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"Experience a new way to play."

The underdog of the 7th Gen. Everyone thought it would fail and that Nintendo would bow out of the Home Console race, but it actually became the highest selling system of the generation and Nintendo's second highest-selling home console ever, just behind the Nintendo Switch. How? Motion controls made for an interesting new gimmick and clever marketing aimed at the "casual gamer" people. Tech-wise, it essentially is "two GameCubes duct-taped together"; thus, it was pretty cheap and easy to develop for. As a result, there's a shitload of shovelware on the system. But that's why this list is here.

Since it was essentially a GameCube on Steroids, it has full backwards compatibility with its Software, Memory Cards, and Controllers. So check out its page if you're wanting more games than what's here. Nintendo later stripped out the Controller and Memory Card ports with a redesigned Wii, and started using a new disc drive that couldn't read Gamecube discs. They still can be used for Backwards Compatibility with homebrew loaders and classic controllers.  

There was also the smaller, black and red Wii Mini. It's intended to be a budget version. It has no SD slot, no Gamecube compatibility, no internet connectivity, a top-loading disc drive, much worse build quality and composite video only. Even if you find it very cheap, don't buy it unless you're a hardcore Wii collector. It sucks.

The system is also know for its homebrew scene, almost rivaling the Xbox in that department. Check here to get your Wii setup for homebrew and here for what homebrew is available.

The Wii U is also compatible with Wii software and hardware. It can also run GameCube games if you've softmodded your vWii mode.

From 2013 to 2014, Nintendo essentially shut down everything online related with the Wii besides the Wii Shop Channel. This means the Forecast Channel, News Channel, Everybody Votes Channel, Nintendo Channel, and Check Mii Out Channel are dead. But most importantly, WiiConnect24 services and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection are gone (blame Glu Mobile for closing GameSpy's servers ergo closing Nintendo's). Shit sux, but there are alternative ways to still play online, such as wiimmfi and RiiConnect24. This also means there aren't any more updates, so mod to your wagglan' heart's content!

The List[]

Disc-Based[]

Boxart Title Genre Description
ABoyandHisBlob A Boy and His Blob Platformer A Boy and His Blob for Wii is a re-imagining of the original NES classic. New levels, powers, and designs make this an astounding game. Beautiful visuals, sound and design in every aspect, nothing about this game will disappoint. The game feels like a perfect blend of old and new school. No Wii IR shit, just plug in dat Nunchuck and get playin', because this will fully envelope you in its child-like atmosphere and give you a warm feeling of nostalgia. The few drawbacks include a few strange choices in the control scheme, and signs fucking everywhere. Features a hug button which makes the boy hug the blob and the player 'aww'. Re-released on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
AnimalCrossingCityFolk Animal Crossing: City Folk Life Sim Basically take Animal Crossing Wild World on the DS, add in a city, and you have Animal Crossing: City Folk. It's probably most fun if you don't own Wild World for DS and haven't played the Gamecube game (Or the original N64 version for that matter). If you haven't played an Animal Crossing game before, you are better off going for the superior Gamecube / DS versions.
AnotherCodeRJourneyIntoLostMemories Another Code: R - A Journey into Lost Memories Adventure PAL and JP-only sequel to Trace Memory aka Another Code on the DS. A coming-of-age adventure game featuring a teenage girl solving mysteries. Beautiful presentation and lakeside resort setting, with visual novel-style dialogue scenes. Gameplay is mostly cursor-based investigation and talking to people. Was not particularly well-received, but is a solid adventure game. Does not require you to play Another Code 1 first, though it does help.
ArcRiseFantasia Arc Rise Fantasia RPG Ill-received, turn-based JRPG developed by ImageEpoch. The story, characters and presentation are thoroughly generic, and the English voice acting is painfully bad. However, character customization is shockingly in-depth, and latter parts of the game present quite a challenge. If you're looking for a JRPG that won't hold your hand, and can look past its issues, this is a solid Wii purchase, especially considering it doesn't have a lot of competition on the console.
Cover large-0 Gunblade NY / LA Machineguns Light Gun No-frills ports of two SEGA arcade gun games. Both are hectic shooters were you're dealing with terrorists in NY and LA, respectively, while the camera swings wildly from the vantage point of a helicopter. They don't look as good as the arcade originals (the games themselves are also pretty old at this point), but they're still a great time (especially Gunblade NY), and are also the only home versions. Both support co-op play, and work perfectly with the Wii remote.
BattalionWars2 Battalion Wars 2 TPS / RTS Battalion Wars 2 combines third person shooter and strategy. You control units in real time, but you need to move and attack tactically in order to win. This is a solid game overall. One main issue is that some of the motion controls are a little wonky. It is surprisingly difficult (especially compared to the first on the Gamecube).
Btcwii Bit.Trip Complete Arcade Like the 3DS Bit.Trip Saga, this has all six BIT.TRIP games in one. Unlike that, it contains new difficulty levels, 120 new challenges, and gallery modes containing production stills, concept art, 25+ movies telling Commander Video's story, and 6 letters to fans by Alex Neuse, and a Soundtrack Sampler CD. This is the ultimate way to enjoy this retro-inspired series.

BIT.TRIP BEAT Control a paddle by tilting the remote, and bounce back all the 8bit beats that come at you in formation. Eye sex, punishingly difficult and really satisfying.

BIT.TRIP CORE Use the D pad to shoot directional beams and zap all the beats swirling around you to create funky 8bit melodies and crack the high score.

BIT.TRIP VOID Yet another spin on catching beats. This time, you move a little black hole with the analog stick around insane bullet-hell patterns, avoiding white beats and catching black ones to grow larger.

BIT.TRIP RUNNER Rhythm-based platformer in which you help the badass Commander Video reach the goal by jumping, sliding and kicking his way through a pixelated world accompanied by awesome beats. Eargasmic as always.

BIT.TRIP FATE Play as Commander Video, but this time you are traveling along a rail with various dips and loops, all while firing bullets at incoming enemies and getting power-ups.

BIT.TRIP FLUX Returns to a style last seen in BEAT, but each and every single aspect of the game is overloaded to the point of mastery. A wonderful end to a wonderful series.

Blast Works Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy Shoot 'Em Up A new stab at side-scrolling shooters, in Blast Works you are able to attach the different pieces of your defeated enemies to your ship, during play, allowing you to build up an awkward heap of a ship shooting randomly across the screen. As you can imagine, this can become chaotic fast, especially when playing with four players. The game's saving grace is that it has an incredible editor where you can create and customize anything from bullets and ships to entire levels and bosses so you can remove or improve the game's attachment mechanic. There was also the ability to download and upload your creations online, but that has been discontinued. Originally a free PC game that can still be downloaded here.
Boom Blox Bash Party Boom Blox: Bash Party Party / Smash 'em up

Forget the original Boom Blox; this one is streets ahead of it (though the first is still good). A physics game which engages the player in a variety of tasks and puzzles all using the Wii's innovative IR. Grab and pull blocks Jenga style, shoot lasers at flying objects or throw baseballs at huge towers. Bash Party gives you access to the same level creation tool that the developers used, as well as the ability to instantly play levels from other players online.

BullyScholarshipEdition Bully: Scholarship Edition Open World / Sandbox

A game by Rockstar that can be summed up as GTA in prep school. You must forge alliances and confront the various cliques in school and use your bully's arsenal (stink bombs, slingshot, good ol' fists) to establish your reign of terror. You can even seduce girls (and some boys). You also have to go to class, though. An original, lighthearted and inventive title. This an improved edition of original game.

Originally on PS2, this is fixed up. Also on 360 with slightly improved models, textures, and much warmer lighting / smooth shadows.

250px-Calling Calling Survival Horror A first person Survival Horror involving ghosts as well as a lot of J-Horror clichés. The game is reminiscent of Echo Night: Beyond (PS2) in many ways such as the look of the ghosts, also you don't have any weapon, your heart-rate is your "health" and you die if it's too high. The storyline is also very good.
CastleofShikigamiIII Castle of Shikigami III Bullet Hell If you are a fan of bullet hell/danmaku shooters, then this is definitely a game you should look into. Has the insane bullets-shooting-bullets difficulty that the genre is known for, and while the single player is kind of short, it features two-person co-op, and the story changes depending on what combination of characters is used. Scoring system relies on getting as close to bullets as you can without getting hit (aka "grazing"). Only recommended to those already familiar with bullet-hells.
The Conduit Front Cover 270x380 The Conduit FPS

High Voltage Software and SEGA cater to Wii players with their very own generic FPS. Think Halo: Combat Evolved, with awesome controls. It's functional, and the customizable Wii controls are a dream. Online multiplayer is also excellent, but the single-player campaign is uninspired. Includes a ranking system and friendcode-less match-making. The biggest negative is the online is ridiculously hacked. It's almost impossible to find a clean match.

Conduit2 Conduit 2 FPS A improvement over the original in almost every possible way. The single-player mode takes you out of the boring sewers of Washington D.C into places like Atlantis, Central America and an oil rig in the Bermuda Triangle, the static cutscenes and explosive Drudge mines are gone, and the art direction is much better, at the cost of looking even more like a Halo clone. The fun but barebones multiplayer from the original now has co-op, splitscreen, a dozen different modes and it's the only Wii FPS to have supportted an actual headset instead of Wii Speak as well as a patching system. While the single-player is fun, it's also incredibly short at about 4–6 hours and the story is just an excuse for the game's settings. Also has one of the greatest endings in video game history.
CursedMountain Cursed Mountain Survival Horror An atmospheric, creepy, and original horror game made exclusively for the Wii. This title is set in the snowy mountains of the Himalayas, with your character climbing up a forbidden mountain's heights searching for his brother, who had gone mysteriously missing on a previous expedition. On your way through the surprisingly decent story, you fight horrible Buddhist spirits and monsters using prayer movements and a MAGIC, LASER SHOOTING PICKAXE. It's less stupid than it sounds. Visuals are pretty impressive for a Wii title, the motion controls work fairly well, and while it's not Silent Hill scary, it definitely succeeds at being creepy. It also might be worth noting that the developers of this game, Deep Silver, are the same people who later created Dead Island.

Also on PC.

