Top Ten Wii Games Under $30

I know how it is. The economy hasn't been kind, money's tight, and you're looking for cheap games for maximum fun. That's exactly what this top ten is all about this week. Why not go after the most purchased console worldwide to start things off? That's what I asked myself, and I agreed that the answer was "sure, why not?" These are my favorite Wii games that you can purchase for under thirty bucks. Thanks to Squidoo for the inspiration.

10) Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure

This is a hard one to recommend, but since you can find it so cheap nowadays I'll do so anyway. If you're a lover of brain puzzles especially ones that are terribly unforgiving, check out Zack & Wiki from Capcom. The game oozes with style and features some devilish and devious puzzles. Being so cheap now I can ignore the motion controls that don't always work especially in later stages, the annoying "Zaku" cry from Wiki, and the hour-long puzzles where one mistake has you starting from the beginning of the level. If you can deal with those beefs and have twenty dollars or less to burn, then Zack & Wiki just might be the game for you.

9) Battalion Wars II

At ease, soldier! Battalion Wars II may be war, and war may be Hell, but it's a whole heck of a lot of fun! Take on colorful tanks, infantry, anti-air guns, planes, and boats as you command your army one soldier at a time. You can even hop online and play with a friend... though Wii Speak would have been a great invention at the time... If the fast RTS-esque gameplay doesn't satisfying you, then may I suggest enlisting in a different army next time? You can now find Battalion Wars II for around thirty bucks depending on where you go. Dismissed, maggot!

8) Blast Works: Build, Trade, and Destroy

LittleBigPlanet paved the way for creation in the platforming genre, but Blast Works beat that game by a year or so in the shmup genre. The game included with Blast Works isn't much to write home about, but the real gem in this game is the ability to create your own ships, enemies, levels, and backgrounds using the creator inside the game. You can then upload your creations online and share them with thousands of players around the world. The game released for twenty dollars, so you can bet you can find this game even cheaper now. If you're any kind of fan of shmups, you owe it to yourself to pick this game up and start creating!

7) de Blob

This colorful platformer is all about painting the town red... and blue... and yellow... and you get the idea. As the titular character, Chroma City is in need of sprucing up, and by rolling around in paint you can do that. Challenges abound in the game's many levels asking you to paint a block one color, reach a goal within a time limit, and rescue the inhabitants of the city to name a few. Some folks had a problem with the save system which makes players play for at least a half hour before being able to save. Other than that issue, de Blob is a worthwhile platformer that you can get for less than twenty dollars and play in anticipation for de Blob 2 that was just recently announced.

6) The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces

Fly to the skies above with The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces, my surprise love of the year (apart from Tatsunoko VS. Capcom). This game has you assigned to eighteen missions of increasingly harder challenges. One you'll be fending off comrade attackers while another you'll just be tasked with taking out every enemy target in sight. The sense of flight could come only from the elite team at Project Aces, who worked on the Ace Combat series. If you can deal with the annoying characters, confusing story, and the occasional tough-as-nails mission, you'll fly right by being beside this ace. Sky Crawlers can be snagged for just about thirty dollars.

5) The Munchables

Part Katamari, part Pac-man, The Munchables was and is a severely overlooked title in the Wii's library. It originally launched at a budget price of thirty dollars, so you can probably find it even cheaper now. The gameplay is all about gobbling up monsters that are smaller or at the same size level your Munchable is at. As you munch and crunch monsters, you grow in size, allowing you access to other portions of the level. It's a charming game with lush and vibrant visuals, infectious music, a hilarious story, and crazy gameplay. Chow down and eat up with the Munchables on a Nintendo Wii system near you.

4) Klonoa

The floppy-eared hero is back in this remake of the original Klonoa, Door to Phantomile. It may be only three or so hours long, but this is the type of game you'll be wanting to come back for more and more. Klonoa grabs enemies and can use them for leverage to reach higher platforms or to toss at other baddies. The visuals have received a significant overall, and the entire package is just presented wonderfully from the cut-scenes to the soundtrack. For anyone who loves platformers, you can easily pick Klonoa up at a retailer near you for under thirty dollars! You'll thank me for sure.

3) Boom Blox

Put some boom into your day with Boom Blox. This game is all about block puzzles. Some have you delicately pulling blocks from a wavering tower Jenga-style while others have you trying to tip over towers in as few throws as possible. If that's not enough, you can always create your own levels with the easy-to-use in-game tool. This is a terrific single-player game, but where it shines is the local multi-player. You can pick up the original Boom Blox, my preferred version of the game, for around $29.99 at most retailers. I'm cheating since I'm not including tax, so bear with me on this one!

2) The House of the Dead: Overkill

It's not just good. It's mother$%#$ing good. Or at least that's what the people behind the game would say verbatim. The House of the Dead: Overkill is without a doubt my favorite rail-shooter on Wii. It's got plenty of secrets and weapons to unlock, six levels of zombie-blasting action (it's all the rage, you know), and enough profanity to make Joan Rivers blush. The game was once fifty dollars and well worth the asking price, but now you can snag yourself a copy for less than twenty dollars. Is that crazy or is that crazy? Now you, too, can blast away the zombie menace in style.

1) Excitebots: Trick Racing

Chosen by me as the best racer of 2009, Excitebots: Trick Racing isn't your typical racer. Sure, you can cross the finish line in first, but it won't matter if you didn't do it with some style. Earning enough stars separates first from worst in this adrenaline-charged racer. If the solo action isn't fulfilling your need for competition (and why wouldn't it?), you can hop online and challenge opponents worldwide to compete for stars. These stars can be used to purchase new bots and paint jobs. Tanking at retail, it's no wonder stores like Best Buy are currently offering $15 for this excellent racer. Grab it while you still can as it's now out of print!

You're welcome. Did I leave out a game that you really love that's under thirty dollars? Let everyone on SPC know by posting in our comments section.