Great Wii Games

[tommib]

For all of you thinking that are not good enough Wii titles to play, please check this list. I'm a bit tired of hearing people say that the Wii only has cooking games. I wish I had the time to play them all. I'm also including future releases that I'm almost sure will be pretty good. Please feel free to add more titles to the list.

 

Another Code: R

Art Style: Orbient

Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars

Cursed Mountain

Deadly Creatures

Endless Ocean

House of the Dead Overkill

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Lit

Little King's Story

LostWinds

Madworld

Megaman 9

Metroid Prime 3

No More Heroes

No More Heroes 2

Okami

Overlord: Dark Legend

Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles

Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles

Sam and Max Season 1

Sam and Max Season 2

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People

Super Mario Galaxy

The Conduit

World of Goo

Zack and Wiki

[Choze]

Zelda wasnt very good sadly.

 

Where is Mario Kart?

[Daft]

I think when people say Wii games aren't good enough it is in relation to the other two consoles. It's a product of its popularity. Success can kill creativity; just look at the pop industry. To the untrained ear the music sounds good, to those more adept, it is poor. Similarly the Wii has entered the realm of the masses and thus has descended into formula.

 

If you look at the 360, it's growth in popularity and decrease in price can be seen to coincide with Microsoft's push for the casual and in comparison their output of 'hardcore' games has lessened.

 

In many ways, this is why you want your favourite console to sell poorly; that necessitates creativity.

 

Consoles that sell poorly cannot depend on convention; in many ways this is how the Wii was created.

[Guest Captain Falcon]

 

In many ways, this is why you want your favourite console to sell poorly; that necessitates creativity.

 

 

But generating niche titles on a machine with a small user base is potentially commercial suicide.

[tommib]

I think when people say Wii games aren't good enough it is in relation to the other two consoles. It's a product of its popularity. Success can kill creativity; just look at the pop industry. To the untrained ear the music sounds good, to those more adept, it is poor. Similarly the Wii has entered the realm of the masses and thus has descended into formula.

 

If you look at the 360, it's growth in popularity and decrease in price can be seen to coincide with Microsoft's push for the casual and in comparison their output of 'hardcore' games has lessened.

 

In many ways, this is why you want your favourite console to sell poorly; that necessitates creativity.

 

Consoles that sell poorly cannot depend on convention; in many ways this is how the Wii was created.

 

I'm not sure I agree with you. The NES and SNES systems were hot sellers and they had a lot of good titles mixed with tons of mediocre ones. I think that in terms of games, the Wii is walking the same path of the Gamecube - with a major difference: the Wii is a continuous best seller and attracts third party developers.

I couldn't agree more with you when you mention pop music, but the more popular a console is, the more chances it has of having great games - after all everyone will want to program games for it. Playstation 2 is also a example: a lot of rubbish and casual titles and a lot of great games (I would kill to see Shadow of Colossus on the Wii). There is a big problem happening, though: developers are beginning to realize that the Wii can't keep up with graphical inovations and are giving up on the console or developing casual games for it. I'm not a graphics obsessed gamer, by far, but I understand that nowadays if you want to sell a game based on its visual impact, you will have to do it for the 360/PS3.

Anyway, great ideas don't need great technology, and the time and cost of working for a PS3 game is amazingly higher – and we could see some developers shifting to the Wii.

I have no interest in Mario Kart, though. Not a big fan of driving games.

 

All this talk should not distract us from the main subject: the Wii has plenty of great non-casual games waiting for you to play them.

 

Zelda wasnt very good sadly.

 

Where is Mario Kart?

 

I agree with you on Zelda (the game was just too long and rehashed), but by not including it people would think that I was just looking for controversy. :p

[Daft]

But generating niche titles on a machine with a small user base is potentially commercial suicide.

 

Obviously if the platform sells too poorly then there isn't much you can do either way.

 

But it being more suicidal to release a niche title on a platform which has a smaller audience? I'd argue, not necessarily, and actually not at all since the likely hood is that since that platform had less mass appeal then there would be more considered reasoning for its purchase. The result being that the audience for a something that is less popular would be more accepting of a niche title.

 

It isn't simply a matter of numbers, social reasoning needs to be taken into account.

[Guest Captain Falcon]

Obviously if the platform sells too poorly then there isn't much you can do either way.

 

But it being more suicidal to release a niche title on a platform which has a smaller audience? I'd argue, not necessarily, and actually not at all since the likely hood is that since that platform had less mass appeal then there would be more considered reasoning for its purchase. The result being that the audience for a something that is less popular would be more accepting of a niche title.

 

It isn't simply a matter of numbers, social reasoning needs to be taken into account.

 

I understand your reasoning here.

 

I guess it depends why the user base is so small. Normally when you do have so few machines in homes, those that have them are the early adopters and those of discerning tastes.

 

The problem being that that have a very good idea of the quality of the titles and know what they are going to pick up well in advance - games acquired tend to be more considered purchases.

 

If the quality of the titles isn't up to snuff, despite the creativity on demonstration, then they aren't going to benefit from impulse buyers and the uninformed public to pick up said title.

