List for reference and ease of use 0:01 Video Start 1:14 50: Opoona 2:11 49: Fragile Dreams 3:02 48: Wario Land Shake It 3:41 47: Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands 4:41 46: Kirby’s Epic Yarn 5:44 45: Trauma Center New Blood 6:35 44: Lost winds Winter of the Melodias 7:35 43: Sonic Colours 8:54 42: Super Paper Mario 10:13 41: Silent Hill Shattered Memories 11:35 40: No More Heroes 12:46 39: Endless Ocean 2 13:49 38: Castlevania The Adventure Rebirth 15:07 37: Klonoa 16:04 36: Another Code R 17:11 35: Red Steel 2 18:07 34: Ghost Squad 19:31 33: Pandora’s Tower 20:48 32: Captain Rainbow 21:51 31: New Super Mario Bros Wii 23:05 30: Puyo Puyo 7 24:02 29: Boom Blox 24:52 28: Super Smash Bros Brawl 26:13 27: Zack & Wiki 27:03 26: Boom Street 28:15 25: Little King’s Story 29:12 24: The Last Story 30:24 23: Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn 31:34 22: World of Goo 32:26 21: Monster Hunter Tri 33:25 20: Muramasa The Demon Blade 34:43 19: Mario Strickers Charged Football 35:57 18: Zelda: Skyward Sword 37:24 17: Dead Space Extraction 38:09 16: FF CC My Life as a King 39:50 15: Excitebots Trick Racing 41:04 14: Mega Man 9 42:06 13: Donkey Kong Country Returns 43:33 12: Mario Kart Wii 44:50 11: Metroid Prime 3/Trilogy 46:39 No. 10 ??? 47:54 No. 9 ??? 48:52 8 ??? 50:22 No. 8* The best game ever made 50:41 No. 7: ??? 51:47 No. 6: ??? 54:00 No. 5: ??? 55:02 No. 4: ??? 56:16 No. 3: ??? 58:12 No. 2: ??? 1:00:06 No. 1: ??? 1:02:56 Honourable Mentions
Thank you! It's so helpful to have timestamps for long list videos, I wish channels would take a few minutes to add them themselves instead of leaving it to subscribers
Punch Out Wii, Sin and Punishment 2, Rhythm Heaven Fever, The Last Story, Pandora’s Tower, Zack and Wiki, We Love Golf, Red Steel 2, Rabbids Go Home, MadWorld, Tatsunoko vs Capcom, Wario Land Shake It, Muramasa the Demon Blade, and so much more. The Wii has so many hidden gems beyond the known classics, it’s frankly absurd.
The Wii definitely didn't (and still rarely does) get enough credit. There's so much good stuff on there. Especially since so many games on 360/PS3 were trying so hard to be "realistic" and "dark and gritty", the Wii was just a fun, joyful console by comparison.
The Wii’s reputation is disproportionately marred by shovelware, and the rapid decline in sales and support in its final few years. In reality, pound for pound, it’s one of Nintendo’s most fun machines.
The absolute FLEX of Jon showing off his collection. I’m such a glutton for ranked lists, especially from these guys. Now let’s see which Mario Galaxy ranks higher…
Jon's Wii pointer philosophy speaks to me. When it works it feels so right. I love the light gun games (Ghost Squad is a top pick). If Pandora's tower had a bit less grind I think people would speak of it as an all time classic. The Wii has such a deep library and its best games have an inimitable feel to them. Thanks Jon
Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition is the only case I can remember where perfection was actually improved upon. Still annoyed the Switch version doesn't have gyro, which wouldn't be as good but still work great.
Kudos for undertaking this project and especially having to capture all of the footage. Not for nothing, you also made me appreciate the Wii so that's the biggest reward.
For me, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is my GOAT Wii game; takes what made the first great and amplifies the level design to great heights that makes me prefer it to the first one (even if the charm of the first one is uncanny). Wii Sports Resort, Kirby's RTDL, Super Paper Mario, and WarioWare Smooth Moves are my other favourites. Shout out to the soundtrack of Wario Land: The Shake Dimension as well, it's incredible Edit: I just remember the PokePark games, I'm super nostalgic for them so need to give them some respect
This is one of the best top games lists I've ever seen, love how much cool niche stuff was on here. Glad Rabbids Go Home got a last minute shoutout! And BlastWorks! I was obsessed with the online creative mode stuff in that game. Please do more longform content like this!
RE: hot take - i think the shovelware issue/concerns was mainly because when you'd go into a retailer, the shelf would be full of it and it made it harder to ignore, whereas now all the shovelware is hidden on the eshop and rarely makes it to retail. They're never in 'featured' sections, so theyre easier to avoid. But 10-20 years ago, you'd have to find the gems hidden among the shovelware and it was easier for grandma to buy you shovelware because the boxart appealed to her.
I hope Next Level Games does another Punch Out after Luigi's Mansion 4 (which is like 100% coming considering the series' sales). Next Level Games do like two games per System (unless they somehow have another surprise in store), with one of them being Luigi's Mansion these days. For 3DS they did Metroid Prime Federation Force, Switch had Mario Strikers Battle League.
Let's Tap is one of the more unique Wii games that I think deserves a shoutout. Gameplay is oversimplified as letting your wiimote rest on the table, and playing the game by tapping near it. As for fan translations, Chibi-Robo and Line-Attack Heroes are both worth a check.
When you think about it, Epic Yarn really should have been a Yoshi game if they had to give it an established character. The vehicle transformations, the yarn whipping (could have been his tongue), the crafts artstyle. Probably why they were given Yoshi afterwards.
