While the game is titled Ski and Shoot, you'll not really be doing much shooting at all. There are one or two shooting stations scattered throughout each course. You'll see a line of black dots of varying sizes, and you just have to shoot at them until you've hit the minimum requirement for each station. The shooting mechanics are simple and straightforward: aim at the dots, hit A to hold your aim steady and B to fire, then pull back on the control stick to reload.

While the shooting segments aren't particularly interesting, they do serve to somewhat interrupt the boredom you'll experience from the skiing portion of the game. That said, the shooting parts don't last nearly long enough to provide any real entertainment; you'll probably finish in fifteen seconds, and then you’ll be off for another four minutes of moving your hands back and forth as vigorously as possible.

Visually, Ski and Shoot looks fine, which in itself is something of a success. It doesn’t stand up to bigger-name sports titles on the Wii, but the landscapes, while repetitive, are enjoyable. Also, the cartoonish representations of real-life skiers are done fairly well. The music is monotonous and sound effects aren't that great – they're pretty much limited to the cheers of the crowd and a fairly dull announcer.

It's probably worth mentioning that Ski and Shoot is not particularly user-friendly. The tutorial simply throws all the complex controls at you, but they're difficult to remember and you'll likely have to check the tutorial multiple times before you really remember how everything works. Also, there is a skill system that gives each skier certain skills that will help them out during races. It's a neat idea, but the skills are largely useless and, as a result, the game is simply not engaging.

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Overall, the problem with Ski and Shoot is not so much that it's a truly terrible game, but that the subject matter simply doesn’t translate into a fun gaming experience. It seems to me that the development team put a good bit of effort into making the game look nice; it just doesn't feel like shovelware as so many other budget titles do. That said, the gameplay mechanic and controls just don't work out. As a result, I'd suggest avoiding Ski and Shoot. If you're looking for a skiing game on the Wii, SSX Blur will certainly fit the bill.

By Joseph Catalanotto
CCC Freelance Writer