If you loved Wii Sports and don't mind terrible motion controls, and have two or three friends willing to play a few sub-par mini-games, then Summer Sports: Paradise Island may be worth a rental. For most Wii owners, though, it stands as just another in a string of third-party disappointment.
IGN have been waiting for someone to expand on Wii Sports. After playing Summer Sports: Paradise Island, they are still waiting. It's a shame the developers spent more time on the presentation of their game than on the actual gameplay. Out of the seven mini-games on offer here, IGN can only recommend two. And those are half-hearted recommendations. Most of the controls are wonky and unintuitive, and only the mini-golf game exudes any personality. This is not the one game you would want to have with you on an island.
Presentation - 6.5
Graphics - 5.5
Sound - 6.0
Gameplay - 4.0
Lasting Appeal - 4.5
Overall -
Diehard GameFan writes: "Mini games seem to be what the Wii was built for. Get some friends, throw in a game, and get to the fun without the mess of a complex backstory, an overwrought controller layout, or strategy guide. Summer Sports: Paradise Island promises a few summer sports the original Wii Sports seems to have missed. Head to the pacific, grab some friends, and play some badminton, lawn darts, and putt-putt golf.
This is the Wii, so the game of course gets a mulligan begin with. These graphics however, are short of stellar even by Wii standards. The initial check-in screen, although nostalgically reminiscent of my old 386, is not what I like to call "pretty." Graphics in-game are better, but by no means good. The putt-putt golf levels should be the highlight of the graphics, but backgrounds were glitchy and incomplete. It seemed like some of the moving backgrounds (hippos, pirate ships, etc) would flash in and out of existence in spite of a stable camera angle. Unless pirates have cloaking devices. While a few holes show off some nice touches, nothing feels like the immersive world of, say, Twilight Princess. Also, I have yet to figure out why 1 mph wind is visible in the lawn dartslevel. Seems like wind should be more "visible" the faster it goes, but no, this stuff is hurricane level graphically at low wind speeds even if it would be unnoticeable in day to day human existence."
CheatCC writes: "Destineer's at it again! This time they're taking on backyard hobbies. You may remember Destineer's other recent abominations such as the Kidz Sports series, Homie Rollerz, Kawasaki Quad Bikes, and Myth Makers: Orbs of Doom to name a few. These are all titles I like to call "Wii Killers." These previous games are characterized by their horrendous use of the motion controls, paucity of options, and woeful lack of detail. Thankfully, Summer Sports: Paradise Island is far better than the other offerings they have hastily put out for Wii. The controls, while still poor, don't feel broken. Moreover, the game has some variety with seven different sports to play, and the overall production values are much higher. In fact, the game plays a lot like Wii Sports. Now before you go jumping out to buy the title, know that the games are most similar in quality to tennis or boxing and never approach the quality of bowling or baseball. Nevertheless, this is the best product Destineer has published for Wii and is a game that may be fun for truly casual gamers."
