The 50 Best Nintendo Wii Games - Part One

Generally when I see people say that the Wii's library is one of the worst of any mainstream console, I can only roll my eyes so far to the back of my head before pain sets in. It's just a lazy, thoughtless, misguided statement. Unless one's tastes are severely limited, there is no excuse for such a comment.

The Nintendo DS had its turn for the past five weeks, now the Wii is getting its share of the spotlight as the system is approaching the end of its life as Nintendo's main console. The console has one of the most diverse lineups of software. There's really everything except the Western RPG, I believe -- platformers, action, adventure, shooters, puzzle games, JRPGs, open world games, and so on and so forth for Wii owners to enjoy. So for every vocal minority that says the Wii has few games worth playing, there is a title that appeals to most people, and a library with loads of undiscovered and well known treasures to find. This list of fifty of the greatest Wii games details just that.

Once again, I remind people that only North American releases will be listed here. Sorry, Fatal Frame, Disaster, and Pandora's Tower fans.

Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario Galaxy is without a doubt one of the greatest platformers of all time, showcasing brilliant ideas and ingenuity in nearly every facet of its design. Taking Mario and friends into outer space, the final frontier, where no plumber has gone before, Super Mario Galaxy utilizes planetoids both large and small to increase the platforming possibilities exponentially. The game also uses a new smart camera that generally focuses on the action in wondrous ways, without the need for the player's interaction like in past 3D Marios like Super Mario 64 and Sunshine. Then there is the fabulous soundtrack, mostly sporting a 50-person orchestra, never before seen in a Mario game before. Super Mario Galaxy isn't one of the top-rated games of all time for no reason. It is absolutely fantastic in every regard. 

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Not a fighter in the traditional sense, the Super Smash Bros. series focuses on knocking someone out of the ring rather than simply knocking them out. Super Smash Bros. Brawl delivered not only on compelling gameplay (sorry, competitive players), but it also delivered on fan service. Containing characters, stages, and music (the latter being composed and arranged by over 35 unique video game music composers), Super Smash Bros. Brawl is essentially a love letter to fans of Nintendo, with stages from Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Kirby, Pikmin, Kid Icarus, F-Zero, Star Fox, and the list goes on and on. But it's not just for Nintendo fans and nostalgia-lovers solely. No, the fighting mechanics are simple enough for anyone to learn, but they are mighty tough to master. Case in point: Super Smash Bros. Brawl is one of Nintendo's beefiest games, and it possesses enough content, replay value, and action to last you for generations... or until the next Smash Bros. arrives.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Mario is back, but this time he's not alone. One of the best selling games of this generation, and rightfully so, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Mario is joined by Luigi and two Toads to rescue the Princess. Of course, you can play the nine worlds (one bonus) of the game alone, but with friends and family, things get all the more hectic, and all the more fun. Star Coins that were once difficult to get alone could be grabbed by a partner doing an amazing suicide leap. But multiplayer alone isn't what makes New Super Mario Bros. Wii so enticing and enchanting. No, the level design in some of the best seen in a 2D Mario. Each level showcases a new concept. From erupting sand geysers to use as platforms to cross bottomless pits to swimming in bubbles that float within dry air, each level brings something new to the table, and makes an already exciting game all the more exciting. New power-ups such as the Ice Flower, Penguin Suit, and one of my favorites, the Propeller Mushroom, liven things up as well. New Super Mario Bros. Wii isn't a ho-hum Mario game. It's an essential Mario game, and one that is essential for fans of the franchise.

