Wii Games - ranked by preference

Release Date: November 19, 2006 (NA)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Adventure

The main complaint I hear regarding this game is that it's an Ocarina of Time clone...Considering that Ocarina of Time is generally thought of as the greatest game ever made, I dare argue that cloning that game and making some tweaks and changes is something that Twilight Princess should be complimented on rather than have held against it. That being said, Twilight Princess very well may be my favorite Zelda game that I've ever played. I know I'm definitely in the minority with saying that, but what can I say? I enjoy this game a lot.

Release Date: November 1, 2007 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Platformer

Super Mario Galaxy, for a time when it first was released, was the highest-rated game ever, surpassing Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's grasp on that title. Eventually, enough reviews came in where it settled in at a few spots below number one, but the fact remains; critics loved this game. I don't blame 'em. I've always preferred 2D Mario games to their 3D brethren, but Super Mario Galaxy did have me hooked for quite a while. I don't think it's as great as the hype made it out to be, but I definitely think that it's in the Wii's top 5 game available for the system, hands down.

Release Date: November 1, 2007 (JP)
Publisher: Sierra
Developer: Kuju Entertainment
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Geometry Wars: Galaxies is all of the dual-analog shooting fun that you may have loved from the Xbox Live Arcade and then some. This game is a throwback to the days of old with a new coat of paint. The gameplay is simplistic and addicting with your only real reason to continue playing (aside from the enjoyment) is to beat a high score. The colorful graphics and particle effects make it a fun game to watch as well. This gem is easily one of my favorites on the system, and in my opinion, one of the best non-Nintendo-published games on the Wii.

Release Date: November 1, 2007 (JP)
Publisher: Majesco Games
Developer: BudCat
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

I love Katamari Damacy. I also happen to enjoy scrolling shooters. What happens when you combine the two? You get Blast Works, a game that was, unfortunately, mostly ignored at retail shelves....I saw it in $10 clearance bins within four months of its release. It's a shame because this innovative title, while rough around the edges, was a neat concept that had never been done before. I was completely addicted to this gem for a while...And really disappointed when it became apparent that it sold poorly. My dream of a Blast Works sequel will likely never become a reality.

Release Date: April 20, 2009 (NA)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Monster Games Inc.
Genre: Racing

I played ExciteBots with a lot of skepticism. I wasn't expecting much...In fact, I was almost expecting it to be bad. But once I started to play it, I quickly fell in love with the gameplay that involved odd cars designed after animals and the tricks that you're encouraged to perform as you cruise around the tracks. I hadn't had this much fun with a racing title in a while and it's easily in my top 5 racing titles of this console generation.

Release Date: November 14, 2006 (NA)
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Atlus
Genre: Action

I was a big fan of the original Trauma Center on the DS, so when a new game in the series was announced for the Wii, I was quite pleased. It delivered too, bringing the handheld experience from the little, dual screen to the large television without much lost in the translation. It was a little disappointing in that it didn't really offer a whole lot of innovation to the gameplay of the DS original, but it's still a solid game, so why complain?

Release Date: March 10, 2009 (NA)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: PlatinumGames
Genre: Action

MadWorld is yet another really good game that was largely ignored on the Wii. With its stylized black-and-white graphics, and beat-em-up-style action full of gore (which the red blood looks rather nifty with the black and white everything else) it really stands out visually in comparison to other Wii games. But this game isn't all about the Mature rating, it's actually a well-made game and fun to play. Just a shame that it was largely ignored in stores.

Release Date: November 16, 2008 (NA)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Adventure

I absolutely loved the original Animal Crossing, but I was afraid that without the NES titles to unlock, like the original had, that I wouldn't be nearly as smitten with this game as I was the original. I really didn't have anything to fear, as City Folk, with or without the NES titles, is just as addicting as the original was. It's not action-packed or anything, but it's a great game to pull out and play when you just want to relax.

