The Best Wii Games On The Market

Despite the great debates raging online about which are the very good to average Wii games on the market, there is a general consensus when it comes to the best of the best Wii games. Right, Maverick?

Below is the list that I've put together from several hours of online research and game playing. I make no claims that it is the definitive list, as there will always be some who disagree with it, but from what I could see, the gamers who know their stuff are giving consistently high marks to these games - and after playing them I can sure see why.

Due to the ever increasing list of best Wii games arriving on the market I have now divided the list into yearly categories, giving you a clearer view on the latest and long lasting best Wii games.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
The sequel to one of 2009's most action-packed, brutal and fun Wii game releases!

Tatsunoko VS Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
Fantastic match-up fighting game where you can create your own fighting teams, pitting them against familiar characters from the gaming and anime universe!

Metroid: Other M
The latest in the popular Metroid series is sure to be one of the most anticipated Wii games released in 2010!

Red Steel 2
Exclusively designed for the Wii MotionPlus, Red Steel 2 is a beautifully stylised mix of Samurai and wild west!

Fast Food Panic
Fast-paced game requiring you to create and maintain your own hectic restaurant while cooking delicious meals and keeping customers happy. Not as easy as it sounds!

The Beatles: Rock Band
Rock Band has managed to steal some thunder from both SingStar and Guitar Hero, as it seamlessly melds the two gaming styles together, but also adds a whole lot more (like Drums!). Releasing a Beatles Only edition was a stroke of genius that the SingStar guys should have been on to long ago, as the song catalog available is the most diverse of any band on the planet! With songs taken throughout their career, from the heady days at the Cavern Club, all the way up to their final roof top performance, The Beatles: Rock Band is by far the best in the series, and one that will have you and your friends harmonizing until the early hours, whether you're a Beatles fan or not!

New Super Mario Bros.
The latest in the hugely-popular, Nintendo-only series of Mario platform games is also by far the most challenging. Once again Princess Peach has been kidnapped and it's up to Mario to save her. This time, however, he can have some help on board, in the shape of multi-player characters (up to 4 at any one time), which can add to the hilarity or frustration, depending on how serious you are. While not as visually stunning as Mario Galaxy, New Super Mario Bros. out does the previous release with some of hardest levels ever imagined by Nintendo and gamers alike. With hours and hours of playability, this newest addition to the franchise will be hard to top!

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex
The Call of Duty franchise has excelled in leaps and bounds over the years, with each new release taking the war game genre to new heights. Never before has that been the case as with Modern Warfare: Reflex. If you only own a Wii console, you might not have taken much notice when Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare exploded on the scene for XBox, PS3 and PC a few years ago - well now you have your chance to see what all the fuss was about. Reflex makes the transition to Wii effortless, and provides an intense, engaging and thoroughly enjoyable experience in console warfare!

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10
The closest you will get to playing the game for real, Tiger Woods PGA Tour is a stand-out amongst golfing games due to it's superb attention to detail and stunning visuals. Clearing up a number of issues that saw '09 tour "miss the green", this 2010 edition is smooth and flawless on everything from teeing off to the faintest puts. The addition of the Wii MotionSupport has made swing sensitivity as real as you can get without holding an actual club in your hand, and the challenging courses will keep you playing for endless hours as you try to master each one. Sure to entice golfing and non-golfing enthusiasts alike!

Punch-Out!!!
For those familiar with the original Punch-Out game released some 15 years ago this will make for a fun and nostalgic trip down memory lane, with many familiar characters returning with all new-jazzed up cartoon graphics. For those unfamiliar with the original, don't despair, this game is as side-splitting as it is teeth-splitting, with a number of challenging over-sized opponents ready to pummel you into the ground!

Guitar Hero: Metallica
Perhaps the perfect formula for the Guitar Hero format, this latest side project by the team who brought you the ground breaking Guitar Hero III a couple of years ago return to shake the foundations once again with one of the hardest rocking metal acts in the world. Delivery up to the hype and promise, this is a must have for any lover of the GH franchise, and any devotee of the awesome power of Metallica!

