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We Ski

We Ski[b] is a 2008 skiing video game for the Wii developed and published by Namco Bandai Games. It is the first third-party game (and second game behind Wii Fit) released that makes use of the Wii Balance Board.

We Ski
Developer(s)Namco Bandai Games
Publisher(s)Namco Bandai Games[a]
Composer(s)Hiroshi Okubo
SeriesSports WaiWai
Platform(s)Wii
Release
  • JP: January 31, 2008
  • NA: May 13, 2008
  • EU: June 13, 2008
Genre(s)Skiing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

A sequel, We Ski & Snowboard, which adds snowboarding to the game, was released in 2008. A spin-off, Go Vacation, which featured dozens of sports and several open worlds to explore, was also released for the Wii in 2011, and was later re-released on the Nintendo Switch in 2018.

Gameplay

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The player skiing down a slope

We Ski can either be played with or without the Wii Balance Board. If using the board, the player can distribute their weight and use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk as virtual ski poles, simulating the sport of skiing.

The game features 14 courses, which can be skied during both day and night. Besides racing, the game also features different modes such as a Ski School, Centipede Races, and Search and Rescue in addition to a Freestyle mode in which up to 4 players may ski freely.

Players may use their own Miis or one of the customizable in-game avatars. They can earn rewards such as character apparel and upgraded ski equipment by completing various goals. The player can also perform "air tricks" on marked jumps. Additionally, the WiiConnect24 service allowed the sharing of photos taken by players in-game until it was discontinued by Nintendo in 2013.[2]

Development

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We Ski was designed to utilize the Wii's hardware capabilities, such as its motion controls, to create an intuitive playing experience.

We Ski was produced by Namco Bandai Games employee Yozo Sakagami, a veteran of the company's Ridge Racer series.[3] The publisher suggested to Sakagami that he create a racing game for the Wii that took advantage of the system's hardware capabilities, namely its motion controls.[4] Sakagami quickly began to question if a racing game was suitable for the platform, as the Wii's target demographic consisted of children and parents in their 30s and 40s.[3][4] He began thinking of a theme that would appeal to any age group, before settling on skiing as he believed the Wii's intuitive controls would make such a game possible and fun to play.[3]

We Ski's development team consisted largely of those that worked on the Ridge Racer games including Ridge Racer 7 director Kenya Kobayashi.[3] It was designed as a successor to Namco's Family series for the Family Computer, which were themed around sports or games and possessed simplistic controls and cute character designs.[5][6] The soundtrack features music from singer Yumi Matsutoya,[4] in addition to remixes of tracks from older Namco games like Xevious, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, and The Idolmaster. We Ski is the first third-party game on the Wii to use the Wii Balance Board peripheral.[7]

Bandai Namco released We Ski in Japan on January 31, 2008.[8] It was released in North America on May 13, 2008,[9] and in Europe on June 13, 2008, with Nintendo handling distribution.[10][11] The Japanese and European versions were titled Family Ski to further tie in its relation with the Family series, and were published under the Namco label.[1] In Japan, it was also released under the Sports WaiWai brand, which included remakes of Family Jockey and Pro Baseball: Family Stadium.[12]

Reception

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We Ski sold 1.2 million copies worldwide by December 2008, making it one of Namco Bandai's most successful releases of the year.[22] The game holds a 67/100 on the review aggregator website Metacritic, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[13]

Notes

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  1. ^ Released under the Namco brand name in Japan and Europe.[1]
  2. ^ Known in Japan and Europe as Family Ski (ファミリースキー, Famirī Sukī)

References

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  1. ^ a b Greenhough, Chris (November 15, 2007). "Namco Bandai reads minds: Family Ski to use Balance Board". Engadget. Verizon Media. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  2. ^ "Discontinuation of WiiConnect24 Services | Wii & Wii mini | Nintendo Support". en-americas-support.nintendo.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
  3. ^ a b c d "【TGS 2011】究極のファミリーゲームを目指して制作『ゴーバケーション』小林プロデューサーにインタビュー". Inside Games (in Japanese). IID. September 26, 2011. Archived from the original on June 3, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "社長が訊く『GO VACATION』". www.nintendo.co.jp (in Japanese). Nintendo. October 2011. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  5. ^ "バンダイナムコ、「タッキー&翼」を「ファミリーシリーズ」のイメージキャラクターに". Inside Games (in Japanese). IID. December 25, 2007. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021.
  6. ^ ザ・プロフェッショナル ファミリーボクシング・ファミリースタジアム・ファミリージョッキー (in Japanese) (Volume 55 ed.). Takarajimasha. August 22, 1987. ISBN 4880633151.
  7. ^ a b Bozon (May 20, 2008). "We Ski Review". IGN. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  8. ^ a b "ファミリースキーのレビュー". Famitsu (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. 2008. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  9. ^ IGN Staff (May 13, 2008). "Namco Bandai Games Ships We Ski for Wii". IGN. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  10. ^ "Hit the slopes as Family Ski slaloms onto Wii!".
  11. ^ Purchese, Robert (May 1, 2008). "New skiing game for Wii balance board". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  12. ^ Jō, Kirian (February 21, 2008). "家の中にゲレンデがひろがる！ Wiiだからこそ実現した新感覚のスキーゲーム" (in Japanese). ITMedia. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  13. ^ a b "We Ski for Wii Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  14. ^ Frechette, Jay (June 7, 2008). "We Ski Review". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  15. ^ Gibson, Ellie (July 14, 2008). "Family Ski". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on August 14, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  16. ^ Helgeson, Matt (June 2008). "We Ski". Game Informer. No. 182. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  17. ^ Balistrieri, Emily (May 23, 2008). "Review: We Ski". GamePro. Archived from the original on May 26, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  18. ^ Costantino, Jesse (June 9, 2008). "We Ski Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  19. ^ Calvert, Justin (May 29, 2008). "We Ski Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  20. ^ Bedigian, Louis (May 15, 2008). "We Ski - WII - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  21. ^ "We Ski". Nintendo Power. Vol. 229. June 2008. p. 90.
  22. ^ Red, Carmine (December 29, 2008). "We Ski Coasts to a Million Units Sold". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
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