Deca Sports 3 Review

There are TEN different sports in here!

By Aaron Roberts. Posted 03/18/2011 12:00 Comment on this     ShareThis
The Final Grade
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1-Up Mushroom for...
Showcasing some unusual or forgotten sports
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A couple of shorter, less deep sports in the mix.

Deca Sports 3 is about sports.  There are ten of them.  So, just in case you haven’t figured it out by now, Deca Sports 3 involves a collection of ten sports that can be played either individually or as a large competition.  Like the Decathlon, only not like the actual Decathlon because that involves mostly different events.

Don’t get confused; there are still ten sports in Deca Sports 3, they just are different than you’re used to.  And different than the other games, too.  Let’s take a look at the individual sports and how they play out amongst the set.

Air Racing: Not so much racing as flying around an obstacle course.  The plane’s tilt and yaw are controlled with the Wii Remote, and you must fly through designated targets or gates across the landscape, either within a certain time limit or to gain a certain number of points.  Bears a resemblance to the flying portion of Wii Sports Resort.

Fencing: This is based off Olympic-style fencing, and there isn’t any directional control, but when you think about it some more, there are only two directions you can legally go in fencing, anyway — forward or back.  The Remote itself is just to slash or block strikes, A and B move you forward or back, respectively.

Kayak Slalom: Kayaking down an obstacle course, the Remote is used to row on either side.  It actually matches up pretty well with your motions, but you also have to work against the current, which can be frustrating at times.  Getting to the end with the best time is your goal.

Springboard Diving: One of the less in-depth events, pun not intended.  Basically, you time jumping off the diving board while doing tricks in mid-air– basically, as many twists with the Wii Remote as possible.  This one’s pretty short, too.

Log Cutting: Even less deep than the last, you are pushing the Wii Remote forward or pulling it back in order to saw a couple of logs in half.  This is a race; whichever two-man team finishes first wins.

Lacrosse: This is one of the more complex sports, which uses both Wii Remote and nunhcuk.  Pass, shoot, and score your way to victory.  One of the more difficult sports to play, but also one of the more rewarding, as it can be quite enjoyable once you’ve mastered it.

Halfpipe: A little abstract to get, it’s played by just twisting the Wii Remote.  You snowboard down a hill and do tricks as you get to the top of the half-pipe.  After four or five tries, you get a rating as you reach the bottom.

Giant Slalom: Use both the Wii Remote and nunchuk as ski poles to slide down the slopes on course through the flags.  This is one of the more motion-intensive games and is actually a lot of fun.

Volleyball: Take on another team of six on the court.  Hitting the ball is far more timing-based than you might expect, there is a shrinking ring around the ball with which you must time the hit appropriately with the Wii Remote.  It’s actually somewhat hard to keep the timing exact, leaving this game somewhat disproportionately difficult.

Racquetball: This game is a bit easier than you might think, as the computer will move your character to get the ball, but sometimes there is a timing ring around the ball, like in volleyball above.  This is only when a power shot is possible; the rest of the time there is no ring.  This can be hard to adapt to, but once you do, you get the hang of the game.

You can play with a computer-created team of six players, or make your own and train them for competition.   The character models are intellectually distinct from Miis but were clearly inspired by them, and the entire game has a pastel-colored TV sports vibe to it.  Sound-wise, the game is full of crisp synthesized music that is upbeat and somewhat fun to listen to, but nothing you would buy an album of.

Deca Sports 3 also provides four head-to-head online modes and the others have online leaderboards to post scores.  Players might have better luck in the single-player online modes, as competition is somewhat hard to find unless you’re playing with friends.  As stated above, not all the games are thrilling, in-depth masterpieces, and some only take seconds to complete.  That being said, there is some fun to be had in Deca Sports 3, and it’s a sure-fire hit at parties.  Not a hard-core sports simulator, but some lesser-known sports that don’t get the full retail package are also nice to find here.

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