DawnofDiscovery Dawn of Discovery RTS / Sim Basically a more colorful, kid-ish version of the PC game Anno 1404. Build your cities, amass your troops, explore new places, repeat. Surprisingly deep. Be warned that this game was made by Ubisoft's 'kiddie' division (responsible for the Petz/Imagine games).
DeBlob de Blob Platformer de Blob is like a platformer combined with a sandbox game. You color buildings and splat enemies using surprisingly well implemented motion control. Occasionally, you'll have to waggle the Wiimote furiously to paint certain landmarks. This has tons of missions that progressively get tougher. There's also optional missions, and a neat multiplayer mode. Has the most upbeat jazz-inspired sound track that you'll find in any video game. The music's intensity increases as the city gets more colorful and different instruments play based on your color. Original is on the PC as freeware, but bears little resemblance to the Wii game. Still, you can download it here at around 99mb. Also has alternate versions on DS and iPhone.

Sequel is out and is multiplat! It's also fucking great!

DeadSpaceExtraction Dead Space: Extraction Light Gun A rail shooter for the Wii, prequel to Dead Space (PS3, 360 and PC). Surprisingly effective at freaking you out, despite the on-rails action. Has several bugs that can crash your game (It's EA, what'd you expect), but definitely worth playing through. Has nice graphics rivaling HOTD: Overkill and the Resident Evil shooters. Scary if you play alone in a dark room, but some scares are very cheap. Split screen mode is unlockable (through regular gameplay or with cheat code).

Now for the PS3 with Move

DeadlyCreatures Deadly Creatures Action Although short, Deadly Creatures is a fun game. Controlling a tarantula and scorpion, you will traverse the various environments. Your enemies range from gila monsters, to rodents, to other creepy crawlies. I find the tarantula to be much more fun than the scorpion personally. The motion control here is hit and miss. Amazing voice acting with Dennis Hopper and Billybob Thornton!
81QcWNk3h5L. AC SL1500 Dino Strike Light Gun A budget-priced game in the style of classic arcade light gun shooters, where you shoot hundreds of dinosaurs on some remote island. As expected, the story is hilariously cheesy with Australian voice acting included. Beware that this game is really hard, more than it looks, partly because many of the weapons are painfully slow to use. The game could've benefited from at least some basic features, but it does have four-player co-op, or one-player dual-wield.
Disastercover Disaster: Day of Crisis Action / Light Gun / Survival JP and PAL-only entry in the Disaster Report series (also localized as Raw Danger and SOS). These are somewhat silly adventure games where you must survive through natural disasters, engaging in various platforming challenges and mini-games with survival sim elements. Day of Crisis is a somewhat grittier, but still thoroughly nutty entry which cannot be taken seriously. Stages can be replayed for better scores, and the whole game has an arcade-like structure. Disaster Report 4 is more serious and grounded, and was localized for PS4.
Dokaponkingdomwii Dokapon Kingdom Board Game / Party / RPG Mario Party meets classic JRPGs. Pick a character and class and move across the board protecting towns, defeating bosses, and making lots of money. Games take longer than your average Mario Party round, though. Known as a friendship-destroying game because it actively encourages being an asshole, and allows you to humiliate players by doing things like changing their name or shaving their head. Lots of fun. Also on PS2.
DonkeyKongCountryReturns Donkey Kong Country Returns 2D Platformer

A fantastic revival of the Donkey Kong Country series by Retro. Play solo or co-op with Donkey and Diddy Kong; you will need the abilities of both to succeed. This is actually very challenging and boasts amazing level design with tons of extra collectibles; everything looks vibrant and lively as well. The only downside are some annoying obligatory motion controls, which can be fixed with some homebrew cheat codes. Ported to 3DS with some extra content. The sequel, Tropical Freeze, is on Wii U.

513TxsB4g7L. SL500 AA280 Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat 2D Platformer A port of the great GC platformer. Content-wise, this has more modes and levels. This game no longer uses the DK Bongos, but a mix of traditional and motion controls. Also, the number of beats no longer pertains to your health, using a more traditional heart and life system. This version of the game feels more like a traditional platformer, though easier than the GC version. Whether or not this is the best version is up to you. You can buy the GC+Bongos (both used) or this for about the same price. If you can find it, that is.
Elebits Elebits FPS

A child-friendly first person shooter, Elebits is a unique game with an interesting game mechanic. You control a "capture gun," that can carry and throw objects to reveal hidden creatures called "Elebits". By shooting Elebits, you charge up your gun which allows you to pick up heavier objects to find more Elebits. The game has a robust, yet slightly unrealistic physics engine (picture catching butterflies in G-mod) and an excellently customizable level editor. This game is plagued with overly-long / tedious missions, lack of variation, lackluster graphics, and some slowdown, but is still pretty damn good. Multiplayer is frantic and exciting, but unbalanced. Called Eledees in Europe.

Sequel on DS was also fairly nice though very different.

Endless Ocean Coverart Endless Ocean Simulation Beautiful diving simulation published by Nintendo. Not much in the way of "gamey" objectives, you simply explore different bodies of water and fill your log with the various creatures you find. Graphics aren't state-of-the-art, but it makes up for it with atmosphere and relaxing ambiance. Pretty charming, and often educational. Spiritual successor to the developer's Everblue series.
EndlessOceanBlueWorld Endless Ocean: Blue World Simulation In most ways that matter this is a straight upgrade to EO1, with more content, better graphics, and even a more involved (but still largely un-intrusive) story. One of the best diving sims ever made; even if it does have some explicitly "gamey" sections that not everyone is into, most of the game is relaxing and pressure-free. Watch out for that roaming megalodon, though...
1558201-epic mickey box super Epic Mickey 3D Platformer So Disney walked up to Warren Spector, the guy who helped make such games as System Shock 2 and Deus Ex, and told him "Hey, we want to make Mickey Mouse relevant to gaming again". So, he did just that. What we have is an awesome 3D platformer reminiscent of platformers from the days of PS1 and N64, like Banjo Kazooie or Spyro. All the levels are huge and beg you to explore them to find all kinds of secrets and collectibles, the art style and music is great, there's a surprising amount of replayability due to moral choices, alternate endings, and collectibles, and the story is fair enough. The only issues with the game is that sometimes the camera freaks out on you, and there're a lot of fetch quests. A great pick if you miss the openness of 3D platformers from days gone by. Has a 73 on Metacritic because game critics are much less forgiving with platformers than they are with cover-based shooters and Madden roster updates.

Has a sequel which is also on the Wii, as well as the WiiU/PS3/X360. It sold badly and got poor reviews though, so Disney shut down Junction Point. RIP.

Excitetruck Excite Truck Racing The first Wii entry of the Excite series, and a really fun game for a launch title. Has all the stunts and ridiculous speeds of Excitebots, but you can only play as different trucks but at amazingly fast speeds across deforming land. The one thing Excite Truck has that Excitebots doesn't is the ability to play whatever music you have on your SD card.
Excitebots Trick Racing Excitebots: Trick Racing Racing NA and JP-only trick racing game co-developed by Nintendo. Unfairly presumed to be shovelware, this is a colorful and unique racer where you play as various transforming robo-animal vehicles. Success is not just determined by placing first, but also by pulling off tricks and activating various mini-games built into the courses, including darts and poker! Plenty of unlockables. One of the best party-friendly games on the system, but also good for solo play.
250px-FFCC The Crystal Bearers cover Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers Action RPG An unusual Final Fantasy game largely unrelated to other Crystal Chronicles titles. Play as a refreshingly cocky protagonist in a shallow but fun adventure. Gameplay revolves around magically levitating and throwing objects with motion controls. Features lots of mini-games and special gameplay sections, an eclectic soundtrack, and a short playtime. Might appeal to Final Fantasy non-fans.
Final Fantasy Fables Chocobos Dungeon Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon RPG /

Roguelike

This is a new entry in the roguelike Chocobo's Dungeon series. There are many classes for Chocobo, and each one has unique features and skills. The best part of this are the bonus missions, which have various restrictions and are quite challenging, requiring some real strategy to finish. Also has a Japan-only DS remix with some new classes and change-ups, along with a special dungeon that lets you play as Cid(!). Has a gorgeous soundtrack made up of arrangements of the very best songs of Final Fantasy I to XI.
FireEmblemRadiantDawn Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn Strategy / RPG Direct sequel to Path of Radiance (GCN) with much of the returning cast. The plot deals with the aftermath of the war and the rebuilding effort in the face of a new conflict. It's very hard in the beginning but gets slightly better a few chapters in. Graphically it looks practically the same as its predecessor, and includes the same features such as equippable skills and weapon-forging, though support conversations are sadly gone. At least the Laguz are slightly more useful. Overall a decent entry in the series. Has a couple replay-only characters, too.
FragileDreamsFarewellRuinsoftheMoon Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon Adventure An atmospheric, exploration-focused game where you play one of the few survivors in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, trying to figure out what happened to the world. Very melancholy gameworld with ruined environments and anime-style characters. Meanwhile combat is very clunky and features survival game aspects such as breakable weapons and limited items. Definitely a game to play more for its look and feel than anything else. Has some awkwardly funny scenes as well.
Geometry Wars Galaxies Geometry Wars: Galaxies Shoot 'Em Up Similar to the Geometry Wars on DS and 360. Incredible pointer controls set it apart from the others. Need the DS version to unlock the last levels which sucks. But they can be unlocked with homebrew cheats instead.
Wii ghostsquad Ghost Squad Light Gun Since neither Virtua Cop (difficult to port/Sega possibly lost the source code) nor Time Crisis (tied up to Sony) are coming on to the Wii any time soon, this is the next best thing. The usual daggy voice-overs and plot though with a counter-terrorism theme. Guns have multiple firing modes, missions are branching and there's a shitload of unlockables that add to the usual replayability of high scores. Like HotD2+3 on Wii, it doesn't have widescreen.
944012 97743 front Ghostbusters: The Video Game Action / Puzzler What sets this port apart from its 360/PS3 counterparts is the two player co-op mode, amusing animation style, and awesome control scheme. The story starts where the 2nd movie left off. You play the role of an unnamed rookie, solving puzzles and busting ghosts, testing new and badass weapons made by Egon and Ray. All of this while enjoying cutscenes written and voice-acted by the original Ghostbusters cast! On the downside, it's a short game (but with the unlockables it sports some replay-value) and your teammates' AI is a little slow at times. Also contains an alternate ending.
GoldenEye007(Wii) GoldenEye 007 FPS This game is an absolute blast. Good blend of stealth/"run and gun" gameplay, okay local multiplayer mode, and features "007 classic mode" which removes regen health, and you survive on health packs. It's not the nostalgic orgasm everyone expected. There is a lot of throwbacks to the 64 version, but it never goes overboard with it. If you're a FPS fan, and have a Wii, you won't find a better shooter on the console. It also has some of the greatest online multiplayer on the system which exemplifies what all online FPS on the Wii have community-wise thanks to the "crippled" online: a dedicated core of decently-skilled players mixed in with younger ones who 9/10 you can't hear thanks to the lack of mics! It's utterly refreshing in a way.

