Remember that tech demo that shipped with the Wii? Had a few playable sports games, convinced your parents they weren’t complete squares and was fun for about a week? We don’t either, but Hudson is set to one-up Nintendo’s meek sample with Deca Sports, a collection of 10 games that are anything but mini. We had a chance to play five of Deca’s offerings: Badminton, Curling, Kart Racing, Soccer, and Figure Skating. We came away impressed to find a simplistic yet deep experience instead of another lame sports game rehash.
Badminton works similarly to Wii Tennis; underhand strokes lob the shuttle over the net, while over-handed shots are the power spikes. Similar to Rockstar Presents Table Tennis, we had to swing the remote a split-second before we wanted our character to return the shuttle. Admittedly, it felt a little awkward and took some time getting used to.
We next triedCurling- that crazy sport that’s like a cross between Shuffleboard and cleaning the kitchen floor. We used the d-pad to aim and held B for the power meter to light up. Next, push the remote forward right as the meter reaches the appropriate power level. The way you angle your wrist dictates the curve of the stone. After you curl, you’ll have to shake the remote from side to side for your sweepers to increase the stone’s distance of travel. Faster than you can say “what the hell is Curling?” we actually got pretty damn addicted.
Kart Racing is pretty self-explanatory. You’ll hold the remote like a classic controller, use the 2 button for gas and steer by angling the remote left or right. Although it takes getting used to, we were able to figure it out just in time to beat the developers in a five-lap race. We highlight that point because, while it felt gloriously awesome to dust the developers at their own game, it shows just how easy it is to feel right at home with Deca’s controls.
