Double Digit Variety – Deca Sports 2 Previewed

Next month, the development team returns with Deca Sports 2, which continues the trend of offering ten wildly different recreations for Wii owners. Recently, I got the chance to sit down with the final build of the game, and was able to play a handful of the title’s offerings. With a cohesive graphical style that recalls Wii Sports, along with a simple pick-up and play approach, Hudson just might have another hit of their hands.

Like many American’s, I only had a passing familiarity with Petanque, a game with a sizeable French following. The game begins as a small ball, called a jack, is thrown down a field. Players take turns throwing boules (balls) downfield in an effort to get closest to the jack. Alternately, a player may toss a boule to smack one of his spheres closer to the jack, or knock an opponent further away. The game had a pleasant pace, and enough strategy to keep my interest. The title’s controls were also agreeably simplistic; players merely aim down the field, and throw with an intuitive underhand snap of the Wiimote.

Next up was Motorcycle Racing, which was fundamentally solid, but lacked any kind of noticeable qualities. Players held the Wiimote sideways, steering their bikes Mario Kart Wii style, around wide tracks. Although riders were given a slight advantage when drafting behind other player, the title was otherwise uncomplicated. Unlike Petanque, I wouldn’t see this mini-game getting much replay.

Synchronized Swimming recalled the musical synchronization skills of Dance Dance Revolution, requiring participants to swing the Wiimote to coincide with circles that shrunk around the player’s icon. Watching the well-animated aquatic athletes perform their routines was amusing; especially when the player flubbed a combo. I do see players longing for a larger song list than the title’s three tune offering.

In theory, the game of darts should translate well to Nintendo’s system, as long as players don’t hurl their Wiimotes into expensive HDTV’s. However, Deca Sports 2 translation of Darts was rather disappointing.  Although the game rules were implemented correctly, the Wiimote input was much too sensitive. After locking in a position for the game’s aiming crosshair, moving the controller forward resulted in spastic fluctuations-making aiming nearly impossible.