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Reviewed By Hoyboy(Intermediate) Review Date 12/29/2007 Overall Rating  4 of 5 Value Rating  3 of 5 Rate this review? Price Paid: $0.00 Summary The Wii needs mini-games like Sony needs bad press, but it's hard to dislike Carnival Games. I was expecting a collection of generic target shooters, but these are faithful recreations of authentic carnival games! Many bring back fond childhood memories of the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. There are 25 games available from the start, and many more that can be unlocked. Most are simple and fun, incorporating natural motion controls and realistic physics (too real if you ask my friend Scott!). The best of the bunch are Alley Ball (aka Skeet Ball), Hoops (basketball), Ka-pow (throw at clown faces), Frog Leap, Balloon Darts, Nerves of Steel, Shooting Gallery, Horse Race, Hole In One, and Shoot for the Stars (BB gun!). The motion controls in Balloon Darts and Nerves of Steel are remarkably sensitive and precise. Less fun are the games that require you to shake the controller to power up some kind of gauge - that's too much work! Games that fall into this category are Test Your Strength, Clown Splash, and Bowler Coaster. Dunk tank and spilled milk are a bit too simplistic, and I wish the football-throwing games used real throwing motions. Collection Plate, Ring Toss, and Lucky Cups depend more on luck than skill, but even these are fun when taken in small doses. The "competition mode" lets up to four people compete in five random games, several of which offer split-screen action. Even the single-player mode is engaging thanks to the innovative "prize" system that lets you "trade up" your winnings to unlock new games and other surprises. No game takes more than a minute or two to play, but if you play the entire circuit, it's easy to spend and hour or more playing Carnival Games. Don't expect much from the graphics and audio though. The "barkers" running each game have non-moving lips, and the scenery lacks detail. The audio is equally sparse, limited to traditional carnival music and quips from bystanders. One thing that I don't understand is why you're required to create your own little character from the start instead of using your Mii. Isn't that the whole purpose of the Mii system?? Even so, Carnival Games is a pleasant surprise which should appeal to gamers of all ages.Strength Weakness Would you like to Comment? Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
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4 of 5
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