By and large Nintendo consoles have been known to have most of the best couch multiplayer games in their libraries. This has always been a focus from the house of Mario. Despite the new motion controls this tradition continued with the Wii. If anything the motion controls made multiplayer more fun. Nintendo kicked off the console right by packing in Wii Sports with it. Because of this almost everyone who owned the console played multiplayer on it at some point or another. There are literally hundreds of Wii multiplayer games and it can be hard to weed through what’s good and what’s not. That’s why today we’re going to highlight the Top 25 Best Wii Multiplayer games. Let’s power on those Wii remotes and get shaking!
#25. – Wii Play
Yeah, this was kind of a cheap cash in if I’m being honest. It’s clear Nintendo kind of slapped Wii Play together. What’s nice is that this package came with a Wii remote. It was worth it just for that, but some of the mini-games here are actually great. Well one is, anyway. There’s a decent racing game where you tilt the remote, target practice, a ‘where’s the Mii’ title and more. The real highlight however is Tanks. Here you and multiple players drive toy tanks around arenas from a top down perspective as you use the pointer to aim at enemies and shoot. My friends and I spent hours upon hours with this distraction. I actually wish Nintendo fleshed this one out into a full fledged game because it’s a blast.
#24. – 007: Goldeneye
For the longest time I refused to play this game. I felt like calling it Goldeneye was a cheap move made to trick people into thinking this was a direct follow up to the legendary Nintendo 64 game. Plus, Daniel Craig is no Pierce Brosnan. What I found was that this is a fantastic re-telling of the film. While the solo campaign is good we’re talking about multiplayer today, and it’s pretty good here. Since the online servers have been closed we’re going to focus on the offline mode. You can play various modes with friends including deathmatch, king of the hill, etc. The level designs are fun, and the weapons are great to use. My only complaint is that there aren’t bots. Perfect Dark did this decades ago and on less powerful hardware so it’s a perplexing decision. Regardless, Goldeneye is fantastic in multiplayer.
#23. – Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
I’ll let you know right now that this is only the first of several light-gun games on this list. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles was a really interesting spin-off in the series. Not only was the gameplay significantly different than in the main games but it was also a re-telling of the stories from several classic installments. I’m specifically talking about Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil, and Resident Evil 2. There’s even a new scenario which shows how the Umbrella Corporation was defeated before Resident Evil 4 begins. It’s pretty basic light-gun action with slow shambling zombies for the most part. There are lots of them so it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Of course the best part of this game is that you can play through these with a buddy. This was before multiplayer was a big thing in Resident Evil, and it was very novel at the time.
#22. – Elebits
Elebits was a very unassuming early Wii game. This was a first person shooter of sorts that had you collecting the titular creatures by shooting them with a laser gun. They were often hidden and would require some light puzzle solving to reveal them. Additionally you could use the laser gun to lift and throw objects. It was a cute title that I liked. Elebits also had a really cool multiplayer mode. Here you and up to four players competed in several different stages to collect the most watts (gathered by collecting elebits). Gameplay was on a single screen here, and the first player both controls the camera and the movement. This leads to some absolutely frantic gameplay that’s a ton of fun. I loved throwing objects in front of things other players were targeting. You wouldn’t know it, but Elebits is one of the best multiplayer Wii games.
#21. – Monster Hunter Tri
One of the biggest Wii third party games was Monster Hunter Tri from Capcom. This was released at the height of the franchise’s popularity and was the first new console iteration since it blew up. The game is all about gathering items, hunting monsters, and crafting supplies/weapons. The gameplay is unique and highly addictive. The main method by which people would play multiplayer with this was online. It’s a little known fact that there was also a mode for split screen co-op play. This was confined to an arena however, and equipment/characters were pre-determined. Graphic fidelity also took a major hit when playing with friends. It didn’t matter because this mode is actually pretty fun. Given that the online mode has been shut down it’s your only means of playing the vanilla version of Tri with friends.
#20. – House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return
House of the Dead is one of Sega’s biggest light gun franchises. While they could have released each one individually for the Wii they bundled them together. Thank goodness. House of the Dead 2 is still as amazing as it always was. Bad voice acting and all. Unfortunately House of the Dead 3 is just okay. It took the series in a more realistic and serious direction which just didn’t fit. It’s mildly fun to play though. Even now. Both of these games support multiplayer, and so if you have two Wii remotes you’re in for a blast. I think that the pointer controls work even better than a basic light gun in this case. I had far less trouble in both games at least. Playing with a friend is an absolute blast as well. If you’re like me you’ll be smiling from start to finish.