Good list, but taking a glance at my collection, I am going to add Rayman Origins and Okami here. Rayman Origins and its sequel Legends are two of the best 2D platformers I have ever played, bar none. These games are the very pinnacle of both tight controls and level design, and creative environments and art. It was Rayman and Retro's DK that were putting Mario to shame in the 2d platformer space during the Wii and Wii U era. I guess Okami is mostly a PS2 game, but most Nintendo fans played it first on the Wii, so I pretty much think of it a Wii game. Okami is a beautiful action adventure game steeped in the culture of Japanese mythology and the art of Japanese watercolor paintings. It is a stunning game, with visual effects for every action and step you take. And you play as a wolf that is also the sun goddess, a much more badass wolf than Link could ever be (sorry TP fans). You do brush stroke signs to do attacks and solve puzzles, and that is particularly cool with the Wiimote (though sometimes finnicky). Anyway, definitely a masterpiece on the Wii. Didn't play the HD version on the Switch but heard good things!
The Vita version of Muramasa is amazing Jon, you should definitely play it! It features additional storylines via DLC and even new characters to play as. Plus it looks fantastic on the OLED screen of the Vita 1000.
Thanks for the video, Jon. I always look at the Wii section when I visit my local used game stores and I never know what the good underrated titles are. Now I have a few to look out for!
Muramasa Rebirth is such a good game. I've not played the wii version, but it looks better than on the wii, and has 2 main stories with 4 extra dlc mini stories. So not only does it have better visuals and controls, it also has extra content.
Love the video Jon, squeezed all the favourites in there! The one I'd add is Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, such a fun minigame collection with great presentation, London Party mode ruled, and having a Mario and Sonic game coincide with a huge event in your country is such a special thing that can't be replicated. Love the Wii library, one of Nintendo's best (and it's got a hell of a lot of competition lol).
We all know how amazing Galaxy 1 & 2 are and the best titles for the Wii and Mario games in general. But the Wii still has some banger games. Metroid Prime 3, Metroid Prime Trilogy, Kirby: Return to Dreamland, Zelda: Twilight Princess, House of the Dead, Sin & Punishments, Wario Land: Shake It, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wii Sports, Rabbids games, Super Mario Bros. Wii, No More Heroes, etc. The Wii has many good and hidden titles.
The Wii. My single favorite video game console. I am drawn to the casual style of the console and how it brings people together. Hey Jon. Did you know that I am a fan of Mario games? Shocker, right? Anyway, I have many of the red plumber's games on Wii; my favorite one is the London 2012 Olympics with Sonic, with Mario Super Sluggers, Mario Sports Mix, and Mario Kart Wii as good follow-ups. I am pleasantly surprised that New Super Mario Bros. Wii made the list! Going into this video, I expected you to overlook it due to its perceived repetition and "soiling" the creativity of the greater Mario IP. I appreciate that you further said how there's no _bad_ NSMB title. Nice stuff! DKC Returns is certainly an ambitious game. Me? I'm more of a Barrel Blast connoisseur due to the inclusion of playable Kremlings and fun motion controls. However, Returns does get props for its raw creativity, good challenge, and gorgeous visuals. I am content with the 3DS port. While Super Mario has wowed me on the Wii, it deserves props for getting me into other series. Kirby was a franchise that I dug deeper into during the GCN era, but the games on Wii are nice; Epic Yarn is stylized and cute while Return to Dream Land is one of my absolute favorites in the franchise. A big one is PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure. This game single-handedly got me into Pokémon after around ten years. It's super casual, with a simple story and lots of Pokémon to play around with. It got a sequel near the end of the Wii's life, which is another fun game. PokéPark showed that it's nice to spread out my horizons while still being a dedicated Mario nerd. Sonic Colors is another game I love. Similar to NSMB Wii, this game has gotten a dicey reputation in recent years, but that doesn't stop it from being my favorite Sonic experience. This and the London Olympics shaped my interest in Sonic during the 2010s, but I digress. As you said, Jon, the Wii is an amazing machine. Though my tastes aren't as diverse as yours, my love for Wii has not diminished; it has been my number one system since 2009. It's magical... Good job!
I really enjoy long "Best of" lists like this! Speaking to what you talk about at the end of the video, there are so many awesome things out there that when you limit yourself to a "top 10", even though you have a more succinct list, you may also be leaving out a lot of awesome things that aren't talked about. For example, if I were to rank my top 10 favorite DS games, series like Pokemon Ranger, Mega Man Star Force or Trauma Center probably would not make it on there. And yet, these are all series I really enjoyed, happily sunk dozens of hours into and love having excuses to talk about! Speaking to your list specifically, I appreciate your talking about the qualities of Sin and Punishment 2, The Last Story, Pandora's Tower, My Life as a King and Muramasa, amongst others! I've never played these titles, but your descriptions really peaked my interest! Also, thanks so much for bringing up how much darn fun Punch Out Wii is. I'd love it if one day we got a new game, but even if we don't, it'd be great to see a port or a remaster of the Wii version coming to modern consoles one day!
While the Playstation 1 and GameCube were my childhood, the Wii was my adolescent years and took up so much of my time throughout high school and even into the beginning of college. It is easily one of my favorite systems to date, and I have recently been trying to purchase and rebuild a library of old and new games for the system that I unfortunately sold off many years ago and deeply regret.
