You've heard that expression about not getting something for nothing? In the case of Wii Sports, which comes packed in with the Wii console, you get plenty. None of the games here have photo-realism going for them. The characters are straight out of your Mii collection, so they aren't incredibly detailed, either. Wii Sports may not be the prettiest sports game on the block, but it holds its own in other respects. The graphics are serviceable and - especially considering the cost - you can't complain. The best looking game is probably Golf. You get to view courses and see the outdoors a bit, which is always nice.

In each game, there are realistic sounds to accompany the less than realistic sights. The crack of a bat, the chunk of a well-hit tennis serve, and the clatter of bowling pins makes for a nice soundtrack. The music is understated and relatively unimportant - it would have been nice, however, to have the option to play MP3s from an SD card. Getting into the game is easier when you can see, hear and even feel the action. One nice touch is having some sound in the Wii-mote, like the "pock" of your tennis racket connecting with a ball. All the characters are strangely silent, which may be a blessing or a curse depending on your preference. For me, it would have been nice to hear a little grunting during the boxing game, since you wouldn't expect your opponent to just stand there silently while you hand out a beating.

There are five games included here: Baseball, Bowling, Boxing, Golf and Tennis. Other than a Training and Fitness mode that let you sample from each of the five sports, you will spend most all your time immersed in playing one of these games. The Fitness mode is actually pretty fun and takes you through small excerpts of each sport with specific goals. Once you find a few favorite sports, however, you won't be likely to spend much time on this "sampler."

Baseball is actually a very trimmed down game, if you come expecting regulation play. As a single player, you alternate between hitting and pitching. When more than one player gets into the game, you can try hitting against your partner's pitches. Hitting is a matter of controlling timing and placement of your Wii-mote. Pitching allows for a few more control options like selecting a fastball, slider or other special throw. Depending on the strength and placement of your hitting, the ball will be returned quickly or slowly and your Mii just runs the bases without you controlling anything. The same type of play happens when fielding, so you don't have to position players or run to catch balls. As simple as it is, Baseball is a lot of fun for two players.

Bowling - If you're like me and don't much like breathing smoke fumes, drinking stale beer, or wearing other people's shoes, virtual bowling has its appeal. This is a nice, if somewhat touchy, version of the classic game. Unlike the control in baseball, bowling feels a bit haphazard and unintuitive. The motions are right, but the feeling you get from a heavy bowling ball can't be recreated with a Wii-mote. Once you master the controls, you can have some fun here. The look and feel of a busy bowling alley is here and you'll find that your customized Miis will gather in the background and watch while you play.

Boxing is the the only game in Wii Sports that requires the use of the Nunchuk controller. The two controllers are used to simulate the punching motion with a right and left hand. Other useful gestures include blocking and leaning. Moving around will help dodge punches and those you can't dodge you should block. A meter shows when you are wearing down your opponent or when he lands a few good punches on you. Once you knock a fighter down, the count will start. If you win, you'll move on to a harder opponent. Boxing, like the other sports, rates you on your performance at the end of each session.

Golf - The best part of golf is swinging on the straightaways for big yardage. Trying to putt or do precision shots is less appealing, but it grew on me. A handy guide shows you how much power to use in your swing and then the only problem is adjusting the swinging gesture you make with the Wii-mote. I was a little surprised at how I could practice a shot and then take the real thing and get very inconsistent results. It's mighty satisfying to sink a ball, but the overall game is lacking in depth. The basics are all here, including the ability to change clubs and choose your approach to the green. Unlike the baseball game, you do have a full golf experience contained here, but there isn't a lot of diversity in the courses you play.

Tennis is one of the games, like golf, that you may aspire to play in the real world. If you lack skill and time to improve your skill, this is the way to go. The Wii Sports tennis game is a doubles match where you can play both players on one side or choose a partner to play against, or control just one of the characters. The idea of doubles with four players is very cool, but it would have been nice to see a one-on-one challenge also. Hitting regular or with a backhand stroke is a nice touch and it's very easy to recognize when to switch. Tennis, like Baseball, felt very intuitive. Even serving is part of the mix and it's very satisfying to drive a massive strike down the line and watch your opponent miss the return.

None of the games are difficult to play, but the control can take some time to learn. In almost every case, the controls are intuitive and natural. Swinging and releasing the ball in Bowling takes some time to perfect, but there are diagrams in advance of playing each mode or during each mode to help. The computer isn't a perfect opponent to a point, which makes it fun to play as a single player, if necessary. All the same, Wii Sports thrives on the multiplayer experience; it's harder to play against live people, but it's more rewarding.

The gestures used for the Wii Sports games are natural. Swinging a bowling ball, striking with a bat and making punching gestures could not be more natural. The tendency is to exaggerate motion as you start getting into the action. Each game apart from golf really inspires this. I even found myself bobbing and dancing around the room for tennis and boxing just to get into position. In a few cases, you'll need to press buttons on the Wii-mote to trigger special moves, but the majority of the action in Wii Sports comes from moving the Wii-mote around.

Each of the games is entertaining and the entire package stands on its own as a good party game. Playing any of these with a friend will be instantly rewarding. Simple, but easy to learn and free with the system, Wii Sports is a good offering. Don't come expecting big-time sports games or the ESPN license, but if Nintendo can pull this off, I will be excited to see what cool sports games are on their way. The Wii-mote and Nunchuk lend themselves perfectly to these sports and there's nothing to beat the experience of unwrapping your Wii, plugging it into the TV and having something to play right away.