Metroid Prime Trilogy

A must-have collection for Metroid fans, Metroid Prime Trilogy is an out-of-print collection of all three Metroid Prime games (Prime 1, Echoes, and the Wii's Corruption) given the Wii treatment with what I consider to be supremely superior controls in comparison to the original two Primes. The pointer aiming is second place only to a keyboard and mouse in accuracy and enjoyability. They alone are worth the price of admission and reliving Metroid Prime 1 and 2 all over again. These two titles almost feel like completely different games, and that is a good thing. Outside of the new controls, an achievement system was implemented, allowing players to earn tokens to obtain artwork, music, and even the Fusion Suit for Metroid Prime, originally only available by linking a Game Boy Advance with Metroid Fusion inserted in it to a GameCube. Additionally, Metroid Prime Trilogy had lessened load times, 16:9 capabilities, updated visual textures, and increased special effects. If you're looking (and can find for a reasonable price) this excellent compilation, do not hesitate to pull the trigger... or whatever you do with Samus' Arm Cannon.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

With some of the most impressive motion controls ever implemented into a video game, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is one of the most satisfying Wii experiences on the market. The near 1:1 swordplay offered new challenges to the combat. You had to smarten up and be quick on the uptake in each confrontation, especially with enemies that could damage you if you attacked incorrectly. Some claim that the controls don't work and the game is awful for it, but some of these people are the same types who "waggle" their way through everything. Skyward Sword altered the formula for the Zelda series quite a bit. It featured a world of puzzles and exploration that extended outside of dungeons and onto the various overworlds. Following Super Mario Galaxy's lead, Skyward Sword's soundtrack mostly consisted of fully orchestrated themes. I consider Skyward Sword's score to be one of the best the Zelda series has ever seen, and the game itself is tremendous in its own right as well, pending you try to learn the controls and be capable with them.

Xenoblade Chronicles

After almost a two-year wait and an online campaign for the game, Xenoblade Chronicles finally reached North American soil, though with the caveat of being exclusive to Nintendo's online shop and GameStop. Regardless, Xenoblade is what I consider to be one of the best RPGs this generation, Japanese OR Western. The world of the game takes places on the bodies of two deceased titans, and these are enormous giants much like the world Shulk and the gang traverses. Gaur Plains alone spreads out so far and is so expansive that you might think you were playing an offline MMORPG. Coincidentally enough, the creators of Xenoblade Chronicles have in the past compared the world they created to such a game. Introducing a real-time battle system, the ability to earn experience through not only slaying monsters but through completing quests and finding new areas, and the time-saving feature of being able to warp to any previously visited destination, Xenoblade Chronicles rights many wrongs of past RPGs. It's an experience many thought was impossible on the modest in power Wii. Those in a state of discontent with current JRPGs should definitely check out this extremely competent 50+ hour quest.

Wario Land: Shake It!

A platformer from a series that was in hibernation for approximately seven years, Wario Land: Shake It! (known as Wario Land: The Shake Dimension in Europe and simply Wario Land: Shake in Japan) is the series's first console installment. If the gorgeous hand-drawn art style doesn't grab you (it's fantastic even in standard definition), the gameplay certainly will. Each level has Wario plundering it for treasure, found in bags that must be shook, and diamonds placed in hard-to-find/reach areas. The true fun comes in trying to complete the game 100% as just running through the 15 or so levels of the game won't last too long, even if you find all of the treasure chests. Getting 100% involves finishing off all of the game's challenges such as running to the goal within a set amount of time (requiring the player to learn the best route to do so), not getting hit within a level, not entering a body of water, and so forth. Alongside the vivacious visuals is a stellar soundtrack that hits all the right notes and contains an abundance of genres like rock, funk, latin, and new age. Wario Land: Shake It! features a splendid art style and the gameplay to back it up.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land

What I love about the Wii (well, one of the things I love about the Wii) is the renaissance of 2D platformers it brought to systems. Kirby's Return to Dream Land is another of such games that brought back 2D platformers to the spotlight. Like New Super Mario Bros. Wii before it, the latest Kirby game (the second one on Wii) offered four person cooperative multiplayer. Unlike NSMB Wii, however, all players shared a life pool, so one player could drag down the entire team. That notwithstanding, Return to Dream Land is one of more impressive and enjoyable Kirby platforming titles around. The levels and worlds are superb, supporting plenty of secrets, trouble spots, and devious designs. The addition of Kirby's Super Abilities means the pink puffball can unleash even more of his pent-up rage onto his opponents as well as come across portals to another dimension. These sections of the game have Kirby (and friends) being pursued by a purple cloud that if it touches the player, it automatically defeats them. These tense sections break up any monotony of the game, though there is hardly any repetition within the game. And those who claim Kirby's Return to Dream Land is a cakewalk have obviously not played the Extra campaign.

