A decade after its release, the Nintendo classic shows one way it’s way better than real tennis.
Few video games have achieved such phenomenal, mainstream popularity as Nintendo’s Wii Sports, particularly the game’s recreation of tennis. Honestly, though, the whole thing left me sort of cold. It took a sport that I’ve always personally found a little lacking in excitement, then combined it with motion controls that remove the ability to control your position on the court.
So after I tried the game a few times back in 2006, I thought, “Eh, that was sort of fun,” then went back to playing Valkyrie Profile 2 and Ape Escape 3. I may have sold Wii Sports tennis short, though. It’s got enough lasting entertainment value that even a decade after its release, people are still firing up their Wiis for a match, and as this crazy clip shared by Japanese Twitter user @fp_ll proves, Wii tennis has the potential for some amazing action that rivals any found in the dragon-slaying, primate-capturing games I passed it by for.
https://twitter.com/fp_ll/status/780405386276777984As savvy gamers know, while the appeal of motion controls is that they allow you to interact with the game by performing the movements you would in reality, often you don’t have to go through the entire real-world range of motion for the hardware to register an action. Because of that, you can swing the Wii’s controller in a more compact arc than you’d need when hitting a real tennis ball with a racket, which means your onscreen character can whack away at the ball with blinding speed. And if you can do that, so can your opponent, which makes inhumanly fast rallies like the one seen in @fp_ll’s video possible.
It’s so fast that the graphics themselves have trouble keeping up, as if you pause the video in certain spots you’ll see a character’s racket has glitched so that he’s holding two at once. The capabilities of the two Wii athletes playing the net are so far beyond those of actual humans that online commenters have had to turn to the world of anime to find suitable approximations.
— AHOMOA (@AHOMOA22) September 28, 2016https://twitter.com/antikris77/status/780744026848919553
And if you think the frenetic digital visuals of Wii tennis call for some frenetic digital music, here’s a portion of the match set to dubstep.
— El Showdomizador (@ElShowdomizador) September 27, 2016
Now I just wish I’d known about the full potential of this game 10 years ago.
Source: Otakomu, Twitter/@fp_ll
Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’d like to clarify that nothing said here should be construed as his saying something so laughably untrue as “Playing Valkyrie Profile 2 was a bad idea.”

Wii Fit sequel to make the jump to Nintendo Switch, promises tons of fun and sore muscles【Video】
Relive 16 childhood video games with “NES Remix” on Wii U
Princess Peach-themed Nintendo Wii remote available later this month
Nintendo announces moratorium on Wii U repairs, which ends hardware support for two gens of games
The 10 most important Japanese video games ever made
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2]
Potama serves up epic rice balls like no other, and there’s only one store in Tokyo
Japan’s craziest burger chain takes menchi katsu to new extreme levels
Survey finds more than 70 percent of Japanese children have an online friend
Which convenience store onigiri rice balls are the most popular? Survey reveals surprising results
Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
Drift ice in Japan is a disappearing winter miracle you need to see now
Why is “Akihabara” shortened to “Akiba?” The historical reason may surprise you
The 5 best Japanese bento to buy at Kyoto Station
Drummer wows Internet with miniature taiko gacha capsule toy performance 【Videos】
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Highest Starbucks in Japan set to open this spring in the Tokyo sky
Tokyo Skytree turns pink for the cherry blossom season
Japanese restaurant chain serves Dragon Ball donuts and Senzu Beans this spring
Yakuzen ramen restaurant in Tokyo is very different to a yakuza ramen restaurant
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1]
Japan has only one airport named after a samurai, so let’s check out Kochi Ryoma【Photos】
Japanese drugstore sells onigiri at pre-stupid era prices, but how do they compare to 7-Eleven?
Burning through cash just to throw things away tops list of headaches when moving house in Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
This table tennis comedy video isn’t “boring.” It may be the best video ever!
Japan’s most popular game console: PS4 sales to surpass Wii U
We play Super Smash Bros. for Wii U【RN24@E3】
This just might be the greatest UFO catcher game ever【Video】
If Nintendo made a smartphone, it might look something like this 【Video】
First-look video of new Nintendo Museum shows off giant controllers fans can actually play games with!
Nintendo announces new “2DS” portable, Wii U deluxe gets a price cut
Nintendo’s crazy new Ring-Con and RingFit Adventure are its new exercise/gaming hybrid【Video】
Chinese table tennis champ stripped of $45k prize after emotional outburst【Video】
Entire Internet bonds over a “smashing” gesture of kindness from Japanese online game seller
Cute cats from Japan show their love for competitors at the Olympic games
Anime fan’s husband builds an awesomely hilarious birthday present for her【Video】
New game on Nintendo Switch requires players to act drunk for superpowers
Sega begins Puyo Puyo Boot Camp to help bring eSports into more Japanese high schools