MadWorld - Created exclusively for the Wii, this is a world of over-the-top characters, outrageously monstrous bosses and chaotic, exaggerated violence. Stunningly realized world of stark graphic-novel-style blacks and whites and visceral injections of blood red - coupled with some of the most outlandish commentary you're likely to hear - makes this a gaming experience not easily forgotten. For a more detailed review of this game check out my Madworld - Best Wii Games Review

Nintendo Wii Fit - Combining the unique activity-driven Wii control system with aerobic-style exercise, the Wii Fit is the perfect fit for gamers who want to get even more from their Wii consoles. Supplied with a Wii Balance Board for weight and balance measurements, the mini-games and personal trainer modules with have your heart pumping in no time. It's still might be a case of 'no pain, no gain' but at least you can do so in the comfort of your own living room without costly gym membership fees. For a more detailed review of this game check out my WiiFit - Best Wii Games Review

Mario Kart Wii - One of the all-time favorite Nintendo classics is now available on the Wii! Combining the innovative Wii control system with the classic racing platform (beautifully updated for the Wii console), Mario Kart for the Wii is a natural progression for lovers of chaotic, fearless racing with all the familiar faces of the Mario universe and several new additions too! Available with the Mario Kart Wheel that transforms your Wii remote into a fully functioning steering wheel, this enhanced edition has all new tracks, thrills and spills galore! For a more detailed review of this game check out my Mario Kart Wii - Best Wii Games Review

No More Heroes - Incorporating some highly stylish graphics, No More Heroes is a mission-based bloodbath, where you assassinate your way up the chain to becoming the #1 assassin of all time. Featuring a cast of crazy characters and a whole lot of arterial spray, this one will have fans of the slash-em-up genre clambering for more.For a more detailed review of this game check out my No More Heroes - Best Wii Games Review

Okami - This fighting-adventure game about a mythical sun god in the form of an heroic wolf combines Japanese folklore with a highly stylized and engaging artistic feel. The result is an innovative and thoroughly enthralling release utilizing various styles of gameplay as you guide Amaterasu through a world rich with color and revolutionary graphical designs on his way to defeating the legendary monster Orochi. For a more detailed review of this game check out my Okami - Best Wii Games Review

Super Smash Bros Brawl - Bringing together a variety of characters from the Nintendo Universe, this is the third installment in the highly popular Super Smash Bros series. Here you get to take on opponents in a fighting arena, battling as or against such greats as Link from Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, Meta Knight from Kirby, Donkey Kong, Pikachu and of course, Mario, to name a few. Get your fight ON! For a more detailed review of this game check out my Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Best Wii Games Review

Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock - It's taking the world by storm and with good reason. This jamming sequel surpasses all previous offerings with 40 hardcore song challenges, kick-ass rock battles against some real-life guitar heroes and a new online mode that has you competing with wannabe heroes from around the globe! Rock the digital pants off digital groupies as you finger your way to becoming not just a Guitar Hero...but a Guitar GOD! Not to be missed! For a more detailed review of this game check out my Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock - Best Wii Games Review

Super Mario Galaxy - The latest and greatest of the Mario series sees our zany hero traverse amazingly detailed and in depth worlds in order to save Princess Peach. Fantastically rendered Mario universe in space - hours and hours of replay value, the best graphics seen on the Nintendo Wii to date, orchestral music - what are you still doing reading this? Go and get yourself a copy! For a more detailed review of this game check out my Super Mario Galaxy - Best Wii Games Review

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Perhaps the best Wii game on the market today, with vast, graphically-rich worlds to explore, high-octane battles and puzzle-solving a-plenty. Leaves the previous Metroid games for dead and is right at home with the Wii's unique control system. For a more detailed review of this game check out my Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Best Wii Games Review

Resident Evil 4 - High production level creates a creepy atmosphere in this suspenseful thrill ride of a game. Lots of replay value. A bargain at twice the price! For a more detailed review of this game check out my Resident Evil 4 - Best Wii Games Review

Mario Strikers Charged - Highly entertaining 'soccer' fun-fest starring all your favorites from the Mario Bros world. The WiFi online feature is reason alone to own this game. For a more detailed review of this game check out my Mario Strikers: Charged - Best Wii Games Review

Super Paper Mario - This 3rd release in the Paper Mario series is no slouch, making great use of the Wii remote and improved features. A tried and true formula that never gets boring. For a more detailed review of this game check out my Super Paper Mario - Best Wii Games Review

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Massive Hogwarts school grounds makes this an explorers dream. Great use of the controllers to cast all manner of spells. Fantastic sound and graphics and a long game play makes this great value for money. By far the best Harry Potter game yet. For a more detailed review of this game check out my Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix - Best Wii Games Review

Warioware: Smooth Moves - This micro-game collection covering all corners of the Nintendo universe brings back many fond favorites. A wild and crazy thrill-ride with terrific use of the Wii remote!

