Wii Sports Club
A remaster of Wii Sports with online play and GamePad features.
Wii Sports Club is a 2014 sports simulation video game developed by Nintendo and Bandai Namco Studios for the Wii U. It is the third entry in the Wii Sports series and an enhanced remake of the 2006 Wii launch title Wii Sports. The game adds online multiplayer, Wii U GamePad support, and Wii Motion Plus compatibility to the original five minigames.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Bandai Namco Studios; Nintendo EAD
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Series
- Wii
- Platforms
- Wii U
- Released
- July 11, 2014 (EU)
- July 12, 2014 (AU)
- July 17, 2014 (JP)
- July 25, 2014 (NA)
- Genre
- Sports
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Director
- Takayuki Shimamura
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Wii Sports Club is a remaster of Wii Sports with HD graphics, featuring five minigames: tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, and boxing. Each uses the Wii Remote Plus motion controls to replicate real-world sports motions; unlike the original, boxing does not use the Nunchuk and can be played with one or two Wii Remote Plus controllers. Games support single-player or local multiplayer for two or four players depending on the sport. Baseball and golf utilize the Wii U GamePad: in baseball, the player aims and pitches using the GamePad, while in golf the GamePad is placed on the ground to display a ball for aiming and hitting. Additional side modes include whack-a-mole with tennis controls and bingo by hitting golf balls. The main addition is online multiplayer, where players compete in real-time for tennis, baseball, and boxing, and turn-based for bowling and golf. Players join regional clubs, with stats tracked on Miiverse. The 'Online Banter' feature allows communication via preset messages and drawings. Access to each minigame initially lasted 24 hours; a gold pass for $10 unlocked a sport permanently, while a day pass for $2 gave full access for 24 hours.
Reception
Wii Sports Club received a 68/100 on Metacritic based on 22 reviews, indicating mixed or average reviews. OpenCritic assessed fair approval, with 25% of critics recommending it. GameSpot's Heidi Kemps enjoyed the more complex motion controls and their effect on gameplay. IGN's Scott Thompson praised the motion controls' complexity and improvement since Wii Sports Resort, and lauded the GamePad use in golf and baseball for making them more entertaining and realistic, though Kemps noted the GamePad placed on the ground could be damaged. Tennis was praised for precise controls, especially as it was absent from Wii Sports Resort. Thompson lauded bowling's precision, but Nintendo World Report was disappointed by the lack of GamePad support. Golf was praised for accurately replicating its sport with the GamePad; Nintendo World Report considered it the best sport. Baseball was praised for advanced pitching controls, with Thompson calling it a fun sense of augmented reality. Boxing was considered the weakest entry due to unintuitive controls, though more precise than the original. Kemps called the side modes a nice distraction. Online play was seen as positive overall, but critics derided technical issues: Kemps criticized lag, matchmaking, and restrictive options. Thompson expressed frustration with turn-based bowling and golf causing slow gameplay and waiting, and noted being paired with less skilled players. Tennis and baseball fared better with real-time gameplay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who developed Wii Sports Club?
Wii Sports Club was developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Nintendo EAD.
When was Wii Sports Club released?
Wii Sports Club was released on July 11, 2014 in Europe, on July 12, 2014 in Australia, on July 17, 2014 in Japan and on July 25, 2014 in North America.
Who directed Wii Sports Club?
Wii Sports Club was directed by Takayuki Shimamura.
Who designed Wii Sports Club?
Wii Sports Club was designed by Daisuke Kageyama.
More in Nintendo Games of the 2010s
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