Online multiplayer has been shut down. Search for unnoficial servers and how to use them in your homebrew-enabled Wii. Released on PS3/360 as an HD update, reviving the online multiplayer.

Recommended controls: If you know how to configure it properly, use Wiimote + Nunchuck. Otherwise, use Classic Controller Pro.

Groovinblockswii Groovin' Blocks Falling Block / Rhythm Basically a WiiWare version of Lumines, but with a larger variety of colors. Really fun if you don't already own Lumines. Also on the PSN. Strangly, got a retail release as well but don't buy that.
TheHouseoftheDead2&3Return The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return Gun Game There's nothing much to say: two classics of cheesy, B-movie, gun-game horror ported to the perfect home console for them. Boasts a good amount of unlockables and extra modes as well, but nothing outstanding. The simple pleasures of bad voice acting and zombie-shooting will never go out of style. This is the cheapest and most accessible home port of both games. No infinite continues, but you will be awarded more lives/credits if you keep losing.
TheHouseoftheDeadOverkill The House of the Dead: Overkill Light Gun

An all-new House of the Dead with a Tarantino-influenced grindhouse feel, intentionally cheesy writing, copious swearing, a B-movie plot, and the like. It doesn't really nail the style, but gameplay is pretty fun regardless, and there's lots of extra modes. Also easier than your average HotD. Dual Gun Mode is notable for letting you play with two guns alone or even letting four people play in teams of two. Ported to PS3 and Android OS.

IvytheKiwi Ivy the Kiwi? Platformer Incredibly aesthetically pleasing. You play as a kiwi wearing her eggshell on a tireless search for her mother. Very easy and simple, and the learning curve and difficulty level somehow makes the game fun for kids and adults alike. It's on the same level as A Boy and His Blob or Muramasa in terms of beauty. Only the American version is in full color - if you want sepia, try another version using region-free-enabling homebrew! Also on Wiiware, DS and DSiware.
250px-Ju-on The Grudge game logo Ju-On: The Grudge Survival Horror A very underrated Survival Horror for the Wii. While short, it's also one of the scariest games this generation (and it costs very little). It is divided in several chapters in which you must solve simple item-based puzzles to find the exit, while trying not to get killed by ghosts. You don't have any weapons. You use the Wiimote as a flashlight. This game isn't for everybody; most people will probably find it as dull as the critics have. Recommended for horror fanatics, or if you're looking for a game that will scare casuals, as the game is so simple that anybody can play it.
Wii-the-king-of-fighters-collection-the-orochi-saga
The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga Fighting

Even though the Wii didn't get much love from fighting game developers, some decent ports were made for it. KOF Orochi Saga has four games on it (KOF '94 to '97) which encompasses the first saga of the series (which itself has 14 main games until 2017). The flow of the 3 vs 3 battles is good, the loading times are imperceptible unlike the god-forsaken PS1 versions, the controls are nice (with Classic Controller, obviously) and the games themselves aged very well. If you're not familiar with the series or didn't have the opportunity to play Neo Geo games back in the day, give it a try.

Also on PS2, which also has a more polished japanese version that includes KOF '98. KOF Nests Saga (99, 2000 and 2001) is also a must in that console.

Kirbycollectionwii Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition Platformer

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Kirby with this special edition box set, which includes Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby's Adventure, Kirby's Dream Land 2, Kirby Super Star, Kirby's Dream Land 3, and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, all on one disc. Also includes a bonus disc soundtrack and a nifty little art book too. There's also 3 episodes from the Kirby anime hidden within (But it's the 4Kids dub and is shit, but hey, it's there). All games are also available on Virtual Console, the main attraction being Kirby 64 due to difficulties emulating it elsewhere.

Never released in Europe? What the fuck guys!

250px-Kirby's Epic Yarn Box art Kirby's Epic Yarn Platformer Kirby is back in his most diabetes-inducing adventure yet! This time, he stumbles into another world where everything is made of yarn and fabric. He lost his ability to inhale his enemies and copy their power, but makes up for it with a number of Yoshi-like transformations, including a car, a submarine, and a giant robot armed with missiles. The art style is enchanting and features many clever surprises. Let's just say there is a LOT you can do with yarn. The gameplay is more similar to Wario Land 2; Kirby is invulnerable and only loses some of his collected beads when hit by an attack. Said beads can be used to buy furniture for Kirby's house, which unlocks mini games. The challenge lies in finding all the hidden treasure rather than just reaching the goal.
Box art kirbys return to dreamland Kirby's Return to Dream Land


(Kirby's Adventure Wii in Europe)

Platformer Visually similar to Kirby 64, while its gameplay is reminiscent of Brawl's Subspace Emissary story mode. A four-player co-op adventure with many copy powers for Kirby, each with a variety of moves and attacks. Motion controls are minimal and optional, while difficulty is low as usual. Has a surprising amount of extra content (and a weird twist at the end). Definitely pick this up if you love Kirby Super Star and miss Kirby 64. Has a critically acclaimed spiritual sequel on the 3DS titled Kirby Triple Deluxe.
Klonoa Klonoa Puzzle / Platformer Remake of the PS1 2.5D platformer. As Klonoa, a cute rabbit-thing, you explore the vibrant world of Phantomile. The main gameplay mechanic revolves around inflating enemies to use them as stepping stones to clear obstacles. Fair length and difficulty with a number of post-game extras and some jarring plot twists for a happy-go-lucky platformer. The graphics have been overhauled, but the style is completely different; some may construe this rendition as unfaithful or dull. There is also new and terrible voice acting, but you can turn on the old PS1 VA. If you didn't try this on the PS1, this is a great option. The sequel came out on PS2, there are some GBA spin-offs.
TheLastStory The Last Story RPG Sakaguchi and Uematsu return and bring a decent RPG to the Wii. Features real-time combat with a cover system alongside the general slew of JRPG combat mechanics. Aside from the fairly forced love story, the plot itself is fairly focused and well done - going out of its way to subvert several cliches in the process. If you're looking to get a JRPG fix on the Wii, this is a pretty good option. Also features a Gamera cameo.
Legend of zelda skyward sword The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Adventure / Action Visually influenced by Impressionist paintings, Skyward Sword might be the prettiest Zelda title yet, with a whimsical airborne island setting and a story that finally ties together the convoluted Zelda timeline. Combat is delightful in the way that each enemy feels like a mini-puzzle to solve, and Wii Motion Plus controls are responsive (if your Wii Motion Plus is improperly calibrated, you may experience issues while diving or fighting). However, it's somewhat lacking in length and content for a mainline Zelda game. A slew of homebrew cheat codes can enhance the game by disabling certain interruptions, such as rupee text boxes and Fi's constant tutorials.
Legend of zelda twilight princess1 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Adventure / Action Clearly influenced by and trying to follow in the steps of Ocarina of Time, with a gloomy look, a darker storyline, and more grotesque monster designs. Also features a rather meaty plot with lots of supporting characters (for a Zelda game). In the Twilight World you play as wolf-Link, a style which some find annoying. Tons of dungeons and content, in any case. Simultaneously released on GCN; this version was visually flipped for right-handed motion controls. The GCN version also has a steadier FPS rate, but is rare. This game can softmod your console.
Little Kings Story Little King's Story Strategy This is a strategy game where you recruit civilians and assign them to various jobs. Then you go out into the open to explore, beat bosses, and conquer the world! There's a lot of secrets to find as well. Compared to Pikmin, there are a lot more kinds of minions to employ. The bosses in particular are a lot of fun here. They each have specific strategies and weaknesses that you will need to exploit. Party building and organizing are definitely a fairly important part of the game as well. Great humor and some of the most creative bosses you will ever fight. Largely regarded as the best Wii game of 2009!

Has a poor remake on the Vita with a less cutesy art style.

Lost in Shadows Wii Boxart Lost in Shadow Platformer

Artsy platformer by Hudson where you play as a boy's disembodied shadow, interacting with the shadows cast by objects in the foreground. This leads to some interesting puzzles involving light manipulation, and a cool gameplay twist later on. The game's art direction and "soft lighting" aesthetics scream Ico homage, but it's pretty decent on its own terms.

Madworld MadWorld Action The first PlatinumGames title, a cel-shaded, black-and-white, ultra-violent brawler. Confront enemies in small 3D stages full of interactable objects which lead to grisly kill animations. The entire game has a grim sense of humor, with sarcastic commentators remarking on your exploits. Motion controls are obligatory, but work well for the most part. A short, but pretty great experience. Anarchy Reigns (PS3/360) is a spiritual successor, though it plays very different.
Marble-saga-kororinpa-wii Marble Saga: Kororinpa Puzzle The sequel to Kororinpa (Also a great game), this has a lot more features that make it superior to the original. New gameplay modes, tons of new levels and puzzles, Balance Board Support, and the ability to make your own levels and download other people's levels over WiFi. The tilt controls are really fun and quite responsive. Ignore the story mode involving helping out an ant. If you liked Super Monkey Ball, this is right down your alley. (much better tilt and no crappy minigames)
MarioKartWii Mario Kart Wii Racing A very popular game to hack and generate custom content for, such as textures, characters, vehicles, music, race tracks, and other fun stuff. (like 200cc racing!) Online multiplayer has been shut down, but alternate servers are now available through the Wiimmfi service.

Classic and Gamecube controllers supported.