Excite Truck

While not the best in the series to me (a later game on this batch of 50 Nintendo Wii games will take that crown), Excite Truck was a Wii launch arcade racing game with loads of fun. The game wasn't simply content with you winning the race. No, no. You had to score stars while doing so through pulling off various stunts like spins. Acquiring enough stars in a given race allowed you to move forward to the next, but if you wanted that all-coveted S ranking, you'd have to trick out immensely and (generally) win first place. Excite Truck featured terrain that could be transformed through passing across certain icons. If you timed it just right, the track could transform while a competitor was jetting across, sending them rocketing way off course or into the air. Excite Truck was one of the first all-motion control games on the Wii, and it worked remarkably well. Through tilting the Wii remote, you steered your monster truck (you started out with only three, but could unlock many more). You could boost to speed past your opponents, but you could overheat if you held the throttle for too long (going through water or letting the booster rest would allow you to cool down). Excite Truck is a significantly entertaining racer, and I hope, I just hope, Monster Games is working on a Wii U equivalent.

Boom Blox Bash Party

You might be thinking, "SuperPhillip. Dude. All of these games mentioned so far are first or second-party ones. Where are the third-party games?" Well, that's a question many Wii owners throughout the console's life asked. They were greeted with shovelware and C-team efforts most of the time by developers who were caught with their pants down regarding the Wii's success and their heavy investment on the HD consoles. That said, don't worry. There will honestly be plenty of third-party efforts within the 50 best Wii games. Boom Blox Bash Party (and its predecessor Boom Blox, for that matter) is yet another great Wii game. It is a physics-based puzzle game featuring over 400 puzzles where you throw a limited supply of balls at towers to earn points, carefully pull blocks from a teetering tower Jenga-style, and other various activities. Two new environments with their own physics, underwater and outer space, joined the party, and originally there was the ability to download and share created levels (EA has since taken down the servers for the game). Still, what you'll find with Boom Blox's sequels is a party that is quite frankly a blast, alone or with family and friends.

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Speaking of parties, ours has just begun with the Nintendo Wii. Ten more terrific titles for the Wii will be posted next Friday. If you need more of a bash, check out the past five weeks of articles where I listed my favorite Nintendo DS titles:

The 50 Best Nintendo DS Games - Part One
The 50 Best Nintendo DS Games - Part Two
The 50 Best Nintendo DS Games - Part Three
The 50 Best Nintendo DS Games - Part Four
The 50 Best Nintendo DS Games - Part Five 

Have a great weekend!

Rank Up! - Excite series

The Rank Up! train chugs along, and this time we are checking out the blistering fast Excite series. Rank Up! is no stranger to the SPC faithful, but for those unaware, this segment is where I rank several items in a series from least favorite to most favorite. It's as simple of a concept as you can get! Still don't understand? Why not read on? You're sure to get the gist of it. But first, what games will I be ranking up this go around? Note: The arcade version of Excitebike is not listed as machines are hard to find.

Excitebike (NES)
Excitebike 64 (N64)
Excite Truck (Wii)
Excitebots: Trick Racing (Wii)
Excitebike: World Rally (WiiWare)

Originally released in 1985, Excitebike roared and revved its way onto the Nintendo Entertainment System with motocross-styled gameplay, side-scrolling intensity, and plenty of crashes and spills for the masochist to adore. It would be over a decade for a sequel to happen, and it would bring the series into three dimensions with Excitebike 64. Two generations later, Nintendo would swap out the bikes for trucks in Excite Truck. Then, several years later, swap out trucks for bots. For a series that will get your pulse pounding, the Excite franchise is the ticket.

