Eurogamer's Top 10 Wii Games
We like to move it, move it.
Thanks to its geographical isolation, Australia boasts a remarkable array of unique wildlife. The Wii is much the same, as its motion control and Nintendo's iron grip on first-party titles has ensured it has a spread of great games that you won't find on any other platform. So from perfect platformers to artful adventures, here's our pick of the best of Nintendo's world-conquering console.
We will update this page periodically with new additions, although we won't add games to the list as soon as they are released - we'll wait for the dust to settle a bit and then make our minds up.
Top 10 Wii Games
Boom Blox (Electronic Arts / Amblin Entertainment)
When it was announced that Steven Spielberg was working with EA, few would have expected the result to be a Jenga-esque puzzle game. Even fewer would have guessed that such a game would be one of the most entertaining physics games around, a steady hand trial that tapped deep into our primal need to make stuff fall over. One of the unsung gems of the Wii library, Boom Blox belongs in your collection.
Boom Blox review (9/10)
Donkey Kong Country Returns (Nintendo / Retro Studios)
After so long playing second fiddle to his dungaree-clad nemesis, who could begrudge Donkey Kong his moment in the spotlight? Retro Studios lived up to its name when it went back to Rare's 1994 SNES platformer for inspiration, resulting in another Wii game that gracefully draws a line between the potential of the modern day and the glories of Nintendo's past.
Donkey Kong Country Returns review (9/10)
Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Paris)
The inevitable evolution of the old "dancing stage" arcade games, Just Dance became a chart-topping behemoth thanks to its natural appeal and accessibility. A shrewdly chosen track list helps to coax even the most reluctant player off the sofa, but it's easy to forget that there is a solid - if simple - gameplay backbone running beneath the shimmies and shakes. Mostly, Just Dance 2 reminds us that gaming is meant to be fun, in big neon letters, and that dispelling the mystique of the console has turned our hobby into one of the planet's biggest industries.
Just Dance 2 review (8/10)
Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo)
Him again? Yes, and why not? One of the best things about Mario is how effortlessly he mastered more than just running and jumping. The kart racing series that bears his name has long been hailed as the best of its kind, and the Wii version is a case in point. All the thrills of the racing genre, with a distinct flavour thanks to the arsenal of weapons that makes victory as much about strategy as speed. If you've never played Mario Kart, you're not a gamer.
Mario Kart Wii review (8/10)
Metroid Prime: Trilogy (Nintendo / Retro Studios)
"The Wii can't do hardcore games," goes the frantic bleat from the terminally insecure, but what they really mean is that the Wii can't do the big, bombastic first-person shooters that have come to define core gaming on the PS3 and Xbox 360. The Metroid Prime trilogy proves that the Wii doesn't need a Halo or a Killzone to do "hardcore". With controls so perfect you'll wish every FPS came with a motion controller, and level design that demands more than just wanton blasting, this compilation of all three Metroid Prime classics proves that sometimes different is better.
Metroid Prime: Trilogy review (9/10)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo)
It's that plumber again, showing his versatility in a game that manages to be achingly modern (four-player competitive co-op) and warmly nostalgic (side-scrolling platform action) in one snuggly bundle. If Super Mario Galaxy 2 shows 3D world design at its most brilliant, New Super Mario Bros. Wii provides the bridge back to the last great golden age of Nintendo gaming, with pitch-perfect 2D levels crammed with secrets, shortcuts and deliciously silly moments that could make the Easter Island statues crack a smile.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii review (9/10)
Okami (Capcom / Clover Studio)
From the ridiculous to the sublime, as the late lamented Clover Studio delivers one of the most beautiful and graceful games ever to grace a home platform. Looking like a Japanese watercolour brought to life, you use the remote to literally "paint" your actions into the gameworld, a mechanism so intuitive and natural you'll wonder why nobody did it before. That the game is also one of the best role-playing adventures of this generation doesn't hurt either.
Okami review (10/10)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo)
How many gaming heroes have been around since the early days of the arcade cabinet and can still sell millions of copies of every game they star in? There's only one name on that list - Mario - and this star-spangled sequel explains his longevity beautifully. An absolutely stunning platform game filled with wonder and depth, the superb craftsmanship and long-term challenge makes Super Mario Galaxy a classic hardcore game even as its simple charm and immediacy lures in the newcomers. A masterclass in game design.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 review (10/10)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo)
Legend of Zelda's hero, Link, is aptly named. His adventures run through Nintendo's history like stitches holding a blanket together, and Twilight Princess encapsulates all that is wonderful about Miyamoto-san's lush fantasy adventures. The immense charm, winning whimsy and immersive world come with the territory. What the Wii adds is the tactile feedback of motion control, bringing every sword slash and catapult twang to glorious life.
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess review (9/10)
Wii Sports (Nintendo)
The best-selling game of all time thanks to its status as the default in-pack game for the phenomenally successful Wii, this compilation of waggle-and-lunge sporting events endures because beneath the gimmickry of motion control lies a wonderfully balanced and tuned party game. It's probably the only game that your mum has played, but don't hold that against it. Wii Sports is concentrated fun.
Wii Sports review (8/10)
Personal Recommendations
Johnny Minkley, Eurogamer TV - Wii Fit
"Just as Wii Sports defined motion-control, so Nintendo's engaging exercise-'em-up sold the Balance Board concept with charming brilliance. Its genius is in making fitness fun - to the point where the player becomes so engrossed in the mini-games they forget they're actually working out."
Wii Fit review (8/10)
Martin Robinson, Features Editor - Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Skies
"A rare sequel to a cult classic, Treasure's Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Skies is the studio's best work since Ikaruga - and indeed since the N64 original. It's an on-rails shooter, but it's a ride to remember - imaginative, exhilarating and challenging, this is one of the Wii's finest."
Sin and Punishment 2 review (8/10)
Tom Bramwell, Editor at Large - No More Heroes
"Suda 51's output has always had a strange relationship with reality, so by his usual standards No More Heroes is practically a simulation game - a weird assassination adventure where you do chores and then hunt down stylish super villains and hack them up with a laser sword. It's one of the most imaginative games on a platform built by Nintendo, which says a lot, and it's also wonderfully open to interpretation."
No More Heroes review (8/10)
John Bedford, Content Editor - Monster Hunter Tri
"In an era of human history that may one day come to be known as Barbecue Man, Monster Hunter Tri scratches every itch going. Endless crafting, the thrill of heading out on a hunt, and a wonderfully bizarre cooking mini-game. All of which is laid on top of a never-ending quest to grind just one more hide to complete your next armour set. Your first Great Jaggi kill will live with you forever - unlike your neighbours, who'll be onto Social Services before heading out to do some house-hunting."
Monster Hunter Tri review (9/10)
Wesley Yin-Poole, News Editor - Goldeneye 007
"GoldenEye was more than the best Wii-exclusive first-person shooter. It offered the most robust online experience on Nintendo's online-starved console. Old-school game modes, Classic Controller support and (relatively) seamless competitive play made GoldeneEye a much-needed shot in the arm for the genre on Wii."
Goldeneye 007 review (7/10)