The Nintendo Wii may have sold well, but looking back it isn’t the best console. It was much cheaper to develop games for, had unique features not replicated anywhere else, and had the largest userbase of its generation. You would think third party developers would have brought their A game. Unfortunately that just wasn’t so. For the most part even the big third party developers released cheap cash-ins that weren’t amazing. This left room for smaller developers to capitalize, but many failed to make their mark on the console. That brings me to our topic for the day; Nintendo Wii hidden gems. The library was huge, but was plagued by a lot of shovelware. Today we’re focusing on the lesser known but still great releases. Buckle up because these are the top 15 best Nintendo Wii hidden gems of all time in alphabetical order!
Arc Rise Fantasia
Whenever a new traditional Japanese style RPG was announced for the console the fans celebrated. Unfortunately, in the case of Arc Rise Fantasia, they didn’t really bother picking them up. Arc Rise Fantasia is a joint venture between developers Marvelous Entertainment and Imageepoch. It features a large and expansive story, decent graphics, great music, and a super fun battle system. The latter of these seems inspired by the Grandia series, and that’s okay by me. So where did they go wrong? Unfortunately when this one was localized the English dub was done extremely poorly. I’m talking some of the worst voice acting of all time. It’s rare that I actually turn off the language track but I couldn’t stand it here. If you can look past that you’re in for a fun adventure with a decent story and a fun battle system. It’s a shame no one played this one.
Boom Blox
Had the developers slapped a popular license on this one we might have had the Wii’s big selling puzzle game. Even Steven Spielberg’s name on it couldn’t help this one sell better. It’s a shame because it’s one of the best Nintendo Wii games, and is certainly a hidden gem. Boom Blox also makes ample use of the controller’s unique features. Basically you’re treated to various puzzles where you either have to stop a tower of blocks from toppling over through placement of new blocks as well as moving existing ones, or toppling the whole thing down. It sounds very basic and the concept is exactly that. It’s also extremely addictive, and in later areas will really cause you to wrack your brain to find the solutions. Basically, it’s a perfect puzzle game.
Cursed Mountain
The Wii remote seems like it would be a perfect fit for the survival horror genre. Unfortunately very few developers took this idea and ran with it. Thankfully, Deep Silver saw the potential and released a completely original survival horror game for the console. The result was Cursed Mountain. Rather than taking place in a dilapidated old mansion, or spooky fog ridden town this game takes you to the Himalayan Mountains. You play as a climber who is trekking here to find a legendary artifact from one of the temples. Unfortunately the game lives up to its name. The mountains are, indeed, cursed. You’ll do battle against a variety of different ghosts that want to eat your guts. You have to do battle with them using an augmented pick-axe, and this is easier said than done. Cursed Mountain is plenty atmospheric and spooky, and it’s a great Wii hidden gem.
Deadly Creatures
I completely understand why most gamers passed on this one to be honest. Deadly Creatures is a video game wherein you play as either a scorpion or a tarantula. That fact alone has the word ‘shovelware’ written all over it. I was quick to judge, but can admit that I made a mistake in this case. This is a 3D action game wherein you play as the aforementioned arachnids but both have different playstyles. The scorpion segments are more action oriented while as the tarantula you’ll want to sneak around a lot more and sneak up on unsuspecting prey. As you get further into the game each gain new abilities. Combat is surprisingly fun. This is true even despite the focus on motion controls which I’m not a fan of. Deadly Creatures deserved to be played by a wider audience because it’s actually quite good.
Klonoa
Did anyone even know that the Nintendo Wii had a Klonoa game? Unfortunately this one was doomed to low sales, and I think it’s because of the boxart and lack of subtitle to be honest. Regardless, this is actually a remake of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile which was the original installment in this series. That’s actually a good thing seeing as how that was one of the best PS1 platformers. Klonoa sees a pretty serious upgrade in the visuals department. This looks beautiful and even better than Lunatea’s Veil on the PS2. A few other changes were made specifically to a few puzzles and enemy placements. Nothing major, but it is worth mentioning that this version is easier than Door to Phantomile was. In general the Klonoa series is aimed at a younger audience so this isn’t a big issue. It’s a shame this one wasn’t more popular.
Little King’s Story
Here’s another Marvelous title that no one played. Little King’s Story is like a mix between Pikmin with slight tones of Sim City. Throw in some fantasy elements and you have a winner. You play as the young king Corobo. After ascending to the crown he must rebuild his fallen kingdom and defeat the evil forces that threaten the realm. As I mentioned earlier basic gameplay is like Pikmin. You control the king, and recruit soldiers to your cause. You can send these little guys out to do battle for you, or to perform tasks such as removing obstacles from your path. Meanwhile you have a kingdom to rebuild, and can do so with some very basic tasks. Little King’s Story uses a pleasant sort of watercolor look to it with characters that almost look like they would be at home in Animal Crossing. It’s a pleasant game.
MadWorld
This one actually had a fair bit of exposure before release. It was developed by Platinum Games after all. Unfortunately it reviewed very poorly. I played it before noticing this fact, and I was shocked to see it. This is one of the cases where the vast majority of critics completely got it wrong. I think this is likely because the beat ’em up genre was all but dead by the time this one released. MadWorld has you playing as a huge gruff guy with a chainsaw for an arm. You have to defeat screens full of enemies in 3D environments in a variety of gruesome ways. There are a lot of options for this and the environment even comes to play here. MadWorld also employs a fantastic black and white comic book art style where only the blood has any color to it. This style is very striking.