5) Excitebike (NES)

The originator, Excitebike on the Nintendo Entertainment System is a racer unlike many others. You can choose to play in two ways: 1) by your lonesome against the clock, or 2) against several CPU racers. Either way, there are only so many times you can do either of this tasks before boredom sets in. There is a track creator, but this suffers from two problems (two seems to be a popular number here): 1) the amount of pieces available is limited, and 2) you cannot save your creations on the NES version. (This changed with the 3D Classics iteration on the 3DS.) What you are left with is a title that may have been exciting back when it released in 1985, but it is now an ancient relic and a reminder of how far the series has really come.

4) Excitebike 64 (N64)

The nineties were rad and all, but the 00's brought us a new 3D Excitebike in Excitebike 64. Racing against five other opponents through one of twenty indoor or outdoor motocross racetracks, jockeying for position, and pulling off mad tricks were but some of the activities you could do in the game. Who didn't love a rousing game of soccer while riding aboard motorbikes, or climbing up an increasingly steep mountain as you aim to reach the top? Sure, crashing was easy to accomplish (especially for the timid), but that doesn't stop Excitebike 64 from being a stellar entry in the Excite legacy.

3) Excitebike: World Rally (WiiWare)

Taking the idea of the original NES Excitebike and giving the game an isometric view, Excitebike: World Rally (for this month only is available for North American Club Nintendo members for a small coin fee) gave players a letter grade depending on their time on each race, set across the world. Places like Canada, London, Japan, and Mexico were just some of the exotic locales players could virtually visit. By tilting the Wii remote, you tilted your motorbike to land correctly off of slopes to keep your speed high. How else will you get those record times? I greatly enjoyed my time with World Rally with the Wii points it cost me, so getting the game (up until April 30) with Club Nintendo coins should be a no-brainer! Download your copy of this game today!

2) Excite Truck (Wii)

Excite Truck launched with the Wii back in 2006. Seems so long ago, doesn't it? And while most of the spotlight shined down on a little known series called The Legend of Zelda, I had just as much pleasure playing through the insane racing experience known as Excite Truck. These trucks certainly packed a wallop as they were heavy suckers, able to slam into other opponents and send them flying. Introduced to this game was the concept of earning stars for your driving performance. Of course, winning netted you an abundant amount of stars, but doing tree runs (driving through narrow paths lined by dangerous tree hazards), doing incredible aerial acrobatics, and other sensational stunts earned you great accolades as well. The terrain deformation which changed the ground when you passed over a certain icon could send your adversaries soaring if they were unfortunate enough to be racing in front of you. Excite Truck keeps on truckin', and for that I award it with the number two spot.

1) Excitebots: Trick Racing (Wii)

Those of you who know me could smell this game coming from miles away as number one, couldn't you? I gush over this game at every opportunity I get, so why not gush over it now? Excitebots: Trick Racing is an absolutely manic experience. And I mean that in a positive way. It released to no fanfare, but I will forever be trumpeting its stellar gameplay and entertaining online. Where else can you win a race overall by kicking field goals, scoring soccer goals, flipping ten times around a vertical bar, collecting the ingredients to make the fabled Super Sandwich, gathering a handful of butterflies, and creating colossal crashes? I am drawing a blank, and you are probably too. Then there's gambling stars online in races. You can bet up to 5,000 per race, and if you win, you can earn up to five times your bet. You can even play a game of poker as you race. The zany nature of the game is unmatched in the arcade racing genre, and I can only hope Monster Games is working on the next installment despite the low sales (good idea letting no one know about the game, Nintendo).

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Okay now, be honest. Who saw number one coming? How would you personally order the Excite games? I almost forgot all about the WiiWare game. How embarrassing would that have been? Anyhow, please express your opinion on this edition of Rank Up! in the comments section!

Excite Truck (Wii) Review

Excite Truck was and still is an under-appreciated gem in the Wii's launch lineup. Almost three years later, we have an interesting twist on the game with Excitebots: Trick Racing which has released today, replacing monster trucks for Beast Wars-inspired vehicles. To commemorate the occasion, here's a review of the first Wii Excite game with Excite Truck!

