Back at E3 2006, Nintendo unveiled a remarkable-looking flight demo that used its Wii remote quite ingeniously, allowing players to twist and turn their plane with ease through an open sky. People have since asked if such the game would come to the Wii. Konami answered them with Hudson Soft's new flight simulation game Wing Island. Unfortunately, it never gets off the ground.

In the game, players guide the destiny of Sparrow King Jr. He inherits a family business called Wing Inc., which specializes in completing several aerial jobs around the city. Customers soon start popping up, asking Sparrow to complete their tasks in a timely fashion.

Wing Island runs at a smooth 60 frames per second and supports 16:9 widescreen. However, the unimpressively designed terrain and sloppy looking textures leave the game with a less-than-glossy appearance. The planes don't look good either. Only a few tiny effects, such as clouds, stand out. Furthermore, the music sounds like it was stolen from an elevator's speaker box.

As for controls, Hudson did a decent job utilizing the Wii remote. Players merely point the controller towards the screen and perform small motions to move the plane around, like twisting their wrist for turning and pointing it up and down to ascend and descend, respectively. Unfortunately, the stale missions spoil the fun. Instead of being given some exciting things to do, players must complete smaller chores. Bombing rock formations, putting out forest fires and towing logs lacks excitement. In addition, the missions where Sparrow flies in a pre-set formation will put people to sleep.

Wing Island doesn't completely disappoint. The ability to just fly around and check out parts of the island prove quite soothing after a stressful day, and the two-player balloon-popping multiplayer game has its moments. For those without a second controller, Konami provides a funky little option -- it lets a second player maneuver through the air using a Nunchuk connected to the main controller. Needless to say, those with the Remote have a better grip on things.

Sadly, Wing Island sputters and nosedives into the bargain bin. The weak selection of missions, combined with mediocre visuals and an out-of-the-ordinary control scheme, leave it grounded back at the terminal.

Final Score: 4 (out of 10)

Related Links
Wing Island Game Guide

Konami