It's taking me a long time getting through Xbox 360, and probably a while to get through PS3. I may be starting Wii next year at this rate, but I think I'll just keep on going until I get to the present and then start from the beginning again sometime next year. I really want to get through everything I have and weed out the stuff I don't like.
I got a Wii in 2007 or 8 for Virtual Console. There's so much from earlier Nintendo consoles I can't get because they're so expensive. However, I ended up not using it as much as I thought and found lots of exclusive physical games to get into, which is my focus outside of Xbox. Here's some of them as they appear on Metacritic's best of Wii list in order of rating.
#1-2 - Super Mario Galaxy 1-2 - I finally have both of these back in the collection and am excited to revisit them. I don't even normally enjoy platformers, but this space theme has me intrigued and engaged.
#14, #103 - Metroid Prime 3 and Other M - I keep bashing my head against the Metroid Prime series until I start enjoying it. I want to so much but I'm often challenged by the control scheme. I am excited to get farther this time around.
#24 - Donkey Kong Country Returns - I love the DKC world but these games get difficult. I enjoy it as far as I can get though and will try again and again.
#26 - Little King's Story - I got in for its similarity to games like Pikmin and A Kingdom for Keflings. I can't wait to revisit it.
#27 - Sin & Punishment: Star Successor - This shmup is burned into my mind after seeing a demo running in a GameStop all those years ago - just visually explosive and stunning. I can't wait to see it running on my now bigger TV.
#29 - Kirby's Epic Yarn - I saw this running in a BestBuy way back and was captivated by its pastel color scheme. When I played it, it amazed me with its creativity. I'm going to enjoy playing with that yarn again. Meow.
#39 - Super Paper Mario - Two of my favorite visual styles outside of dark fantasy and cel shading are knit worlds and paper craft. What gets me into platforming is an interesting visual style and I'm glad I picked this up recently.
#48 - Swords & Soldiers - I have an handful of WiiWare games and likely will not be able to get any more (although, I have to research that). I always liked RTS games and the simpler the better. This one's in 2D.
#67 - Art Style: ORBIENT - There were several Art Style games on WiiWare, but I only got into this one because of its space theme. You're a sun trying to absorb smaller suns, gather satellites and grow.
#73 - Dawn of Discovery - A simplified version of Anno 1404, a hardcore historic strategy game on PC. I really enjoy the kidified strat games.
#76 - Mad World - Oh, ultraviolence with a wacky humerous style for your Wii. What? One of Platinum Games early titles I associated with God Hand because it was by their old studio, Clover Games. It still creeps me out a little bit with this one move where you use the nun chuck and Wii mote as a garrote. All in good humor though.
#82 - Muramasa: The Demon Blade - Vanillaware on Wii? Yes please. This one a 2D action RPG game that looks gorgeous. I can't wait to see it blown up on my big new TV.
#131 - Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing - A must have on all possible systems. Sometimes a game demands that of me and I submit. Xbox, PS3 and Wii.
#138 - Wario Land Shake It - The game that turned me on to Wario games (that and Microgames, that is). It has such interesting platforming challenges and visual style. I don't even know how it got into my collection, but I'm glad I have it now.
#144 - Kirby's Return to Dream Land - I've become a big Kirby fan as well and am trying to play all of the Kirby games. I still need to pick this one up, and I'll be looking hard for it in the coming months. I like platformers that do something different and Kirby adds a lot of options to the traditional jump and run.
#146 - New Play Control: Pikmin - I was all over these rereleases (NPC Pikmin 2 as well) even though I had the GameCube versions already (or used to, I don't have Pikmin 2 on NGC anymore).
#150 - Klonoa: Door to Phantomile - I like the Klonoa games, another platformer with interesting mechanics and 2.5D environments. I got this on Xbox much later in the remastered collection, but I'd like the original again on Wii.
#156 - Endless Ocean: Blue World - Exploration is my favorite video game mechanic. Add some photography and collecting and I'm hooked. This is the sequel to Endless Ocean and just as good. I can't wait to jump back in and scuba dive to my heart's content.
#180 - Battalion Wars 2 - From the makers of Advance Wars comes the 3D, RTS version on Wii. I remember not enjoying the control scheme that much, but I'm keen to retry it because I'm such a fan of the Advance Wars series.
#183 - We Love Golf - By the makers of Mario Golf. I've recently enjoyed the Hot Shots Golf (Everyone's Golf) series and this looks very similar. I'm going to look for a copy.
#187 - Sakura Wars: So Long My Love - It's slight connection to the devs on Valkyria Chronicles made me hunt it down years ago (I forget just how as of this moment). It's a very unique game with multiple game styles baked into it. It's a tactics game, a visual novel and a dating sim. This is a port of the PS2 game. These devs made the Record of Agarest War series I should look into sometime.
I guess, I'll stop there for now. All these games are coded green, score 75 and up, on Metacritic. I have more I'm into further down the list and there are many maybes I didn't mention that I may or may not already have in my collection to try. It's going to be a good long haul when I start in on Wii. So much! I keep thinking these lists will be manageable, but starting around 2006 or so, there are so many interesting games to try.
Back when Nintendo retired the Wii, we did this article on unsung games that were really great. It seems you've got a number of them already, but I figured I'd share it in case it piqued your interest!
I noticed some on that list I have in my collection to try and others I've been curious about and may pick up. Zack and Wiki is great, and I used to have it, but puzzle games frustrate me. I kind of want to try it again, though.
Even though I liked the 360 a little more than the Wii, it still had some great games!
If it weren't for my gosh darn nostalgia getting in the way, I'd say Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 are the best 3D Mario games.
Metroid Prime 3 is good, Other M, not so much.
The newer DKC games are way too hard.
Kirby's Epic Yarn has some of the best video game music out there.
Super Paper Mario isn't as bad as everyone says it is.
Muramasa is great but it didn't draw me in like Odin Sphere and Dragon's Crown did. Maybe it could've used an Amazon. :)
I played the Sonic racing games on other consoles.
I loved the hand drawn graphics in Wario Land: Shake It. And Captain Syrup returned! We need another Wario Land game!
Naturally I also like Kirby's Return to Dream Land. The Deluxe version on the Switch added a lot of cool stuff.
Klonoa on the Wii is great, but there's an even better remake of it on more modern consoles.
I think We Love Golf was published by Capcom, so it has some secret Capcom characters in it. Tecmo published another golf game on the Wii called Super Swing Golf that was based on the online golf game Pangya, and there were secret Tecmo characters in it, too, like Bomb Jack!
I've seen Super Swing Golf around. i was wondering if it was any good. I like the Tecmo characters though. I may pick it up.
Super Swing Golf is based on Pangya, an online golf game that very good. I wonder if it's still around?
I'll have to consider picking it up for Wii. I just discovered I don't have a golf game for it aside from Carnival Minigolf.
You don't have Wii Sports or Wii Sports Resort? Or any of the Monkey Ball games? They have golf on them.
There's a version of Pangya also on the PSP>
I forgot I had Wii Sports because it's a loose disc in with my system and not in the box I keep all my Wii games.
I was just looking at Wii Sports Resort at a store and wondering if I should buy it.
I wanted a pure golf game. I just bought Super Swing Golf.
Wii Sports Resort is way better than the original. You get a whole island to explore!