#19. – Need For Speed: Carbon
While I loved the Need for Speed series on the original PlayStation I had not paid much attention to it for a while. It turns out there was never a drop in quality. Although This game is based off of the previous generation iteration it still looks and plays quite well. I would say that this is one of the best realistic racers for the platform. What’s more is that the tilt controls work surprisingly well. Normally I tend to avoid motion controls and racing, but in this case I really liked them. Multiplayer is a lot of fun as well. You can only compete with one other person in a single race. Need for Speed: Carbon is a lot of fun in this mode. Especially on the Wii. There’s just something special about two people sitting on a couch tilting controllers while racing.
#18. – Dead Space: Extraction
It was pretty clear that the Wii wouldn’t be able to handle a port of Dead Space. This was the case with most third party games. So the developers instead made a light-gun game set in the same universe that actually serves as a prequel. Honestly that’s the best thing they could have done. Dead Space: Extraction plays on the strengths of the Wii using the pointer controls and on-rail gameplay allowing for higher fidelity graphics. What’s also great is the fact that you can tackle the main quest with a buddy. This is one of the few rail shooters that is actually somewhat scary. That makes the multiplayer even more enjoyable. Dead Space: Extraction is way better than it had any right to be. I love this alternate take on the franchise.
#17. – Mario Party 9
Another console, another three or four Mario Party games. Nintendo can’t resist but churn these out, and who could blame them? After all Mario Party is a big seller. I’ve decided to include one here on this list, and I think part 9 is the best one. It makes a few changes to the formula though. It still plays like a glorified board game wherein characters move to different spaces based on a dice roll. What’s different however is that they now ride in a car. Your goal has changed too. Now you’re collecting mini-stars. You can lose these by picking up ztars. Yeah that’s not very creative. Regardless Mario Party 9 has some of my favorite mini-games in the series. This is one that you absolutely need friends for. Mario Party 9 just isn’t fun solo.
#16. – Pokemon Battle Revolution
Some saw this game as a little pointless. I loved it. This is basically Pokemon Stadium but without any of the fluff. There are no mini-games, and not even a story mode. This is straight up Pokemon battles. If you have a Nintendo DS you can transfer your Pokemon onto the Wii, and even control the action on the handheld. If you and a friend have a DS, and each a copy of the game why not just play there? It’s simple really. The graphics in Battle Revolution are insane by Wii standards. I was super impressed with the lighting effects and character models. Plus, there’s something really nice about inputting commands on a separate screen while watching them carried out on the television. Pokemon Battle Revolution may be pretty barebones but it’s still a solid multiplayer experience.
#15. – House of the Dead: Overkill
In a time when the House of the Dead series seemed like it was going dormant Overkill was a surprise announcement. Not only was it a new installment, but it was a very different one at that. Developer Headstrong Games went with a total grindhouse style here. That means grainy graphics (meant to look like it’s played on an old VHS), tons of foul language, and buckets of blood and gore. It’s incredibly over the top. I mean that in the best way possible. Everything about House of the Dead: Overkill is just fun. That includes the multiplayer mode. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again. Every light-gun shooter is better when playing with a friend. The outrageous story and hilarious dialogue is also something you’re going to want to experience with a buddy.
#14. – Boom Blox
While this was a moderate hit on the Nintendo Wii (it was designed by Steven Spielberg after all) no one seems to remember this title. It’s a physics based puzzle game, and it’s a unique one at that. Basically it’s kind of like Jenga meets Tetris. You have stacks of blocks and can either pull specific blocks out or shoot projectiles at them to knock the stack down. Single player is fun, but multiplayer is even better. Here you can play with up to four total players either competitively or co-operatively. In some stages you’re competing for the highest score, and others you’re working together to solve the puzzles. You can either play split screen or take turns. The multiplayer is really fleshed out with a lot of different modes and a fair amount of variety. It’s really good.