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Epic adventure story full of action-packed challenges. Great use of the controllers. Designers have outdone themselves with their attention to detail. Great value for money! For a more detailed review of this game check out my Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess - Best Wii Games Review

Excite Truck - High speed truck racing game, with great attention to detail and fluid game motion. Fast-paced fun for all!! Keep on truckin'. For a more detailed review of this game check out my Excite Truck - Best Wii Games Review

Rayman Raving Rabbids - Nintendo's most beloved character returns to save the day (and the world) from crazy rampaging rabbits. High energy mini-game madness. For a more detailed review of this game check out my Rayman Raving Rabbids - Best Wii Games Review

Madden NFL 07 - Fantastic multi-player feature, as well as lots of options and modes of play. Bonus tutorial for getting the most out of the Wii Remote is a deal-clincher. Vast improvement to Game Cube version.

It goes without saying that the Nintendo Wii is the most popular and innovative gaming system on the market, with an ever-growing catalog of fantastic games that all the family can enjoy. What brings an extra dimension to the already solid gaming structure of the Wii is the ability to download games (known as WiiWare) for the Wii's Virtual Console. Available through download are hundreds of archive games from NES, SNES, N64, Arcade, Commodore 64, NEOGEO, Sega Genesis, Sega Master System and TurboGrafx 16 - allowing you to relive your fond gaming memories of days gone by.

There are several different ways you can go nowadays when looking to download Wii games. As the popularity of the Wii grew, so too did the amount of websites claiming to offer risk-free, legal downloads for the Wii. These sites often offer not only Wii games but also movies, music, screen savers, images, applications and more, often for a once-only fee. Well, despite what they CLAIM, the only way to download Wii games legitimately is by doing so from official sources. Signing up to other, non-Nintendo-affiliated sites runs you the risk of not only being involved in illegal activity but also the potential of having viruses and /or spyware downloaded to your computer.

There are, in fact, currently only two ways that you can download Wii games for the Virtual Console legitimately...

Wii Shop Channel - The Official Nintendo Wii game download site. This is THE place to go for Wii downloads and offers the entire range of WiiWare currently available.

Amazon.com - The online retail giant has recently started offering WiiWare on it's site. The games will cost the same as they do through the Wii Shop Channel and you simply buy whats called an "Online Game Code" from Amazon which you can then redeem at the Wii Shop. The advantage of this is that it provides a familiar setting to buy downloadable games for those not yet familiar with the Wii Shop workings.

Amazon currently only offers one title for the Virtual Console, the excellent and hugely popular World of Goo. As of May 1st, 2009 Nintendo have not confirmed if they will offer more WiiWare games through Amazon.com

Below is a list of the best Wii games available to download, accumulated from many exhaustive hours and research and game play. While this is by no means the definitive list, it does contain games that across the board get consistently high review scores, not to mention my own personal stamp of approval. The list will be added to as new high-standard games become available.

Mega Man 9 - The beauty of Mega Man 9 is that the creators have kept the style back-to-basics, while putting efforts into the gaming engine to make this latest installment of the Mega Man series a must have on the Virtual Console. Wonderfully nostalgic for lovers of the series, yet up to the challenge of today's battle-hardened gamers, Mega Man 9 will keep you on the edge of your seat for many hours of exciting, platform action! For a more detailed review of Mega Man 9 please visit my best Wii games blog.

Life Force - Blowing away the competition of 8-bit shooter-style games on the Virtual Console is Life Force. New to the Wii's Virtual Console, this updated version of the previous Nintendo classic adds a whole new depth in the form of dual playing. That's right, now two players can battle through alien worlds together, making for a fantastically new and engaging adventure in space!