935598 82390 front Mario Party 8 Board Game / Minigames I don't know how you could have the dignity to put "8" in this game's title. But anyway, the game has the same formula as the last ones. Collect stars, play minigames, etc, etc. Lacks widescreen support for whatever reason, but at least it's more akin to the Hudson games than its sequels.
632974 214114 front Mario Party 9 Board Game / Minigames After 8, they decided to give Mario Party a 5 year break, and then made the 9th one. And they actually did something different this time. You now move in a car, an have to collect the most Mini-Stars, and now the Mini Games are less abundant. Hated on by most because it was too "different" it sucks major ass, but some may have a fun time. Also has one of the most eye-searingly gaudy and thematically unfocused case cover art of all time.
Mario Strikers Charged Mario Strikers Charged Sports (Football) A world-football/soccer game featuring Mario and company. It is the sequel to Super Mario Strikers on the Gamecube, and features chaotic soccer gameplay and online competitions. The grim-dark special kicks are pretty badass, too.
Mercury-meltdown-revolution-wii Mercury Meltdown Revolution Puzzle Remix of the PSP title. Navigate your way through various stages by either heating or cooling your little glob of mercury, making it either run faster or become more solid. Add in puzzles that require you to split the blob into multiple parts, colour each in, join them to form a certain colour and somehow manage not to fly off the level and you have one hella hard game. The motion controls work really well in this game.
Metal Slug Anthology Wii Cover Metal Slug Anthology Run 'n' Gun Decent compilation of the first six Metal Slug games (plus X, the fixed version of 2). Contains none of the extras of the original console releases. Suffers from some annoying loading times and a bit of slowdown. These games have been ported everywhere, and some versions are better. At any rate, they are excellent arcade run-n-gun games with utterly gorgeous sprite work and an irreverent sense of humor. Great for co-op. Infinite continues too, so don't sweat it.
Metroid Prime 3 Corruption Metroid Prime 3: Corruption FPS / Adventure The conclusion to the Prime saga that began on the GCN, now with a very developed story and lots of dialogue for a Metroid game. The gameplay is the same as in previous titles but flawlessly implements the Wii's motion controls, which especially makes for some very fun boss fights. Sadly it gets quite easy towards the end. Still a fantastic game. The Metroid Prime Trilogy was also released for Wii with motion controls for all three games, but is exceedingly rare.
Metroid Prime Trilogy Metroid Prime Trilogy FPS / Adventure Entire Metroid Prime trilogy on a single Wii Game Disc, why not? The first two entries are enhanced with Wii controls and EDTV (480p widescreen), but there are some missing effects and visual glitches (Read more here). Warning: Saves from the non-Trilogy version of Prime 3 do NOT transfer to this version. The updated controls for 1&2 are generally regarded to make this the superior way to play the games, even if you own the original GCN games. Discontinued, so if you haven't got it by now... you know what to do!
MonsterHunter3Tri Monster Hunter 3 Tri Action Adventure SERVERS SHUTDOWN AS OF APRIL 30TH 2013

MOST CONTENT WAS ONLINE There are now unofficial homebrew patches to bring online content to offline mode Kickass monster hunting action now on the Wii. Features a completely redone engine and different areas and monsters than the PSP games as well as the new switch axe and medium bowgun. Unfortunately some of the old weapons were removed and the total number of monsters isn't as high as in the Freedom series, but the new attacks of the recurring weapons make up for it and the amount of original monsters is the highest in the series so far, so if you're bored of Kut-Ku, definitely give this a try. The online is free (outside Japan), features both keyboard and voice chat support and runs on Capcom's servers, so no friend code bullshit here. Now updated on Wii-U and 3DS, which both continue to have online play.

Muramasa The Demon Blade Muramasa: The Demon Blade Action

Visually-arresting side-scrolling action game by Vanillaware. As per usual, the gameplay is pretty basic, but the presentation and RPG elements compensate for it handily. Beware that you'll have to replay levels a lot if you want all collectibles. Ported to the Vita with a better translation and new DLC, which is actually worth getting. This version is fine as well, though.

Mushroom Men The Spore Wars Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars Action / Platformer A stylish action-platformer with fun gameplay that is kinda held back by an iffy camera. You play as a mushroom person exploring a world where the things small to us are massive to them. The combat is pretty simple, but building weapons is fun, the platforming works well, and the boss fights, ranging from a star-nosed mole to a jackalope, are fun. If only the camera didn't freak out every time you got near a corner. Prequel is on DS but is a bit crappy.  
Nbajamwii NBA Jam Sports Started out as some basketball, turned into a remake of the classic NBA Jam. The Wii version is a bit "gimped" compared to other console releases (not as good graphically and no online mode), but has an extended single-player mode to supposedly make up for it.
U.S. ex-president Obama, The Beastie Boys, Karl Malone, and Patrick Ewing, among others have been confirmed. Play it while its references didn't get old.
New-super-mario-bros-wii-box-500px NEW Super Mario Bros. Wii Platformer As a single-player game it's a pretty by-the-numbers retread of Mario platforming, with added Koopa Kids for the nostalgic. But as a multi-player co-op game (up to four players) it's extremely fun thanks to the ability to constantly troll each other by stealing power-ups or pushing them off ledges. Definitely a game to play with friends. Was previously bundled with the American version of the now discontinued Mario Red Wii for Mario's 25th Anniversary.

Has more sequels than it should. All of them plays the same.

NightsJourneyofDreams NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams Action The only existing sequel to NiGHTS into Dreams for the Sega Saturn, created by some of the original dev team including the same lead designer. It's a 2.5D platformer but without platforming- just point the analog stick to where you want to go and the titular character, Nights, will float in that direction. Hold the button to speed up, and do this in circle formation around enemies to defeat them. The sense of physics/momentum is not as refined as it was in the original game, and hurt even more by the fact that Nintendo controllers used an octagonal rest instead of a round one, but it's nonetheless a great love letter the original and has a wonderful art direction.
No More Heroes No More Heroes Action Oddball Suda51 game that's partially a mockery of seventh-gen open-world games and partially a Jackass-style absurdist comedy. The game is built around a series of fantastic boss battles against rival assassins in a bid to become the #1 killer in the world. The rest of your time is spent playing mini-games and doing side-quests in a mostly-empty town. Motion controls are compulsory and really add to the visceral, ultra-violent action. Flawed, but fun and irreverent. PAL version is censored. Ported to PS3 and Switch with new content.
No More Heroes 2 Desperate Struggle No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle Action Direct sequel to the first game, which sees Travis once again climbing the ranks of the world assassin ladder. This time there's more ridiculous boss fights and you don't have to grind to attempt them, but there are some mini-games and side-quests regardless. The game is notably easier than the first, and the ending is kind of a letdown, but in most ways it's an improvement (especially in terms of pacing). It's still trashy, janky, and silly, though, which is just how fans like it. Travis Strikes Again is a spin-off. NMH3 is coming on the Switch.
Okami-wii Okami Action Adventure

Commonly considered the best game of all time by some. The brush is now used via the Wii Remote pointer, making drawing the magic a bit easier and harder at the same time an absolute pain due to poor implementation, when it should have felt second-nature. Attacks are complex and unique, combos are done with a whipping pattern. Now comes with widescreen and 480p support, as well as more vibrant colors with the sacrifice of no more loading screen minigames and no more epilogue after the credits (though it was added back in the Japanese version) and a weaker rice paper filter. Amusingly, the cover of this game has the IGN logo plastered on it due to some lazy fuck at Capcom; as an apology, Capcom has two alternate covers, as well as the same cover fixed, up for download as high-def pdfs, so you can print them out on glossy paper and replace the cover.

The HD version on PS3 offers both motion controls, and standard controller options. The PS2 or PS3 versions are the way to go due to the superior control schemes.

One piece unlimited adventure amerique One Piece: Unlimited Adventure Beat 'Em Up Plays like a beat-em-up based game, pretty good all around One Piece game. Developed once again by Ganbarion. You play as the straw hat crew just beating ship up and having a grand old time. English voices are actually done by Funimation instead of 4Kids. If you are a fan of One Piece, get this. Sort of rare so the price can be up in the $40 range used, so keep an eye out for bargains. Honestly, just play Pirate Warriors on other platforms.
OnechanbaraBikiniZombieSlayers Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers Action / Hack and Slash The OneeChanbara series aren't popular outside Japan so you probably don't know what's this game about. It's pretty simple, though. Aya and Saki, dem J-girls in tight clothes, wielding Katanas and a waves of zombies/monster/things to slash the fuck outta them. The story is forgettable and terribly translated so don't bother. The controls are quite simple; you do a short vertical/horizontal waggle to slash. It has some in-game tutorials for the dumbest to understand how to do each attack/movement, don't worry. Later on when you level up, you'll need a lot more timing and "rhythm" to achieve some cool combos (specially with the unlockable characters). Despite what some reviews says, the controls are remarkable intuitive and fits perfectly with the arcade-y gameplay. Unlock harder difficulties to find a real challenge. Overall, it's a really fun and overlooked game that will deliver many hours of entertainment. Also, dat Saki's suplex.
Opoonaboxlg Opoona RPG / Life Simulator A charming, quirky RPG with a unique style (based off of the puzzle series "Gussun Oyoyo"?) and an original battle system. Interestingly enough, the game can be controlled entirely with the nunchuck, which takes some getting used to. The battle system focuses on using the analog stick to angle or power up attacks from your characters' various, er, bon-bons. You can take on jobs and professions to get money, items, etc., and while the story is okay, it gets a little slow near the end. Recommended if you want to play a unique RPG.
Orderedupwii Order Up! Simulation I know that just by looking at the boxart, one would think this is a "casual" game. Well, you would be right, but this is a casual game done well. You buy and manage various restaurants, trying to get them to 5 star rating by buying special ingredients for food, which is cooked in surprisingly well done "Cooking Mama"-esque mini games.

May not appeal to everyone.

Pandora'sTower Pandora's Tower Action-Adventure Underrated action-adventure that uses the Wii's controls to its advantage. Gameplay is split between making your way through Gothic, monster-filled dungeons, and retrieving "monster flesh" for your beloved, a girl who will mutate into a monster if you don't feed her regularly. This light dating sim element adds stakes to the story, and there are different endings based on your choices and performance. Combat and gameplay are whip-based, using pointer controls to target enemies and features, and swing to them. Excellent music and presentation. Though not perfect, it's the best 3D Castlevania game we never got. Available on the Wii U eShop.
Phantombravewii Phantom Brave: We Meet Again SRPG A port of Nippon Ichi's PS2 strategy RPG, Phantom Brave. There's practically no changes to the main game other than the ability to display it in 480p, but the it does include a second campaign that picks off where the first one left off, letting you use some new characters, and also comes with a digital art disc, which has art work and sprites from the game. Worth checking out if you never played the PS2 version, as this is quite unique as far as SRPG's go.

