Best of the Best - Wii

To celebrate and anticipate the upcoming 500th entry on SuperPhillip Central, I've decided to do something special. It's called Best of the Best, and it's a three part series showcasing the best every platform this generation has to offer thus far. This week we're starting off with the Wii. Included with each game is my original review. Just click on the game title if there's a review available.

Super Mario Galaxy

Not just one of the Wii's best games, but one of the best games this generation. It's the magnificent Super Mario Galaxy, a game that's fun to go after stars or just fool around with the gravity mechanic. Mario once again moves like a dream in a game that's challenging but not overly, frustratingly so. Who knew that we'd get a sequel to this game the same generation? That has to be some kind of miracle.


Super Smash Bros. Brawl

The all-star brawl is on with Super Smash Bros. Brawl. While not a perfect game with the okay Subspace Emissary and the clumsy characters tripping occasionally, this game is packed with content more so than any other Wii game with more characters, more stages, more music, and objectively more fun than past Smash games. The amount of content available will have players brawling for days before even coming close to seeing all the game has to offer. Sakurai and crew did a phenomenal job with this game.


The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Also available on Nintendo's doomed console, the Gamecube, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the closest thing to Ocarina of Time since, well, Ocarina of Time. With a myriad of puzzling dungeons, a cast of charming characters, and plenty of hours to sink in as you explore Hyrule, Twilight Princess is yet another jewel in the Legend of Zelda franchise's crown. The Wii version brought with it pointer functionality that paved the way for games to follow. Whether you prefer it on Gamecube or Wii, Twilight Princess is a great game that no Wii owner should be without.


Metroid Prime Trilogy

I was going to mention Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, but I can just kill three birds with charge shot by bringing up Metroid Prime Trilogy instead. Featuring all three of the Metroid Prime games, the two Gamecube, and one Wii title, Metroid Prime Trilogy is the best collection you can find on Wii-- arguably this generation. The level design of all three games is superb, and the new Wii controls make Prime 1 and 2 control like completely different games-- and that's for the better by the way.


Mario Kart Wii

Mario Kart Wii feels like the most complete Mario Kart yet. It has thirty-two tracks, sixteen old and sixteen new, a bounty of characters, karts, and options, and a terrific online system-- something Brawl would be jealous of. The only kink in Mario Kart Wii's armor is that the game can feel very cheap in later difficulties with items being tossed around like confetti. Other than, Mario Kart Wii is a fantastic addition to the franchise and to one's Wii collection.


Excitebots: Trick Racing

From one racer to another with Excitebots: Trick Racing. Excitebots is a sequel to the Wii launch title Excite Truck. In this case you're racing robotic creatures like crabs and ladybugs instead of four-wheelers. The game is mad fun with friends and terrific alone as well. It's not just about coming first as much as it is about doing it in style, earning stars by performing tricks such as tree runs and super sandwiches. Have I lost you yet? Just pick up the game to see what I mean.


Animal Crossing: City Folk

Feeling more like Animal Crossing 2.5 than a full-fledged new entry in the series, Animal Crossing: City Folk is still a fun experience. The big new additions to the game include the city where players can meet Crazy Redd, get their hair done differently, and bid at auctions, and downloadable content that is still supported to this day. Taking care of your town and conversing with your citizens is still a big part of what makes Animal Crossing so great, and the included Wii Speak online play is a wonderful experience, too.


Wario Land Shake It!

Shake what your mama gave you with Wario Land: Shake It! With 39 levels, some optional, to explore, Wario has a lot of excavating for treasure to do. You could play the game one of two ways: 1) run through the levels without going for treasure, or 2) collecting treasure and completing the challenge goals like don't get hit in a level. Players who followed choice #2 found a much more rewarding game than those who just breezed through it. Couple that with one of the best soundtracks last year, and Wario Land Shake It! is a platformer that shouldn't be missed.


Wii Sports Resort

Nintendo's premier game utilizing MotionPlus, Wii Sports Resort features twelve unique sports from table tennis to golf, basketball to bowling. Each sport has alternate versions like 10-pin bowling and 100-pin bowling. Some sports work extraordinarily well while others do not such as cycling. Regardless, it's difficult not to find a sport you'll love in this package. Not to mention that this game is a local multiplayer bonanza of laughter and fun.