CAUTION: Exciting Times Ahead

I purchased a Wii at launch somehow easily and with it I got a total of six games with it. One of my favorites from the bunch is the exciting racer, Excite Truck. Excite Truck pits you against five other off-roaders as you thrash your way across various terrain to the finish line.

You hold the Wii remote sideways like an NES controller. Tilting the remote to the left veers your roader to the left. Conversely tilting it to the right sure enough makes your truck drive to the right. It takes a little bit of getting used to, but a half hour of gameplay later you'll have it. Holding down the control pad will activate a turbo. When held too long your truck will overheat and greatly slow down. Cool your engine off by driving through water or simply letting the wind cool it down. The 2 button is used for accelerating whereas the 1 button allows you to brake and/or go in reverse. Finally the B button in back, when in the air, allows you to shake the remote and perform mid-air spins-- an advanced technique.

Players can steer in mid-air to land more precisely.

If the following control explanation seems too overwhelming, don't worry. You are required to participate in the training tutorials which may or may not annoy those who would rather jump into races and cups themselves. However, once you complete the first set of the tutorial you'll unlock the Excite Race (each series of races is four or five tracks long) and Challenge (consisting of gate challenge, ring challenge, and crush challenge) modes.

The graphics aren't too shabby either.

Excite Race is the main mode of Excite Truck. You start off by selecting one of three trucks each with different attributes (there's a plethora of unlockable trucks and color alternatives to be had as well). Then you choose a race. You'll begin racing in the rocky recesses and canyons of Mexico to flying high in the low-gravity expanses of space! Not only will have to worry about your five other rivals to get to the goal first, but you'll also want to score stars while driving around the various rugged racetracks' terrains. How do you do this, you ask? By performing stunts, tricks, and objectives. You'll score stars by doing any one of the following feats-- scoring big air after a large jump (Air), sliding your vehicle around a turn (Drift), edging dangerously close through patches of trees (Tree Run), spinning your ride in mid-air (Air Spin), manipulating the terrain to toss your rivals (Truck Throw), making consecutive jumps (Jump Combo), colliding with another truck (Truck Smash), wiping out and crashing (Nice Crash), and passing through mid-air rings (Rings). The longer you do a task or the more you do, the more stars you'll earn. Obviously you can't just sit back earning stars-- you have to speed up to get first place for the maximum star reward. At the end of each race your star total will be calculated and you'll be awarded with a letter grade from S (best) to D (worst). You'll need to get B's on all the cups races to unlock the next series of races, and you'll be required to get S's on all races to unlock alternate paint jobs, new modes, and new trucks.

Perform tricks to earn stars. The more stars, the merrier.

The races take place in various locales from the dusty deserts of Mexico to flying over the Great Wall of China to driving along the rolling hills of Scotland. Your racing will take you all around the globe. During races you'll come across exclamation point icons which when you pass over them will alter the terrain of the track right before your eyes. This is where the Truck Throw task comes in. What was once an uphill climb is now a valley with a pond in the middle to splash and blast past.

Aesthetically, Excite Truck is quite nice to look at. The terrain changes are a very nice touch to the gameplay. Musically you'll hear a lot of Japanese butt rock that's sometimes a headache to listen to, but other times it-- actually it's pretty annoying. Also, getting all S ranks just to unlock a harder mode that forces you to get all S ranks followed by another unlocked mode that makes you get S ranks on the races you just got S's on but only mirrored versions is an annoyance and is artificially lengthening the gameplay experience in this reviewer's opinion. Lastly versus mode is only 2-player splitscreen without any computer-controlled opponents to be found. Rather lame indeed.

Hm... I think that was the nickname of his ex-girlfriend.

Overall, Excite Truck is a very entertaining, exciting (sorry to use that word), adrenaline-pumping game. Sure, sometimes managing tricks while trying to stay in first place can be a little frustrating, but the effort usually pays off. Anyone with a Wii and enjoys the occasional racer will simply fall in love with this game. I know I did.

[SuperPhillip Says: 8.0/10] - Simply put, exciting.