Minor updates to loading times and a few textures are barely noticable.

I 17607 Pikmin Strategy Not much has changed in this port of the GC game except the addition of some decent usage of motion controls that only enhance the experience. It's also in 16:9, as well. You play as Captain Olimar, who crash-landed on a planet that's implied to be Earth. Various parts of his ship have scattered across certain areas in a small part of the world (since Olimar's quite small himself). With the aid of plant-like creatures named 'Pikmin' you must retrieve the parts of your ship before the thirty-day limit is up.
Pikmin2 Pikmin 2 Strategy Similar motion updates as Pikmin 1. Takes place after the first, and this time you get a partner named Louie to accompany Olimar. You travel back to Earth to pay back a steep debt for your boss by collecting what seems to be various pieces of junk and trash. Once again, you need the help of the Pikmin to accomplish this, and this time, there are two more varieties than in the first game. Unlike the 1st game, there is no limited day system and the levels are much bigger. The focus has shifted from exploring the overworld and archieving as much as possible as fast as possible to dungeon crawling and treasure collecting, which you might or might not like. Special challenge levels and multiplayer add variety.
Cover large Project Zero 2: Wii Edition Survival horror You like Fatal Frame right? No? Too bad! This is a remake of Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly (widely regarded as the best iteration in the series) using the FF4 engine. Its story segues into FF1 related stuff, but is largely comprehensible so you don't have to worry about missing out on anything. The Wii Edition features the Haunted House multiplayer so if you have a woman over (ha!) you can get them scared enough to coerce them into having sex with you or something. Also features new endings and other features.
ForgottenSandsWii Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Action / Adventure Let me get this straight: did you play the PC/Xbox 360/PS3 version? It was quite average, right? Well, this is nothing like those.

With soulful story and awesome game mechanics, which are hard to describe (INFINITE WALLCLIMBING WORKS) and beautiful design of stages, lots of bonuses and classic Prince of Persia included, you wouldn't want to miss this.

PunchOut!! Punch-Out!! Action Punch-Out!! for the Wii is a reinvention of the retro boxing classic. Watch your opponent for visual cues and dodge in time, then strike back with a perfectly timed hit! Little Mac and Doc Louis return, along with many fighters from previous installments and the infamous bike scene remastered for a new generation. Play it NES-style (by holding the Wii Remote horizontally) or use a Wii Remote and Nunchuk combination with optional Balance Board movement. The motion control is decent, but play NES-style if you want to beat the game. Contains a surprising amount of replay value with unique challenges: Title Defense, Last Stand and Champion modes.
RabbidsGoHome Rabbids Go Home Action / Adventure A non-party Raving Rabbids game that's actually really good. The story revolves around the Rabbids suddenly deciding that they need to go to the moon, because, I don't know, it's their home or something. So they decided to cause chaos throughout the city and the world by getting as much junk as they can by crashing into it and putting it into a shopping cart, Katamari-style, so that they can make a tower of junk that stretches to the moon. The game is fun, has good humor, a great soundtrack. Also on DS.

Fourth (or fifth?) in the Rabbids series, with one similar to this coming out soon. Still no Rayman, though. Rayman Origins shows he's not dead yet!

RaymanOriginsWii Rayman Origins Platformer A really good game with a lot of beautifully stunning artwork much like the 1st Rayman game. Kinda like New Super Mario Bros. in which it has local 4-player consisting of Rayman, Globox, and two Teensie's. Remarkably keeps all of the effects intact from superior consoles, but with a lower-resolution 480p display. Also available on Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Vita and 3DS.A sequel called Rayman Legends is out and has all levels from this game, but Ubi gave our old Wii some rest, so get it on other consoles or PC.
RedSteel2 Red Steel 2 FPS / Action You remember that Wii launch game, Red Steel? Remember how shitty that was? Now, forget about that, because this game is a sequel in name only. This game is single-player only, sports a cel-shaded style with a good soundtrack and a Western/Oriental setting. Requires Wii MotionPlus, but it works really well. There's nothing more satisfying than knocking someone into the air with your katana, then filling them with bullets on the way down.
Resident Evil for the Wii Resident Evil Survival Horror A straight port of the GC game with no additions or new controls aside from 480p. Unfortunally the FMV cutscenes have been borked and load times are a bit longer. Supports Classic and GameCube controllers. Haunting music, new puzzles, amazing visuals, and the addition of Crimson Heads and Lisa Trevor will make your skin crawl and keep you on your toes.

An HD version is out for 7th and 8th gen consoles and for PC, albeit digital only. Some locations and cutscenes were updated, so that version is worth checking out.

Resident-evil-archives-resident-evil-0 Resident Evil 0 Survival Horror Same port job as Resident Evil. Takes place before the first game, play as Rebecca Chambers and escaped convict Billy Coen as they discover what's going on this damned mansion. Features a partner swapping system where you can switch the characters on the fly.

Also on 7th and 8th gen consoles, albeit digital only.

Residentevil4wii Resident Evil 4 Survival Horror The best iteration of Resident Evil 4 yet. It has the great graphics of the Gamecube version, further enhanced by widescreen support and 480p, all the extras of the PS2 version, and without a doubt the best controls out of any of the versions. After playing the motion controls on this game, playing with a controller again feels like a step backwards, but if you want, the option to use a Gamecube controller is still there.
RE Umbrella Chronicles Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles Light Gun Re-tells scenes from the original Resident Evil, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, and Resident Evil 0, but in light gun shooter format! Yay! It tries to remain as faithful to RE as a rail shooter can, and it's competent at doing so. Headshots are hard to get though (Trying to shoot that spot below the hairline, above the eyes and in the middle is stupidly hard). Prepare for some really, REALLY hard bosses. Even upgrading your weapons will leave you suffering through some really hard levels.
REDC Cover Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles Light Gun

The sequel to Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, this game re-tells the plot of Resident Evil 2 and Code Veronica in light-gun shooter format. The title also features something of a prequel chapter set prior to Resident Evil 4. Headshots are 'easier' to get now, sadly the newly added vomit-inducing shaky-cam renders a lot of the game needlessly hard but it's still a good game overall.

256px-Rhythm-heaven-fever Rhythm Heaven Fever Rhythm The third game in the quirky rhythm-based series, luckily sticking to the A and B button for the beats instead of wagglan. As expected, the songs in this game are addicting and pretty challenging if you want to perfect every single song. The visuals are also really nice, featuring vibrant colors and unique design you wouldn't really see nowadays. There's also a bunch of additional shit to unlock as well. Perfect for quick plays and parties.

There are actually differences in the various regional releases of the game. The European version (Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise) is possibly the best version of the game, being fully translated and having the option to switch between Japanese and US soundtracks. However, only the Japanese version of the game (Minna no Rizumu Tengoku) has the endless game Manzai or Not where the English games replace it with Mr. Upbeat. Nice to blind people who can't enjoy other games.

Rodeawiiu Rodea the Sky Soldier Platformer Underrated and unique platformer developed by Yuji Naka of Sonic and Nights fame. The game makes full use of the Wii's controls and plays kind of like a combination of the aforementioned titles, with breezy, colorful presentation. Unfortunately plagued by delays and released when the Wii was no longer relevant. There's a basically-identical significantly inferior Wii U version, alongside a very different (and substantially worse) very similarly terrible 3DS version that both shoehorn a stupid flight meter. The Wii and Wii U versions were released simultaneously, and if you can get a hold of a sealed Wii U copy, it'll include the Wii version's disc, cover (on flip side) and manual.
Rune Factory Frontier Rune Factory Frontier RPG Rune Factory is an RPG spin-off of the original Harvest Moon series, which adds combat, dungeons, and other JRPG elements while retaining the farming and dating sim features of the original. The gameplay loop is addictive and allows for dozens of hours of play. Most people prefer the portable entries, but this is well-liked by series fans for its presentation.
Sakurawarswii Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love SRPG The first installment in the revered Sakura Wars series to make it stateside. In an alternate-universe, vaguely steampunk 1920's New York, you must manage a musical theatre troupe that is actually a front for a steam mech-riding world defense team! There is no grinding; deepening your relationship with the multi-ethnic cast of girls directly affects battle performance, which takes place in turn-based SRPG form. It's incredibly cheesy to the point of embarrassment, but that's part of its charm. The PS2 Premium Edition includes an extra CD with Japanese voice acting, but the English voice work is very competent.
Sengoku basara Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes Hack 'n' Slash The only Sengoku Basara game to be properly localized. This is a Capcom-developed Musou-style action game where you perform combos and juggle dozens or hundreds of enemy mooks in large, open battlefields, much like in the Warriors games. Most of the fun comes from the dozens of playable characters and over-the-top story, which is a very loose adaptation of Japan's warring states period. SB3 Utage is an enhanced, Japan-only port of this game, while SB4 is the final entry in the series, and well worth playing despite being Japan-only.
Shirenwii Shiren the Wanderer RPG Shiren the Wanderer is a series of turn-based roguelikes where you explore randomly-generated dungeons, and use whatever you find to survive. They're fairly challenging, and things can take a turn for the worse at any moment. All Shiren games are simple, but addictive. This is the third Shiren game; there's also a PSP version, JP-only but fan-translated. 1 was remade and localized on the DS (but the SNES original is preferable fan-translated), 2 was Japan-only for the N64, 4 was Japan-only for the NDS, and 5 (arguably the best) was localized for the Vita, PC, and Switch. If you like this but want something easier, consider the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon and Izuna the Unemployed Ninja games. If you want something harder, play One Way Heroics.
Silenthillshatteredmemoriesbox Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Adventure

A "re-imagining" of the original Silent Hill with Harry still in the lead, now framed as a re-telling of past events during a psychiatry session. A psychological profiling system affects the story and ultimately the ending you get. Gameplay is strictly divided into investigation sections where you take pictures, recieve calls and solve puzzles, and action sections where you simply must run from emaciated, humanoid monsters in the icy otherworld. Easily the best Silent Hill not developed by Team Silent themselves. Also on PS2 and PSP, but the motion controls add to the experience.