I wanna give a shout out to Bully: Scholarship Edition. Its on PC, Wii, and Xbox 360 (and Xbox One and Series S|X via back-compat). On Xbox 360 and PC, it is an enhanced port of a PS2 game. On Wii, it has really impressive integration of pointer and motion controls. I first played it on PC and I got many, many hours of fun. Then I looked up a review of the Wii version, and now I am getting it on Wii, because so much of the new content is designed around motion and pointer controls, and so much of the old content is redesigned around motion and pointer controls. It is pretty amazing, especially since Rockstar is not at all known for making Nintendo games, but the definitive version of Bully is the Wii version (like ResE 4, I guess)
0:49 I've said this before but I'm still amazed that after the popularity of the Wii, that TVs didn't have built-in sensor bars (along the top or bottom) and implement pointer controls into remotes... same with computer monitors. Pointing and selecting was such an incredible feature and a brilliant quality of life feature just for menu-ing... that's before you even get what it did for consoles and gameplay 😊
One of my favorite Wii memories is spending an entire day beating Kirby’s Epic Yarn from start to finish with my cousin. What a fun game. I hope the original version gets ported to switch, though I fear it would be the 3DS version instead
Excite Truck/Bots and Warioware Smooth Moves are how I learned that motion controls work a lot better on an actual Wii than on Dolphin... I LOVE Dolphin but... Those games just don't feel right on there, they feel SO Much Better on the real Wii... Same for pretty much all more motion-heavy games tbh...
Love the Fortune (Boom) Street representation. It’s one of my favourite digital board games. I actually met one of my best friends because of that game. We even played online almost every night together for a year or two. We’re still talk often and I would have never met him if it wasn’t for that game.
I kept waiting for Art Style: Orbient and Art Style: Rotohex, two of my favorite Wii games. And let's also not forget that the entire Bit.Trip series - Beat, Core, Void, Runner, Fate and Flux - were originally made for WiiWare. Void and Fate were duds, but on the whole the Bit.Trip Saga is a towering achievement in the history of rhythm games. Bit.Trip Runner has gotten two standalone sequels which are also fantastic, but the Wii is where it really shone. Every time a new episode dropped it was a major event for me.
What a coincidence! Just after this video I picked up Boom Blox and it’s sequel on Wii for $5, and Tank Tank Tank for Wii U as well! Can’t wait to finally see why this is such a hidden gem on the Wii.
Always so happy to see Xenoblade Chronicles at the top of lists like these. It cannot be overstated how much the modern era of RPGs, and even just open-world games in general (I mean these devs went on to help make BOTW!), has been influenced by this one Wii game that almost didnt even get released in North America! Truly a groundbreaking game in so many ways, it and the series as a whole deserves all the praise it gets and more
I love going on these trips down memory lane and remembering so many beloved titles, as well as being reminded of so many games in my backlog that I still need to go back to. The Wii was and still is such a beloved console to me and houses some of the most beloved games I've ever played. Including what once held the spot as being my favorite game of all time; NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. I was introduced to NiGHTS through this game, so I didn't have NiGHTS into Dreams to compare it to. And I definitely think that elevated my experience with this game. It remains as one of the most important and cherished games I've ever had the honor of experiencing and I can't say enough good about how enjoyable it was as a game, as well as how much of an impact it had on me as a person. I've been really hopeful, seeing all these Sega Wii titles get re-released on Switch. And I hope that NiGHTS will be soon to follow, because there truly is no other game like it.
Pretty good list. Obviously I don't agree with every choice (show me two people on this planet with a matching top 50 list of anything lol) but I appreciate your effort showing every single one of them with a little gameplay and explanation. Turns out I learned about some games I didn't know earlier.
Hot take, spoiling that Klonoa will make someone sad will make Klonoa lose the emotional impact it could have. If I recommend Klonoa, I'd just say that the story is fun too but that the gameplay and the music are the big selling points. Saying outright that it will make you sad will cause them to expect it and then it's not sad anymore when you expect something sad to happen.
Yes! You introduced Opoona! It's such an underrated game because it didn't sell well. And I totally agree that torch games were good on the Wii. Horror, exploration games were so fun with it. It's definitely a mechanism that doesn't work as well on other platforms. Wii had so many games I'd love to see ported but it was the remote that often made them so good that porting them feels difficult...
A lot of theses ganes are better than the ones we get today on Morden day consoles. Kids growing up today will never know the fun gaming actually was back then! It's a privilege being brought uo with theses tyoe of ganes and even in the PS2! My all time favourite Wii game growing up-as a kid was definitely Mario Bros and Mario Kart. My all time favourite game of all time is Goldeneye N64!
Two things: Boom Blox is the greatest puzzle game ever created and it makes me sad that it doesn’t get its dues. Most underrated game ever. You can find it for less than $5 at most game stores. You absolutely owe it to yourself to pick it up if it sounds even slightly interesting. Its sequel, Bash Party, is pretty great too!! I love you for putting Xenoblade #1. Greatest game I’ve ever played. Genuinely changed my life and who I am as a person. And I’m also someone who prefers the Wii version to the Switch version!
The funny thing with this video is : no matter this is a 50 games long list, there are MANY, and I mean many, good, and I mean VERY GOOD, games missing there. The wii is such a gem. Not as legendary as the GameCube was, but still.
Huge NMH fan here @12:35 I have to call this out… The second games music is the best in the entire series straight up it’s incredible. NMH1 is always my favorite game and I’ve played NMH2 a ton and stand on this, you should compare the soundtracks. ( however the iconic main theme music from the first game is iconic of course ) Loved the video and figured I’d mention this and if you give the games another go or listen 😎 NMH2 Examples: Philistine and destroy resort
absolutely incredible for including Puyo Puyo 7 and Opoona. Gotta represent the more obscure stuff. Good list! I recently replayed Little King's Story, and after playing Pikmin 4 I became rather frustrated with the inability to practice dandori in LKS. If you move away from your loyal subjects after sending them to do a task, then they drop what they're doing, and the progress for their task resets. So you kind of just have to sit there and watch them build or dig, and can't really go elsewhere or be efficient like in Pikmin. Oh well. Also the boss fights are extremely obnoxious lol.
Great list, shame a flight game did not make the list. Sky crawlers was bonkers, heat seeker was a great arcade game but my personal favourite was wiiware’s Pearl harbour trilogy. Each game had a different motion control system but all were great.
It makes me so damn happy to see Sin & Punishment 2 so high on the list. I'd still argue it's the most underrated game on the system! Probably my favourite game on it too! I'll always adore this console, I'd say it's the absolute king of hidden gem titles!
My honorable mentions for disc games: - Godfather Black Hand Edition - Medal of Honor Heroes 2 - Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles My honorable mentions for WiiWare games: - Art of Balance - Fast League Racing - Jett Rocket - Onslaught
Personal favorite Wii game that isn’t Nintendo developed would probably be Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love. It’s just a playable anime, but it’s got a lot of charm.
This the fact that there is a trophy of sylux in brawl is crazy that just shows how long it has been some people have been waiting to see what his deal is
Wolrd of Goo was the first, the only and the must important Wiiware game i bought when i was a kid, it was totally worth it for the experience. Also, where i lived, there wasnt Wii points cards to be bought, nor did i have internet connection in my parents house, so i asked a friend who had a credit card added to his Wii shop to buy it for me, i payed him and i went to his house to download the game. The hurdles we had to face for living in a very small town jajaja.
Funny thing is I've been playing Xenoblade on Switch recently, now I'm playing Skyward Sword and have been wanting to play Kirby. All on Switch! I've also got Dokapon Kingdom and Monkey Ball.
A few of my faves that didn't show up: Arc Rise Fantasia, Chocobo's Dungeon, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, Phantom Brave (which is a PS2 port, but it's NIS's first Nintendo console release) and I have recently discovered Spectrobes Origins, which is a surprisingly good action RPG
Battalion Wars 2 had by far my favorite online multiplayer of all time. Soooo many hours spent in glorious Tactics/Shooter action. Shame it didn't quite make it.
List for reference and ease of use
0:01 Video Start
1:14 50: Opoona
2:11 49: Fragile Dreams
3:02 48: Wario Land Shake It
3:41 47: Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands
4:41 46: Kirby’s Epic Yarn
5:44 45: Trauma Center New Blood
6:35 44: Lost winds Winter of the Melodias
7:35 43: Sonic Colours
8:54 42: Super Paper Mario
10:13 41: Silent Hill Shattered Memories
11:35 40: No More Heroes
12:46 39: Endless Ocean 2
13:49 38: Castlevania The Adventure Rebirth
15:07 37: Klonoa
16:04 36: Another Code R
17:11 35: Red Steel 2
18:07 34: Ghost Squad
19:31 33: Pandora’s Tower
20:48 32: Captain Rainbow
21:51 31: New Super Mario Bros Wii
23:05 30: Puyo Puyo 7
24:02 29: Boom Blox
24:52 28: Super Smash Bros Brawl
26:13 27: Zack & Wiki
27:03 26: Boom Street
28:15 25: Little King’s Story
29:12 24: The Last Story
30:24 23: Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn
31:34 22: World of Goo
32:26 21: Monster Hunter Tri
33:25 20: Muramasa The Demon Blade
34:43 19: Mario Strickers Charged Football
35:57 18: Zelda: Skyward Sword
37:24 17: Dead Space Extraction
38:09 16: FF CC My Life as a King
39:50 15: Excitebots Trick Racing
41:04 14: Mega Man 9
42:06 13: Donkey Kong Country Returns
43:33 12: Mario Kart Wii
44:50 11: Metroid Prime 3/Trilogy
46:39 No. 10 ???
47:54 No. 9 ???
48:52 8 ???
50:22 No. 8* The best game ever made
50:41 No. 7: ???
51:47 No. 6: ???
54:00 No. 5: ???
55:02 No. 4: ???
56:16 No. 3: ???
58:12 No. 2: ???
1:00:06 No. 1: ???
1:02:56 Honourable Mentions
Thank you! It's so helpful to have timestamps for long list videos, I wish channels would take a few minutes to add them themselves instead of leaving it to subscribers
Legend! 👍🏻
ty
Nice❤
Punch Out Wii, Sin and Punishment 2, Rhythm Heaven Fever, The Last Story, Pandora’s Tower, Zack and Wiki, We Love Golf, Red Steel 2, Rabbids Go Home, MadWorld, Tatsunoko vs Capcom, Wario Land Shake It, Muramasa the Demon Blade, and so much more. The Wii has so many hidden gems beyond the known classics, it’s frankly absurd.
The Wii definitely didn't (and still rarely does) get enough credit. There's so much good stuff on there. Especially since so many games on 360/PS3 were trying so hard to be "realistic" and "dark and gritty", the Wii was just a fun, joyful console by comparison.
Muramasa is one of my favorite games of all time, not just on the wii. The Vita remaster is also great.
