The Wii Gets an Upgrade in July

Nintendo’s Wii has been turning heads since it was originally released in 2006. The mostly motion-based controls took a radically different approach to game-system design, and it hooked millions of folks who never have considered themselves “gamers” (and probably still don’t).

But if there’s been one big complaint about the system itself, it’s that the controls can be a little unresponsive. That changes in July, when Nintendo releases the Wii MotionPlus adaptor, a little box that plugs into the end of the Wii remote and allows for true one-to-one movement control.

The MotionPlus is launching alongside a new Wii Sports game called Wii Sports Resort, which collects a bunch of lighthearted, summer-themed games that all make use of the enhanced control of the MotionPlus. One game, for example, has you throwing frisbees to a cute little dog who will chase them down — and the angle of your hand dictates the angle of the frisbee’s movement. Another is a wave-runner game where you twist the Wii remote like the throttle of a jet-ski. And my favorite: a sword-fighting game where the in-game sword mirrors your own movement exactly.Nintendo hasn’t announced pricing yet, but I’d be surprised if it’s more than the price of Wii Play — which is to say, about 50 bucks.

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