The Top 10 Wii Games I've Played

So in anticipation of Nintendo's next console, the Wii U, I will reminisce a bit on my favorite titles from the original Wii. The Wii introduced new control schemes and ideas to us that sometimes made for great games, especially later on in its lifetime (foreshadowing much?). As a rule, I will only put games that originated on the Wii in this list. Although Okami and Resident Evil 4 are great games that could be on this list, they were originally PS2 games. Let's get started!

10. Super Paper Mario

Bowser's always salty

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Super Paper Mario came out in 2007, less than 6 months after the Wii was released. It was also a fairly short game, so people don't remember it very well. However, like the rest of this series, there were a lot of hilarious moments along the way. Remember Francis the Nerd? or how about Mr. L? Besides the laughs, this game also offers interesting gameplay that switches between a 2D and 3D plane. Furthermore, there's a mix of platforming and RPG elements too. It used the wiimote by shaking it for bonus points or pointing it at the screen to reveal invisible things or describe enemies. Paper Mario's art style also looks great in this game with every character being completely flat, whether or not you're in the 2D plane. 

9. Rayman Raving Rabbids 1 + 2

2 ears, 2 eyes, 2 arms, 2 teeth, 2 games!?

Okay, I cheated and put two games instead of just one, but I honestly can't remember which one we played more! And why not? Because these are party games! Out of all the games on this list, these are the only two I would introduce to non-gamers. Almost every minigame doesn't even require you to know the layout of the controller, which is a daunting task to a newcomer. You simply just have to point, shake, do a running motion, drum, and so on. Wii Sports was also good for introducing people to the Wii, but it was kind of... Soulless? Got a strike? GREAT! Hole in one? Oooh! GREAT! Won in boxing? KO! GREAT! All the while your Miis just cycle through their limited facial expressions. What do the rabbids do?

Rabbids sing and dance, play football, slap choir rabbids, knock each other out with sausages, shoot aliens with plungers, and so on! Instead of playing with your soulless Miis, you get to have fun with these mischievous, r-tarded rabbids all the while introducing your friends to gaming. The Wii was built on and succeeded on the premise that it can introduce non-gamers to games, and these two party games are the best examples of that phenomenon. 

8. No More Heroes

This box art was way better than the US version's

Travis Touchdown is an anime nerd that buys a lightsa--I mean beam katana--off of ebay and goes on a quest to become the #1 ranked assassin by killing all of the ones ahead of him. Pretty crazy, interesting storyline, right? Yet again, Goichi Suda of Killer7 fame (infamy?) adds his flair to a game to make for a unique story and style. Plus, he made an interesting control scheme in which holding the wiimote upright and pressing the attack button does high attacks, and holding it pointing down does lows. Also, the wii remote and nunchuk are used to do pro wrestling moves as finishers! Furthermore, the gore and content in general really set the game apart from the rest of the Wii's library. Lastly, the main tune that is remixed for almost every stage is extremely catchy! The music from this one is a lot better than its sequel, so that's why I chose it.

7. Metroid Prime 3

Now with more accuracy!

Before the Wii came out, one genre that I thought would benefit from the control scheme would be first-person shooters. However, the first one to come out, Red Steel, failed so badly with its terrible controls. So it was once again up to Nintendo to show us how it's done. Nearly a year after the Wii's release, the last game of the fantastic Metroid Prime trilogy was released. The first two games are known for having great graphics, atmospheres, stories, and music, but not so much for their gameplay. They both feature a lock-on feature to even make combat against the fast-moving enemies possible. With the last one, the pointer and sensor bar were put to use to allow for much more accuracy and an improved gameplay experience over the first two.

Gameplay-aside, what makes this game and series great is the atmosphere. When you're adventuring throughout the various worlds, most of the information and histories are revealed by scanning things. The story isn't explicitly laid out for you. Its worlds and various paths are up to you to discover. Similarly, the different planets are really unique and they each have a different, special style. Personally, I found the original to be the best game in the series, but now all three are playable with new controls thanks to the Metroid Prime Trilogy Collectors Edition.

6. Kirby's Return to Dreamland

The Super Tough Pink Puff and friends are back!

Kirby's always been a whimsical, enjoyable series with amazing music and simple gameplay. This game adds co-op, the option of playing as King Dedede, Metaknight or Waddle Dee, some wiimote waggle controls and minigames. Since this is Kirby's return to Dreamland, many familiar friends and foes show up, as well as old power-ups. Seeing these again, as well as typical Kirby victory dances, really left me in nostalgic bliss. Without playing the previous games, Kirby is really simple and easy to get into. There isn't much to the controls and the difficulty doesn't ramp up too much. It's a fun ride that reminds me of the retro days of gameplay over story and keeping it simple.

5. Xenoblade Chronicles

It's all about the sword

This game had a tough time even getting released here in USA. Somehow, it even got released in Europe first, and that rarely ever happens! Oh well, it was definitely worth the wait. This game is an evolution for RPGs because of its combat and convenience. Not all RPGs are fun to play, but this one is. It's a mostly active battle system, not turn based, so your decisions, or lack thereof, affect the outcome in real time. Similarly, you can completely customize your party and play as whichever character you want. With each specific character, you can even make them play in different ways. For example, one healer character can either play like that or like a damage dealer. A lot of the combat-related decisions and customization are up to you.