[Daft]

I'm not sure I agree with you. The NES and SNES systems were hot sellers and they had a lot of good titles mixed with tons of mediocre ones. I think that in terms of games, the Wii is walking the same path of the Gamecube - with a major difference: the Wii is a continuous best seller and attracts third party developers.

 

In regards to the NES and SNES, and to a large extent the PS2, that is very true but considering that the industry itself was niche back then, it is easy to draw parallels with those who purchase, for example, the much more expensive Playstation 3.

 

I couldn't agree more with you when you mention pop music, but the more popular a console is, the more chances it has of having great games - after all everyone will want to program games for it. Playstation 2 is also a example: a lot of rubbish and casual titles and a lot of great games (I would kill to see Shadow of Colossus on the Wii). There is a big problem happening, though: developers are beginning to realize that the Wii can't keep up with graphical inovations and are giving up on the console or developing casual games for it. I'm not a graphics obsessed gamer, by far, but I understand that nowadays if you want to sell a game based on its visual impact, you will have to do it for the 360/PS3.

 

I've already addressed the PS2's position above, as part of a much more contained industry.

 

In regards to being able to sell a graphically better game, doesn't that contradict the sales of the Wii trouncing the other two console?

 

Instead of poor games being a result of graphics, because this did not effect people's initial decision to buy a Wii in the first place, I'd suggest that the vast majority of the audience for the Wii do not have adept tastes in regards to videogames and thus would happily buy something vastly more formulaic.

 

Anyway, great ideas don't need great technology, and the time and cost of working for a PS3 game is amazingly higher – and we could see some developers shifting to the Wii.

 

I agree, great technology does not equal great games but the decision to push technology is something that would more likely appeal to an audience who are aware of the medium as a whole, who know the intricacies of what makes a game great, and so something that settles for graphics that are 'acceptable' isn't going to attract consumers that want something more than 'good'.

[Emasher]

TP really wasn't that bad a game. If it wasn't judged to the standards of Zelda games, it would have been considered much more. And we all know they had to cut out a lot of things they wanted to do to implement Wii controls. There were some great moments, and the atmosphere was a little different from the other games.

 

@that list

 

Even if you don't like racers, you might want to include Excite Truck and Mario Kart in that list for other people reading it.

 

Also:

 

The only reason the Wii isn't getting all the top Mulit-console titles and even some major IP exclusives, its probably only because of its power. Not because its in the lead. From what I understand, its not exactly easy to port a lot of games from the HD consoles to the Wii. If the Wii was somewhere around the power of the 360, I'm sure we would be seeing more of these major titles. Especially since its the leading console (assuming it would still be the leading console). There are very innovative titles on every console though, I don't think that really has much to do with market share.

[Daft]

I understand your reasoning here.

 

I guess it depends why the user base is so small. Normally when you do have so few machines in homes, those that have them are the early adopters and those of discerning tastes.

 

The problem being that that have a very good idea of the quality of the titles and know what they are going to pick up well in advance - games acquired tend to be more considered purchases.

 

If the quality of the titles isn't up to snuff, despite the creativity on demonstration, then they aren't going to benefit from impulse buyers and the uninformed public to pick up said title.

 

Yeah, exactly.

 

Just to be clear, I'm not criticizing (well I guess I am but I'm not trying to flame). I'm just reading an amazing article on the culture industry and I just thought it's be interesting to apply it to the games industry. : peace:

 

The only reason the Wii isn't getting all the top Mulit-console titles and even some major IP exclusives, its probably only because of its power. Not because its in the lead. From what I understand, its not exactly easy to port a lot of games from the HD consoles to the Wii. If the Wii was somewhere around the power of the 360, I'm sure we would be seeing more of these major titles. Especially since its the leading console (assuming it would still be the leading console). There are very innovative titles on every console though, I don't think that really has much to do with market share.

 

The power of the Wii and the audience aren't isolated factors, they perpetuate each other.

[dazzybee]

But the Wii has way more niche, original games than the PS3 and 360. Not saying better, but games like Little Kings Story, Zack and Wicki, De Blob, Boom Blox etc

 

All consoles have great games, it depends on what you're looking for. But yeah, it absolutely winds me up when people say the Wii has no decent games. Morons are usually the ones opening their mouths

[Goron_3]

I find myself agreeing with Daft's posts. I mean, look the Gamecube; do you see Nintendo taking risks with games like Four Sword Adventures on the Wii?

[Daft]

But the Wii has way more niche, original games than the PS3 and 360. Not saying better, but games like Little Kings Story, Zack and Wicki, De Blob, Boom Blox etc

 

Flower, Linger in the Shadows, Pixel Junk Eden, Afrika, Gran Turismo 5, arguably Home as well, I could go on and that's just the PS3. I wouldn't say the Wii has way more niche games tbh, in fact I think it's the other way around. I'm not trying to argue but I just don't think that's very accurate.

 

All consoles have great games, it depends on what you're looking for. But yeah, it absolutely winds me up when people say the Wii has no decent games. Morons are usually the ones opening their mouths

 

Indeed, it is stupid to say any of the consoles have no good games. The Wii comes packaged with an amazing game for starters.