Release Date: December 4, 2008 (JP)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Paon Corporation
Genre: Platformer

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was a very good platformer that was largely ignored on the Playstation here in North America. When a remake was announced for the family-friendly Wii, I thought for sure that the game would finally get the sales it deserved....It didn't. Like most non-Nintendo-published games, even if it was good, it wasn't bought by a whole lot of people. That's disappointing, too...Klonoa is a solid platformer that is well worth playing. And don't let the cutsey graphics fool you, this is an enjoyable title for all ages.

Release Date: November 11, 2009 (AU)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Platformer

New Super Mario Bros. Wii kind of feels like a rip-off of LittleBigPlanet with the encouragement of having four players playing the game all at once. However, that aside, it's also a solid, 2D Mario outing. Like New Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo DS, it fails to capture the greatness of the NES Mario games, but it's still a very solid and enjoyable experience whether you're playing with three other friends or simply going solo.

Release Date: February 9, 2009 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Rainbow Studios
Genre: Action

Deadly Creatures kind of came out of nowhere and delivered a surprisingly solid experience. Controlling a tarantula and/or a scorpion, Deadly Creatures isn't your typical cartoonization of an animal...Instead, all animals in the game appear realistic and they don't talk....Yet through body movements and the like, the developers managed to almost make these creepy crawlers seem human. It really is a surprisingly good game. Try it out and see for yourself.

Release Date: January 31, 2008 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Game Arts
Genre: Fighting

Super Smash Bros. Melee absorbed so much of my time in college as a group of friends and I would have little Smash Bros. parties on a regular basis. When Brawl came out, I was no longer in college and much more happy to play games in solitude rather that with others. That didn't change how much I enjoyed this title, but it did have an effect on how much I played it. That said, Smash Bros. Brawl didn't really improve on a whole lot from Melee, but that's not necessarily bad. It's still a solid game, but a little more innovation might have lead it to be placed higher on this list.

Release Date: July 12, 2007 (JP)
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Genius Sonority Inc.
Genre: RPG

Dragon Quest Swords is a game that I wish I had played more of. I played a few hours in, got side-tracked with another game, and never made my way back. The time I did spend with it, I really enjoyed. In this first-person RPG, you use the motion sensors to fight your battles, and it's not bad. I would have preferred an old-fashioned experience like the one found in Dragon Quest VIII, but if the motion-sensor gimmick must be done, this game is a good example on how to make it tolerable.

Release Date: November 13, 2007 (NA)
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Genre: Adventure

Tomb Raider Anniversary, to compare to a more recent release, is kind of like Uncharted: Golden Abyss on the Playstation Vita. It delivers a very solid, entertaining game similar to other entries in the series, but also manages to find logical ways to implement the gimmicks of the system the game is running on. In Tomb Raider Anniversary on the Wii, the WiiMote gimmicks aren't used consistently, but when they are used, it's done well. It's weird to say that a title with the name value of Tomb Raider is surprisingly good...But considering the lack of quality in several of Lara Croft's games leading up to this release, it is a surprise that this game is as good as it is.

Release Date: October 23, 2007 (NA)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Adventure

In a time where point-and-click adventure games were basically extinct, Zack and Wiki proved that that style of game feels right at home on the Wii when using the WiiMote. But the fact that the style of game works on the console isn't why it's so high on this list. It's high on this list because it's a genuinely fun game...And like many of the non-Nintendo games on this list, didn't get nearly as much attention as it should have.

Release Date: December 14, 2006 (NA)
Publisher: SNK Playmore
Developer: Terminal Reality
Genre: Compilation

Metal Slug Anthology is a compilation of one of my favorite game series - Metal Slug. As a result, it's also one of my favorite compilations of all-time. Containing Metal Slug 1-6 and Metal Slug X, each and every game in the compilation plays similarly....Simple, but fun. If you're unfamiliar with Metal Slug, think Contra with some comedy tossed in...Though, honestly, I prefer Metal Slug to Contra in just about every way.

