Hidden under mountains of family food and party games, the Wii’s plethora of buried jewelry glows bright, and they’re pretty cheap now, too.
From its launch in 2006 to the end of production in 2013, the Nintendo Wii motion-controlled console sold a staggering 101.63 million units worldwide. And whether you’ve played with Wii Sports or gone on an adventure with Super Mario Galaxy , there’s a good chance that you or someone you know has bought one of the units that this stylish phenomenon sold.
Years after Wii fit , your Wii is in the closet and its friendly blue notification light is off. It had its days as a family console, but was eventually replaced by the hapless Wii U and the popular Nintendo Switch, the latter of which abandoned the Wii brand entirely. But the Wii still has a secret that makes it worth dusting off: All this time it was a treasure trove for the toughest of gamers, with plenty of quirky titles that flew under the radar. And even better, with a little eBay searching, those games are at gift prices today.
- MadWorld (SEGA, 2009)
Classification: M
Price : As low as $ 9
From Mario Kart to Just Dance , the Wii had a reputation for E-rated games (fit for everyone). Take a look at Madworld – which immediately catches your eye with its sleek black-and-white graphics, highlighted only by splashes of bright red blood – and you’ll know you’re in for something different. This wildly satirical action game earns every corner of its “M” rating (for adults). Fun fact: MadWorld was an early effort by Platinum Games, who wanted to catch gamers’ hearts with video games like Bayonetta , Vanquish, and NieR: Automata .
- Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Nintendo, 2010)
Classification: E
Price : About US $ 10
The unflappable cherry pink ball known as Kirby is hard not to love, but it’s the bold aesthetic of Nintendo’s Kirby’s Epic Yarn that makes it completely irresistible. The playable world of Epic Yarn is true to the title, crafted from photorealistic strings, cotton tassels, felt, and other fabrics, including the hero himself; Even in our post-HD era, the graphics still look great. This cooperative title is not very difficult (but it has a lot of content), making it as accessible as it is charming.
- Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Capcom, 2007)
Classification : M
Price : As low as $ 6
Since its GameCube debut, Resident Evil 4 has visited every platform from PS4 to iPhone. What made this super cinematic horror-action classic so special on the Wii were its precise and satisfying motion controls. Nintendo’s official UK magazine called it “The most intense gaming experience ever experienced on the Wii,” warning that it “will consume you” the same way a zombie would, unless you shoot it with your controller. Wiimote first.
- LostWinds (Frontier Developments, 2008)
Classification : E
Price : US $ 8
Although Nintendo closed the Wii online services in 2013, the Wii Shop channel is still running today (and, like game discs, you can play your WiiWare software on a Wii U, if you have one). Among the numerous standalone hidden gems is LostWinds , a delightful two-player platformer with a whimsical vibe and plenty of puzzles to solve. The trick? You control the same wind with your Wiimote to guide the spirit of the Enril wind through the land of Mistralis.
And don’t forget, Wii Virtual Console titles are also available in digital format, providing hundreds of classics from the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) to the Nintendo 64 from $ 5 to $ 10. But those hidden gems would need another complete list for themselves.
- Mega Man 9 (Capcom, 2008)
Classification : E
Price : US $ 10
Also available on WiiWare, Capcom made the dreams of 80s and 90s kids come true by releasing a direct sequel to the classic 8-bit Mega Man series, picking up right where it left off as if the 21st century had never passed. Mega Man 9 prides itself on sporting an old-school aesthetic and design that fans love, but be warned – it also has a devilish level of difficulty. Get your dose of nostalgia, but be careful not to throw your control at the television.
- A Boy and His Blob (Majesco, 2009)
Classification : E
Price : As low as $ 14
Like Mega Man 9 , A Boy and His Blob is a tribute to the 8-bit days. However, Blob contrasts by modernizing his graphics with a richly detailed and highly animated artistic direction, making it look as if it were hand painted. This puzzle-platformer game encourages thinking outside the box by assigning you to use your friend blob, who changes form from a trampoline to a parachute. If you’re still not convinced, this will sound great to you: The game has a dedicated hug button. And everyone knows you can’t put a price on a blob hug.
- Cursed Mountain (Deep Silver, 2009)
Classification : M
Price : As low as $ 10
Cursed Mountain is not perfect, but it certainly stands out. Not only is it an M-rated adventure (for adults), but its graphics strive for realism – one thing the Wi-Fi competition is best known for – it’s a dark, story-based thinking game. through the Himalayas. While searching for your lost brother, you will find everything from Buddhist monks to shadowy ghosts, but the scares are often more psychological than direct. The defenders of the game, like those of GameCritics . com , praised Cursed Mountain as a “welcome detour from the horror survival path that so many developers seem too happy to step on.”
- Geometry Wars Galaxies (Sierra Entertainment, 2007)
Classification : E
Price : About US $ 8
Geometry Wars started out as a downloadable hit, commanding you to command a small neon spacecraft, firing at endless waves of geometric hordes, exploding in colorful fireworks bursts. The disk version of the Wii not only adds super fluid controls, it brings many more single-player levels than ever, includes a multiplayer version, and even features the full version of the original Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved .
- Okami (Capcom, 2008)
Classification : T
Price : Around US $ 14
If you are a fan of the Legend of Zelda series , you should try Okami . Now available on multiple platforms, Wii controls are a hit for calligraphy-based gameplay elements, but Okami truly shines no matter how you play it. Being an extensive exploratory adventure, Capcom’s modern classic gives you control of a wolf-like Japanese sun god to save the world, which is portrayed in a striking watercolor style that appears painted on beautifully crumpled rice paper. In its review of the folklore-inspired game, IGN wrote: “If you’ve never played Okami beforeAn incredibly beautiful and breathtakingly epic adventure awaits you that you simply shouldn’t miss on the Nintendo console. ”
- BIT.TRIP RUNNER (Aksys Games, 2010)
Classification : E
Price : US $ 8
The latest in our journey through Wii options, BIT.TRIP RUNNER summarizes what made Nintendo’s first online store a worthwhile experiment, and an interesting precursor to our modern app stores and eShops: a place where game developers could experiment. For example, the cult classic RUNNER would n’t look out of place in a pop art installation, with a striking combination of retro and 3D aesthetics perfectly accented by its unforgettable chiptune music. That music is key, since you will be jumping, sliding and collecting gold to the rhythm of its catchy songs. If you can spend a little more money, you can get the disk version of BIT.TRIP Complete to have this whole psychedelic series