Sinandpunishment2 Sin & Punishment: Star Successor Shooting Almost a decade late, this is the sequel to Sin and Punishment, that N64 title from Treasure that everyone thought the world forgot about (thankfully it's on Virtual Console, in english!). Luckily, this game is just as badass and over-the-top as the one before it. Hard to describe and best experienced firsthand, it's like a fusion of Contra with Gradius and a lightgun shooter. 1cc-obsessed shmup players will have a tough time here thanks to its unusual length, but it's a breathlessly imaginative 3 hours that can't be faulted. Supports Wii Remote and Nunchuk, Wii Zapper, Classic Controller, and GameCube Controller. There is no way in holy hell you're going to beat this game with analog sticks and buttons. Strap on that Wiimote + Nunchuck.
Sonic Colors Wii Sonic Colors Platformer A return to form for Sonic. The only friend is Tails and the only thing close to a gimmick are the "Wisps", basically living power ups, which are tons of fun and add a new depth to the levels without breaking up the flow of the gameplay. If you are not interested in using them they are seldom necessary to progress in a level, but you will need them to collect all the hidden red rings. The music and visuals are great and the script is less cringe-worthy than previous efforts, being more similar to the old Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoons (with expy robots for Scratch and Grounder).

The game is mostly 2D (but with some 3D) with a strong emphasis on slower puzzle platforming/exploration and shares some similarities with the 2D Mario games. It is NOT "Unleashed day with powerups". Some consider this to be the most well-designed modern Sonic game, full-stop.

Recommended Controls: Wiimote turned sideways is the best option for enjoying this game fully. Excuse me, asshole? Hitting the B button with just a Wiimote can and will be a pain in the ass. You're gonna want a GameCube Controller for this one.

Speedracerwii Speed Racer Racing / "Car-Fu" Surprisingly inventive game based on the Wachowski film. You can side-ram opponents or drive up to them from behind and flick them into the air. You can spin around as an attack, you can jump into the air and you can even attack from the air! All these things are done with just the Wii remote and it's surprisingly intuitive. Also: When you boost, the screen turns all LSD-y. If you want a breath of fresh air, definitely this game a shot. Splitscreen co-op also included. (So fun!) Your mind will probably be screaming "WHY ISN'T THERE AN F-ZERO LIKE THIS??"

Also on PS2 with more racers and tracks, but severely downgraded visuals.

Super Mario All Stars Limited Edition Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition Platformer This is just a Super Mario All-Stars rom that doesn't even include Super Mario World. Comes with a soundtrack CD and history booklet for Super Mario Bros. 25th anniversary. Mostly a collectors item.
Super Mario Galaxy Super Mario Galaxy 3D Platformer The Wii's big Mario platformer launches him into space to collect stars on various floating galaxy-worlds with new power-ups and some amazing boss battles. Magnificent soundtrack as well. Though this game lacks the free-roaming feel of Super Mario 64 and Sunshine (most Star missions are very on-rails), it makes up for it with great presentation, a very nice hub world, and lots of challening stars, plus a Luigi mode to collect them all over again.
SuperMarioGalaxy2BoxInline 1269615675 Super Mario Galaxy 2 3D Platformer In terms of content this is basically a Mario Galaxy expansion pack: new levels, new bosses, new power-ups, and Yoshi. The story totally takes a backseat here, but that hardly matters when the gameplay is so fun. If you enjoyed Galaxy at all you'll love this game as well. Has some great musical throwback choices and old-school references as well. And Luigi mode, obvs.
Super-Paper-Mario Super Paper Mario Platformer / RPG Though the game features some RPG elements, it is mostly a platformer now. It's still, nonetheless, a very fun game. The humor is great, the levels are over the top, and there are plenty of interesting puzzles. While not as good as the previous installments in the Paper Mario franchise, this is still definitely worth playing. Gameplay can get a little dull at times, but the game's quirky atmosphere and retro style will keep you playing. The Pit of 100 Trials returns (twice) for some added replay value, and you have to redo both of them at least once to get everything.

Some people complained about the game not being an RPG, but they didn't expect the sequels would be worse.

SuperSmashBros.Brawl Super Smash Bros. Brawl Fighting Third edition of the wildly popular Nintendo crossover fighter with more characters and stages, a hefty story mode, and tons of side content to keep you busy for a long time. Includes online play. Some consider this too floaty and slow compared to Melee, but it's guaranteed fun with friends. If you can't handle the gameplay consider the fan mod Project: M.

GameCube controllers are strongly recommended. This game can softmod your console.

If you get tired of its mechanics, check out Project M, a mod of this game that adds some stuff from Melee and SSB64 and you don't even need a modded Wii to play it.

TalesofSymphoniaDawnoftheNewWorld Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World RPG

Direct sequel to the fan-favorite Symphonia, with new main characters and a returning cast as well. The basic Tales gameplay remains the same but the story and writing are abysmal even by series standards. Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality. It's also lacking in content, but there's multiple endings, and you can capture and use monsters in battle. The NA version has extra content, and the PAL version even more. Ported to PS3 in HD along with the first game.

Tatsunokovs.CapcomUltimateAll-Stars Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars Fighting A very colorful and remarkably accessible tag-team fighter in the style of Marvel vs Capcom, but with Tatsunoko (classic Japanese animation company) heroes versus a remarkably obscure roster on the Capcom side. Full of cameos and references for fans of either company. A solid and great-looking game that didn't find its intended fanbase on this console. The NA release cut a Japan-only character but added others, such as Frank West and Zero. It plays a lot like Marvel vs Capcom 3, but not as hectic. There's a tiny competitive scene, but you'll have to emulate.
Tenchu Shadow Assassins Tenchu: Shadow Assassins Stealth A decently made stealth title made by the developers of the original Tenchu games. Sneak around various locations taking out enemies from the shadows with really cool, brutal stealth kills. The only major downside about the game is that if you aren't REALLY careful, you'll get caught, and the motion-controlled sword fights with people who have spotted you control awkwardly.
136236 front Tetris Party Deluxe Tetris It's fucking Tetris. You know how to play Tetris, right? Well, this version has a ton of new modes and can even let you control with the Balance Board, which doesn't really help, but it's fucking hilarious.
TraumaCenterNewBlood Trauma Center: New Blood Sim / Puzzle The sequel to Trauma Center: Second Opinion, New Blood continues the story of Second Opinion along with adding even harder challenges and more general surgical stages to play through. If you haven't played Second Opinion yet are recommended to play through Second Opinion, as New Blood is more difficult and builds upon skills learned in Second Opinion.
TraumaCenterSecondOpinion Trauma Center: Second Opinion Sim / Puzzle The remake of the first Trauma Center on the DS with the glorious precision controls of the Wii pointer. The game follows new surgeon Derek Stiles, who has a "Healing Touch," which lets him slow time during surgery. Healing wounds is satisfying in the first couple of levels, and the learning curve stays consistent with no awkward hiccups of random difficulty between transitions. For those looking for a challenge, this is for you, as simple mistakes in later levels will result in complete loss.
TraumaTeam Trauma Team Sim / Puzzle / Point and Click Adventure

Even more hospital fun. This time, you play as six different doctors who all specialize in their own fields: first response, diagnosis, forensics, surgery, endoscopy and orthopedics, some of which play very differently from the usual Trauma Center fare (especially forensics, which is almost like Phoenix Wright investigations). The story intertwines between the docs and is told through a sort of animated and fully (badly poorly time-synced) voiced comic. Features animu!House, brown!Chie and an awesome Native American superhero.

No euro version again

WarioLandShakeIt! Wario Land: Shake It! Platformer Pretty fun and humourous 2D platformer. The amazing and fluid graphics were done by Production I.G.! Like 4, Wario isn't invincible, but a few enemy attacks and stage hazards DO still power him up in various ways (setting him on fire for instance). These powers, again, still can help him find secrets. The game is pretty easy if you just want to breeze through it. However, getting all treasures and completing every mission is VERY difficult, then take into account the hard-to-find bonus levels.
It may not be the best Wario Land, but it's a pretty good one, especially if you find it for cheap.
WarioWareSmoothMoves Warioware: Smooth Moves Minigames The frenzied WarioWare franchise comes to the Wii. Different microgames require you to hold the Wiimote in a different way and waggle yourself to victory as the onslaught of challenges becomes faster and faster. Plenty of unlockables and fun multiplayer modes included. Said multiplayer is a blast but still not as good as the Gamecube version.
WiiSportsResort Wii Sports Resort Casual Don't be fooled: this is not shovelware. Nintendo improved on the concept of Wii Sports and packaged this game with the Wii MotionPlus, which allows for more subtlety and accuracy in movement. All the Wii Sports activities return, along with some great new ones like Swordplay, Archery and Table Tennis. It all takes place on a scenic, tropical island that gives the game a refreshing ambiance. As per usual, you create and use Miis to play. A great party game, but also a rewarding solo experience.
XenobladeChronicles Xenoblade Chronicles RPG

Fantastic JRPG and loose spiritual successor to the Xenosaga series. Similar to Final Fantasy XII, you explore vast, open environments with a party and engage in seamless, real-time combat by selecting commands and making good use of timing. The world and story are remarkable, with a nicely muted color palette and competent British voice acting all-around. There's over a hundred hours of content for those who want them. Ported to the New 3DS and remastered on the Switch, though that version's visuals are contentious. Xenoblade Chronicles X is a loose sequel on the Wii U; Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a less-loose, but significantly more "anime" sequel on the Switch.

Zack&WikiQuestforBarbaros'Treasure Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure Puzzle Largely-forgotten Capcom puzzle game. As a boy-pirate and his pet robo-monkey, explore a series of diorama-type stages and interact with point-n'-click puzzles. Some puzzles can be frustrating or obtuse, though fans of PC point-'n-click adventures will not be fazed. The game's art, visuals, and overall presentation are top-notch.