Release Date: May 6, 2008 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Puzzle

Boom Blox is kind of like Jenga...If Jenga was loaded with personality. Then again, if you've watched any of the Steven Spielberg cartoons like Tiny Toon Adventures, Freakazoid, Animaniacs, etc. then it's not surprising that a game presented by Spielberg, such as this one, is just as entertaining to experience as those cartoons. I'd be willing to go out on a limb and state that this is the most entertaining puzzle game that I've played as far as sheer personality goes. To compare it to a slightly more recent release, Boom Blox kind of plays like a 3D Angry Birds. So, if you like making things topple and collapse, Boom Blox may be the Wii game for you.

Release Date: September 30, 2009 (NA)
Publisher: Natsume
Developer: Natsume
Genre: Adventure

When I first played Animal Kingdom, I halfway expected a decent game and halfway expected total garbage. To my surprise, it actually had me completely hooked from beginning to end. That's not to say it's one of the greatest games I've ever played, as the game does have its share of flaws, but the game does a very good job of making it fun to be a wildlife photographer. It's a fantastic game for kids, with many facts and tidbits about the various animals, but it's also done well enough that I think most adults will appreciate the game as well. It does move at a slower pace, though, so if you want non-stop action in your video games, this may not be the game for you.

Release Date: December 1, 2007 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Fitness

I want to put Wii Fit at number one just because it let me see how stupid multiple parents in the country are when they sued Nintendo because Wii Fit had the audacity to call their fat children fat. That being said, Wii Fit isn't 100% accurate with its "fatty" claims, as the game is unable to determine muscle mass in their calculations....But I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of those children weren't bodybuilders. Anyway, Wii Fit isn't a perfect game by any means, but it mostly does what it sets out to do, which is make the player perform exercises while motivating them to return the following day for more. Unlocking exercises helps prevent the game feel repetitive and also decreases the likelihood of the player getting bored from repetition. If you're willing to be mildly active while you play a game, you may find Wii Fit to be a good game for you.

Release Date: April 9, 2007 (NA)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Genre: Platformer

Super Paper Mario was a step away from the previous Paper Mario games as it was more of a unique platformer than an RPG. The concept of the platforming is unique. Can't figure out where to go? Switch from 2D to 3D and you'll likely see a previously invisible route suddenly appear...Like maybe a staircase that blends into the background in 2D, but in 3D it's easily visible. It's an okay game with a neat concept, but it's cursed with not being as fun as any of the 2D or 3D Mario games or any of the previous Paper Mario games, for that matter.

Release Date: October 23, 2008 (JP)
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Acquire
Genre: Action

Just about any game where I can play with stealth, I enjoy. To me, it's just a whole lot more fun to hit a surprise attack on the enemy than just run in and shooting everything, or in the case of this game, slashing everything. Tenchu: Shadow Assassins is far from the best game in the series, but it's not bad. To Tenchu veterans, this game will mostly feel like more of the same, but quite frankly, if you're a Tenchu vet, you'll probably enjoy it anyway.

Release Date: July 24, 2008 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Good-Feel
Genre: Platformer

When I bought Wario Land: Shake It!, it hadn't been out long, and yet it was still very, very cheap as a used game. That had me a little worried about the game's quality, but since it was a 2D platformer on a console long, long after 3D games took over the market, curiosity got the better of me. After playing it, it's really not a bad game as much as aspects of it feel like a chore....Specifically the shaking. I can imagine a young boy playing this game while covered in a blanket, his parents seeing it, and then making him pause the game so they can give him the talk about the birds and the bees. Yes, that was an adult joke.

Release Date: August 7, 2008 (JP)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Hudson Soft
Genre: Adventure

Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked is a continuation of the Survival Kids/Lost in Blue franchise that I believe, prior to this release, was exclusive to handhelds. Lost in Blue is a decent game that might move a little too slow for some tastes and contain a little less action as well...But for folks who just want a relaxing experience where they can just lounge in a chair and explore a deserted island, Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked is a pretty good game to toss in your Wii. It's not perfect, but it's still an enjoyable experience.