[dazzybee]

I find myself agreeing with Daft's posts. I mean, look the Gamecube; do you see Nintendo taking risks with games like Four Sword Adventures on the Wii?

 

ONE example! Do you not think The Wii has a whole was them "taking a risk". Not Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Wii Music? Whatever you think of them they're brave decisions! How about going back to 2D with Wario World?

[Cube]

Excite Truck!

[dazzybee]

 

Flower, Linger in the Shadows, Pixel Junk Eden, Afrika, Gran Turismo 5, arguably Home as well, I could go on and that's just the PS3. I wouldn't say the Wii has way more niche games tbh, in fact I think it's the other way around. I'm not trying to argue but I just don't think that's very accurate.

 

GT5?! I agree with PS3, I think 360 can't say the same (Braid...erm...). But I wasn't including downloadable games (again I think both consoles have some great unique games, but I'd still edge Wii). Also, can't believe you forgot Little Big Planet....Heavy Rain?

[Daft]

ONE example! Do you not think The Wii has a whole was them "taking a risk". Not Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Wii Music? Whatever you think of them they're brave decisions! How about going back to 2D with Wario World?

 

Just to counter, WiiSports came with the system and this is why it was a brilliant move. WiiSport sells the system and it's fountainhead status combined with the frightening popularity of the Brain Training titles really doesn't amount to Wii Fit and Wii Music, that later of which is definitely not costly to produce, posing that much of a risk. Simply put, they made perfect business sense based on emerging trends.

 

GT5?! I agree with PS3, I think 360 can't say the same (Braid...erm...). But I wasn't including downloadable games (again I think both consoles have some great unique games, but I'd still edge Wii). Also, can't believe you forgot Little Big Planet....Heavy Rain?

 

Gran Turismo is a driving simulator. It is not an easy game to get into unless you're into cars so I'd say that was a pretty niche game.

 

I'm not really clued up what's going on with my 360 so I couldn't really add anything.

 

I included downloadable games because I think now they are part of a whole when it comes to consoles. I was ging to say Heavy Rain but I think we need to see a bit more of that before...well, we really know what the hell it is.

 

Yeah, forgot LBP, also forgot Noby Noby Boy.

Edited May 24, 2009 by Daft
Automerged Doublepost

[Cube]

I was ging to say Heavy Rain but I think we need to see a bit more of that before...well, we really know what the hell it is.

 

It's probably going to be awesome. At the least, it's the only PS3-exclusive which interests me.

 

I think 360 can't say the same (Braid...erm...).

 

...Castle Crashers, Kameo, Nuts & Bolts, Geometry Wars, The Maw, Viva Pináta.

[dazzybee]

Gran Tourismo niche? No way. The fact it is number 5, not even including the other versions... it hasn't even changed that much either!! I was using niche as original/innovative.

 

...Castle Crashers, Kameo, Nuts & Bolts, Geometry Wars, The Maw, Viva Pináta.

 

Castle crashers yes. Kameo was so disappointing. Nuts and Bolts was terrible. Geometry Wars is amazing (but also out for Wii), viva pinata, although I just couldn't get into, is a great example. But I don't think the 360 can compete with PS3 and Wii for these kind of titles

[Guest Captain Falcon]

Gran Turismo is a driving simulator. It is not an easy game to get into unless you're into cars so I'd say that was a pretty niche game.

 

GT isn't quite the "The Real Driving Simulator" it makes itself out to be. Given the universal appeal of motor sports, it's hardly a contender for the title of niche and it's sales have demonstrated this.

 

I know next to nothing about cars, but I spent ages playing GT2 and 3. I'm not even a fan of racing games as such, but it's quality is obvious. If a game can make my dad sit up and take notice, it's hardly niche or anything close.

[Daft]

Gran Tourismo niche? No way. The fact it is number 5, not even including the other versions... it hasn't even changed that much either!! I was using niche as original/innovative.

 

A niche is a specialised market. In many ways Gran Turismo is one of the most niche games on the market.

[Cube]

A niche is a specialised market. In many ways Gran Turismo is one of the most niche games on the market.

 

Technically, couldn't every game be considered niche?

[Daft]

GT isn't quite the "The Real Driving Simulator" it makes itself out to be. Given the universal appeal of motor sports, it's hardly a contender for the title of niche and it's sales have demonstrated this.

 

I know next to nothing about cars, but I spent ages playing GT2 and 3. I'm not even a fan of racing games as such, but it's quality is obvious. If a game can make my dad sit up and take notice, it's hardly niche or anything close.

 

Okay, I guess we're getting into semantics but it is aiming to be as close to a driving simulator as possible. It's popularity isn't really a factor.

 

In same vein Top Gear is a niche show, but it has the highest rating on BBC2.

[dazzybee]

A niche is a specialised market. In many ways Gran Turismo is one of the most niche games on the market.

 

WHAT? How is it? It's sold millions and millions and millions and millions of copies!! How is that niche? How is 'driving' a niche market? Surely games which have no market and need to create it's own audience is niche?!

[Daft]

Technically, couldn't every game be considered niche?

 

To a certain degree.

 

I guess it's a bit of a round about discussion. Lets forget Gran Turismo.