NTSC-J[]

Title Genre Description Boxart
Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse Survival Horror

A survival horror game developed by Tecmo and Grasshopper Manufacture. Join Ruka, Madoka, and Misaki as they return to Rougetsu Island to find out the truth behind the unknown disease that causes drastic memory loss, and to discover the hidden secrets and tragedies buried within their pasts. This can be played without having played the other ones. Japanese-only with no hopes of seeing Western shores, but a fan-made patch to translate the game fully in English can be found here with only minor errors in translation.

A remake of 2 was released though, so it's all good.

Fatal Frame IV
Milestone Shooting Collection 2 Shoot 'Em Up A compilation of five definitive shmups made by Milestone Studio. It includes Radirgy, Karous, Chaos Field, Radirgy Noa and Ilvelo. Though it is Japan only, you can still get Ultimate Shooting Collection in America which, however, leaves out Radirgy Noa and Ilvero. I recommend to pick this up at least for Radirgy Noa, which was done quite recently. RKAJMS
Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythm FUCKWIN adorable rhythm game done by Namco. Has 5 versions on Wii at the moment: Taiko no Tatsujin Wii, Taiko no Tatsujin Do Don to 2 Daime, Taiko no Tatsujin Minna de Party 3 Daime, Taiko no Tatsujin Wii Ketteiban and Taiko no Tatsujin Chou Goukaban. Personally, I recommend the third one because of really fun party mode, or the second one if you are going to play it alone, but your mileage may vary. Ketteiban has BY FAR the most expansive song list of any console Taiko, with a total of 105 tracks - and almost half of them are Namco Originals, mostly boss songs (hope you like getting raped by 10-star Ura Onis!). A great deal of the list has to be unlocked, though. The fifth version, Chougoukaban, features a lot of titles new to CS, so check it out as well. It also has 100 tracks, just like Ketteiban.

For those unfamiliar with it, its just Donkey Konga without bongos. As a matter of curiosity, the series DID have an english release called Taiko Drum Master for the PS2, with western songs and even Rock the Dragon. Some arcade versions were translated as well, but they're rare in US.

Taikowii1
Zangeki no Reginleiv Action / Angry JP People From the developers of Earth Defense Force. Same mindless fun, superior quality. Since the plot takes place in norse mythology, there's no guns, so you must use melee weapons and magic which are suprisingly effective. The real fun comes from the combat system. To hit an enemy you need to slash your wiimote through it to cut off their limbs, ensuing fountains of blood. There are five magic types, but with the most useful, charged magic, you can obliterate an army in one shot. Has fabulous motion+ support. Supports online co-op.
NTSC-J only, so you will need a modded console to play it.
ZengekinoReginleiv


WiiWare[]

WiiWare logo

WiiWare is expected to shutdown on January 30, 2019. It is already impossible to add Wii points. Therefore, this list should only contain games that are WiiWare-exclusive in some capacity.

Some games that were previously recommended but can be played elsewhere:

  • La-Mulana (Vita, PC, Mac, Linux)
  • Lit (PC, iOS, Android)
  • LostWinds (PC, iOS)
  • LostWinds2 (PC, iOS)
  • Max & the Magic Marker (PS3, DS, PC)
  • Mega Man 9 (PS3, 360)
  • Mega Man 10 (PS3, 360)
  • NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits (PC, Mac, iOS)
  • Phoenix Wright (DS, PS4, XBO, Steam)
  • Sonic 4 (PS3, 360)
  • Swords & Soldiers (PS3, Wii U, PC, iOS, Android)
  • Tales of Monkey Island (PS3, PC, Mac)
  • Toki Tori (Steam, Switch, Wii U)
  • World of Goo (Switch, PC, iOS, Android)
Screenshot Title Genre Description
Alien Crush Returns Alien Crush Returns Pinball The unexpected sequel in the Crush Pinball series. Surprisingly still great, but not quite as good as the original for the fact that it's rather short, but still enjoyable. Still has the mini-battle tables the series is famous for though. There's also a LOL-worthy story mode, but at least it has bosses.

ONLY ON WIIWARE

And yet it moves wiiware 640 And Yet It Moves Platformer A very interesting, artistic indie platformer where the main gameplay feature is that at any given time, you may twist the world around you freely by wiimote, even in mid jump. The puzzles and levels are very creative, and the art style is unique and pleasing to the eyes. Also on PC, but rotations are limited to 90 degrees only.
Arkanoidplus Arkanoid Plus! Puzzle / Vertical Pong The WiiWare version of Taito's Arkanoid game, part of the Plus! line they released for WiiWare, which consists of ports of their classic games. Nothing really new, but Arkanoid is always fun, well, until it gets really hard later on.
Art Style Cubello Screen Art Style: Cubello Puzzle Art Style is a series of games which combines sleek visuals and audio with unique gameplay. CUBELLO has you shooting and matching colored cubes; think a twisted 3D bust-a-move. About 50 or so levels but it's good while it lasts. You'll rage when the game decides to place a string of totally random blocks on your cubello, or when the thing smacks you in the face, but that's all part of the fun.
Art Style Orbient Screen Art Style: Orbient Puzzle Art Style is a series of games which combines sleek visuals and audio with unique gameplay. ORBIENT involves playing with gravity to absorb stars and planets. Stupidly hard at times, lots of levels, and even some super hard bonus levels once you complete the main game! Based on the GBA game orbital.
Art Style Rotohex Screen Art Style: Rotohex Puzzle Art Style is a series of games which combines sleek visuals and audio with unique gameplay. ROTOHEX has a hexagonal grid of triangular tiles, which you rotate in groups of 6 in order to match up same-color mini hexagons. Starts off fairly easy, however, by the time you have four or five colors at once it becomes much more difficult... then, of course, you get four more colors! Based on the GBA game dialhex.
Artstylelighttrax-screenshot Art Style: Light Trax Racing Art Style is a series of...yeah, you get it by now, right? LIGHT TRAX places you in control of a line, and your objective is to beat your liney opponents to the finish by speed boosting and dodging obstacles. Looks easy, but can be deceptively challenging. Features some thoroughly fresh beatz and relaxing cruise modes. Based on the GBA game dotstream.
Artstylerotozoa-screenshot Art Style: Rotozoa Puzzle / Action Also known by the massively inferior awesome name PENTA TENTACLES in European territories. In ROTOZOA, you take control of a microscopic tentacled being floating in the primordial soup. Your task is to catch smaller microorganisms with your tentacles in order to lengthen them - but you have to match up the colors. Do this by moving and rotating your protozoa (hence "rotozoa").
Blaster-master-overdrive Blaster Master Overdrive Action / Platformer Holy shit, a new Blaster Master game? Well, it's more of a remix of the original game (similar map, but a new story about mutants and a scientist, instead of a frog and his owner, JASON), but it's got plenty of new stuff in it. All of the vehicle platforming and gunning you've come to expect. Just as hard as the original, except you can actually save!
Bomberman Blast Screen Bomberman Blast Action Bomberman is always a blast with friends. Now with 8 players and wagglan items (or button mashing if you're using the Gamecube controller). Simple, fun and blastastic!

Although this particular release appears to be exclusive to WiiWare, there are multidude of other Bomberman games on other platforms that aren't radically different.

Bubblebobbleplus Bubble Bobble Plus! Platformer Another entry in Taito's Plus! line of ports. Nothing really new, outside of diagonal platforms in arrange mode (which can be jerks at times), but features all the bubble-spitting and apple eating you've come to expect from Bub and Bob. About 300 levels with more as $1 DLC for even harder bubble blasting action.
Bustamoveplus Bust-a-Move Plus! Puzzle The last entry in Taito's Plus! line of ports. Pretty much the same story as the other Plus! games, meaning it's a new entry, but only with little new content. But, hey, Bust-a-Move's still a fuckawesome puzzle game.

Although this particular release appears to be exclusive to WiiWare, almost every platform has a Bust-A-Move / Puzzle Bobble game on it.

Castlevania rebirth Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth Action / Platformer A reimagining of Castlevania: The Adventure (Old Gameboy game), this game is a 'brand new', Wiiware exclusive classic Castlevania title. Did you ever think you'd say that from you mouth in your lifetime? I think not. Game is fucking awesome, and the remixes are just as good. Prepare for some amazingly hard gameplay!

ONLY ON WIIWARE

Cavestorywii Cave Story Platformer / Metroidvania The game widely considered to be the best independent-freeware game ever made, now on the Wii. The textures are smoothed and the character sprites are sharper, and the music is also revised and redone. Pixel helped out developer Nicalis quite a bit with the production of this version, and it shows. Sanctuary Time Attack Mode, Boss Rush Mode, and a mode that lets you play the story as Curly Brace are some new editions to the game. Updated graphics are optional, try the (free) pc original if you're unsure of this masterpeice. Update: If you had problems with the new music and SFX before, they've patched that now.

Cave Story is available on practically every platform.

Chronostwinsdx Chronos Twins DX Action / Platformer A fun and interesting action-platformer that will mess up your mind with hard. Think Mega Man X, only you control two versions of yourself on two screens at the same time. Plenty of puzzles that require one screen doing something that effects the other. Also on DSiWare, with a physical DS version only in PAL regions.
Contra ReBirth Contra ReBirth Side-Scrolling Shoot 'Em Up It's a fucking Wiiware exclusive Contra game. Let me say that again. IT'S FUCKING CONTRA. The same old punishing difficulty, two player co-op, spread-gun using gameplay we know and love. If you don't have this game already, you're obviously not a man. Also, no, I don't know whether the code works in it or not. The code does NOT work in it. Real men don't use cheat codes. The PAL version, though, contains a debug menu, in case you are a 99 lives casual.

ONLY ON WIIWARE

Dive the medes island secret Dive: The Medes Island Secret Metroidvania Think of it as a Metroidvania style rendition of the Endless Ocean games, only without all the fish catching, and more swimming through huge levels full of death hazards to find treasures. Even though the game is pretty difficult, it still manages to be relaxing due to the graphics and sounds, and it has decent replayability, since you can upgrade your gear and access parts of older levels you couldn't before.

ONLY ON WIIWARE

ExciteBike World Rally Excitebike: World Rally Racing The guys who did Excite Truck and Excitebots decided to do a graphical overhaul of the original Excitebike and add in a bunch of online features, such as online racing, and a level editor that lets you send and download other people's custom levels. If you loved the original Excitebike, it is a worthy purchase.