Release Date: November 13, 2007 (NA)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Cavia, Inc.
Genre: Shooter - Rail - First-Person

Want a condensed version of the stories of Resident Evil 0, 1 and 3 in the form of a first-person rail shooter? No? Well, Capcom gave it to us anyway, also adding in a few other story elements to fill in the gaps between the stories. As whole, the Resident Evil concept works well in a rail shooter environment, as there are plenty of zombies to fill with lead...But there's nothing here to make the game advance beyond 'good' and into 'great' in terms of gameplay. It's a good, solid rail shooter...But not much more than that.

Release Date: December 13, 2007 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Genre: Action

NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams isn't a horrible game...It's just a game that had high expectations placed on it, and failed to meet those expectations by a pretty wide margin. It's still a passable experience, but not the great sequel to the Saturn classic that many fans of the original were hoping for. That said, this is a passable experience and one that you may appreciate a tad more if you don't have the original to compare it to.

Release Date: November 19, 2006 (NA)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Sports - Compilation

Wii Sports came packaged with the Wii when the system launched in 2006 to show off how the motion controls could be used...And while the game itself can be a lot of fun, especially when playing with friends or family, it showed how inaccurate the motion controls could be right out of the gate. The game is good enough to be passable, and it's definitely fun...But it's also got a lot of flaws and issues with it to prevent it from being a truly great game.

Release Date: April 8, 2008 (JP)
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Sting
Genre: RPG

Baroque is a hardcore, tough-as-nails, hack 'n' slash RPG remake of a Japan-exclusive Saturn game of the same name. The game consists of two parts - walking around town and talking to folks and exploring a tower where you battle enemies as you attempt to reach the top. What makes it so difficult? Every time you enter the tower, your character starts at level one...Even if your previous time in the tower, you leveled up and got your stats up, the next time you enter, they'll be reset. This game also expects you to die repeatedly through the game...And you will. But, if you have patience and are a fan of dungeon crawlers, you'll learn to appreciate this game for what it is...But folks who aren't fans of the genre will very likely hate it.

Release Date: September 23, 2008 (NA)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Gearbox Software
Genre: Music

Sega's Wii sequels really did not live up to the greatness of the original games, and Samba de Amigo is another prime example of that. On the Dreamcast, Samba de Amigo had special maraca controllers that allowed you to play the game in a more interactive way. One would imagine that the wiimote controllers would be a perfect alternative to the maracas...Unfortunately, that would be incorrect. Much of the time the motion controls don't work properly, and as a result, you're left frustrated when you're doing well and suddenly, the motion controls don't pick up on a motion you did, or even register it as a totally different motion...It's a frustrating aspect that bogs down an otherwise fun game.

Release Date: November 18, 2008 (NA)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Eighting
Genre: Fighting

I want to like Castlevania Judgment. The game looks beautiful and it's got some really interesting ideas tossed in with the fighting...The issue is that the execution of it all falls a bit flat. Sure the game is fun to watch, and to a point, it's even kind of fun to play...But the fun doesn't last. The easy-to-exploit fighting system saps away at much of the replay value, making things feel repetitive much faster than it normally should. In the end, Castlevania Judgment is a good try, but it ultimately falls short.

Release Date: February 7, 2008 (JP)
Publisher: D3
Developer: Tamsoft
Genre: Action - Brawler

Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers is a guilty pleasure of mine, as I love cheesy B-movies and the Onechanbara games are essentially the video game version of a B-movie. The game is even pretty fun when you first play it. The problem with Bikini Zombie Slayers lies with the repetition. Both the environments and enemies become repetitive very quickly, which brings the game down as a whole. Add in some unpleasant-to-use motion controls that don't always work as they should and you've got a game that's fun in small doses here and there, but a game that ultimately fails at being passable.