Ogre Battle: March Of The Black Queen - Headlining what is looking to be a fantastic year of games for the Wii's Virtual Console, this classic strategy RPG adventure sees you and your band of fighters traverse plains, mountains, rivers and forests in a quest to liberate the common folk from the treacherous Zetegenian Empire. An instant classic! For a more detailed review of Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen please visit my best Wii games blog.

World of Goo - Destined to be one of the best Wii games in history for the Virtual Console, this innovative puzzle-filled game looks deceiving simple on the surface but just may have you contacting gamers anonymous once it's subtle addictiveness takes hold. Guiding globs of goo across hazardous areas to be sucked up by pipes might not sound like much on paper, but then neither did Tetris and Lemmings, and we all know how they turned out. Available to buy now through Amazon.com

Streets of Rage 2 - Go back to the good old days of pixelated punch ups in this nostalgia-filled street fighter game. Play as one of four characters with different moves and strengths/weaknesses and take the beatings to the street. Still wonderfully well-designed, with great music and playability, even after so long. One of the best punch-up street fighter games money can buy!

Super Mario 64 - What list of best games for a Nintendo game platform would be complete without at least ONE Mario game. SM64 was one of the first games offered for the Wii's Virtual Console back in 2006 and it's remained a favorite ever since. The Godfather of these sorts of platform games, Super Mario 64 is beautifully emulated on the Wii and will bring back fond memories as you track down your 120 stars!

Introducing Nintendo Wii Fit

One of the most popular releases for the Nintendo Wii is the phenomenon known as Wii Fit. Currently in huge demand throughout the United States and the rest of the world, the Wii Fit was really a case of 'when' rather than 'if' it was going to happen.

Taking the fun and engaging innovativeness of the Wii controller system and combining it with aerobic-style exercise, this is a natural if not perfect fit for the gaming console that promotes so much activity in it's regular game releases. It's no wonder then that Nintendo would decide to capitalize on this, especially when we all know how hard it can be to actually get to a gym in these days of busy lifestyles and pricey gym memberships. The Nintendo Wii Fit definitely saves you time and money in that case, but it also adds the sort of fun you've come to expect from this unique platform, making it hardly seem like you're exercising at all!

The Wii Fit pack also comes with it's own Wii Balance Board, able to support weights of up to 300 pounds and measure a person's balancing ability and center of gravity.

No Pain - No Gain, that's what they say and the Nintendo Wii Fit isn't all fun and games - with varying levels of difficulty the mini-games and training modes definitely get the heart pumping and the muscles burning - but that's what exercise is all about, and with a 30 minute session completed in the morning you'll be feeling better for it all day.

For a more detailed review of the Wii Fit package check out my WiiFit - Best Wii Games Review - or you can visit the Nintendo Wii Fit page at Amazon.com

Man, games sure have come a long way since I was a kid. I remember getting an Atari 2600 when I was about 10 years old and thinking how it kicked butt over our previous gaming console - that one only played "pong".

Today the technology available to create games is fast approaching the imaginations of those who make them, producing vast gaming worlds with incredibly involved control functionality (certainly compared to the Atari joystick). With more complex playability and talented designers striving to outdo one another it can be hard to decide not only which game is right for you, but which gaming console - as the type of console best suited to your needs or wants can depend heavily on the games available for it.

I have therefore compiled a list of what I feel are the essentials to look for in determining the best Wii games. If all the checkpoints below are in the positive then it's a safe bet you've got one of the greats on your hands.

1. The most important factor of course, is the game fun to play? If it's not, then what's the point in owing it?

2. Replay Value. Can you play and play and play and play and play this game and still find new and exciting elements to keep your interest up?

3. How does it look? Does the design grab you? Can you sit and stare at the screen for hours on end and not feel like vomiting?

4. Does the game make the most of the controller? Not as important as the points above, but you want a game that uses more than just a couple of buttons - otherwise I've got a secondhand Atari 2600 you can buy for cheap.

5. How's the music/sound effects? Sound plays a big part in the overall gaming experience and you want your explosions to sound like explosions, not like a fart in the bath.

6. Originality. For me, breaking the mold is the least important aspect of what makes a Wii game the best of the bunch, but it deserves an honorable mention. Innovation is more important to me than total reinvention.