Released in 2006, Nintendo Wii created a lot of buzz in the console gaming industry. With the introduction of Wii Remote controller and Nunchuk, gaming fans got glimpses of the motion tracking magic.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the platform to fell out of favor due to its technical limitations and ease of cross-publishing games on other consoles and PC. But that doesn’t mean it’s completely dead.
Wii still caters some of the most remarkable games ever made. Below is the list of best Wii games that you should check out.
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12. MadWorld
Genre: Beat ’em up
MadWorld is controversial. It received widespread criticism for graphic content and was even banned in different countries at the time of release. But frankly, I don’t see why the game should be avoided, it is actually quite funny.
Jack, the player character, enters the scene after the entire city is engulfed by violence. To succeed, players must win fights and gather points. Collect enough of them and you get to fight the final boss (every level has one). The game progress in a linear fashion, but the player can always choose a previously completed level to bag more points.
There is a special emphasis on mini-games. Madworld, in many ways, reminds me of another hack & slash title No More Heroes.
11. Animal Crossing: City Folk
Genre: Simulation
Animal Crossing: City Folk is an ideal family game that one can have. Like other games in this series, the player character makes a living in a village surrounded by anthropomorphic animals, and perform various chores such as gathering and farming.
Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller are used to perform certain actions like fishing and handle various in-game tools. The game brings back some of the series’ most popular features such as seasonal changes and Tom Nook.
Following the footsteps of its predecessors, City Folk might not offer anything new to Animal Crossing fans, but it does have unique appeal and charm that can make you play for weeks.
10. Resident Evil 4
Genre: Survival horror
If you own a Gamecube or a PlayStation 2, there is a fair chance that you’ve played Resident Evil 4 (maybe even more than once), after all, it’s a must-play game. Sure, the best games are worth playing over and over again, but Wii edition of RE4 is something that makes you come for more.
For those who have never played it before; the plot basically revolves around Leon Kennedy, a U.S agent, who is assigned to rescue Ashley Graham, U.S President’s daughter, after she was kidnapped by a mysterious faction. As the game progress, you will encounter mind-controlling parasites and uncover hidden mysteries.
With the Wii remote and Nunchuk controls, the RE4′ gameplay becomes more engaging than ever. For instance, Leon can now perform certain actions that he can’t in other versions like aiming in almost any direction or dodging attacks.
9. WarioWare: Smooth Moves
Genre: Rhythm, Party Game
If you like party or music-themed video games then WarioWare’s Smooth Moves is made for you. The game is divided into multiple stages, each of which involves a series of mini-games. These mini-games require players to place their Wii Remote and sometimes Nunchuk devices in a specific way to progress further.
Players must complete a certain amount of these mini-games to advance to the final or boss stage, which itself is another mini-game. Multiplayer mode is unlocked after all single-player stages are cleared. In the multiplayer mode, a maximum of 12 players can participate but only one can play a mini-game at a time while the rest watches.
The game is definitely one of the Wii best titles and has a high entertainment value.
8. Kirby’s Epic Yarn
Genre: Platformer
Kirby’s Epic Yarn is a perfect example of what a Nintendo game at its best is all about; something that is fun, innovative, and can be admired by almost anyone, a fan or not.
The plot revolves around Kirby, the protagonist of the series, who has been transformed into yarn after been sent into a world where everything is made out of fabric. Here, unlike other games in the series, Kirby is unable to suck enemies and neither can fly. Instead, players can use his yarn-whip ability to attack enemies or get hold of other objects.
Kirby gathers collectibles or beads as he navigates through the levels. At the end of each level, players receive medals based on how many beads they have collected, it sometimes opens up bonus levels too. Clever boss challenges and Co-op mode just makes the game more appealing.
7. Donkey Kong Country Returns
Genre: Platformer
Can Also Be Played On: Nintendo 3DS
For hardcore fans, Donkey Kong Country Returns is perhaps the best way to relive this classic Nintendo Production. This time around, Donkey Kong face-of the evil Tiki Tak Tribe, who has stolen Donkey Kong’s precious bananas.
Like other games in the series, players can sometimes take control of Diddy Kong, who along with Donkey Kong travels through different worlds, collect bananas, discover hidden places and ultimately defeat Tiki Tong, the king of Tiki Tak Tribe.
Every aspect of the game is praiseworthy whether is its graphics, dynamic soundtrack or ever so challenging levels. In a few instances, however, the levels do become frustratingly difficult.
