The Best Nintendo Wii Video Games of Last Generation

Developer: Capcom
Date: 2009

A rare game in the Wii library to focus its attention on online multiplayer, Monster Hunter Tri used Wii Speak to enhance communication between its players. As a group of hunters, players worked as a team to prepare a hunt, map out a plan of attack, and capture or kill the targeted monsters. The monsters – big, beautiful, scary creatures – gave this fantastical game its heart and soul.

Developer: Ubisoft
Date: 2010

An early adapter of the Wii Motion Plus, Red Steel 2 improved upon its predecessor in every way, starting with the graphics. Rather than aiming for realism, Red Steel 2 went with a cel-shaded, graphic novel aesthetic, which perfectly suited the over-the-top combat. A samurai meets cowboy concoction, Red Steel 2 is one of the most underrated first person shooters of all time. Although it was critically acclaimed, it was a commercial disappointment – a damned shame, because Red Steel 3 would have been incredible.

Developer: Good-Feel
Date: 2010

The Wii had low processing power versus its competitors, but Kirby's Epic Yarn, with its textile-like scenery and attacks, rendered the graphics argument moot. Kirby, with King Dedede and MetaKnight in tow, made a well-advised jump from Dream Land to Patch Land. The developers went all out in this late era Wii gem, with a distinctive, adorable visual style that deflated all cynicism. Who needed high-res when you had this much style?

Developer: Electronic Arts
Date: 2008

Envisioned by none other than Steven Spielberg himself, Boom Blox was a fun puzzle game with a simple objective – knock down towers of blocks. Boom Blox, however, was complex in its implementation – the game had a wonderful physics engine that was subtly responsive to angle and power. The Wii-mote, at its worst, could feel like a cheap ploy, but Boom Blox used 'waggle' to its best potential.

Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
Date: 2010

Just as Red Steel 2 did, No More Heroes 2 learned from the mistakes of its predecessor. It isolated the best element of the first game – the over-the-top boss battles – and made it the centerpiece of the gameplay. Darkly humored, nostalgic, and vaguely Freudian – anyone who's had to 'charge' their sword knows what's up – No More Heroes 2 was a sloppy, adolescent kiss to the worst elements of geek culture, and we mean that in the most complimentary way.

Developer: Retro Studios
Date: 2010

It would be easy to be cynical about this game – another first party remake? – but Donkey Kong Country Returns perfected the SNES Kong formula, refining it to such a degree of quality that it became impossible to deny. This past summer, a lot of Nintendo fans cried foul when Retro Studios announced that they were working on a new Donkey Kong instead of a new Metroid. If the new game is anything like this one, however, then it's definitely good news.

Developer: Capcom
Date: 2007

Point and Click is a genre that ebbs and flows in popularity. Telltale Games, with The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us, has been its most recent champion. In 2007, however, Zack & Wiki was the best example of this cerebral genre. An aspiring pirate and his buddy monkey? It didn't sound very promising, but Zack & Wiki had to played to be believed.

Developer: Vanillaware
Date: 2009

A hardcore game for hardcore gamers, Muramasa was not for the faint of heart. Combining the best of side scrollers and RPGs, Muramasa was a huge hit in Japan before being brought over to the States. With its extreme difficulty, distinctive weapons, and beautiful, 2-D art style, it was shogun-style gaming for masochists.

Developer: Next Level Games
Date: 2009

Punch-Out!! was, on its surface, a boxing game. At its core, however, it was a puzzle game – one high-wire boss battle after another. To win at Punch-Out!!, one had to learn each opponent's weakness and hammer that weakness to its full effect. Politically incorrect and exploitative of every race and creed, Punch-Out!! was an equal opportunity offender. Its Title Defense mode set a bar for difficulty that will not be surpassed – you may think you know humiliation, but really don't until you've had your ass handed to you by Glass Joe. Glass. Freaking. Joe.

Developer: Nintendo
Date: 2006

A collection of mini-games that launched with the console, Wii Sports was beautiful in its simplicity. The game did everything it was supposed to do – show off the system's capabilities – but it also gave every old school gamer a twinge of nostalgia. It recalled the 'good old days,' when all you needed was a basic controller, with two buttons and a control pad, in order to have fun. Wii Sports pushed video games back into the mainstream with its 'anyone can play' ethos. Sometimes, less is more.

Developer: Capcom
Date: 2007

Morir es vivir. Morir es vivir. Resident Evil 4 has been resurrected countless times, and rightfully so – it's one of the greatest video games in history, and the pinnacle of the Resident Evil franchise. The Wii port, however, remains the best version of this classic, smoothly incorporating the Wii-mote into the run-and shoot gameplay. A shake of the Wii-mote reloaded your gun, and the new aim-and-shoot mechanics added realism and tension – now, you had to keep your hands steady as you sniped Ganados from a distance.