Also, the game is even more convenient because you can instantly travel to previously-visited locations on the map. So instead of wasting a lot of time walking back and forth, you can just select a town or landmark and go! Another cool feature is the ability to change the in-game time. There are different monsters and quests at different times of the day, so it's a useful feature to get the most out of the game. 

And lastly, I haven't even mentioned the epic story and lengthy gameplay. The story is something you'll have to experience for yourself, but it is definitely great with an interesting twist. Whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, the game is really long, even just to complete the main story. Along the way, you get to hear great music like this, so what are you waiting for?

4. Super Mario Galaxy 2

A case where the sequel is better than the original

The original Super Mario Galaxy was really unique and the best 3D Mario game until... Its own sequel. It was more challenging, fun, and longer than the original! Seriously, the original was extremely easy, but this one actually made it a challenge to get all of the stars. It's fun because of the varied worlds and all of the new experiences offered. Longer because there are more worlds to explore, and with a higher difficulty, there's also a lot more trial and error than the original.

So what makes the Super Mario Galaxy series great? It's all about how it uses the Wii's features to enhance the gameplay. You point at star bits to collect them like ammo and shoot them at enemies, or you could save them up for star opportunities. Some planets have different ways to hold the wiimote, such as steering the bird, or holding it upwards to balance Mario on top of a ball. Each variation adds something fresh and shows us different things that the Wii is capable of.

Besides the gameplay, the graphics hold up very well and the music is great. The art style and graphics are stellar and colorful. From remixed retro tunes to, um, space ambiance, this game really draws you into the Mario universe. 

3. Donkey Kong Country Returns

They're baaaaaack

Almost anyone that's played a SNES can tell you how legendary the Donkey Kong Country series is. These were the games that were better than the Mario platformers back then. They were more difficult and varied with animals and crazy enemies and environments.While not as catchy as Mario, the music was really good and truly complemented each level. Unfortunately, however, Rareware died (or got sold to Microsoft) and this series disappeared until this game.

By taking the ideas of smooth platforming, excellent music, great levels, and challenging gameplay and repackaging them, Donkey Kong Country Returns was born. The game is easy to control and doesn't really utilize the wiimote beyond some waggle for attacks and after bosses. A lot of the music is remixed/remastered from the original series, but there are plenty of new gems to listen to along the way. The stages are varied just like the old games. Lastly, this game is more challenging than most Nintendo games these days, which is a welcome addition. 

*One thing that really grinds my gears is the fact that this game was practically invisible in video game awards for 2010. It had to compete with Mass Effect 2, Red Dead Redemption, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and so on, yes, but why didn't it win much? This is one of the best platformers ever made!

2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Standing tall

Along with the Wii release, there was another Zelda game that everyone was fantasizing about playing with motion controls. We imagined that the sword would be the wiimote and the shield would be the nunchuk. We would imitate bows, hookshots, bomb throwing, and so on with our motions. Although an amazing game, Twilight Princess didn't really feature 1:1 motion controls where our actions were mimicked on-screen by our movements. Instead, we waggled to do whatever slash the game wanted to do, and put up our shields with a press of a button. Only aiming became more convenient and realistic.

Five years later, the dream of the Wii and gamers everywhere manifested itself in Skyward Sword. Finally, thanks to the MotionPlus attachment, our movements can now be imitated 1:1 by Link! Now, combat itself is another puzzle in the game. For example, if the enemy is blocking his head, you can only do horizontal slashes or an upward slash to defeat it. The importance of actively thinking and moving in combat is stressed throughout the entire game. 

Not only has the combat improved, but the game is really lengthy with a great story that fits well into the timeline. I took nearly 40 hours to beat this game, but I didn't do many of the sidequests and explore it fully as I'm still missing 5 hearts. Also, without spoiling anything, the story fits nicely into the beginning of the Zelda timeline! All in all, as far as showing off what the Wii is capable of, Skyward Sword did the best job with motion controls by tying them to the legendary Zelda series.

1. Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Let's get the party started

Putting together a bunch of Nintendo characters, stages, items, and music made the original Super Smash Bros interesting. Refining the gameplay mechanics evolved the series in melee. Adding even more to the mix in Brawl created the best game ever made. 

The combat is simple, yet hard to master. There's pretty much no input barrier stopping new players from doing the same moves and combos as masters. Whether playing casually or competitively, everyone can have fun. There are so many options to choose from that you can have matches decided by luck (TONS of items) or skill (no, or few, items) if you want. With like-minded gamers, there's no better game for local multiplayer. 

As for the single player experience, they put together a surprisingly good story mode for this one. Combining every series involved, the story takes you through an epic adventure that is reminiscent of old school 2D gaming. There are bosses along the way and a myriad of little enemies to smash with whichever character you want! 

Lastly, the simple fact that it is a combo of so many different franchises means that it gets to take some of the best from each one. This means that the character roster is amazing, the stages are varied, and, best of all, the soundtrack is legendary. Nintendo has almost always had great, catchy music in their games. Now, Brawl takes some of the best from each of their beloved franchises and puts them in the most epic soundtrack ever made. Oh, and as a bonus, there's also music from Sonic and Metal Gear Solid in here. Need I say more?