I have said it before and I will say it again, for some reason, they keep making these games that feature crazy, sports or other similar styled events for the Wii. Yes, I know, the unique controller practically invites developers to come up with fun, goofy games that will make it appear as if you are being attacked by invisible bees to the uninformed observer. But, more often then not these variety games usually feature a couple of decnet games and then a whole slew of fodder to make it seem like you are getting a value.

 
"Saw that log! Bail that hay! This isn't fun, it's work!"

And with that, we have the latest in a series of mediocre games featuring you climbing ropes, cutting logs, running, shooting and as many other things they can throw at you. Problem is the core gameplay is weak to begin with and the description of how to play is often wrong. I understand that the Wii-mote is a clever device, but this is a game where you may need to tag team another person in considering the severe amount of movement some of the games require. I swear you could play this game for a month and your playing arm would be all buff while your other would be limp and atrophied. Yikes! Seriously though, the game is meant for up to four players and you really do get tired when playing for any real length. I appreciated the sheer amount of different movements required to play the games, but the instructions are misleading in what to do and in some cases completely wrong. Playing a game like this is tough enough, and now we have to worry about quality control.

Not that I expect brilliance on my Wii, but the game is missing a step in the graphics dept. Character sprites can sometimes be edgy and not as smooth as other games in this vein. The game as a whole looks really juvenile and doesn't encourage you to keep plowing through all the games. Oh sure, like I said, there is a couple that stand out and could be considered entertaining, but the overwhelming majority not only looks below par, but the gameplay mechanics aren't all that riveting either. Some cheap tricks are used to make the game seem to look better, but when you compare this game to others on the Wii then you understand where the failures truly lay.

Sound wise, the game isn't making any friends in the David house. I know it's a tired comment, but these systems all have a better sound board than past systems, yet the developers choose to not really pump out the beefier surround sounds. Yeah I know, you can't really expect too much from a variety game like this, but when you are sawing logs, you expect some fuller sounds at least. It never really happens. Plus the four default songs that play during the mini-games can begin to overlap when you are playing a four-way melee competition. No lines were ever drawn in the sand here.

 
"We can rebuild him, stronger, faster, shorter..."

Now the developers did a decent enough job of at least breaking up the monotony, and I have to respect that. Too many times I have played these compilation titles and its just the same couple of motions or games re-doctored to look like something new, but isn't. This one is a bit more varied and it works. Sure, the games may not be the best; the title says 30 great games, but I'd say its more like 3 great games, 8-10 good-to-fair games, a dozen so-so games and the rest no fun at all. It's a rough run of games that, quite frankly, doesn't scream "play me, play me!" But it is a value title and for that it almost seems to be enough, almost.

Since the game is touted as a family title, it is perfectly fine for playing with all members of the family, getting them to play is another. Yes, there is some fun to be had in this game, but it also depends on who you have playing with you. Some games take any group of people and make a party of it, others require that you pick the right people if you are going to have any fun at all. This would be the latter.

Gameplay: 6.4
It varies, there are different games, fishing, log cutting, jumprope among others. They may not be the games you play with your family, but its the ones you play in this title.

Graphics: 6.0
I said it before, this is a game that looks alright, does a couple things right, but falters and stumbles when it comes down to it.

Sounds: 5.5
Things can get confusing when multiplayer mode is engaged. The canned sounds and recycled music can get tiresome.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 5.5
These compilation games are getting long in the tooth, it is going to take something special to raise the bar.

Multiplayer: 6.7
Those few games that you will find fun, will buoy you into playing this a few times.

Overall: 6.1
This is one of the few compilation games that actually passes the bar, barely. I can't say that this is the one for you, but there is some fun found in this title, you just have to look.