Rabbids go home was such a special game for me as a child
The Wii’s reputation is disproportionately marred by shovelware, and the rapid decline in sales and support in its final few years. In reality, pound for pound, it’s one of Nintendo’s most fun machines.
Deadly Creatures, Mad World, Mushroom Men
1. The Mii Channel
2. The Weather Channel
3. The Skyward Sword Update Channel thing
Skyward Sword Update channel is truly Nintendos greatest achievement
Wii u transfer channel. Best pikmin game.
@@tiredhippo82yes
@@nathonso_edits So great, they kept it downloadable long after the Wii Shop channel shut down.
A lot of Wii games go under the radar due to the family-centric POV...Really happy you made this video highlighting some really underrated games!
The highest-selling consoles tend to have seriously underrated hidden gems.
The absolute FLEX of Jon showing off his collection. I’m such a glutton for ranked lists, especially from these guys.
Now let’s see which Mario Galaxy ranks higher…
Haven't seen the full video, but if I remember correctly I think Jon has said he preferred 1 to 2. We'll see if this has changed tho!
This is the video Jon was born to make. There’s few bigger champions of the Wii than Jon!
Jon's Wii pointer philosophy speaks to me. When it works it feels so right. I love the light gun games (Ghost Squad is a top pick). If Pandora's tower had a bit less grind I think people would speak of it as an all time classic. The Wii has such a deep library and its best games have an inimitable feel to them. Thanks Jon
I am inappropriately excited to listen to you talk about the Wii for an hour. My GOD I love this console.
Bro is ungodly thirsty for some Wii content
Me too.
i think i will buy one tomorrow, pretty cheap
12 years after playing Xenoblade Chronicles, that game is still my favourite of all time.
After all these years, there is something weirdly pure about the Wii despite incredibly underpowered for it's time.
Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition is the only case I can remember where perfection was actually improved upon.
Still annoyed the Switch version doesn't have gyro, which wouldn't be as good but still work great.
Kudos for undertaking this project and especially having to capture all of the footage. Not for nothing, you also made me appreciate the Wii so that's the biggest reward.
Jon: The Movie.
Jon: Gamewright
For me, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is my GOAT Wii game; takes what made the first great and amplifies the level design to great heights that makes me prefer it to the first one (even if the charm of the first one is uncanny). Wii Sports Resort, Kirby's RTDL, Super Paper Mario, and WarioWare Smooth Moves are my other favourites. Shout out to the soundtrack of Wario Land: The Shake Dimension as well, it's incredible
Edit: I just remember the PokePark games, I'm super nostalgic for them so need to give them some respect
Happy to see TvC so high on the list. Amazing game.
This scratched my MvC itch and I was sad that more people weren’t aware of it. Great game.
i prefer marvel 3 but tvc is good i suppose... @@CrowTRobot
just got my first Wii this week, a childhood dream comes true :D (at the time I had an Xbox 360 which I loved so much) having a blast
This is one of the best top games lists I've ever seen, love how much cool niche stuff was on here. Glad Rabbids Go Home got a last minute shoutout! And BlastWorks! I was obsessed with the online creative mode stuff in that game. Please do more longform content like this!
Thank you for some wonderful new reccs for classic games to check out!
RE: hot take - i think the shovelware issue/concerns was mainly because when you'd go into a retailer, the shelf would be full of it and it made it harder to ignore, whereas now all the shovelware is hidden on the eshop and rarely makes it to retail. They're never in 'featured' sections, so theyre easier to avoid. But 10-20 years ago, you'd have to find the gems hidden among the shovelware and it was easier for grandma to buy you shovelware because the boxart appealed to her.
Switch 2 better have a new Punch Out!! game.
Punch Out in Space!! Feat Ridley and Slippy as secret bosses
Really wondering if they'll go with ARMS 2 instead
I hope Next Level Games does another Punch Out after Luigi's Mansion 4 (which is like 100% coming considering the series' sales).
Next Level Games do like two games per System (unless they somehow have another surprise in store), with one of them being Luigi's Mansion these days. For 3DS they did Metroid Prime Federation Force, Switch had Mario Strikers Battle League.
also a new StarFox game
Toad's Factory not making it into MK8D is crime against toads and factories alike.
Let's Tap is one of the more unique Wii games that I think deserves a shoutout. Gameplay is oversimplified as letting your wiimote rest on the table, and playing the game by tapping near it.
As for fan translations, Chibi-Robo and Line-Attack Heroes are both worth a check.
Thanks! 😙😉
So glad you included Tatsunoko vs Capcom! Amazing game!
When you think about it, Epic Yarn really should have been a Yoshi game if they had to give it an established character. The vehicle transformations, the yarn whipping (could have been his tongue), the crafts artstyle. Probably why they were given Yoshi afterwards.
Have you seen Yarn Yoshi, the prototype/tech demo that became Wooly World? It's 1 to 1 identical to Kirby's Epic Yarn
Awesome vid! Happy you got my top 3:
#3. Muramasa The Demon Blade
#2. Little King's Story
#1. Zack & Wiki!!!
Good list, but taking a glance at my collection, I am going to add Rayman Origins and Okami here.
Rayman Origins and its sequel Legends are two of the best 2D platformers I have ever played, bar none. These games are the very pinnacle of both tight controls and level design, and creative environments and art. It was Rayman and Retro's DK that were putting Mario to shame in the 2d platformer space during the Wii and Wii U era.