Super Paper Mario

Flip it good! Super Paper Mario had an interesting gameplay mechanic to it. Mario could at any time flip the dimension, that is, he could walk on a traditional 2D plane or flip it to a 3D one. This trick was used countless times throughout the course of the game. A huge mountain stands in Mario's way in 2D? Flip it, and he can go behind it in 3D. Super Paper Mario is a wonderful, if not verbose, adventure that Wii owners should skimp out on.


Little King's Story

Take command of your subjects as you attempt to expand your kingdom far from its original boundaries. Little King's Story is one of the best Wii games of the year, and it commands more attention than it's been receiving. While there's no Wii remote functionality which makes things sometimes unwieldy, the game has a feel that a lot of heart and soul was put into the game, something that many games lack.


Boom Blox

The first game resulting from the partnership between EA and director Steven Spielberg, Boom Blox is a physics-based puzzler that's a blast to play-- literally! There's a variety of different puzzles to solve-- over 100-- and they range from knocking down a stack of blocks in as few throws as possible to carefully pulling out blocks from a large tower without having it fall over, Jenga-style. You can also create your own stages and send them to friends. Speaking of friends, like Wii Sports Resort, it's a wonderful game to play with friends.


Bully: Scholarship Edition

Also available on the Xbox 360, Bully: Scholarship Edition on Wii is GTA without all the juvenile "69-styled" humor. You play as Jimmy Hopkins, a boy who has bounced from boarding school to boarding school and is not at Bullsworth Academy. It's his goal to rule the school. Wii functionality from dissecting frogs to shooting foes with his slingshot is included, and these touches are done very well. There's so much to do that the game will take at least 24 real-time hours to complete. School is back in session.



Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10

Quite possibly the best, most entertaining golf simulator ever, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 for Wii brings with it 27 courses, seven of which are brand-new, friend code-free online, an exhaustive create-a-golfer, and tactile response with the Wii MotionPlus peripheral. Even without the attachment, the game plays beautifully. This is yet another game with a smorgasbord of content from tournaments to challenges.


We Love Golf!

We go from a realistic golf game to a cartoon golf game with the exceptional We Love Golf! While you don't swing the Wii remote like you would with Tiger Woods, the game plays just fine regardless. There's eight varied courses in all from canyons to flower gardens, ten characters, each with a special Capcom-themed costume to unlock, and fun match play-styled online play to boot. This golf bag is definitely packed. Not more than Tiger, but those wanting a less realistic experience can't go wrong with We Love Golf!


Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon

Not as difficult as most rogue-likes, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeons is another game brimming with charm. The gameplay is fast and fluid, the presentation is top-notch, and the hours you'll spend completing the game will be long and lasting. There's also online card-battling as seen in another Final Fantasy Fables game, Chocobo Tales for the DS.



Klonoa

The Wii version of Door to Phantomile, Klonoa received a huge graphical overhaul, and it looks very impressive. The game is a 2 1/2D platformer. The catch is that Klonoa can grab certain enemies and use them to leap to higher platforms. This mechanic is main draw to the series other than superb platforming action. Klonoa will only take three hours to beat, but it's a very satisfying three hours... and three hours you'll want to revisit again and again.


de Blob

de Blob sold rather well for THQ which is a great surprise. The aim of de Blob is to color as much of Radian City as possible by completing challenges as de Blob trudges on to save the day. de Blob is a very entertaining 3D platformer that's easy on the eyes and fun throughout its duration.


Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

Resident Evil 4 is one of the best games of last generation, and definitely one of the best Gamecube games available. It comes to Wii with brand new controls as all of the extras of the Playstation 2 version making Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition the definitive version of this epic and classic game.


The House of the Dead: Overkill

Rail-shooters seem to be the popular genre for third parties on Wii. If they're as high of quality as the House of the Dead: Overkill, then maybe that isn't so bad. Featuring a grindhouse-style presentation, crude humor and foul language, six levels to blast zombies back to being inanimate, and multiple unlockables to attain, House of the Dead: Overkill is my personal favorite light-gun shooter period.


MadWorld

From very violent to ultra-violent, MadWorld is all about scoring points. How do you score points? Killing enemies in as gruesome and creative as possible. Featuring a distinctive black-and-white art style, MadWorld plays a lot like another overlooked game, God Hand for the PS2. It seems Platinum Games is doomed to make games that cater to a niche market. If that means they can keep on rolling, then so be it!


As you can see, the Wii has a lot of great games that don't fall under the typical genres. Honorable mentions include No More Heroes, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat.