Nintendo has always been a family friendly brand. These consoles are what parents reach for when their children are interested in video games. This is because for decades Nintendo controlled the content released on their systems, and a fair bit of censorship ensued. Their first party releases are also the biggest names in family entertainment. With that said the Wii, as the first mainstream motion controls based console, seemed like a great place for horror games. By then Nintendo had also calmed down a little on the censorship. Third party developers answered the call, and we had several motion controls based horror titles on the platform. With Halloween quickly approaching we thought it would be fun to highlight the best Wii survival horror games. It’s time to throw some batteries into the Wii remote, connect the nunchuck attachment, and get scared. Let’s get started!
#10. – Dead Rising: Chop Til You Drop
The original Dead Rising was an absolute spectacle for what the Xbox 360 console was capable of. It looked amazing, ran smoothly, and featured hundreds of zombies on-screen at once. It was like Dawn of the Dead the video game as far as I was concerned. Capcom for some reason was wary of porting it to the PS3 at the time, and instead opted to remake it for the Nintendo Wii. Because the hardware was far less powerful they went a different route here. There were less zombies of course, but you also had fewer options for weapons and the focus was changed. Now the game used the Resident Evil 4 engine, and emphasis was placed on gunplay. You use the Wii remote to aim and the trigger button to fire which was pretty cool. Unfortunately it didn’t feel like Dead Rising. Regardless it’s still a decent survival horror game.
#9. – Calling
The Wii remote had a built in speaker. It was okay. Hudson Soft decided an entire game should be based around this feature. The result was the Calling. This game is a first person adventure game wherein you explore various environments and interact with various elements using the pointer functionality of the controller. The gimmick here is that the Wii remote doubles as a phone. You get calls during gameplay and the audio from these plays through the built in speaker. It’s an interesting idea but the game itself is just okay. The controls are a little difficult to wrangle, and the pacing has some problems. The Calling does however have atmosphere in spades. The story is rather cheesy but it’s serviceable. What I like about it is that the game is genuinely creepy. There are some scary moments, and regardless of the questionable gameplay, that’s enough for me.
#8. – Obscure: The Aftermath
The original Obscure was a pretty interesting survival horror game. It focused on co-op play (which at the time was really novel for the genre) but beyond that there wasn’t much new that it brought to the table. Unfortunately the package felt generic. That problem continues to resonate in the sequel. That doesn’t mean it isn’t fun though. Obscure: The Aftermath is actually a port of the PSP release. Graphics have been updated, as has the controls, and of course playing on the big screen is better than handheld. For a game like this, that is. The game isn’t particularly scary but it still hits all the notes for classic survival horror games. I also really like playing a classic survival horror game with a friend. It adds a lot to the experience. Obscure the Aftermath is great on the Wii.
#7. – Cursed Mountain
The Wii remote had so much potential when it came to the genre. Up to this point few original horror games had made good use of the pointer controls or waggle. Cursed Mountain really showed what it was capable of. It also had a unique setting for the genre. Rather than taking place in a haunted town or zombie infested mansion the main character is instead exploring the Himalayan Mountains. The enemies are also ghosts. Your primary weapon is a pickaxe with which you have to weaken ghosts, and then finish them off with quick time events. The game has high production values, and stands out from the pack with its themes and story. Cursed Mountain is surprisingly fun, and the creepy desolate atmosphere does a lot of heavy lifting. This is easily one of the best original Wii survival horror games.
#6. – Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
Fatal Frame was a series that began on the PS2 and made some pretty big waves there. It never hit the mainstream but was a modest cult hit. It was surprising when the developers moved the franchise to the Wii and for a time the franchise basically ignored HD consoles. Unfortunately this installment was Japan only until it was remastered for modern consoles. The Wii edition does have some advantages. If you’re like me and don’t speak Japanese you won’t understand a lick of the story, but that really doesn’t matter for this series. The game is focused around taking photos of ghosts to fight them. This means you have to let them get up close and personal. This in and of itself is very frightening. The game has a ton of atmosphere and fantastically placed jump scares.
#5. – Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil 0
Personally I think Resident Evil 0 is one of the most underrated installments in the series. The game gets undue hate from the survival horror community when it’s actually one of the best games in the genre. It is a prequel to the first Resident Evil game starring STARS Bravo member Rebecca Chambers who pairs up with an escaped criminal Billy Coen. The two fight their way through a train infested with zombies. Eventually they reach an Umbrella research facility and as usual all heck breaks loose. This Wii edition didn’t bring anything new to the table. It was the same old Gamecube release. No polished graphics or additional content. There were new control options but that’s to be expected because the Wii was a new console after all. Overall you’re probably better off playing it on the Gamecube, but this version was cool too.
#4. – Project Zero 2: Wii Edition
Project Zero is actually Fatal Frame. This is just what the game was called in Japan, and Europe for that matter. Project Zero 2 is a remake of the second title. It uses the engine from Mask of the Lunar Eclipse. This means it both looks and plays quite a bit better than the original release on both the PS2 and Xbox. A lot of effort was put into this version. The developers even included additional story sequences. Anyone familiar with the series knows that the second game is the best installment in the series. This Wii version is as of now the best way to play it. Taking photos of ghosts to fight them is an interesting mechanic, and it’s surprisingly effective when it comes to scares. You have to let the enemies get in close in order to effectively disarm them. The game is scary, and fun.
#3. – Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Silent Hill was once almost as popular as Resident Evil. It was an alternate take on the survival horror genre and offered a drastically different atmosphere. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is much different from the original game. Whereas that one was focused on decrepit rust filled environments this remake instead fills the world with ice and cold. You control Harry Mason who ventures into the haunted town to find his daughter Sheryl. Thing is it’s populated by demons and human characters that don’t seem to have a clue. The entire game gaslights the player. As you explore Silent Hill you’ll occasionally encounter situations where the entire world turns to ice. It is here that Harry has no way of fighting back. You can only run. It’s incredibly intense, scary, and unforgettable. Shattered Memories is a very interesting take on the franchise, and the Wii version is the best one.
#2. – Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil
The Resident Evil remake on the Gamecube is the single greatest survival horror game in my opinion. This is a port of that. The reason it’s not number one on this list is because there isn’t anything added to it. This is the same game you could play on the Gamecube, but with a few different options as far as controllers go. This remake added so much to the original that it almost felt like a brand new game. Not only were puzzles remixed, but there was also the addition of several new areas to explore, as well as new plot elements. You also have crimson head zombies. These rise up from the undead you’ve previously dispatched, and can only be prevented by burning the bodies. These elements add so much to the experience. Even with no upgrades this is still one of the best survival horror games.
#1. – Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition
Let’s get something straight. Resident Evil 4 isn’t my favorite survival horror game. I did however love it on the Gamecube and PS2. With that said the Wii version is a whole other beast. The game was already amazing but the new controls offered here are simply incredible. Not only does this version have the graphics of the Gamecube release, but it also offers the additional content of the PS2 version. The real highlight however is with the motion controls. You can now use the pointer of the Wii remote to aim your shots. Simply put this feels amazing. Resident Evil 4 works incredibly well with pointer controls, and even the recent remake cannot match the Wii version. This is for all intents and purposes the ultimate version of the game.