#13. – Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
While fans were clamoring for Marvel Vs Capcom 3 it was all about Tatsunoko Vs Capcom for me. Unfortunately the Wii didn’t have a lot of great fighters and so this one stands out in a big way. For those unfamiliar with Tatsunoko (I know I was) it’s a wheelhouse of classic anime franchises. This includes things like Tekkaman, Yatterman and more. They aren’t big names here, but that doesn’t matter. What does is that the gameplay is absolutely amazing. It’s fast and furious fighting with a 2D gameplay and beautiful 3D graphics. Tatsunoko Vs Capcom is a ton of fun to play even if I don’t recognize half of the characters. In my opinion this is easily better than any of the Marvel Vs Capcom titles. That’s a bold statement but it’s true. It also has multiplayer, and versus modes are great like the rest of the game.
#12. – Rock Band
Plastic instruments were all the rage on consoles in this generation. Honestly the main Rock Band games and Guitar Hero titles all deserve a place on this list. Because they aren’t really different enough from one another it made sense to only include one, and the one I chose was the original Rock Band. You could play guitar, bass, drums, and sing vocals. There are few games that felt like such a team effort as this one. Players could activate their star power to bail out a struggling player during their more difficult sections. Working cohesively as one unit, playing a song and all doing different things was such a great experience. It’s a darn shame that these companies over saturated the market because now we don’t have these games anymore. That doesn’t mean you can’t still get plug in the Wii and get the band back together though!
#11. – Excitebots: Trick Racing
This might be one of the most insane video games I’ve ever played. It’s basically the sequel to Excite Truck. This time the developers weren’t held back by having real life vehicles as the cars. They really went all out with animal styled machines you zip around the truck. The racing is fast, furious, and surprisingly dynamic. Courses change their terrain on the fly, and mini-games are incorporated directly into the action. While racing you’ll play games of darts, poker, and more for points. Finishing the race first isn’t the only way to win which is unusual and just makes the action more crazy. I can’t sing it enough praises. While online multiplayer was a thing I spent most of my time with the unlockable split screen two player mode. Having another player in the same room is amazing with how crazy the action gets.
#10. – Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
Umbrella Chronicles was more fun than it had any right to be. What seemed like a simple cash-in by Capcom turned out to be a very enjoyable and memorable light gun shooter. Its follow up, the Darkside Chronicles, is significantly better. With graphics that look like an early Xbox 360 game this title takes you through my two favorite Resident Evil titles. That’s RE2 and Code Veronica between you and me. There’s even an extra scenario showing what Leon was up to before Resident Evil 4. This is one of the few light-gun shooters where I felt actual dread and tension. The shaky camera can take some getting used to but I actually like it. Furthermore the co-op is really good. The fact that players share an ammo pool adds to the tension and creates more opportunity for teamwork. Darkside Chronicles is easily one of the best Wii multiplayer games.
#9. – Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
I’ll start by saying that as far as single player mode goes this isn’t my favorite Monkey Ball game. Wii specific controls were forced into it and I just don’t think it controls any better than with the plain jane analog stick. With that said the multiplayer is an absolute blast. There are fifty mini-games to play here. While they aren’t all winners there are quite a few standouts. Alien Invasion in particular is a blast. Monkey Wars is also fantastic fun. Then there are the classic returning modes such as Monkey Bowling and Monkey Target that are just as fun as they always were. Some of these focus entirely around the Wii’s motion controls while others don’t. The sheer amount of variety here is astounding. Sega could have released this with just the mini-games and it would have felt like a complete package.
#8. – Wario Ware: Smooth Moves
No matter the platform on which it’s released Wario Ware is typically one of the best showcases of the system’s unique features. Smooth Moves was no different on the Wii. It’s almost entirely based around the motion controls. These translate surprisingly well to the micro games int his title. Generally you’re shown how to hold the controller, and then given a quick action to perform in a matter of seconds. Multiplayer is absolutely bizarre featuring Mii characters competing with one another taking turns in these mini-games. This is the most fun you’ll have laughing at your friends in any video game. The implementation of the Mii characters really personalizes the experience too. In some ways this almost feels like it has the best elements of Mario Party wrapped up in a Wario Ware package. This game will make any evening when you have guests over.