Release Date: November 9, 2007 (EU)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 was one of the better games in the history of the franchise if you ask me...Unless you look at the Wii version which is literally a shell of the game with the same name on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. In an attempt to work with the motion controls of the Wii, the gameplay got butchered and dumbed down to an almost arcade-like style of gameplay...Which would probably be a little fun if not for the common theme of motion controls not always registering with the system. There's enough here to keep some wrestling fans interested for at least a little bit...But just about everyone else will quickly move on to the same game on another system.

Release Date: September 6, 2007 (JP)
Publisher: UFO Interactive
Developer: Opera House
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

The Monkey King: The Legend Begins is one of the better bargain bin games on the Wii that I've played...But it still falls short of being good. It's a slow-paced third-person shooter with an extremely low difficulty level...The lack of difficulty makes this game feel very, very boring after only a level or two of gameplay. There's enough decent stuff here to almost make this a passable experience...But unfortunately, the overly easy difficulty and slow pace just make this game feel like a chore to play through, which makes it fall just short of being an alright game.

Release Date: June 28, 2007 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Paon Corporation
Genre: Racing - Kart

To be honest with you, I like the concept of DK: Barrel Blast...Sounds like an interesting concept and it tries something new. I always appreciate attempts at something new. Unfortunately, this attempt ended in a mess. Barrel Blast requires the player to rapidly move their wiimotes like they were beating on a drum. This is the whole control scheme. Move the controllers fast to go fast. To turn left, move the left controller more. To go right, move the right controller more. The problem here, like with many of the games I've complained about on the Wii, the motion controls aren't always accurate...So when your entire control scheme revolves around the motion controls, you're setting yourself up for disaster...And unfortunately, that's exactly what happened here. Interesting concept, poor results.

Release Date: December 11, 2008 (JP)
Publisher: Tecmo
Developer: Tecmo
Genre: Action

I liked Rygar on the Playstation 2. This port to the Wii would have been decent had it come out shortly after the PS2 game hit shelves...Instead, this is pretty much an exact port of a game that was six years old...And the gameplay really showed not only how dated the game was by the time this port came out, but how much this style of game had evolved over those six years, mostly thanks to the God of War series. However, showing its age wasn't bad enough, the game itself got the motion control gimmick poorly latched to it, which made the dated gameplay feel much worse. The Battle of Argus could have and should have been a must-play title on the Wii had they focused on tweaking and modifying the gameplay instead of giving the main character an un-needed facelift.

Release Date: June 16, 2009 (NA)
Publisher: Majesco
Developer: Digital Leisure Inc.
Genre: Compilation

I loved Mad Dog McCree when I was a kid. The corny acting in this live-action video game always made me chuckle. However, the gimmick of using real video back in the early 90's helped hide the poorer aspects of the games in the series as most folks were more focused at the technical achievement of an interactive video than they were at the actual gameplay, which wasn't exactly the best. This compilation really exposes that, as we're now in an age where in-game graphics can sometimes look very close to real-life, so poorly-acted video probably won't impress most folks quite as much as it once did. That being said, if you remember Mad Dog McCree from the days of old, this is a nice way to revisit them...Just don't expect the games to live up to the fond memories you may have for them....Except for the acting - that's still as wonderfully bad as it ever was.

Release Date: November 11, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: Red Wagon Games
Developer: High Voltage Software
Genre: Action

♫Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Had a very shiny nose,
But the folks who made this -
Theirs' just tend to grow.
Red Wagon promised good times,
With movie-themed fun and games,
Sadly the end result,
Ended up as very lame.
Then one foggy Christmas eve,
Santa came to say,
"Rudolph with your game so bad,
You'll make children very sad."
But the stores still stocked it,
And consumers tried to flee,
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer -
Among the worst games in history.♫