Summer Sports Paradise Island

I love the casual video games, and am very pleased that casual games are the current dominate style of video game play. The Nintendo Wii has ushered in a return to traditional values, and I for one appreciate it. Summer Sports Paradise Island for the Wii is one such casual game. This disc contains Badminton, Volleyball, Miniature Golf, Horse Shoes, Lawn Darts, Croquet, and three kinds of Basketball (Horse, Around the World, and Shot Clock). The game is set at an island resort that really brings the warmth.

The graphics in Summer Sports Paradise Island is actually better than I expected. The characters look realistic, and animate nicely. There are plenty of bright colors, and the entire environment is very sunny. There is a haunted house style course in the miniature golf, which is actually pretty tame. Some of the female characters have their sexuality showing, however due to the camera angles it is never accentuated. Destineer made sure that Digital Embryo kept it pretty clean.

There are plenty of wonderful special effect sounds, but they can get a little annoying from time to time. Especially when playing basketball and a lot of players shoot air balls back to back. A little variety would have been appreciated. The music has a wonderful island theme that fits this Wii video game perfectly. I did not hear any offensive sounds while playing Summer Sports Paradise Island.

Summer Sports Paradise Island has a ton of replay value to it. I was absolutely getting into the different games, and having a blast. There are plenty of characters, and plenty of games to play. Get three of your friends and have a real fun family friendly party with Summer Sports Paradise Island.

The controls found within Summer Sports Paradise Island are simple enough, and the game is very forgiving. Trying to figure out how to get the throws in the horse shoes, and lawn darts just right can be a real challenge. The one complaint I have is the badminton game - I kept swinging and missing. Certain times I would swing and think I was going to miss but hit it. The collision detection seems a little off. A real light touch is needed in the miniature golf, or the ball can go flying. Summer Sports Paradise Island is a fun game even with a few minor flaws.

I am so happy to see games like Summer Sports Paradise Island being developed, released, and purchased by the public. Simple fun is what was lost in the last video game generation of home consoles. It is nice to see that has returned with the Wii. Sequels to Summer Sports Paradise Island are most certainly needed.
- Paul