While the Wii was notable for its shovelware and lack of quality control, it had a lot of great games, both first and third-party. Unfortunately, unlike the Wii U, which had most of its quality exclusives brought over to the Switch, the same can not be said for the original Wii.
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This is especially sad, considering the Wii was the only console that gen that lacked HDMI support meaning you may’t even hook it up to most TVs today. Sure, the HDMI-supported Wii U plays Wii games, but given its poor sales, most will likely have the original instead. Adapting the motion controls could be difficult, but it can be done.
10The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Twilight Princessreceived an HD remaster on the Wii U. But with no backward compatibility on Switch, modern players can’t easily play this fantasticZeldaentry. This is still many people’sfavorite Zelda titleand definitely one of the best 3D Zeldas.
Midna is a great supporting character, better than most of the others, and the dungeons, bosses, and items are all solid. Considering most 3D Zeldas have a cel-shaded art style, playing Twilight Princess with its realistic feel is quite refreshing.Skyward Swordgot an amazing Switch release, so why not Twilight Princess?
9Super Mario Galaxy 2
You might not understand how big a deal it was for another mainlineMariotitle to release on the same console. Most of the time, since the SNES, you received only one mainline Mario entry per system, but the Wii changed that.Super Mario Galaxy 2is a bigger, better version of Mario Galaxy with more levels and them being of higher quality.
You can tell the designers learned from the first game to make these new stages even better and more creative. The new power-ups like the Cloud Flower were especially standout, and riding on Yoshi was still fun, even if he isn’t used a lot. Every other home console 3D Mario is on the Switch, except for Galaxy 2, and it’s a shame asit’s one of the best.
8Punch-Out!!
Like the 3D Mario situation, every mainline title in thePunch-Outseries is on the Nintendo Switch, except for one. Punch-Out Wii is not only one of the best games on the system but one of the best remakes in gaming. It might not seem like a remake, but for people familiar with the NES game, a lot of the same tech remains.
The gameplay remains fun, satisfying, and challenging at all levels of skill. There’s not much more exhilarating than nailing near-frame perfect counters here. It’s got a great length too, and just when you think you’ve beaten it, you’ll realize you’re only halfway done. Easily Next Level Games' best work, and it’s a crime that it’s not available on the Switch.
7Madworld
There’s a Nintendo Wii hidden gem in Madworld. This was actually PlatinumGames' first title, and it was a good start. The Sin City comic book-like graphics fit perfectly for the Wii, and the gameplay revolving around getting the most creative kills is a lot of fun. The soundtrack is straight-fire and worth listening to on its own.
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Madworld can be a challenging game, though, since there are no checkpoints. If you die at the end boss, you’ll have to redo the whole level again. This can be frustrating, but regardless, Madworld is a must title on the Wii with its uniqueness and worth porting over to Switch and PC.
6Scarface: The World Is Yours
A fan-favoriteGTAclone on the PS2 and Wii is Scarface: The World Is Yours. Having the film’s ending play out differently, you play as Tony Montana, a dream character for a GTA clone. With his personality and frequent swearing, he’s probably more fun to play than almost any other protagonist in the GTA series.
What made the Wii port so special was the driving controls. It worked perfectly and felt brand new in the industry. Going back to traditional driving inGTA4, especially with its awkward physics, just felt wrong. Scarface still has a large cult following, and demand is there for a rerelease.
5Donkey Kong Country Returns
After Retro Studios finished theMetroid Prime Trilogy, they would revitalize theDonkey Kong Countryseries with DKC Returns. Living up to the standards set by Rare’s games, DKC Returns has arguably the best 2D platforming on the system. With plenty of level gimmicks and a lot of challenge, Returns is engaging the whole way through.
In some ways, it’s better than its sequel. The bosses in Tropical Freeze are way too long, while Return’s bosses are simpler. Returns also received a 3DS port with more content, and with its sequel already on the Switch, the first title should follow suit.
4New Super Mario Bros. Wii
There are four total ‘New Super Mario Bros’ games, and only the Wii U installment is on the Switch. Why not all four, including the DS game, 3DS title, and New Super Mario Bros Wii? The Wii entry was particularly notable because it was the first home console 2D Mario since the SNES.
The game itself is a solid 2D platformer. However, it’s infamous for its dastardly multiplayer. Rest assured, you’ll be eitherintentionally or unintentionally killing the other players. Nintendo should bundle all these games into one collection for the Switch, as their all fun in their own right.
3Zack & Wiki
Another hidden gem for the Wii is Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure. It’s a stellar puzzle game with a lot required in terms of the Wii’s controls. This could be why it hasn’t yet been remastered, but it’s definitely doable. Zack & Wiki is quite a punishing title, though, and it takes some trial and error to get through most of the puzzles.
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The characters are all great with that distinct Capcom personality, and it’s unfortunate that Zack & Wiki seemed destined to flop. Even at release, most knew this game wouldn’t do well, and it didn’t. This is the game least likely to get an actual remaster, but it absolutely should.
2Super Paper Mario
Super Paper Mariois quite underrated. Sure, it’s nothing like the previous two games, but it’s a solid Mario adventure on its own merit. Plus, it still has that Paper Mario weirdness. The main element of Super Paper Mario isswitching from 2D to 3D, which was really fun and novel at the time.
Nowadays, the dimension switch has been done quite a bit, but it was a unique idea at release. It’s still a fun title to play today, and the Wii’s controls aren’t used to the extreme like Zack & Wiki, so it should be an easier time porting this over.
1Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
The first Metroid Prime got remastered on the Switch, which is great, but what about the other two games leading up to the fourth installment? Metroid Prime 3 was an early Wii title and a fitting end to the Prime Trilogy. It’s probably the weakest of the three, but that’s not saying much, considering all of them are fantastic. The motion controls all worked well, with pointing and shooting feeling great.
The other two Prime games need a remaster so badly because some people do like to play games consecutively. Some prefer to play through the trilogy all in secession, which might be why they’re holding off on buying the first remaster. They’re waiting to purchase them all at once, which should come sooner rather than later.
