Editorial: 10 Cool Wii games for future RA support by spoorloos - RetroAchievements/RANews GitHub Wiki
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While the Nintendo Wii didn't fulfill its full potential thanks to the MotionPlus addon being released when most people already moved on, a lot of developers still managed to use the Wii Remote's limited capabilities to create some of the most quirky and bizarre games ever created. I tried to highlight some of the less obvious titles which are unlikely to get achievement sets anytime soon.
Rodea the Sky Soldier
The first one in this list is probably the ultimate hidden gem. It was supposed to be a fitting swan song for the Wii, utilizing motion controls in creative ways. However, the publisher decided otherwise; they shelved the game, de-made it for the 3DS, and then ported the 3DS demake to Wii U. Kadokawa Games took something beautiful and stripped it of everything that made it unique. Needless to say, the game flopped, it was a laughing stock, and now it’s forgotten. Thankfully, the original Wii version was included with the first print of the Wii U release, so a few of us could experience Yuji Naka’s vision. I don't want to oversell it, but it's really good, and it has more soul than some of the Sammy-era Sonic games.
Fishing Resort
Another Yuji Naka game on this list. I always wanted to play a fishing game, but fishing controllers are so expensive these days and playing on a gamepad is not the same. Lucky for us, Naka produced an ideal fishing game: with tropical setting, open-world exploration and MotionPlus support so we can all get an authentic fishing experience for an affordable price.
Marbles! Balance Challenge
The Kororinpa games are rolling platformers with motion controls done right, unlike those hideous Wii Monkey Ball games. Marble Mania was sweet but short. The sequel, Marble Saga, is a step back; controls don't feel as good, but I decided to include it in this list anyway because the European version (called Marbles! Balance Challenge) includes 100 extra levels made specifically for the Balance Board, and I'll take any game that utilizes it a meaningful way.
Ikenie no Yoru
I like the Balance Board but there are not many games (beside numerous fitness ones) that utilize this device. Night of the Sacrifice is the weirdest of the bunch: it's a first-person horror game developed by Square Enix. And, yes, you can use the Balance Board for walking. I never finished it because it is more weird than good, not really different from countless story-light indie games you can find on Steam. But it's still a curiosity and an achievement set would give me much-needed motivation to beat this game.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters
I really like the idea of golf games: after another ragequit, you just want to play something calm and relaxing. But playing sports game on a gamepad is so stupid; it's nothing like in real life, you just need to set a direction you want to shoot the ball and press the button at the right moment. The Wii Remote solves this problem, and you can finally play golf as authentically as possible. Ironically, Nintendo missed a chance to release Mario Golf on Wii but there’s still a lot of decent golf games. PGA Tour 10/11/12 are the best of the bunch, and thanks to the MotionPlus addon you can feel like you're really holding a golf club.
Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue
The Wii received quite a bunch of ports and remakes of Sega arcade games, but Jambo! Safari is the obscurest one--I never heard about it until recently. This NAOMI original is bite-size fun similar to Sega Bass Fishing, but instead of catching fish you're catching wild animals using a lasso. While the Dreamcast port was cancelled, an expanded remake was released years later on Wii and DS with career mode and free-roam exploration being added.
And Yet It Moves
This one I remember fondly from The Humble Indie Bundle days when you could buy a lot of awesome games for just $0.01. Unlike its indie contemporaries, Braid and Super Meat Boy, it didn't set the world on fire but there's a lot of things that make this game stand out: paper-collage-styled visuals, beat-boxing soundtrack, and gameplay involving rotating the world around you. This WiiWare release includes not only extra levels, but also the ability to rotate using your Wiimote so it would be a great opportunity to experience this classic in a new way.
Art of Balance
Shin'en Multimedia is famous for pushing Nintendo hardware to the limit on the graphics side, and their Wii output is nothing short of amazing. My favorite one of these is Art of Balance. Not only does it provide physics-based gameplay, but its visual style evokes nostalgia for Frutiger Aero UI.
Gold's Gym Cardio Workout/ My Fitness Coach: Cardio Workout
Wii Fit Plus' mini-games are a lot of fun, but exercising activities are so boring I never had any motivation to do them more than once. EA Sports Active is probably a better fitness game, but you need a leg strap along with a resistance band to play, and good luck finding a heart rate monitor accessory for the sequel. This leaves us with Japanese series Shape Boxing. The first game (localized in Europe as My Fitness Coach: Cardio Workout and in US as Gold's Gym Cardio Workout) is a rhythm game disguised as boxing: you control two Wiimotes, and mirror the boxing moves of your instructor. It's a simple- but addicting gameplay loop. Also,the Balance Board can be used for extra side workouts. Years later the series was rebooted on Switch under the Fitness Boxing title.
We Dare
The Wii is a treasure trove of shovelware, but one uncool game I think about most is Ubisoft's We Dare: Flirty Fun for All, where you're supposed to do kinky stuff with your friends, members of your family (according to PEGI 12 rating), or even solo. I'm not sure I'll ever dare to touch this game, but it amuses me that someone will have to embarrass themselves a lot while developing or mastering the set.