Saturday 5 January 2013

Top 10: Wii Games (with Thadeus Lorefield)

The Wii is nearly nearing the end of its life cycle as Nintendo's new Wii U console (still can't believe they decided to call it that) is coming to replace it with better graphics and maybe better controls. But me and Thadeus are still playing the old Wii and probably will for several years to come, especially since I only started playing it recently and therefore still haven't explored it fully. Despite being probably the weakest console of its generation and in no way do I prefer it to my trusty PC, I still think it has a lot of fun exclusive titles and the motion controls are a big reason I love it. This list is in no way any absolute list of the best games on the Wii but are our personal favourites. Feel free to mention other good games in your replies.

10.
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Alyxx: Let's face it, the Wii isn't exactly known for good graphics. So naturally when it comes to shooters, the Wii isn't up to par with more powerful consoles like the 360, PS3 or the PC. But still, Conduit 2, like its predecessor Conduit, manages to push the Wii to its limits and is a pretty decent FPS. The reason I pick Conduit 2 over Conduit 1 is that it has slightly better controls and Duke Nukem voice actor Jon St Jon does a really good job voicing the game's protagonist and I definitely prefer him to the voice actor from Conduit 1. With smooth motion controls (it even supports the WiiMotion Plus accessory), Surround sound and support for EDTV/HDTV the game easily outclasses most FPS's on the Wii and being an exclusive title, should be a must-have for any Wii gamer who wants to see how far the system can be pushed.
Thadeus: i dont have anything to say about really, i played it and i didnt get that into it

9.
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Thadeus: Resident Evil 4 is on this list because I personally enjoyed the game a lot, it blended the horror of earlier entries into the series with smooth controls and pretty good motion controls, and with the new game+ feature I've played through it several times to upgrade all my weapons and such.
Alyxx: Still need to play this as I haven't played it yet, but I've seen Thad play it and it seems way more accessible than the earlier Resident Evil games. While I enjoy them for their laughable voice "acting" (or lack thereof) and dark atmosphere, Resi 4 definitely seems to take it to a whole new level. It seems to achieve what Survivor attempted on PS1 with the GunCon controller, being a more action-oriented Resi game.

8.
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Alyxx: There is one major reason I love Mario Kart Wii, and that is the multiplayer. I always enjoyed racing my friends locally but with this game you can do it online like in Mario Kart DS and really test your skills against people from all around the world. Aside from that, it's definitely a great Mario Kart title with a lot of great courses and even courses from other Mario Kart titles as far back as the SNES. A must-have title if you want a good racing game for the Wii.
Thadeus: pretty fun with friends, but kinda boring alone

7.
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Thadeus: Metroid Prime Trilogy is on this list because I love the Prime games and they are made even better with the Wii's motion controls instead of the awkward singlestick FPS controls it had on the GameCube.
Alyxx: It's a shame Nintendo only released this as a collector's edition, it demands some high prices on eBay these days. This is really a great collection and any Metroid fan should get it just to own all 3 Metroid Prime games on one disc and all of them using the Wii's motion controls. It feels a great deal more fluid and smoother than the GameCube controls and I definitely agree that the controls are greatly improved on this version. Graphically it's not much of an update but Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2 definitely pushed the GameCube very far in terms of graphics and it shows. These games are simply beautiful and have some of the best music in the franchise.

6.
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Alyxx: No Nintendo console after the N64 is complete without a Smash Bros title and while both Smash Bros and Smash Bros Melee were solid games that were a great fun to play locally, Brawl takes it to a new level by adding online multiplayer and it's wonderful to be able to play with a friend who's somewhere else in the world and the series was practically begging for such an addition. Another addition I love is the Subspace Emissary mode, which is essentially adding a story to the game and it feels very satisfying to play it as it mixes in elements from the Mario games such as an overworld and actual levels and not just stages.
Thadeus: pretty much the same as mario kart just as a fighter instead of a racer

5.
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Thadeus: I'm listing these as one entry because, to be honest, the games are pretty much the same just with different levels and powerups, but that's part of why I like them, good controls, good music and the gravity mechanics are fun to mess with.
Alyxx: Haven't played these yet and not sure I am interested to. I've kinda lost interest in the main Mario games since Mario Sunshine. No offense but the series kinda lost what made me interested in them. It just feels like they are making the same games over and over. Not necessarily a bad thing but it's not my thing anymore.

4.
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Alyxx: Wow. It really took them a LONG fucking time but Sonic Team and Sega finally managed to make a decent Sonic game. Sonic Colours brings Sonic back to its roots with speed, platforming and lots of adrenaline. This is seriously THE Sonic game I always wanted to play and it does a splendid job at merging the old with the new. Sonic Generations on PC also continues the good trend, though I pretty much expect Sonic Team to fuck up again on the next game. Something this good can't last forever. After all these years of Sonic games ranging from meh to puke-worthy, it's such a shock to see a Sonic game that is actually good but it's here and it's on Nintendo Wii. Great graphics, great controls (prefer GameCube controller for this one though) and great music makes this a must-have Wii title if you, like me, think Sonic still is way cooler than Mario.
Thadeus: sonic colors is the first good sonic game in forever, which frankly is astounding

3.
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Thadeus: Now now Zelda fans, I can see you raising your bitching sticks from here, please lower them slowly and hear me out. I really like this game, and I really like Skyward Sword as well, in fact they were pretty much tied for my place on this list, but I enjoy Twilight Princess SLIGHTLY more as it doesn't have cutscenes and dialog that challange Final Fantasy in length, and Twilight Princess doesn't have Fi.
Alyxx: While I've never been much of a Zelda fan and I haven't really played any of the games, I love that there are Zelda games that dare to be a bit dark and haunting. Majora's Mask did that very well and Twilight Princess seems to also be a more serious approach to the franchise. And yes, this game also has the benefit of not including Fi. If Navi was annoying as a fly, Fi is a mosquito in comparison.

2.
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Alyxx: Virtual Console is technically a service and not a game but it was 90% the reason I wanted a Wii to begin with. As an avid retro gamer, it's so much more convenient to have all my favourite retro 16 and 8 bit games gathered on one console, without taking any physical space like game collections tend to do. Being able to play both Starfox 64 and Super Metroid on one console is one of the reasons the Wii is so great in my opinion as it is a totally legal way of playing your older games on a TV without resorting to emulators and stuff.
Thadeus: the virtual console is a good way to get old games legit without paying a fortune

1.
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Thadeus: This game is one of my favorite games of all time, I love every aspect of this game, I love the graphical style, I love the music, I love the characters and I love the story, over all, I simply love this game.
Alyxx: Not my taste, but it definitely is unique. Heavily influenced by japanese culture (one of the main reasons it doesn't really appeal to me that much as it is a tad too ethnic for me to really get it), it's essentially an action/adventure game with very stylized graphics. Worth checking out if you're into those types of games.

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