It’s hard to believe that Wii Sports is closing in on 20 years old– or that the Wii itself is almost 20. History has been mixed when looking back on the Wii, and I’m on the positive side of that history. I view Wii as a quality platform, and perhaps its most well-known game is the one-time pack-in: Wii Sports.
Self-professed “hardcore” video game fans tend to be quite dismissive of Wii Sports as a fad, or a casual demo. I consider it to be a very fun piece of software– not just for its time, but also today. It doesn’t have a ton of depth or features, but it’s how each of the sports play that counts. The game’s motion controls are done well, without excessive waggle or unnecessary activity.
Not all of the sports represented are winners for me. Even in 2025, I still struggle with boxing. It’s probably the most “waggle-active” sport included. It’s more fun for me to watch videos of others boxing than for me to play myself. Golf is another one, but is very much an “It’s not you, it’s me” situation. My golf swing makes Charles Barkley look like Sam Snead… so, with my broken swing mechanics, it’s not a surprise to not get much shot accuracy. Again, it’s not that these sports are bad, but rather that I’m either not comfortable with or flat-out bad at them with no marked improvement.
The other sports, though, still hit just right. Tennis is still fun, especially the Training minigames. (Thanks, Poofesure.) My backhand is awful, but I still manage to do okay. I have a blast with baseball… maybe getting into it a bit too much with my batting and pitching motions. It’s probably a good thing that I have a dedicated “retro room” now with plenty of open space.
Bowling in Wii Sports is the king. It was the first sport I tried in 2006 when I tried a Wii at a mall pre-release that sold me, and it was the first sport I played when I got my Wii at launch a few weeks later. Bowling with the Wiimote has always felt natural to me, as someone who bowled in leagues for years. Understanding how ball hook works as part of my downswing translates really well to the video game version here– easily better than any other game before it. Pin action seems natural, which is a feat few bowling games achieved. (Maybe Ten Pin Alley and the Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling games are close.)
You don’t have to be a pro to enjoy bowling in Wii Sports. Anyone can play and that’s the obvious appeal– and a likely factor in why so many people have played and enjoyed it over the years.
It’s not perfect, of course. It’s the one game I always wished to have a deeper feature set. League play, more stat tracking, tournaments, and other modes could have been built on top of the strong foundational gameplay. I get why that didn’t happen– as Wii Sports was never meant to have that kind of depth– but even in something like Wii Sports Resort or Wii Sports Club (on Wii U), I still have mild disappointment that these features never made the cut.
Wii Sports, as a package, absolutely holds up today for me. There are still plenty of times when I fire up the Wii just to play this game, specifically. I can enjoy myself in quick spurts or longer gameplay sessions. The visuals remain appealing to me, with smooth animation and frame rates, and the music is iconic. Even as a solo player, I find more than enough value in Wii Sports to keep returning.
Pete's Perspective 
What say you? Share a comment.