ONLY ON WIIWARE

FAST FAST - Racing League Racing Wipeout-ish game on Wiiware. Single player is lacking, 'cause there is only 12 short tracks in the game, but the fun part is challenge mode and frantic multiplayer.Not sure why, but it has a slight feel of Sonic Riders.

Has sequels in the form of FAST Racing NEO on the Wii U and FAST RMX on the Nintendo Switch, by the same developer.

FFCC My Life As A Darklord Screen Final Fantasy - Crystal Chronicles: My Life As A Darklord Defense / RPG Enemies (adventurers) will approach from the base of the tower, and you must prevent them from reaching the top. Place different floors, each with a different cost and effect, and then place different monsters upon each floor. Use the spoils to buy upgrades for your monsters, all of which have different strengths and attributes. TONS of DLC too, which can be gotten free as a .wad online (if you enjoy pirating).

ONLY ON WIIWARE

FFCC MLaaK Final Fantasy - Crystal Chronicles: My Life As A King Sim/RPG As a king, build your city and commission and command your adventurers with daily commands, such as which dungeon to explore and what to do there. Keep your citizens happy and make sure everything is running smoothly, from donating to buildings to provide better equipment to your adventurers. Starts off slow but quickly spirals into micromanaging madness.

ONLY ON WIIWARE

Fluidity first level Fluidity

(known in Europe as Hydroventure)

Platformer

Coax a pool of water around the level, hitting switches and splashing badguys. You don't move the water, though; you tilt the level left or right to pour the water around. Later powerups let you freeze the water or move as a cloud. Very lenghty (89 main missions with lots more to find), surprisingly challenging, and with a fantastically chill soundtrack.

Sequel out on 3DS. Fluidity: Spin Cycle

Gradiusrebirth Gradius ReBirth Gradius Yup. WiiWare gets its own exclusive Gradius game. Similar to Contra ReBirth, this game is actually made up of various stages from all the other Gradius games. Still just as hard. A bit too bright and colourful though.

ONLY ON WIIWARE

5609 hoopworld3 1280794419 HoopWorld Sports An over-the-top, arcade style 3-on-3 basketball game with great action and impressive stylish graphics for a Wiiware game. Great fun to play if you're already bored of NBA Jam but still want a good basketball game to play. The controls take some getting used to, and while there is an online leaderboard, there's no WiFi multiplayer. Still an awesome game.

ONLY ON WIIWARE

Jelly Car 2 screenshot JellyCar 2 Car Platformer You're a car, you're made of jelly, your engine sounds like someone blowing a rasberry. Each level you have to get to a flag at the end probably by going though various contraptions that will squish your jelly body. Car can change size for a limited time, and there's also a balloon and sticky wheels power-up in this one. Pretty fucking fun. Also on PSP.

The original Jelly Car also has an unofficial, homebrew port, which you can find on the Homebrew browser. And while the second one has more content, it lack the unpolished charm (and better control scheme) of the first one. Both are worth checking out.

Jett Rocket Wii Jett Rocket 3D Platformer A great 3D platformer with some impressive graphics for a Wiiware game. Reminds the player of fond memories from the platforming days of the N64. Has a few interesting puzzles and vehicle sections, and some decent music. The only down side is that it's a little short, as it only has three worlds. Still, well worth checking out if you like 3D Platformers.

Has a 3DS sequel, Jett Rocket 2: The Wrath of Taikai.

Maboshi Screen MaBoSHi: The Three Shape Arcade Puzzle / Action Three little games in one. Each is based on a shape. Sounds dull huh? It's not. Why? Because the idea is you get some friends and play all 3 games simultaneously, side by side split screen. Each game has the potential to affect the other games - enemies from one game can shoot over into the one next door if not destroyed, for example.

ONLY ON WIIWARE

Mrdrillerw Mr. Driller W Action / Falling Block The latest entry in the Mr. Driller series, absolutely full of all the colorful blocks, cute characters (each of which play a little differently) and sound effects the series is known for. Drill through the blocks, but don't get yourself smashed! Exclusive to WiiWare, but still pretty much the same as the other versions (on all formats since dreamcast).
Muscle1 Muscle March Action / GAYMEN Get ready for the balls-to-the-wall awesome that is MUSCLE MARCH. Some football player stole your jar of protein, and now it's time to MUSCLE. Choose from 6 different bodybuilders (and a polar bear) and strike poses whilst crashing through walls in a race to reclaim what is rightfully yours. Made by the developers of Katamari Damacy. Manliest game EVER! Also loved universally by /v/ due to its gloriously gay overtones.

ONLY ON WIIWARE

Onslaught Wiiware Onslaught FPS A well-made WiiWare game that manages to fit a full-fledged FPS into a tiny download due to Nintendo's file size limits. Controls are smooth and effective with some freaky-ass moments in the mix for added fun. Also, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE STILL A KID. (Don't worry, you'll find out.)

ONLY ON WIIWARE

Overturn Overturn Mech Combat / TPS An awesome mech combat game that can actually be controlled with the WiiFit balance board. Finally, a non-sports/exercise related use for that thing. Featuring 8 customizable mechs with upgradeable weaponry and impressive graphics for a downloadable Wii title. The single player is pretty stale, but it's the two-player splitscreen and four-player online that really make this title worth using your Nintendo points.

Also on iOS.

Poles Big Adventure Pole's Big Adventure Platformer / Joke 'Em Up A game that was made as a parody of it's generation. Currently released only in Japan with no sign of an English release. Includes 100 "gags" for the player to uncover, which includes a bunch of parodies based off games like Super Mario Bros., and one of them is an item that gives the main character an erection. It isn't really a game meant to be taken seriously, as it features a lot of gameplay jokes like intentional glitches and mishaps.
Pokerumble Pokemon Rumble Action / Arena Essentially Pokemon: Gauntlet Edition, except no food, but a variety of different moves and types. You can have a full party of MORE than 6 Toy Pokemon, which you can get in various ways, and you can "bid them farewell" for money which can be used to buy better moves for better mons. Toy Pokemon never level up or evolve, but at the end of a level you'll almost always find yourself getting even more and better mons in the double digits. This game allows up to 3 extra players to join in, so if you feel you're getting swarmed from time to time, that's why. Not that fun playing solo - this game definitely shines when played with friends (preferrably friends who like Pokémon).

Has sequels on 3DS and Wii U, but don't buy the Wii U sequel, it sucks ass.

Rageofthegladiator Rage of the Gladiator Action / Punchout! Clone For all of you who were bitching that there weren't enough new characters in the recent Wii Punchout! game, this game was made for you. Pretty much plays exactly like a fantasy/gladiator themed Punchout! game, with options to either play it with just the Wiimote on its side, or with the Wiimote + Nunchuck. Ten monsters, magicians, knights, etc. all want a piece of you, and Little Macius is going to have to bring them down. Also on 3DS.
Spaceinvadersgeteven Space Invaders Get Even Shoot-em-Up Think Space Invaders, except it plays nothing like Space Invaders, and you are the one attacking all the buildings, tanks, and ships. Really fun with great humor, but the price is ridiculous. To get all eight of the levels in the game, you need to fess up a total of 2000 points, 500 each. A great game if you can get it, erm, "cheaper".

ONLY ON WIIWARE

Tomenasanner Tomena Sanner Action A game where you play as a Japanese business man dodging obstacles, avoiding samurai, tricking T-Rexes, and standing off with cowboys, all so that he can reach the ultimate dance party. Yeah, it's pretty bizarre, but that's Konami for you. Really cheap, only costs 5 bucks.

ONLY ON WIIWARE (The ios version was de-listed)

Wildwestguns Wild West Guns Arcade

Fixed FPS

An overlooked arcade shooter. This game works like a railshooter except that only around 1/3 of the game is on rail, while the rest is just fixed screens. You shoot targets, indians and cowboys, as well as other western related things. The best thing about this game is its arcade feel and its scoring system. I always get back to it from times to times just to improve my high scores. Features a 2 players mod(e?) (co-op or compete for the best score).

Also on iOS.

Waterwarfare Water Warfare FPS Water Warfare is Hudson's 2nd WiiWare FPS game (Onslaught being the first), and it's surprisingly good. The single player is a bit dull, but the main event here is the multiplayer. You can take water bazookas, water machine guns, dual water pistols, and SHOW THEM ONLINE. It's the first WiiWare FPS to have deathmatch modes, team battles, CTF, and all the other wonderful multiplayer modes you've came to love. The online is surprisingly active, so you'll always find a game. With a ranking system and leaderboards, it has replayability. At 800 points it's a 'bargain', for a FPS aimed at children anyway.

ONLY ON WIIWARE

Zombie panic Zombie Panic in Wonderland Shmup Homage to Wild Guns and Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ. The world's been infected by a zombie outbreak and it's up to Momotaro and his sexy fairy tale ladyfriends to clean shit up by razing it to the ground. Features pretty fun and frantic gameplay (on hard) and HIGHLY destrucible environments, which are handy to beating the stage and smashing zombies with. More fun with two players, but then again, what game that lets you isn't?

Also on 3DS and iOS.

Virtual Console[]

Virtual Console logo

PAYAN FOR ROMS. There are homebrew emulators that work well. Don't consider buying one until you've tried the game on the homebrew emulators, since you're getting scammed otherwise. The VC offers plenty of classic games to play. In addition, Wii remotes are much more convenient than tripping over wires. Many of the virtual console titles are worth buying just for superior controls and the assured quality that you sometimes can't find with emulation. Well, given that we have numerous games on the VC listed in our wiki, you should check our respective sections. However, there are some that may not be available in your region or on the service in general. To double check this, check HERE if you have an American Wii, HERE if you have a European Wii, and I guess HERE if you have a Japanese Wii for some reason. Most of the Hanabi Festival gamesare translated but some have better fan translations on 'romhacking.net', plus they cost 100 Wii points more than normal games so be very careful before purchase.

Recommendation Copypasta[]

Seventh Generation
Consoles Mattel HyperScan - ZAPiT Game Wave - Sony PlayStation 3 - Nintendo Wii - Microsoft Xbox 360 - Tec Toy Zeebo
Handhelds GPH Caanoo - Tiger Telematics Gizmondo - GPH GP2X - Nintendo DS - Sony PlayStation Portable - Conny Pocket Dream Console