#7. – Mario Strikers Charged
Mario brand sports titles are always sure bets for good multiplayer fun. In my opinion the plumber does soccer better than any other sport, and this Wii iteration is particularly amazing. It’s as fun as it is hectic with random items on the battlefield, environmental hazards featuring iconic enemies from the franchise, and even super moves individual to each character. It should be pretty clear that those looking for a serious soccer title need not apply. Fifa, this is not. While playing solo is fun multiplayer is absolutely where it’s at. Getting four friends together to play hyper unrealistic soccer is a real blast here. I absolutely loved both working together and against each other. There’s nothing quite as infuriating as a getting scored on by a human player’s mega strike. Even people who don’t normally like soccer will enjoy what this one has to offer.
#6. – Kirby’s Return to Dream Land
As far back as the Nintendo 64 I dreamed about four player platforming adventures. Kirby’s Return to Dream Land was one of the games that eventually saw this dream come true. It couldn’t have happened with a better franchise. Kirby means quality with dozens of sequels and very few games I’d actually call bad within it. The main game is pretty much just your regular Kirby action. You can float through the air and suck up enemies. The key point to this franchise is that you can absorb enemy powers. With four players the action is way more frantic than in any other title in the series. Four players total can work together to beat these stages. Trust me when I say it’s an absolute blast. My only complaint is that the game is pretty easy solo, and adding more Kirby’s to the mix makes it an absolute cakewalk.
#5. – Mario Kart Wii
Surely any Mario Kart title is going to top the list of multiplayer games for whichever console it is released on. This Wii iteration is no different. It plays like your typical game in the franchise complete with power sliding, items, and of course a battle mode. What it adds however is motorcycles and motion controls. The former was kind of neat and has been included in just about every other title in the series since. Motion controls however change quite a bit. The best thing about them is that they’re optional. Should you choose to take advantage of them they work surprisingly well. It even came with a plastic wheel you could strap your Wii remote into. Honestly the motion controls made the title more accessible for people who don’t normally play video games. It also made multiplayer more frantic and enjoyable.
#4. – Animal Crossing: City Folk
Nintendo’s bizarre life sim is all about communication. While this primarily means with NPCs you could play with humans online, or share a village with real people’s characters. Since the servers have been shut down we’re going to focus on the latter. Up to four different players could create characters in a single village. This was a really neat aspect of the game. Even though they had to take turns (there was no simultaneous play offline). It still felt like you were existing in the same space as NPC villagers would reference the other players. All players could change the terrain by planting flowers/trees, or by upgrading their homes. My only complaint about this title is that it added the least of any Animal Crossing sequel. You could travel to a city area with new shops. That was pretty much it for new features.
#3. – New Super Mario Bros. Wii
For two generations fans begged Nintendo to make a new side scrolling Super Mario Bros game. They finally answered this call with the DS iteration. That was okay, but the Wii follow up was downright amazing. It introduced several new power-ups and level mechanics we hadn’t seen since the classic series. This was what the original NSMB should have been. The best and most surprisingly part of this title is the fact that it included four player co-op. On paper this sounds absurd. In practice it’s just as crazy as you can imagine. Four players jumping and running around on a single screen does not allow for much precision. Thankfully the game isn’t that hard. Mario is such an easy game to jump into that it’s not hard to find other players. Multiplayer is an absolute hoot here.
#2. – Wii Sports
Internally I struggled not putting this game at the #1 spot. Wii Sports was easily one of the most defining titles of this generation. It got moms and grandpas to play video games again. It was even packaged in with Wii consoles for most of the console’s life. There have been few titles that serve so well as a showcase to hardware strengths. There are five sports included here. You have Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf, and Boxing. These were all fun (except boxing once the novelty wore off) and felt innovative and unique at release. Bowling however is what kept players coming back. Up to this point no other video game had more accurately depicting the sport. The act of winding your arm back, swinging, and even releasing the ball felt amazing. What’s more is that you only needed one Wii remote to play with four players.
#1. – Wii Sports Resort
What could make Wii Sports even better? More games, of course! I kid. It was actually the Wii motion plus that made this one so incredible. This peripheral made the motion controls astronomically more accurate. Oh and the new sports are good too. It included most of the classics (minus boxing, but no one cared about that). These had more accurate controls and were more fun because of it. Especially bowling. New to the game was fencing, wakeboarding, frisbee, disc golf, archery, basketball and table tennis. Some of these such as frisbee and wakeboarding were more fun than they had any right to be. Do you want to know the best part though? These were multiplayer, and going against a friend in these events was an absolute blast. Wii Sports Resort was truly the best multiplayer game on the Wii.
