay

Big Beach Sports takes the idea of bringing together 6 simple sports for the enjoyment of up to 4 players at a time. The sports included in the game are all simple in their workings but with only 6 on offer, there isn't a huge amount of variety to keep you coming back for prolonged periods of time. The sports include the likes of volleyball, disc golf and football, although the latter is referred to as soccer but it's just beach football. Each game can be played by a single player against the game's AI or can be created into a tournament style mode for up to 4 players to battle it out not only against themselves but against the computer. Yet, while the game is fun in itself to play on your own, the game is clearly designed to be played with friends as that's where you'll get the most enjoyment. The game's AI will put up a decent challenge for you in single player in the minority of the sports available but in the majority, it proves far too easy to beat and as a result the enjoyment factor quickly diminishes whereas in multiplayer, this isn't a problem as your friends will undoubtedly put up a better challenge and it does make for a more enjoyable experience.

The 6 sports will provide decent entertainment depending on how much you enjoy these in real life. While the sports in the game don't fully represent the real things, the basics are brought into the game but as I've already mentioned, they fall flat when playing in single player. Most of the games simply boil down timing for making gestures which is ultimately to make it more accessible but it detracts from the experience somewhat by dumbing the games down. There is no structure to the actual game as you're allowed freedom of choice of all options from the beginning but that isn't saying much as there is little to do outside of the 6 sports and very little incentive to keep playing. The game does employ an achievement style system but it doesn't add much depth to the gameplay. Likewise, skill points are awarded for taking part in the games but as they can't be used for anything, they are ultimately pointless.

The game does employ some DS connectivity, which is nice to see as it seems that this functionality as all but been forgotten by Nintendo and the many other developers. The connectivity comes through in the create a character option, where you'll download the facial editor to your DS console and draw out the details for eyes, lips and other facial features but the end result is rather crude, which funnily enough fits in well given how crude the actual sports are.

Controls

The only thing you'll need to play the game is the Wii-mote but while THQ have gone out of their way to make the sports, and ultimately the game, accessible, they've ended up with a control system that is very hit and miss. At times, it'll work well but remains very crude in its working and at other times, it'll be very unresponsive. It makes playing the likes of cricket and disc golf difficult as you'll spend quite a bit of time gesturing the controller to try and make the game detect what it is you are doing. Younger gamers won't notice it much but for experienced gamers, it's very noticeable and very frustrating. THQ has produced better set ups in their other compilation games so why they couldn't use some of those to build up the controls is beyond me.

Graphics

The visual presentation won't win any prizes but it does a good job of making everything look welcoming and charming. The beach environments look very similar, with little change between these areas when you choose a different sport but they are detailed enough and look better than a lot of the budget games on the console. The character models are animated well and generally look good, save for some flat features such as facial expressions and such. But oddly, they all look as though they've been coated in a layer of glossy paint and all parts of them look overly shiny which is a very strange look for the game, which otherwise has some decently designed environments.

Sound

The audio has clearly taken a backseat in the development but it wasn't ever going to be a big part of the game. Music slides by, almost unnoticed but does set the atmosphere. Sound effects are just like the majority of the game, crudely done and not being of a very high sound quality.

Final comments

Big Beach Sports is another lacklustre affair in terms of compilation games. The shallow selection of sports on offer won't provide much pull for any gamer beyond a couple of plays and with little else in the way of content, it really won't be long before you place it back on the shelf and opt for something more substantial. Saying that, the immediate appeal will give those looking for some form of multiplayer action something to sink their teeth into but again, it ultimately comes back to the shallow length of the game and there are better offerings out there.

Pro: Simplistic gameplay that's easily accessible, visual presentation is above average
Con: Not a lot in terms of content which doesn't make for a lengthy or fun game, some visual and control issues
Final score: 3.8

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