New Wii Games For the Sportsperson

Nintendo Wii players will enjoy two recently released games that are partnered with well-known sports manufacturers to add a hint of realism to the game play.

Shimano Xtreme Fishing (Wii, $29.99) is a fun fishing simulation that lets you choose your type of fishing for landing the "big" one: Rod (Shimano), Bow (AMS, Muzzy) or Spear (SCUBA). No matter which type you choose, you can Free Fish for practice, earn achievement medals or log more than 40 varieties of fish caught. Whenever you’re ready, go for the Tournament Mode to win medals for advancement to the next level or for additional fishing equipment. Complete the entire tournament, and you’ll unlock a new fishing environment.

A Multiplayer mode supports up to four fishers competing for top angler. A profile is kept for each mode, tracking your medals, points, equipment won and a logbook of fish caught.

The game takes the work out of finding the fish by displaying an arrow toward which you steer your boat. To cast, point your remote to the spot for your cast and flip your wrist. If you’re using a Nunchuk, rotate it as if using a reel, and in comes the bait. Moving the remote side to side wiggles the bait. If you get a strike; just flick your remote upward to set the hook. And keep an eye on the line tension meter: too much and the line breaks, too little and the hook dislodges.

Bowfishing is a little tricky, since you may have to hit a fish more than once to bring it in--and beware of the monster fish. Spearfishing puts you in full SCUBA gear and gives you some lovely underwater environments to explore. But watch out--in addition to sport fish you have to get the predators before they get you.

The Remington Great American Bird Hunt (Wii, $29.99) game has a simple object: use Remington Shotguns to hit as many birds as possible for the highest score. The game plays easily in arcade-like fashion. Just point your remote and pull the trigger, and when you’ve used your shells, reload. The birds you’ll be targeting are ducks, geese, wild turkeys, grouse and pheasant. Be careful because you’ll be docked points for hitting illegal targets such as blue jays, gulls, hawks or sitting birds.

You can hunt solo or in a round robin mode with up to 4 players sharing one remote; or, using four remotes, in a mode featuring simultaneous pursuit. There are balloons to shoot to get additional ammo or for Trick Attacks on the other players to handicap them, including hail or reverse screens. Bonus items include Chain Shots, Long Shots, Quick Shots and your Hunting Dog, Rockford (woof!).