Opoona
Opoona was one of the earliest Japanese style RPGs for the Nintendo Wii. Developer Artepiazza is typically known for their work on the Dragon Quest series. This, however, is an entirely original game developed completely independently. This one obviously didn’t sell well because of it’s cutesy and rather strange art style. This is one of the few games that can be played entirely with the nunchuck controller. You complete a variety of tasks often tied to a job system which is really interesting. Battles are random, and your main means of attack is with the projectiles. You fire these at the enemy by pulling back on the joystick and thrusting it forward. It’s unique, but also very simple and even a bit shallow. Regardless I enjoyed my time with Opoona, and it’s easily one of the best Nintendo Wii hidden gems.
Pandora’s Tower
Toward the end of the Wii’s time on the market owners of the console were absolutely crying out for hardcore gaming experiences. I knew I was. Pandora’s Tower was the answer to this call, and was even highlighted by the president of Nintendo at the time. Unfortunately this was a case of too little, too late. Most gamers had already moved on. Regardless this is an excellent game and probably would have fared much better in the market had it been released earlier. This is an action RPG which takes place entirely in a complex of towers. You’re armed with a sword with the ultimate goal of defeating thirteen masters each of which is housed in a different one. Unlike most Wii games this uses a more mature anime style, and it looks as well as it plays. In one word it’s amazing.
Red Steel 2
The original Red Steel was not a very good game. This launch title promised comprehensive motion control based sword fights in this FPS but all we got was the bare minimum of waggle. Years later Ubisoft decided to revisit the game and release a sequel. Thankfully the Wii Motion Plus had been released by this time so we actually got what was originally promised. Red Steel 2 takes the concept to the Wild West where you’re a lone samurai. The graphics are absolutely incredible for the platform, and the controls are exceptional. Everything is cel-shaded and given the unusual themes it fits the game very well. Unfortunately too many gamers were burned by the original to care about this sequel. It’s a shame because this one feels like everything we were promised with that, and more. Red Steel 2 is clearly one of the best Nintendo Wii hidden gems.
Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love
Sakura Wars is a franchise that Sega fans have long wanted to be localized. Even Working Designs tried to acquire the rights, but failed to do so because of the house of hedgehog’s strict policies. That’s why it was very random that Sakura Wars 5 came out for not only the PS2 but also the Wii. This was meant to be a soft reboot of the franchise taking place in New York City with an all new protagonist. This is a strategy RPG and dating simulation. Basically you make response decisions during story segments that makes the all-female cast of supporting characters like you more or less. This translates in battle as you get various bonuses with these gals based on their affection level. Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love was my first exposure to the series and I absolutely love it.
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
Developer Treasure saw how popular their eShop release of Sin & Punishment was and decided to make a sequel. Unfortunately they misread the market and released this one far too late. Star Successor plays a lot like the original title. You control a character that can move in all directions two dimensionally to avoid enemy attacks, and aim with the Wii remote to fire in 3D space. It sounds more complicated than it actually is. In typical Treasure fashion the levels are absolutely bonkers. You have enemies coming from all directions and have to aim your shot while dodging their incoming attacks. It is no easy task, but learning is half the fun. I absolutely love everything from the graphics to the music but especially the gameplay. Again, this is a case where had the game released sooner it would have been more successful.
Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces
The Nintendo Wii never got an Ace Combat title. Rather than crying about it we could all play Sky Crawlers instead. It’s clear from the start that this one was developed by the original team, and it was even published by Namco Bandai. This air combat simulation is based on an anime film I haven’t seen and has lots of story exposition. Thankfully it doesn’t get in the way of the gameplay enough to really matter. The graphics push the system very hard and this looks better than any of the PS2 Ace Combat titles. What’s interesting is the fact that you play the game with the nunchuck and Wii remote in the reverse hands. It’s very unusual but also works surprisingly well. If you want an air combat title on the Nintendo Wii you can’t do any better than the Sky Crawlers.
Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
I have a confession to make. I’ve never been a big fan of Marvel Vs. Capcom. I felt a little left out when the HD version was all the rage. Thankfully Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom came along because in my opinion it’s far superior. Not only are the graphics more pleasing in my opinion, but the gameplay is too. For those that don’t know Tatsunoko is an anime publishing company, and this game borrows from the licenses under it. This is a fast and furious fighting 2D fighter based on team play. You swap between characters and have little time for strategy because everything is in turbo mode. The combo system is absolutely bonkers, and gameplay is crazy fun. Even though I’m unfamiliar with most of the Tatsunoko licenses I still really liked the character roster. Those like me that wanted a more pure fighting experience will absolutely love this one.
The Last Story
Mistwalker is absolutely one of the most underrated developers. It is headed by the legendary creator of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi after all. They released a few Japanese style RPGs for the Xbox 360, and these were some of the best of the genre from that generation. Eventually they moved to the Nintendo Wii with the Last Story, and it’s absolutely a classic. Rather than following the traditional route this one instead employs both action and stealth elements. The real-time elements are a breath of fresh air for the genre. You can hide behind environmental elements, and pop out just long enough to strike the foe. It’s a really interesting twist to the tried and true formula and in my opinion the Last Story is one of the stronger of Mistwalker’s offerings. This is absolutely one of the best Nintendo Wii hidden gems.
