Board games and sports games, how do these two Wii titles compare?
Despite being a board game and a sports game, both Trivial Pursuit and Backyard Baseball '10 have quite a few similarities. For example, both games are on the Wii and feature an announcer that relates the play by play and provides some color commentary. Also, both games are designed to be enjoyed with friends and family.
Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit features great background music and a voice over commentator that never seems to repeat himself. The animation is really entertaining and flashy, making even small moves seem epic.
There are several modes to enjoy, including the Classic Game, the Fact and Friends quickplay, and the single player Clear the Board mode. It is possible to stop play in the middle of a game and save it for another day and the game allows you to keep several games saved. The Wii version of the game comes with the Movie Pack, which contains extra questions in case the general stuff gets boring.
Compared the actual board game, the extra modes and questions are nice, as are the facts that you don't need to set up or clean up and can save long games. However, you are also unable to make your own questions and there can sometimes be very long and boring waits inbetween turns if there is one really good player in your group.
The game is easy to learn and the difficult questions makes it tough, but fun, to master. If you play a lot of board games with your family, this is a good game to pick up.
Rating:
Price: $39.99
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Backyard Baseball '10
Backyard Baseball '10 is a great game for baseball fans, especially since it features real Major League Baseball players in their cartoony kid forms. Ichiro, Ken Griffey Jr., and David Ortiz are all in the game and there are more real life players to unlock as you play through the game.
To play the game, you will use the Nunchuk and Wiimote to decide and enact your pitches and swings. For example, if you were pitching, you will select your pitch with the control pad on the Wiimote and aim the pitch with the Nunchuk control stick before making the throwing motion with the Wiimote. The controls work well and allows for a great baseball experience.
Beyond the core baseball elements, however, the game is a bit plain. The graphics are very simple and not very exciting. Even when you use a special power with your characters, the overall effect is not very impressive. There are times when there is no background music, leaving the room feeling strangely silent. As well, the play by play and commentary is a bit annoying as unoriginal sound bites are repeated over and over.
Overall, this game is truly only for baseball fans and has things that baseball lovers can get excited about. However, if you are just looking for something to play with your friends, it is probably better to go outside to play in your own backyard.
Rating:
Price: $29.99
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
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