A bonus level called “The Golden Temple” is unlocked after Tiki Tong is successfully defeated. Upon its completion, the Mirror Mode gets unlocked in which Donkey Kong has only one health and cannot get help from other characters.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Action Adventure
Can Also Be Played On: Gamecube, Shield TV
In Twilight Princess, the player, Link is tasked with rescuing Hyrule before it being devoured by the Twilight Realm, a corrupted parallel dimension. The game allows you to transform into a wolf which grants you new abilities. You will also be assisted by a mysterious creature named Midna.
Its control scheme is entirely based on that of 1998’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. While that’s actually more than fine for the most part of the game, there is an unmistakable sense of outdatedness there. Twilight Princess has almost everything a Zelda fan wants; improved controls, long quests, and engaging puzzles, but it’s just not perfect.
5. Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: Action role-playing
Can Also Be Played On: Nintendo 3DS
As Wii’s one of the most popular games, Xenoblade Chronicles has built a loyal fanbase like that of more successful titles, including Legends of Zelda.
The game opens with a devastating fight between Homs and the Mechon, the two rival lifeforms. A series of events lead, Shulk (your character) gain control of Monado, a magical sword, and successfully drive the Mechon army away from his home. What comes next is a long journey of revenge and truth.
At first, the game may seem like any other JRPG title in which the characters have a wide range of offensive and defensive capabilities along with special attacks, or “Arts” in this case, that requires managing cooldowns.
Xenoblade Chronicles has all that, but what really separates it from others is its exceptional story, user-friendly quests, better sound effects, and control scheme.
4. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Genre: Fighting
Like others in the Smash Bros. Series, Brawl is a side-scrolling beat ’em up game, where the only objective is to knock the opponents (other players) out of the battle arena. The characters, as usual, begin with empty (0%) ‘damage meters,’ which gradually increases as they take more hits.
The game introduces several features new to the series, including freakishly powerful attack called “Final Smash”. In addition to an already massive cast, new characters from third-party developers (first for this series), such as Sonic the Hedgehog from Sega, have also been added for players to choose from.
While both single and multiplayer modes are equally fun and engaging, the amount of depth offered in the single-player mode is what really surprised me.
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3. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Action Adventure
As Zelda continuity’s first game, Skyward Sword created a lot of buzz in the Nintendo community and garnered a lot of praise for its overworld and fantastic gameplay. It is one of the best-reviewed Wii games of all time.
Here, Link is once again tasked with saving Hyrule by stopping Ghirahim from resurrecting his diabolical master and rescuing Princess Zelda. You’ll be accompanied by a spirit named Fi, which will help you with your quest.
Players navigate Link through overworlds filled with monsters and dungeons, where you can find puzzles and final bosses to fight. Needless to say, the use of motion controls is essential in this game. While Link’s Sword and Shield moments are controlled by the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller, the navigation is mostly done using Wii MotionPlus device.
2. Wii Sports
Genre: Sports
Initially released in 2006, Wii Sports is basically a collection of five motion-controlled sports simulations, including baseball, tennis, bowling, boxing, and golf, that you can enjoy on your Wii devices.
While some aspects of the gameplay are controlled by the computer, players can imitate real-life sport moves, for example, racket swing in tennis or bat swing in baseball, using the Wii remote and Nunchuck controller.
The in-game characters are imported from Mii Channel, one of Wii’s pre-installed channels, which allows users to create their customized avatars. You can also create non-playing characters.
Wii Sports remains the fourth best selling game of all times, below Minecraft, Tetris, and Grand Theft Auto 5. It is also the highest-selling game for the Wii console with 82 million copies sold worldwide.
1. Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2
Genre: Platformer
Can Also Be played On: Nvidia Shield Tablet
The Super Mario Galaxy series is perhaps the best thing you’ll ever find on Wii. It’s bright, bold, and is exactly how you wanted a Super Mario game to be. It is heavily inspired by Super Mario 64 with almost the same level structure and controls.
However, unlike Super Mario 64, which took place on land and water, Galaxy takes you within the depth of space where you will annihilate the general laws of physics.
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In the original Super Mario Galaxy, you’ll travel across different worlds, collect power stars, unlock new playable areas, beat bosses, and rescue Peach. The second game ramps up the overall difficulty, assuming that you got the basics right from the first. Without a doubt, Super Mario Galaxy is a must-play game.
