The Wii opened gaming to everyone with its motion controller and a worldwide smash: Wii Sports, Super Mario Galaxy, Zelda Skyward Sword, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. This Top 50 gathers the console's best, re-tested and re-ranked by RomWize, each title with its re-evaluated score, its versions, their rarity and their collector value.
"First Metroid Prime, revolutionary FPS-adventure transposing Samus to 3D. Tallon IV exploration, encyclopedic environmental scanning, strategic combat with special visors. Isolated and atmospheric mood, ingenious backtracking level design. Wii Edition offers precise Wiimote controls, more natural than the original GameCube. An absolute Metroid series peak, essential."
"Direct sequel to Mario Galaxy, harder, denser, more inventive. Yoshi finally playable with complementary abilities (tongue, transformations). Fifty galaxies with ever crazier ideas, Nintendo level design at absolute peak. Secret green stars for ultimate challenge, Comet mode for speedrun. Even more orchestral musically. Considered by many superior to the first, the peak of all-time 3D platforming. Absolute must-own."
"Twilight Princess marks a return to mature, darker, more cinematic Zelda. Farmhand Link becomes wolf hero in Midna's twilight realm, descends into monumental dungeons stuffed with ideas. Mastered sword combat, brilliant puzzles, Epona mount returns. Wii version with Wiimote swordplay, GameCube version for nostalgia. An absolute series peak, seven years of Zelda condensed."
"Super Mario Galaxy revolutionizes 3D platforming by sending Mario into space, running on spherical planets with shifting gravity. Forty themed galaxies with constantly renewed ideas, stars to collect, Co-Star partner for second player. Sublime cosmic art direction, memorable orchestral soundtrack by Mahito Yokota. Wiimote+Nunchuk to point Star Bits. Absolute masterpiece, platforming peak."
"Skyward Sword tells the genesis of the Zelda legend, before canonical Hyrule. Watercolor art direction, Motion Plus controls essential for angled sword swings, impeccable level design between puzzles and dungeons. Soar your Loftwing between floating isles, descend to the Surface, comb Faron Woods. Moving story with Zelda as central character. Matured masterpiece of the Wii Zelda formula."
"Sora Ltd. platform fighter with a Nintendo roster plus guests like Sonic and Snake. Stage-based combat, four-player local multi, scripted Subspace Emissary mode. One of the Smash series' peaks and an essential Wii multiplayer pick."
"Monolith Soft JRPG of rare ambition, directed by Tetsuya Takahashi. Shulk wields the Monado sword against Mechon machines in a world built on the bodies of two giant gods. Massive open world in free exploration, real-time MMO-like combat without transition, fifty-hour epic narration. Imaginative fantasy art direction, memorable Yasunori Mitsuda soundtrack. Absolute Wii JRPG peak, essential."
"Direct sequel adding the concept of parallel light/dark worlds, à la Zelda Twilight Princess. Aether and Dark Aether mirror each other, some areas blocked in one are reachable in the other. Beefier combat, demanding bosses, new gear like the Dark Visor. Harder than the first entry, sometimes punishing, but a rare-depth adventure. Wii Edition with polished motion controls."
"Resident Evil 4 reissued on Wii with Wiimote aiming. Survival-action tension intact, controls finally feel natural, full content. Arguably the best way to experience Resident Evil 4 at the time, still excellent today."
"HD renaissance of the Rayman series by Ubi Montpellier under Michel Ancel. Absolutely sublime hand-painted 2D art direction, master-class platforming level design, four-player local co-op. Rayman, Globox and friends traverse ten themed worlds, many secrets, climbing challenge. Eclectic and catchy soundtrack. A triumphant renaissance, perhaps the best 2D platformer of the 2010s. Absolute must-own."
"Wii port of Okami, Clover Studio's PS2 masterpiece. Amaterasu, sun goddess in white wolf form, traverses a mythological Japan in sumi-e ink style to restore nature with her Celestial Brush. Fluid combat, immense exploration, tender Shinto scenario. Wiimote for brush technique drawing, more natural gesture than the stick. Sublime art direction, generous runtime. An absolute masterpiece."
"Conclusion of the Prime trilogy, first Wii-native release with Wiimote controls from the ground up. Samus joins an interplanetary war against Phazon, equipped with a dangerous but powerful Hyper Mode. Multiple planets to explore, personal mobile ship, more present narration. Wiimote aiming precise and natural, combat fluid, exploration still brilliant. Trilogy peak for many, epic finale."
"Essential compilation of the three Metroid Primes on Wii, with uniform Wiimote controls and retouched visuals. Prime 1, Prime 2 and Prime 3 on a single disc, over a hundred hours of play. Shared trophies across all three, central hub. Exemplary collector edition that elevates the original GameCube experience. If you need one reason to own a Wii, this trilogy is it. An absolute reference."
"Mario Kart Wii adds bikes to the car roster, with stick-driven stunts and tuning. Thirty-two tracks including sixteen retros, twelve Nintendo drivers, twelve cylinder classes. Twelve-player online flagship of the era, evergreen four-player local multi, Wiimote-as-wheel or Classic Controller. More accessible difficulty than the previous entry, debated overpowered items. A party racing classic, one of the Wii's biggest sellers."
"First modern 2D Mario, return to fundamentals in HD/widescreen. Four-player simultaneous local co-op on the same screen, multiplayer challenge that can turn into chaos. Mario, Luigi and two Toads explore eight themed worlds, classic enemies, items like the Ice Flower and Propeller Mushroom. Peak Nintendo level design, demanding secret stages. A major revival for the 2D Mario franchise."
"Capcom survival horror on Wii with motion aiming. Precise pointer aim, horror atmosphere intact, content fully ported. A solid version to discover or revisit Resident Evil on Nintendo's console, very enjoyable."
"Wii port of the GameCube Pikmin with added Wiimote controls. Olimar lands on a strange planet and recruits colorful Pikmin to repair his ship within thirty days. Real-time small-scale strategy, varied creatures to fight, tight time management. Wiimote pointing makes commanding more intuitive than stick. Miyamoto's signature soothing art direction. An absolute Wii classic, essential."
"Sequel to Sin and Punishment on Nintendo 64, Wii-exclusive intense rail shooter by Treasure. Isa and Kachi traverse ten futuristic stages with Wiimote aim and stick dodge, nonstop action, gigantic bosses. Deep scoring for speedrunners, multiplier modes, punchy soundtracks. Tough progressive difficulty, signature demanding but exhilarating Treasure gameplay. Genre peak, Wii gem to know."
"Cult Chunsoft visual novel, Japan-only. Five protagonists whose choices interlock across Shibuya, photo-novel presentation, brilliant writing. Widely regarded as a genre peak, strongly recommended in import for visual novel fans."
"HD renaissance of Punch-Out!! by Next Level Games, Wii-exclusive. Little Mac, young Bronx boxer, climbs the WVBA championship against a gallery of caricatural boxers. Guard combat, left/right dodges, well-timed counters. Tough progressive difficulty, each opponent a puzzle to decipher. Wiimote+Nunchuk option or Wiimote alone. Signature colorful art direction. Perfect return of an NES classic."