Developer: Nintendo
Date: 2007

There are two types of RPGs – those that slowly ease the player into its mechanics, and those that expect the player to come in with a certain level of RPG expertise. The Fire Emblem franchise is a member of the latter group – if someone in your party 'died,' they were, for all intents and purposes, 'dead' for good. It was an added stress that was too much for most players, but for those who braved the steep learning curve, Radiant Dawn reaped fruitful, meaningful rewards.

Developer: Intelligent Systems
Date: 2007

Super Paper Mario's central gimmick – the ability to flip between 2D and 3D – allowed for some wonderful puzzle scenarios. This gimmick, combined with the ability to control four different characters – Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Bowser – made for a varied, creative game. Super Paper Mario had a great sense of humor, colorful graphics, and a surprisingly touching storyline about the power of love, be it romantic, platonic, or fraternal. No one would expect to shed tears over a character named Count Bleck, but Super Paper Mario managed the impossible.

Developer: Retro Studios
Date: 2007

The Wii, by its very design, is perfect for first person shooters, and Metroid Prime 3 is no exception. Maintaining all that made the Prime series a critical darling, Corruption upped the stakes significantly. Samus was not only fighting Space Pirates, but she was also fighting the Phazon mutagen that had corrupted her. When combined this with some amazing boss battles – the Meta Ridley battle, inspired by the Gandalf vs. Balrog fight in Lord of the Rings, was particularly epic – voila! An instant classic.

Developer: Treasure
Date: 2009

An arcade-like rail shooter with an unforgiving difficulty level, Star Successor was a big middle finger to whiners who complained that games were 'too easy.' It was the closest that games have come to classic Contra since... well... Contra. Star Successor had a score multiplier that rewarded accuracy, and a gorgeous, soft art style that contrasted perfectly with the gun-heavy combat.

Developer: Nintendo
Date: 2008

Brawl had unrealistically big shoes to fill – Melee was such a rousing success that anything short of the Second Coming would have been a disappointment. As it turned out, Brawl came within a hair of meeting those expectations. With a massive roster that included Sonic, MetaKnight, and Solid Snake, a lavishly produced single player campaign, and an obscene amount of fan service (R.O.B. the Robot, anyone?), Brawl's positives more than outweighed its one negative – a lag-tastic online multiplayer. To this day, Nintendo favors face-to-face party play over online interaction, and there wasn't a more fun game to rock in your friend's basements than Brawl.

Developer: Nintendo
Date: 2008

Nintendo developers are the kings of peripherals. With Star Fox 64, they introduced the Rumble Pak, and with Mario Kart Wii, they introduced the Wii Wheel, adding intuition to an already accessible franchise. Mario Kart Wii delivered on all cylinders (pun intended), with 16 brand new tracks and 16 old favorites from past games in the franchise. The game's multiplayer added to an already incredible game, allowing players to race to the top of the world, one game breaking Blue Shell at a time.

Developer: Monolith Soft
Date: 2011

After playing Xenoblade for several hours, what really resonates is how expansive everything seems – the game is all open range and sunlight. The horizon stretches eternally into the distance, symbolizing the seemingly insurmountable odds that Shulk and his friends must overcome. Xenoblade engaged in intensive world building, making us care about the mythology and backstory of the Bionis and the Mechonis. Nintendo is famous for its nurture and support of incredible RPGs, and Xenoblade was an excellent continuation of that tradition.

Developer: Nintendo
Date: 2007/2010

Is it a cheat to put two games in the #2 spot? Probably, but Galaxy 1 and Galaxy 2 really are two sides of the same golden coin. The first game revolutionized what was possible with a platformer, and the second game perfected and refined that revolution, adding Yoshi and new mechanics to an already incredible package. What stands out, even after all these years, is the wonderful physics that governed Mario's jumping, from satellite to satellite, from star to star. Also notable are the multi-layered boss battles, the best that the franchise ever dreamt up. Let's a-go!

Developer: Nintendo
Date: 2011

Nintendo knows better than to rush things – they're famous for delaying their first party games for years, just to ensure that they are up to scratch. Coming near the tail end of the Wii's lifecycle, Skyward Sword spent three years in development. It ultimately delivered an epic tale, inspired graphics, and the 1-to-1 swordplay – thanks to the Wii Motion Plus – that we dreamt of when the Wii console was first announced. Mario may have the cuteness and the flawless control, but Link and Zelda have the depth and resonance. Every new Zelda release is cause for celebration, and a Zelda game might be what the Wii U needs to reverse its current fortunes.