"I'm a weener!"

This game was pretty far down on my wish list, however we came across a used copy in the game store. There were several reasons why I wanted this game.

One of the reasons we chose this game was to have a party game for guests. We do have Mario Party 8, but that seems a little more juvenile. Adults pretty well know the concepts behind the Olympic games and how to perform the tasks so there's no learning curve.

Really, I thought how hard can running, jumping and throwing stuff be. I wanted a game that I could actually beat my kids at. Unfortunately for me, the Olympic winners make it look a lot easier than it really is. I can't tell you how many times I have to try the action to get a decent score. Unlike real life, there's no practice before the Olympics.

Before playing an event there's an option for viewing the controls. The instructions will illustrate how to move the remote and describe in words what to do. Most of the skill comes to timing. The player needs to move quickly and think on their feet. The game is a little overwhelming on the first day because you have to take the time to figure out how to play each event. It doesn't take long to learn the controls and how to play the games.

Another reason why we chose this game was because our kids recognize and love the characters, but it turns out the kids don't even play this game. When we got the game I was just picking the characters that I thought looked cool. After failing miserably I realized that not all characters are created equally. The characters are divided up by four categories: all-around type (ex. Mario, Luigi), skill type (ex. Waluigi, Tails), power type (ex. Wario, Knuckles), and speed (ex. Yoshi, Sonic). Mii characters can be used as well.

It's interesting to try the circuits with different characters. For instance, when doing the long jump an all-around type character is a much better choice than a skill type character. I gained 3 or 4 yards just by switching characters. After an event is over the menu gives the option to select a different character.

You can also choose the skill level. The options are: beginner, advanced or master's class. The most frustrating thing for me is not knowing what I'm doing wrong. There is no coaching. There is a playback mode that automatically replays the event. You can analyze your own performance. The replay can be skipped by pushing the A button. There is a lot of wasted time for the game to go through replays, scoring, awards ceremonies and cuing the next player. I wish there were a way to turn off the extras. As a beginner skill level, I just need to practice. I'm in no shape to be in a contest so my time would be better served in practice mode rather than watching myself come in last at an an awards ceremony.

Graphics
The graphics are average. There's a lot of colors. The races are set up where there is an audience that cheers...or in my case boo's. No graphics are wasted on the audience. People are represented in a stadium by colorful circles. The graphics look good enough. It's not the type of game that graphics would matter.

The characters make some noises when in game play. When the characters win they say a cute statement like, "I'm a weener!" or "Oh, Momma Mia" after loosing. The phrases are characterized by their personality. Sometimes I can't understand what they're saying, probably because I haven't played with these characters in the traditional games. It's cute how the characters dramatize their win or loss. They jump around or drop to the ground and shake their head.

Games to play:
The games play out exactly like they would in real life and the instructions are on the screen for each event if needed, the manual does not need to be read.

Athletics / Track Events
100m, 400 m, 4 x 100 Relay, 110 Hurdles, 400m Hurdles

To run, use the Wiimote in the right hand and the Nunchuck in the left. Move the hands like they were feet. The sounds of the crowd and competitors are similar to what you would find at an event. The announcer announces the players in the lanes. It sounds like the announcer is really on the a microphone in the stadium.

When giving your character extra power or going really fast you can tell because something similar to fire comes out of the heels of their feet.

Athletics / Field
Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, Pole Vault, Hammer Throw, Javelin Throw

I've spent hours on the long jump. The task is simple. Run then lift the Wiimote to jump but it's tricky. Jump too soon you don't get any length, jump too late and you foul. You have to practice over and over again like you would in real life.

Aquatics
100m Freestyle, 4 x 100m Freestyle

I find swimming very hard. Both the Wiimote and Nunchuck is used. There are 5 different strokes which are a little confusing for me. I'm so slow that I fall off the screen and it's difficult to identify my character in the water.

Gymnastics
Trampoline, Vault

Gymnastics is cool but takes practice. The graphics are great for the characters doing their flips in the air. This is probably one of my favorites (during the Olympics too).

Other
Skeet, Archery, Fencing, Table Tennis, Rowing, Dream Events

Table tennis is ping pong. It's played similar to Tennis in Wii Sports. Fencing is one of the games that requires the Nunchuck. It reminds me a battle with a traditional video game but is harder with the Wiimotes.

There are more events in most of these categories that need to be unlocked somehow. Curiosity is killing me.

The Wiimote is what really makes this a fun game. If you're looking for a game that makes good use of the controllers, this one will do it.

Exercise
I can't say this is exercise but we play the entire game standing up. We played this for hours over the weekend and the next day my husband and I both had very sore muscles in the shoulder and upper arm. I've lost a couple of pounds since we got this game (same pounds I keep loosing and finding so maybe it doesn't count).

If nothing else, it's a good stress reliever. We had a lot of laughs playing this. It's more fun than sitting and watching TV.

We play it for hours, frequently. The movement from video games often make me sick, but this one doesn't. I'm not very coordinated either, so I was happy to find that this game is easy enough for me to play.

Overall
My husband and I enjoy playing this together and have found it to have replay value. The bottom line is, you have to be willing to repeat the same task over and over again. Some people would probably find it boring.

There are 20 Olympic events with three modes of play. There are so many games on here it will take awhile to master all of them.

It's an option for parties because everyone already knows the concepts behind the Olympics. The problem is, we don't have Nunchucks for all the remotes. The games are easy to learn, but hard to actually do so visitors will need some practice. Time really passes when playing this game. Skill will only come with practice so guests probably will not be able to win especially if you've been practicing for hours...which may be frustrating unless everyone is just playing for fun. It may also be boring waiting for your turn if there's 4 players. The more players, the longer the game will take.

Our kids haven't been interested in this game. My kids prefer a faster moving game and they don't like to “wait” for their turn to come up again. My 8-year-old can do the games, but she thinks they're too hard. She doesn't even understand concept of the games. She gets frustrated because she completes all the patterns while bouncing in gymnastics but then gets 8th place. She doesn't understand why, and I don't have an answer for it either. I think it's like the Olympics. All the participants do a great job and doesn't make mistakes, but the one with the best time wins.