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Taking the piste: Wii to bring skiing to the living room

And here's a Japanese lass to show you how...

If you’re bummed about the coming end of the skiing season, then video games are the answer - in particular a skiing game that uses the Wii’s new Balance Board add-on to send you sliding down the mountainside, virtually speaking.

Developer Namco Bandai said We Ski lets up to four gamers ski across virtual mountains while perched on the Balance Board – which gets released alongside Wii Fit in the UK this April. You use the Remote and Nunchuk to control your poles.

Not sure how it might work? Well, here's one Japanese lass seen giving it a go on YouTube:

Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com

We Ski has more than a dozen runs to choose from, ranging from simple bunny slopes to technical Black Diamond runs. Mii characters can be used in the game, so you’ll always be clear over who crashed into that tree.

Accessories, such as goggles and poles, can also be unlocked for use later in the game.

We_Ski_1

We Ski will use the Wii's Balance Board and Remote

The fun won’t stop on the slops, because there’s also a ski school if your skills aren’t quite up to scratch, in addition to freestyle skiing and slalom events. You’ll even be able to photograph your Mii as it carves up servings of fresh mountain powder. A night ski mode is built in, during which fireworks light-up the sky.

There's no mention of a lodge with roaring fire and bar, though.

Don’t go rushing for your salopettes just yet, because We Ski will initially be released in the US in the Spring. A European date hasn’t been announced yet and, because Namco Bandai is a third-party developer, the Balance Board will probably be sold separately.

Latest Comments

Re:shameless fanboi flamebait

Ha! PS3 Ridge Racer 7 is just a ripoff of Ridge Racer 6 on the 360, too!

This is just Horace Goes Skiing with fancy graphics, a silly control scheme and no Frogger bit.

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ski season

Actually, the ski season will start in a couple of months, otherwise I would convince my girlfriend we need a wii to skii.

-InNewZealand

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looks like fun

tho i might be a bit overweight for their controller pad. I love seeing the wii-hate crowd complaining of realism. Might as well as hate on Guitar Hero cuz it isn't "real" either. Or as other posters point to, *any* driving game.

And as for any references to any PS3 offering...how does tilting a gamepad make it significantly different than any other ski offering on the gamecube, or ps2?

Me, I'm still waiting for the new Mario Kart and Force Unleashed.

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@Tom

I didn't say it was any good, and as I remember it IGN's problems with the game centered around only having two courses and their dislike of motion control with Sixaxis...

The point? Innovation. Smell it. Taste it. It tastes like Chicken.

I do believe that fanboi flambe will be among my favorites now. Do I smell something burning?

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@Highlander

Yes, the PS3 did. I believe you're referring to "Go! Sports Ski" which got a rating of 2.1 on IGN, has only 2 playable courses, and the controls suck. 'nuff said.

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