Sports games don't really rely on gimmicks that often, and when they do, the gimmicks that are implored really aren't that well-implemented to really make you feel like you're in a part of the action. There were these separate game releases that included a golf club and a minature bowling ball that were promising fun sports action, but came up short in their presentations (and were way too jacked up in price on top of that). Mad Catz' Real World Golf took a similar approach with its golf club peripheral, but its graphics were underachieving and the price tag ($70) a wee bit much. Fortunately, Nintendo has the right approach in mind for this sort of thing with their forthcoming Wii Sports.

Wii Sports looks to be a nice debut title for the system, simple in its execution but bravely sticking to the root of the sports instead of relying on familiar faces from the Mario universe to try and sell us or ridiculous gimmicks that might otherwise turn us off from such a title. It's made up of four (at last count) events that stand apart from each other, but all of them have one great thing in common- they all use the Nintendo Wii-mote's motion sensing capabilities for the gameplay to take effect. Sure, the game requires you to get a little bit physical as a result, but, hey, some of you could use the exercise anyway- especially after an exhausting food feast during your Fourth of July party.

The game is made up of four different events- Tennis, Golf, Baseball, and Airplane. Although Nintendo has yet to confirm whether more (or less) games will be included in the final product, they are promising that the final version will still be packed with hours of sporting goodness. Probably the stand-out of the collection will be Wii Tennis, a game that allows up to four players to stand on the tennis court and take part in a series of matches, hitting the ball back and forth while using their precision in aim to keep it in play. We watched Shigeru Miyamoto and company take part in a heated match during the E3 2006 Nintendo press conference, and it looked like they were having a ball, even if all they were doing was standing around and swinging away at their controllers. Still, it looked and felt like real tennis, at least from the play time that we had with the game, and the multiplayer appeal is definitely there. But then, Nintendo's never really been aching in the tennis department- we're still playing Mario Power Tennis on the GameCube constantly.

Somewhat less complicated is the Baseball mini game, which is essentially a Home Run Derby-type contest where several players can take part. You basically step up to the plate, and time your swing to hit the ball so you can attempt to slam a few out of the park. The play mechanics on this one are simple, but again, emphasis is put on the competition of multiple players, meaning that you'll be swinging again and again to see who's the best of the power hitters in your group. This game isn't nearly as lively as the Tennis one, but I'm sure there's some sluggers out there who will thoroughly enjoy it.

Golf is another game that manages to implement the use of the Wii-mote rather well. In it, you select your clubs and then take to the greens of a number of different courses, and then swing away at the ball, positioning it so you get that much closer to the pin. Then it's a matter of putting finesse on your putting game as you work to make a birdie or a par or (heaven forbid) a bogey. This looks to have the same kind of spark that the Mario Golf games had, but with a more natural approach and none of those damn power rings anywhere to be seen. That's good news for those who embrace the realism of the game, even though it's approachable for all ages.

Finally, we come to Wii Sports Airplane, a mini-game in which you actually take control of a biplane with help of the Wii-mote. You're basically given the freedom of flight in this game, and the final version should see some objectives similar to that of Pilotwings, possibly flying through rings and collecting items to prove that you're an ace pilot. No official word has been given as to whether or not this game will be in the final release, but I don't see why Nintendo would skimp on it. Even though it's not a "sports" title by nature, it still has a great feeling to it and shouldn't be ignored. For that matter, it'd be great to see other bonus mini-games thrown in there, like the Duck Hunt demo they were showing, complete with ducks and clay targets just primed for shooting.

Wii Sports looks to be an incredible amount of fun, even without the familiar presence Mario's characters usually have in such games. It's got that simple nature to it that makes the motion-sensitive gimmicks work wonders, and the multiplayer aspect looks limitless- as long as your guests have lots of energy to burn. We'll be back with a full review of Wii Sports upon its release later in the year (or early next year), so keep working on that golf/tennis racket swing. Oh, and if you break anything in the house, it's YOUR fault.