It’s obvious that most game reviewers are veteran gamers who prefer their traditional hand controller and basically dislike motion controls. That’s fine …for them. Sometimes motion controls aren’t as precise as an analog stick and that frustrates them. That’s fine … for them. Given a choice in a game they will almost always revert to the classic controller. Again that’s fine … for them.They however do not represent fairly a majority of Wii gamers who are too new, too fed up, too old or too casual to want to have anything to do with button mashing combinations and analog sticks.

Myself and, I read on this and other forums, many others are actually on the Wii to get away from the more and more complicated controls on a “traditional” controller. It got to be like trying to play a clarinet and pay attention to rapid game play. I used to play the clarinet but I didn’t have to race Mario on a narrow cliff side trail while doing it. If the traditional controller was still the only option I would now be an ex-gamer having play continually since Pong but as I got older (read slower reflexes) and the controls got more complicated, I had neither the time or inclination to even try to master them, if I indeed could.

Screw precise hand controllers, I like the Wii because of the more intuitive motion controls and the greater immersion I get by getting off the f***king couch and moving more than my thumbs. I think the majority of Wii users feel somewhat the same way because the motion controls are the single most compelling reason to play on the Wii.

If reviews are meant to benefit the prospective consumer by informing him on the likelihood they will enjoy the game, then the reviewers should fairly represent those consumers. Having people who dislike motion control review Wii games is like asking me to review GTA IV. I would refuse because I know I dislike the gratuitous violence, the sophomoric “humor” and what seems to me to be a pointless game that’s just an excuse for adolescent males to get their vicarious violent yah yahs. I don’t think I would be a fair reviewers and more importantly I would not be a useful reviewer because I don’t share the sensibilities of the people who would want to buy the game. The problem is that these Wii negative reviewers don’t excuse themselves but instead use virtually every game review to snipe at motion controls.

Take a sample from this month’s Game Informer:

Mario Karts Wii  8.5 (a great score)
 “PLAYABILITY: Traditional control works great, but don’t bother with the stupid wheel.”
I’m sorry, the stupid wheel is what made this for me the most fun I’ve had from any Mario Karts. I actually steer better with it and I just think holding it and using it especially when you’re competing with friends is a hoot.

Wii Ski 6.25 (Way too low in my opinion)
“Not that the game’s hard, there’s just such a variety to the button combinations and motion controls that you’ll have to run the bunny hill several times before you get comfortable moving down the slopes.”
I beg your pardon, what button combinations. I skied down the bunny hill first time without trouble and never pushed a single button. Sorry about him. 

Okami 9.25 (great score but)
“I must say that the Wii is not my preferred console on which to play this game. While the motion controls seemed like a perfect fit, in practice it’s much more imprecise than the PS2’s analog stick, making many moves more difficult to perform accurately (this is especially frustrating during the scripted Susano events). I did manage to get used to it, and – in the end – it’s a small blemish on what is otherwise a full-on masterpiece.”
We get it you don’t like motion controls.

Worms: A Space Oddity 6.75
“Beware, waggle controls go from amusing (hammering with the dropship) to pesky (the shoulder-dislocating astro punch). Plus, it felt like I was tweaking the screen almost every turn just to see enemies”.
OK like "waggle" isn't a judgemental word

Battle of the Bands 6.75
“You’re stuck with flailing the Wii remote, an imprecise and gimmicky gameplay mechanic that I never really connected with.”
I’m sure you didn’t connect with it and I doubt you ever will.

Sega Superstars Tennis 7.5  Xbox 360 7.25 (Wow, the Wii version actually outscored the Xbox and PS3 by a fraction of a point, throwing us a bone?)
“While the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions include online play and improved graphics, I surprisingly had a lot more fun on the Wii. The Wii Sports-style tennis controls feel great, especially when you add in a nunchuk to control character movement (players can also hold a remote sideways if they just want to press buttons). Each option works well, but it’s easy to accidentally press the camera change button during motion-controlled swings. It felt like there were a lot more randomly missed shots on PS3/360, and lobs and drop shots are much more of a pain to pull off.”
Wow! That’s rare and refreshing. But then playing tennis in the post Wi Sports world on a traditional controller is so obviously inferior to using natural tennis movements that they probably had no choice. Bet it hurt a little though.

I think it any of these sites have a desire to review Wii games in a way that is fair and relevant to the actual users, they should recruit some reviewers that haven’t played a gazillion games using a hand controller to the point that the Wiimote will always feel gimmicky and in some way inferior. Since most of us prefer using the motion controls, the reviews such reflect that rather than constantly harping on why THEY don’t like it. But then I doubt that any of them really want to be fair to the machine that “threatens their very way of life.” 

I don't think Wii game reviews should only reflect those who really like motion controls.

Really, do you think that there is any large population that prefer not using motion controls? If so why would they choose the Wii. If it's for the Nintendo games you can pick up a GC for two bottle caps and a stick of gum and get to play ealier and not necesarily inferior versions of the same games.

Imagine I'm not me, but rather someone else.

Let's say my name is Sara. I like Zelda, Mario, Animal Crossing, and pretty much anything with a blue Yoshi in it. I love playing Nintendo games and I have forever. I don't really like the new motion controls, but I need my blue Yoshi and Zelda so I get a Wii.

Do you really think Sara wouldn't be interested in reviews too?

My point is that there are other reasons to buy the Wii besides motion controls and only having reviewers with a preference for them seems like a bad idea just as much so as having reviewers that hate motion controls.

Well I agree that the Wii Wheel is absolutely imprecise but I think that's just me so in a review I would have said "Some may find more comfort using the traditional controller than the Wii Wheel which tends to be more imprecise". I hardly think the Wii Wheel is stupid even though I haven't used it since the first day.

Certain games just work better without out them, just as certain games with motion controls are fun because of proper implementation (ie: No More Heroes). In the case of Okami, i'd say it comes down to personal preference. From my time with each version I found the PS2 controls more precise and easier overall though it still had issues.

I disagree somewhat with the Mario Kart Wii statement. It controls well with the Wii Wheel (so I wouldn't say "don't bother") but it still hands-down controls better without motion controls. The other games listed I haven't played.

If you really like motion controls, consider disregarding complaints about them as you know such complaints will not apply to you.

I suspect that a large majority of posters on this site are comfortable with hand controller because almost everyone had other consoles before the Wii and are somewhat passionate gamers or they wouldn't be here.

In the larger Wii population, I don't think this is the case. A lot more of the new gamers have not had that experience and probably don't desire to use or would be frustrated by traditional controllers.

That said, I did not mean to imply that only a gung ho motion controller fan would be a good reviewer. But certainly someone that is very negative on the concept is equally undesirable, given that it is what makes the Wii unique.
Nor did I mean to start a forum on which controller you like for each game. My objection is to what I perceive as a strong bias against motion controls that flavors almost every review. Reviews on other consoles seldom mention the controller at all. Nor have I read any PS360 reviews that said that this game might be better with motion controls.

If one doesn't like motion controls at all, one shouldn't review such a game. This is NOT saying one should like motion control. This is saying one should be objective about it.

One should review control for things like precision and responsiveness, not whether one feels something "needs" motion control or not. If something it done by motion control, but done poorly, it's bad because it was done poorly, not because it was done by motion control.

I think you have a good point here. When I was reading reviews for Mario Kart I thought the wheel didn't work. But after playing the game I prefer using the wheel just because it is more fun and immersive than traditional controls, even if it isn't as precise. I think part of the problem is game reviewers are competitive and want to beat the game the best way possible so they use the controller that gives them the best advantage.

you should never be allowed to review something you hate, you start bias and will never be able to give an honest opinion