EA Playground (Wii) > Reviews > Just another mini-game cash in?

Author's product rating:   

Playability & Enjoyment	A good game - playable and enjoyable
Originality	Not bad - some good ideas
Graphics	Good
Sound	Not bad - needs improving
Difficulty & Complexity	Very simple

Advantages:	Controls work well, Graphics and characters help to add to fun mood
Disadvantages:	Not all games work well, Very very easy

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

When the Wii was released its unique control system allowed mini-games to be more fun than usual, as the highly successful Wii sports and Wii play proved. It was inevitable then, that other developers would try and get in on the act, and grab as much of the new market as possible. So here we have EA playground; and it is exactly that. A collection of mini-games supposedly designed to use the Wii remote in different ways to keep the player entertained.

Graphics
For a mini-game compilation graphics don't tend to need to be spectacular, and these are pretty average. The graphical style is appealing, with vibrant colours and cartoon characters. Of course, this depends on whether you like this graphical style or not, just don't expect lifelike characters and realistic surroundings. Characters have rather small bodies in relation to their bigger heads, and it all adds fun to the game, which at the end of the day all games of this genre set out to do.

Gameplay/Lifespan
The mini-games are mostly a lot of fun, providing variety and are entertaining while they last. One such game is the Dodgeball game, which is made more fun when other players join in. You can flick the Wii remote to the side to dodge balls or take a gamble and try to catch a ball and resurrect an eliminated team member by pressing B. The controls need to be responsive for a game like this which can get very frantic and fun with 4 players, and thankfully they are. Despite this and another four enjoyable games, two do not work as well. These are Wall Ball and Slot Car Racers. The first is similar to squash the only difference being you use your hand instead of a racquet. The latter is cars on a Scalextric-type track, with power ups. However these two just don't seem to work properly and you won't find yourself coming back to them very often if at all.

Possibly the greatest danger with a mini-game compilation is if you will enjoy them enough to come back for them and how long they will last. Unfortunately, this is where EA playground really loses points. It won't last an experienced gamer for more than a couple of hours on their first time through. In the single player mode you have to unlock play areas and find hidden marbles while watching your percentage of the game completed figure rise rapidly. Coupled with this is the fact that this game is extremely easy to begin with, and remains the same pretty much throughout. The game may be aimed at children, but if you are older it will not hold your attention for very long at all. Still, if you fancy a multiplayer game the option is there, it supporting up to four players and can be very fun, but again will not keep you playing for hours on end.

Controls
The Wii remote is used in different ways for each mini game. For example, it is used in Dodgeball by flicking it as mentioned earlier. The D-pad can also be used to navigate your character when roaming the playground. The controls do exactly as they should, which is good as many developers try and cash in with mini-game compilations nowadays. Here however, the difference is these are actually half decent to play.

Wi-Fi
EA playground has no Wi-Fi mode. This is a shame as it would have added longetivity to the game which sorely needs it. It is a further indication that the game may have not been given as much attention as some of EA's other projects and is a bit of a lightweight.

Cost
This game was released at £40 but is no doubt cheaper today. £40 was at least twice as much as this game is worth, for the pure and simple fact it won't entertain you for long enough to justify the price tag. I would say pay no more than £24.99 for this game, and that is being kind.

Conclusion
It's a surprisingly decent mini-game compilation for a change, but it's not without its flaws. If you are a gamer who enjoys some challenging single player action, this is not for you. However its target audience are younger gamers who can play it with their mates, and what it sets out to do, it does fairly well.

Overall Score 7/10