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Wii Sports Resort Cycling Nintendo Wii

Format:
Nintendo Wii

Genre:
Sporting

Buy/Support:
Support Tim, click to buy via us...

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Other GamePeople columnists have reviewed this from their perspective - huh?:
Family Guide Gamer (Wii)
Family Gamer (Wii)
Fitness Gamer (Wii)
Returning Gamer (Wii)

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Wii Sports Resort Cycling recreates the mesmerising sounds and sights of cycling, but didn't quite deliver the competitive riding experience I was hoping for.

Thank you, Nintendo for making a cycling game. There aren't enough of them out there. Obviously, Cycling is only a small part of Wii Sports Resort but it is by far my favourite bit. That's probably because I'm just a little bit biased, but I don't care.

Although I love this game because it's to do with cycling, it doesn't go into the kind of detail I want to see. I had great fun at first controlling the bike with my hands, and for this kind of game where it's mostly about the racing, I guess that kind of works. But I would preferred a game where I don't have to pause for breath every so often because my arms are so tired.

I want a cycling game where I can really get involved, and if that means more traditional controls then so be it. I didn't find this game particularly enthralling.

The music was repetitive and didn't really fit the different stages of the race. There was a bit of accordion a la Tour de France, but the music just didn't grip me. I found myself longing for more suspenseful, exciting music, to fit with the whole fun race thing.

But it redeems itself by adding in the realistic noises you can hear on normal bikes when you're moving but not pedaling. I love that noise. Really love it. There's something mesmerising about the sound of watching wheels turn round and round, over and over again. Yes, I know it's a bit weird but then that's me all over.

Maybe it's just me, but I had a little trouble working out whether this was supposed to be a mountain biking game or a road racer. I think the two were somewhat merged together in Wii Sports Resort's Cycling. I think I spent more time concentrating on the bikes and other racers than actually winning the races themselves.The others in the race aren't just clones in slightly different coloured outfits, they have a personality. It's definitely a nice touch to have different kinds of bikes as well, although that did add to my confusion over whether we were supposed to be mountain bikers or road bikers.

My favourite moment was cycling across the 'Red Iron Bridge' for the first time. Going past it a few times first left me totally intrigued as to whether I would get to cross that cool looking bridge soon, so when I finally did I was over the moon. Is that sad?

What makes me like that part is knowing how hard it would be in real life. Being exposed on a bridge with the wind rushing down the valley took me back to cycling over bridges where I used to live, near in Amsterdam.

There were good points to the game, but it didn't thrill me. I certainly didn't feel like going out and riding my own bike after playing it. Although it did seem to get me in the mood to watch the Tour de France, which can only be a good thing.

Written by Tim Pestridge

You can support Tim by buying Wii Sports Resort Cycling



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Tim Pestridge writes the Bike Gamer column.

"I like bikes and video games because they both spark my imagination and provide seemingly infinite possibilities and just generally make me smile."

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