You've had Wii impessions out the wahzoo from earlier launches, so there's no need for any more. What you haven't had yet are some Wii Play impressions.

Wii Play isn't really even that much of a game; it's more a seies of tutorials on how to use the Wii Remote, and it does its job well enough. It's a small collection of minigames, with the mechanics of each designed to teach you the various way the Wii Remote can be used to play games.

There's only a few games on offer, and you have to unlock each in progression. Which, considering how AWFUL some of these games are, gets real tedious, real fast.

This is "the bubbles one". You have to...fit your Mii...inside the bubbles...to win. That's it. One of the better ones, though, especially in multiplayer.

COW RACING! And not just cows, embroidered, soft, cuddly cows. The aim is to mow down the scarecrows. No reason is given. No reason is needed. This one's OK, but again, a lot better in multiplayer.

Air hockey meets Tron. Feels a bit twitchy, but once you get the hang of it it's pretty cool.

So for example in fishing, you're learning how to navigate within a 3D space, and in cow racing you're tilting the Wii Remote sideways ala Excite Truck. As you complete a game and have "mastered" that style of Wii Remote control, you unlock the next game which teaches you something new, etc.

As a tutorial, it's excellent, and is a good way to settle in and get comfortable with the Wii Remote. But as a game? MEH. The minigames are bare-bones, and get real boring, real quick. There's just nothing of substance; only a few of the minigames are any FUN (find-a-Mii, hockey, cow racing, bubbles), and the rest range from average (tank battles) to Christ-why-did-they-even-bother (target shooting).

And yet...as malnourished as it is, at least here, it's really, really cheap. So is it worth getting? Is it worth gloating over, PAL gamers? Or pining for, Americans?

PAL customers: Yes. It's almost-free with a second Wii Remote, and will help you ease yourself in. It's also a compensation package for getting the console three weeks late.

North Americans yet to buy a Wii: See above. If you don't have one yet, and aren't getting one until after Wii Play sees an American release, it's a better way to familiarise yourself with the controls than Wii Sports.

North Americans who already have a Wii: don't bother. Will you still need a glorified tutorial to tell you how to press the "A" button in January, when you've probably beaten Zelda by then? Ah...no. Luke Plunkett

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