11/19/07 – Today marks the one year anniversary of Nitendo’s Wii video game system. One year ago today, I was waiting in line at my local Walmart. Nearly 12 hours later, I was back at home with a shiny new Wii and a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
If you’re like me, you probably bought into Nitendo’s marketing hype that the Wii would change the face of gaming forever. And, for the most part it has… although not necessarily in all of the ways I would have liked.
I like that Nintendo was able to expand the video game market. I like that the Wii remote has been used to offer gamers a more imersive experience. On the other hand, I dislike that much of the available content for Wii has so far been tailored to the casual crowd. I dislike that, despite the potential of the Wii remote, it often feels gimmicky. Much has been written about each of these points, so I’ll spare you the redundancy.
Here’s a list of my top three games that I feel have truly made the most out of the Wii’s capabilities:
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption – This game was the first example of how a first-person shooter on the Wii should control. As great as the Xbox 360 has been for shooters (and believe me, “great” is an understatement), none of the available titles control nearly as well as Metroid Prime 3. – and that’s saying a lot because they control well. Perhaps the best thing about this game is that it provides a blueprint for other developers on how to deliver near flawless FPS controls. In fact, according to IGN, Medal of Honor Heroes 2 has already claimed the title of best controlling shooter on the Wii.
Elebits - This was the first game for the Wii that really wowed me. In this quirky, underrated title, the Wii remote becomes an extension of your own hand, allowing you to pick up and manipulate everything from televisions and couches to automobiles and even whole houses. In many instances, it really did feel like I was reaching my hand into the game world.
Wii Sports – A no-brainer. This game, along with Ubisoft’s Rayman Raving Rabbids series and Nintendo’s Warioware: Smooth Moves, has been a huge hit with both my gamer and non-gamer friends alike. Say what you will about mini game collections, no other genre lends itself as well to group gaming sessions with a diverse crowd of people. If you ever have a small-large gathering of friends at your home, you need at least one solid collection of mini games.
And now here’s some of the worst the Wii has to offer:
PS2 games with tacked-on motion controls – There are literally dozens of these out there. At best, these are somewhat fun games that have been enhanced slightly with semi-cool Wii controls. At worst, they’re mediocre or down right bad games that only get made worse with gimmicky motion controls.
Me-too mini games – While there’s a handful of surprisingly fun mini game collections, there’s a bajillion more lame, half-hearted or downright broken offerings. And unless you keep up with the reviews, it’s hard to tell the good from bad. Plus, how many of these do we really need anyways? I think each of the major publishers should sign a contract limiting the number of mini game titles that can be released per year… somewhere around 1.