I guess Okami is mostly a PS2 game, but most Nintendo fans played it first on the Wii, so I pretty much think of it a Wii game. Okami is a beautiful action adventure game steeped in the culture of Japanese mythology and the art of Japanese watercolor paintings. It is a stunning game, with visual effects for every action and step you take. And you play as a wolf that is also the sun goddess, a much more badass wolf than Link could ever be (sorry TP fans). You do brush stroke signs to do attacks and solve puzzles, and that is particularly cool with the Wiimote (though sometimes finnicky). Anyway, definitely a masterpiece on the Wii. Didn't play the HD version on the Switch but heard good things!
What a great video put together! Thankyou Jon
What an interesting coincidence that I have been playing Wii games recently to relive childhood memories!
Me too!
Specifically replaying skyward sword and the Wii series games with friends
I even played Wii party for the first time, pretty underrated
The Vita version of Muramasa is amazing Jon, you should definitely play it! It features additional storylines via DLC and even new characters to play as. Plus it looks fantastic on the OLED screen of the Vita 1000.
Thanks for the video, Jon. I always look at the Wii section when I visit my local used game stores and I never know what the good underrated titles are. Now I have a few to look out for!
i love you, jon cartwright
Muramasa Rebirth is such a good game. I've not played the wii version, but it looks better than on the wii, and has 2 main stories with 4 extra dlc mini stories. So not only does it have better visuals and controls, it also has extra content.
Love the video Jon, squeezed all the favourites in there! The one I'd add is Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, such a fun minigame collection with great presentation, London Party mode ruled, and having a Mario and Sonic game coincide with a huge event in your country is such a special thing that can't be replicated. Love the Wii library, one of Nintendo's best (and it's got a hell of a lot of competition lol).
We all know how amazing Galaxy 1 & 2 are and the best titles for the Wii and Mario games in general. But the Wii still has some banger games. Metroid Prime 3, Metroid Prime Trilogy, Kirby: Return to Dreamland, Zelda: Twilight Princess, House of the Dead, Sin & Punishments, Wario Land: Shake It, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wii Sports, Rabbids games, Super Mario Bros. Wii, No More Heroes, etc. The Wii has many good and hidden titles.
4:42 #46!?!?!? I love you Jon, but this is a top ten contender right here!
That's how I felt about Wario Land Shake It and it ranked even lower than this one lol
The Wii. My single favorite video game console. I am drawn to the casual style of the console and how it brings people together.
Hey Jon. Did you know that I am a fan of Mario games? Shocker, right? Anyway, I have many of the red plumber's games on Wii; my favorite one is the London 2012 Olympics with Sonic, with Mario Super Sluggers, Mario Sports Mix, and Mario Kart Wii as good follow-ups.
I am pleasantly surprised that New Super Mario Bros. Wii made the list! Going into this video, I expected you to overlook it due to its perceived repetition and "soiling" the creativity of the greater Mario IP. I appreciate that you further said how there's no _bad_ NSMB title. Nice stuff!
DKC Returns is certainly an ambitious game. Me? I'm more of a Barrel Blast connoisseur due to the inclusion of playable Kremlings and fun motion controls. However, Returns does get props for its raw creativity, good challenge, and gorgeous visuals. I am content with the 3DS port.
While Super Mario has wowed me on the Wii, it deserves props for getting me into other series. Kirby was a franchise that I dug deeper into during the GCN era, but the games on Wii are nice; Epic Yarn is stylized and cute while Return to Dream Land is one of my absolute favorites in the franchise.
A big one is PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure. This game single-handedly got me into Pokémon after around ten years. It's super casual, with a simple story and lots of Pokémon to play around with. It got a sequel near the end of the Wii's life, which is another fun game. PokéPark showed that it's nice to spread out my horizons while still being a dedicated Mario nerd.
Sonic Colors is another game I love. Similar to NSMB Wii, this game has gotten a dicey reputation in recent years, but that doesn't stop it from being my favorite Sonic experience. This and the London Olympics shaped my interest in Sonic during the 2010s, but I digress.
As you said, Jon, the Wii is an amazing machine. Though my tastes aren't as diverse as yours, my love for Wii has not diminished; it has been my number one system since 2009. It's magical...
Good job!
As soon as I saw that this is a Wii video, I knew it was from Jon. He’s easily that console’s strongest soldier lol
I really enjoy long "Best of" lists like this! Speaking to what you talk about at the end of the video, there are so many awesome things out there that when you limit yourself to a "top 10", even though you have a more succinct list, you may also be leaving out a lot of awesome things that aren't talked about.
For example, if I were to rank my top 10 favorite DS games, series like Pokemon Ranger, Mega Man Star Force or Trauma Center probably would not make it on there. And yet, these are all series I really enjoyed, happily sunk dozens of hours into and love having excuses to talk about!
Speaking to your list specifically, I appreciate your talking about the qualities of Sin and Punishment 2, The Last Story, Pandora's Tower, My Life as a King and Muramasa, amongst others! I've never played these titles, but your descriptions really peaked my interest!
Also, thanks so much for bringing up how much darn fun Punch Out Wii is. I'd love it if one day we got a new game, but even if we don't, it'd be great to see a port or a remaster of the Wii version coming to modern consoles one day!
While the Playstation 1 and GameCube were my childhood, the Wii was my adolescent years and took up so much of my time throughout high school and even into the beginning of college. It is easily one of my favorite systems to date, and I have recently been trying to purchase and rebuild a library of old and new games for the system that I unfortunately sold off many years ago and deeply regret.
