Nintendo Console #5- Wii
This was actually the console I eventually grew to hate. Anytime the Wii console was brought up, my face would be filled with disgust and sickness. Simply put, it did not deserve the success that it had.
But I understand why it was so annoyingly successful. It didn’t appeal to the typical gamer, but to everyone, and I mean literally everyone. The overly simple controls meant they were very easy to use, and this attracted almost everyone. Traditional controllers were a big turn-off for a lot of non-gamers, so the Wii-mote seemed to be the perfect solution.
I’ll admit it was very smart from a business point of view from Nintendo, but what came of it? What happens when you try to appeal to the lowest common denominator? More often than not, you get a low quality product, and in the Wii’s case- shovelware!
So..much..shovelware. I’m referring to games that were just plain rubbish, games that were rushed out to make a quick buck to take advantage of the Wii’s new customers.
Plus in regards to the Wii console’s main selling point, the Wii-mote, it wasn’t all that great to begin with. It wasn’t as responsive as it should have been, hence why the motion sensor was eventually released. I just don’t think it delivered on what I thought it would in terms of immersion as the ‘waggle’ very quickly became a substitute for a button.
So why isn’t the Wii on the very bottom of my list? Because I judge a console on the quality of its games, and the Wii did have some great games. They were few and far between, but they were there!
The best games on the Wii
Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2
The main Mario games for the generation were some of the best Mario games ever. Nintendo had so many creative ideas for Galaxy that they needed a sequel to fit the rest of them in.
A unique take on the series, Mario would travel from planet to planet within each level to collect Power Stars. Each planet, whether it be big or small, contained their own platforming challenges and were full of variety and creativity.
The game contained a hub world akin to Super Mario 64, but levels were more in linear design to provide a more focused challenge. It gave the best of both worlds, and was massive success with critics and fans, winning multiple Game of the Year awards. The sequel was also a standout, though opting for a level selection screen similar to old-school Mario games, as opposed to another hub world.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was one of the launch titles when the Wii was released and what a great way to start! It was to be released on the Gamecube, but was purposely delayed so it could simultaneously be released on the Wii.
The game’s darker tone and visual style were one of the game’s highlights, as well as Link’s new ability to transform into a wolf. While Twilight Princess still retained the traditional Zelda formula, that didn’t stop it from being one of the best.
It contained some new abilities, huge dungeons, a great story, and just everything that makes a Zelda game great. I remember while playing this game, I just randomly thought to myself “What a masterpiece”, and I don’t do that all too often!
Metroid Prime Trilogy
I never actually bought this actual trilogy per se, but I did buy each game individually when they came out. Metroid always been one of my favourite Nintendo series (right behind Zelda), and the Metroid Prime series rates right up there.
Containing three whole games is always great value, especially when they’re three great games! Metroid Prime 3 was the only Wii exclusive (the first two were ported from the Gamecube) and was a strong entry in the series, being a lot more narrative-driven than the first two.
I still think the first Metroid Prime was the best in the trilogy (with Metroid Prime 2 being the weakest), but anything Metroid related is always a good thing! If you never played any Metroid Prime games (or didn’t play them all), then this Trilogy pack was a must-buy!
Games Whisperer 