I love the Wii so much! It’s got such an amazing library and I can’t wait to hear you talk about all of your favs!!
I wanna give a shout out to Bully: Scholarship Edition. Its on PC, Wii, and Xbox 360 (and Xbox One and Series S|X via back-compat). On Xbox 360 and PC, it is an enhanced port of a PS2 game. On Wii, it has really impressive integration of pointer and motion controls. I first played it on PC and I got many, many hours of fun. Then I looked up a review of the Wii version, and now I am getting it on Wii, because so much of the new content is designed around motion and pointer controls, and so much of the old content is redesigned around motion and pointer controls. It is pretty amazing, especially since Rockstar is not at all known for making Nintendo games, but the definitive version of Bully is the Wii version (like ResE 4, I guess)
Amazing video! I've been going back to it for weeks building my Wii wishlist and backlog. Thank you!
0:49 I've said this before but I'm still amazed that after the popularity of the Wii, that TVs didn't have built-in sensor bars (along the top or bottom) and implement pointer controls into remotes... same with computer monitors. Pointing and selecting was such an incredible feature and a brilliant quality of life feature just for menu-ing... that's before you even get what it did for consoles and gameplay 😊
One of my favorite Wii memories is spending an entire day beating Kirby’s Epic Yarn from start to finish with my cousin. What a fun game. I hope the original version gets ported to switch, though I fear it would be the 3DS version instead
you should do a top 50 ds games list too
Excite Truck/Bots and Warioware Smooth Moves are how I learned that motion controls work a lot better on an actual Wii than on Dolphin...
I LOVE Dolphin but... Those games just don't feel right on there, they feel SO Much Better on the real Wii... Same for pretty much all more motion-heavy games tbh...
Excellent list! This was an excellent buying guide for looking up more hidden gens I'm missing for my Wii collection like The Munchables and RE4!
Thank you for the content, and to those that edit these videos, you're just as important in making these videos! Good way to relax after work!
As an Italian, the way you said ArtePiazza kinda destroyed me 😵😂
1. Okami
2. Rayman Origins
3. No More Heroes 2
Please now do this for the Nintendo DS and the PSP! Please Jon, you can do this RIGHT!
Me and my partner said "this better be John", and then cheered when the video started
🎉
I’m a simple man. I see John I click.
Prince of Persia : Forgotten Sands , Cursed Mountain , Fragile Dreams were all awesome and underrated games
This video is great. It’s making me want to play Wii games I bought and never played. Sonic Colors, Trauma Center 2, Kirby’s Epic Yarn.
Very cool video, do another one with your top from 100 to 51 please xD
Love the Fortune (Boom) Street representation. It’s one of my favourite digital board games.
I actually met one of my best friends because of that game. We even played online almost every night together for a year or two.
We’re still talk often and I would have never met him if it wasn’t for that game.
Fishing Resort is one of the most underrated Wii games. Perhaps the best fishing game ever created
I kept waiting for Art Style: Orbient and Art Style: Rotohex, two of my favorite Wii games. And let's also not forget that the entire Bit.Trip series - Beat, Core, Void, Runner, Fate and Flux - were originally made for WiiWare. Void and Fate were duds, but on the whole the Bit.Trip Saga is a towering achievement in the history of rhythm games. Bit.Trip Runner has gotten two standalone sequels which are also fantastic, but the Wii is where it really shone. Every time a new episode dropped it was a major event for me.
MY BODY IS READY FOR AN HOUR OF WII
What a coincidence! Just after this video I picked up Boom Blox and it’s sequel on Wii for $5, and Tank Tank Tank for Wii U as well! Can’t wait to finally see why this is such a hidden gem on the Wii.
Always so happy to see Xenoblade Chronicles at the top of lists like these. It cannot be overstated how much the modern era of RPGs, and even just open-world games in general (I mean these devs went on to help make BOTW!), has been influenced by this one Wii game that almost didnt even get released in North America! Truly a groundbreaking game in so many ways, it and the series as a whole deserves all the praise it gets and more
Took a shot every time Jon said “one of the best games ever made/crafted” and I’m in the hospital now. Great video as always!
have a speedy recovery..
I love going on these trips down memory lane and remembering so many beloved titles, as well as being reminded of so many games in my backlog that I still need to go back to. The Wii was and still is such a beloved console to me and houses some of the most beloved games I've ever played. Including what once held the spot as being my favorite game of all time; NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. I was introduced to NiGHTS through this game, so I didn't have NiGHTS into Dreams to compare it to. And I definitely think that elevated my experience with this game. It remains as one of the most important and cherished games I've ever had the honor of experiencing and I can't say enough good about how enjoyable it was as a game, as well as how much of an impact it had on me as a person. I've been really hopeful, seeing all these Sega Wii titles get re-released on Switch. And I hope that NiGHTS will be soon to follow, because there truly is no other game like it.
Id love to see videos of this style for ds and ps1/2
Ah boom blox had so much fun with friends with this and the sequel bash party
Pretty good list. Obviously I don't agree with every choice (show me two people on this planet with a matching top 50 list of anything lol) but I appreciate your effort showing every single one of them with a little gameplay and explanation. Turns out I learned about some games I didn't know earlier.
Thanks for the awesome video Jon. Loved it ❤
Next, can we get Jon’s top 50 Wiiware games?
Hot take, spoiling that Klonoa will make someone sad will make Klonoa lose the emotional impact it could have. If I recommend Klonoa, I'd just say that the story is fun too but that the gameplay and the music are the big selling points. Saying outright that it will make you sad will cause them to expect it and then it's not sad anymore when you expect something sad to happen.
Yes! You introduced Opoona! It's such an underrated game because it didn't sell well.
And I totally agree that torch games were good on the Wii. Horror, exploration games were so fun with it. It's definitely a mechanism that doesn't work as well on other platforms.
Wii had so many games I'd love to see ported but it was the remote that often made them so good that porting them feels difficult...
A lot of theses ganes are better than the ones we get today on Morden day consoles. Kids growing up today will never know the fun gaming actually was back then! It's a privilege being brought uo with theses tyoe of ganes and even in the PS2! My all time favourite Wii game growing up-as a kid was definitely Mario Bros and Mario Kart.
My all time favourite game of all time is Goldeneye N64!
Two things:
Boom Blox is the greatest puzzle game ever created and it makes me sad that it doesn’t get its dues. Most underrated game ever. You can find it for less than $5 at most game stores. You absolutely owe it to yourself to pick it up if it sounds even slightly interesting. Its sequel, Bash Party, is pretty great too!!
I love you for putting Xenoblade #1. Greatest game I’ve ever played. Genuinely changed my life and who I am as a person. And I’m also someone who prefers the Wii version to the Switch version!
A „50 hidden gems for Wii“ video next maybe?
The funny thing with this video is : no matter this is a 50 games long list, there are MANY, and I mean many, good, and I mean VERY GOOD, games missing there. The wii is such a gem. Not as legendary as the GameCube was, but still.
nice timing, recently I went on 1G1R Wii + Dolphinbar rampage
Really great video dude, they are a few games here i never knew about! so will give them a go :)
My favourite gvg host talking about my favourite console ❤
It's incredibly ironic how successful the Wii was, yet it is so undervalued. It is one of my favorite consoles of all time.
Looking forward to the 100-51 countdown when you're ready, still plenty of great games to cover.
Huge NMH fan here @12:35 I have to call this out… The second games music is the best in the entire series straight up it’s incredible. NMH1 is always my favorite game and I’ve played NMH2 a ton and stand on this, you should compare the soundtracks. ( however the iconic main theme music from the first game is iconic of course )
Loved the video and figured I’d mention this and if you give the games another go or listen 😎
NMH2 Examples:
Philistine and destroy resort
absolutely incredible for including Puyo Puyo 7 and Opoona. Gotta represent the more obscure stuff. Good list!
I recently replayed Little King's Story, and after playing Pikmin 4 I became rather frustrated with the inability to practice dandori in LKS. If you move away from your loyal subjects after sending them to do a task, then they drop what they're doing, and the progress for their task resets. So you kind of just have to sit there and watch them build or dig, and can't really go elsewhere or be efficient like in Pikmin. Oh well. Also the boss fights are extremely obnoxious lol.
Great list, shame a flight game did not make the list. Sky crawlers was bonkers, heat seeker was a great arcade game but my personal favourite was wiiware’s Pearl harbour trilogy. Each game had a different motion control system but all were great.
It makes me so damn happy to see Sin & Punishment 2 so high on the list. I'd still argue it's the most underrated game on the system! Probably my favourite game on it too!
I'll always adore this console, I'd say it's the absolute king of hidden gem titles!
0:00 "Hey Everyone, Jon Here!"
Bro Really Sound Excited to make a 1+ hour video.
My honorable mentions for disc games:
- Godfather Black Hand Edition
- Medal of Honor Heroes 2
- Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles
My honorable mentions for WiiWare games:
- Art of Balance
- Fast League Racing
- Jett Rocket
- Onslaught
Personal favorite Wii game that isn’t Nintendo developed would probably be Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love. It’s just a playable anime, but it’s got a lot of charm.
I always thought Wario Land Shake Dimension was slept on
This the fact that there is a trophy of sylux in brawl is crazy that just shows how long it has been some people have been waiting to see what his deal is
Wolrd of Goo was the first, the only and the must important Wiiware game i bought when i was a kid, it was totally worth it for the experience.
Also, where i lived, there wasnt Wii points cards to be bought, nor did i have internet connection in my parents house, so i asked a friend who had a credit card added to his Wii shop to buy it for me, i payed him and i went to his house to download the game. The hurdles we had to face for living in a very small town jajaja.
I see Jon talking about the Wii and I know this is where I belong.
I played Ghost Squad with a PC Light Gun the other day on Dolphin and it was brilliant. Was able to turn off the crosshair. Such a good game.
Punch Out!! is my top 1 NES game also.
I was literally looking this up yesterday!! Ya'll read my mind! Amazing
Funny thing is I've been playing Xenoblade on Switch recently, now I'm playing Skyward Sword and have been wanting to play Kirby. All on Switch! I've also got Dokapon Kingdom and Monkey Ball.
A few of my faves that didn't show up: Arc Rise Fantasia, Chocobo's Dungeon, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, Phantom Brave (which is a PS2 port, but it's NIS's first Nintendo console release) and I have recently discovered Spectrobes Origins, which is a surprisingly good action RPG
Jon. You are a real one with great taste. But no House of Dead Overkill is buckwild.
Battalion Wars 2 had by far my favorite online multiplayer of all time. Soooo many hours spent in glorious Tactics/Shooter action. Shame it didn't quite make it.
Please change your wiimote batteries
Never
Oh no, Fi found the UA-cam comments section.
I’ve been playing the 2nd Endless Ocean. That’s a hidden gem on the system and I was so sad that the new one sucked!