The 50 Best Nintendo Wii Games - #40-31

Welcome to the next installment of The 50 Best Wii Games - an editorial I'm putting together that will hopefully open your eyes to some games for the Wii that you might not know about, and also let you know what I think of a boatload of games.

50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

The 50 Best Games Available for Wii
Numbers 40 to 31

40. Mario Super Sluggers
Release Date: 8/5/2008 | Players: 1-4 | ESRB: E (Everyone) | Genre: Sports
Ratings: IGN: 7.4 | Gamespot: 6.5 | Nintendo Power: 7.5 | Test Freaks: N/A
If you find playing The Bigs too intimidating because of the actual players (maybe you just get really excited to control A-Rod?), Mario Super Sluggers could be the one for you! The idea behind the game is that you control either pitcher or catcher, swing your WiiMote to either pitch or bat - this is very similar to Wii Sports, except that you actually control the outfield! You can play with up to four people - two people can play an actual game, with three or four you are stuck in the mini-games. Unfortunately, the mini-games are not great, so you lose a little there, and there is no online functionality, which takes away a lot in my mind. My final beef is that the game does not pick up how hard you swing or throw, so it's merely a timing game - this takes away a lot of the fun of the Wii, but also makes it better for kids. Bottom line - a good game if you're looking to play baseball against your friend and want an improvement over Wii Sports. If you want a much better game, though, stick with The Bigs.

39. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
Release Date: 6/3/2008 | Players: 1-2 | ESRB: E (10+) | Genre: Action Adventure
Ratings: IGN: 8 | Gamespot: 8 | Nintendo Power: 7.5 | Test Freaks: 8.5
Don't worry, you don't have to be a Lego nut to enjoy this game (it probably helps though...). Lego Indiana Jones let's you guide Lego versions of India Jones characters through various scenes from the first three movies (sorry, Crystal Skull didn't make it into this one... but that leaves room for a sequel game!) in an effort to collect different artifacts. You use both the WiiMote and Nunchuk to navigate multiple Lego Indiana Jones characters through the levels - occasionally getting to use your WiiMote like a whip! - with various twists and turns presenting themselves throughout. Overall a fun game that you can enjoy with a friend or by yourself!

38. Tiger Woods 08
Release Date: 8/28/2007 | Players: 1-4 | ESRB: E (Everyone) | Genre: Sports
Ratings: IGN: 7.1 | Gamespot: 7 | Nintendo Power: 8 | Test Freaks: 8.4
While people were excited for The Bigs because of Wii Sports, I couldn't wait to try Tiger Woods 08 to see if they screwed that one up as much as they screwed it up in Wii Sports (I don't like the Wii Sports version, in case you can't tell). Tiger Woods 08 does a much better job than Wii Sports, but there is still some room for improvement. The game controls are easy - swing the WiiMote like a golf club. The only problem is that crushing the ball is easy - the short touch shots are the hard ones... they take practice and patience, and once you get the hang of them, they're great. My issue is that when you point the WiiMote at the ground and don't move it much to try and sink a short putt, it doesn't always pick up your movement, which means that you keep trying until you get frustrated, and then you swing too hard and launch your ball to the other side of the green. But once you get the hang of it, it's a lot of fun. The ability to create your own player and work your way onto the PGA tour and then take on Tiger is great, and so it just playing pickup games of Sunday morning golf as Tiger Woods against your friends. Overall, a lot of fun, but there is some room for improvement (be on the lookout for Tiger Woods 09!).

37. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Release Date: 11/6/2007 | Players: 1-2 | ESRB: E (10+) | Genre: Action Adventure
Ratings: IGN: 8 | Gamespot: 7 | Nintendo Power: N/A | Test Freaks: 9.2
Much like Lego Indiana Jones, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga is a great game that has you go through all six Star Wars movies as Lego characters. It is a much longer game than Indy's version - each movie has six levels, and with six movies out there... well, you do the math. You also get to use your WiiMote like a lightsaber, and if that wasn't your dream when you first got the Wii, what was it? Some of the levels can be frustrating, but that just adds a little bit of a challenge to the game (and it's nothing that Google can't solve!). Bottom line, a fun, longer game that is great for anyone who enjoyed Star Wars.

36. Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Release Date: 11/5/2007 | Players: 1 | ESRB: E (10+) | Genre: Strategy
Ratings: IGN: 8 | Gamespot: 6 | Nintendo Power: 9.5 | Test Freaks: 9
A great RPG that would have been much higher on the list if it actually used the Wii's technology - unfortunately it doesn't, so it's stuck in the 30s... You control your army by holding the WiiMote sideways and clicking buttons in a turn-based game. You have various tasks, from flat-out win to seize the castle, and as you complete them, your army grows, as well as your magic ability. I'm not a huge RPG fan, but this game was popular with a lot of people, so I thought it better to not leave it off completely...

35. Mario Strikers Charged
Release Date: 7/30/2007 | Players: 1-4 | ESRB: E (10+) | Genre: Sports
Ratings: IGN: 8.3 | Gamespot: 7.5 | Nintendo Power: 8.5 | Test Freaks: 8.3
So you like the fat plumber and want to play soccer, eh? Well fear no more - Mario Strikers Charged will fulfill all your needs! The idea is pretty simple - you chose the captain of your team as well as your supporting cast, head into the stadium and play some soccer! Of course, the field has an electric fence surrounding it, and you are allowed to hockey-check your opponents by flicking your WiiMote, but it wouldn't be a true Mario game if you were to just play soccer (you don't throw turtle shells in real life while driving, but that doesn't stop you from enjoying Mario Kart!). The basic controls are easy - A to pass, B to shoot, run with the joystick on the Nunchuk - but it's the advanced controls that take you awhile to get - like actually scoring or checking your opponents (the tutorial is great - essential - for this). What makes Mario Strikers Charged a keeper, though, is the online capability: much like Mario Kart you can play online against your friends (for free!) which adds a great element to the game.

34. Elebits
Release Date: 12/12/2006 | Players: 1-4 | ESRB: E (Everyone) | Genre: Action Adventure
Ratings: IGN: 8.3 | Gamespot: 7.5 | Nintendo Power: 7.5 | Test Freaks: 8.8
So the Elebits have escaped during a lightening storm and your job is to capture them back so that you have power again, and now I know your first question - "huh?" While the premise may sound a little stupid, it's actually a lot of fun and a great game for kids. Elebits are small creatures that generate electricity and you have to go get them by shooting them with your zapper-guy - which you use by pointing your WiiMote at the screen and pressing A or B. Each level is timed, and you have to capture a certain amount of power (Elebits - but different Elebits are worth more than others) to move to the next level. A lot of fun, and a little addicting. Great game for kids!

33. The Bigs
Release Date: 6/25/2007 | Players: 1-4 | ESRB: E (Everyone) | Genre: Sports
Ratings: IGN: 7 | Gamespot: 7 | Nintendo Power: 6 | Test Freaks: 7.8
The Bigs was released during summer 2007, and it was an instant hit with many people that I know. After the very popular baseball mini-game in Wii Sports left people wanting more, The Bigs came in and fulfilled that need by exceeding people's expectations. The graphics of the players are very good - the crowds not so much - and the soundtrack is very good (you can even pick your own music to come up to the plate to in Rookie mode!). The controls are pretty basic at first - throwing and hitting are very straight forward, and using the Nunchuk to run players around is very simple - it's only once you try and become more advanced to they become a little trickier (curveballs, sinkers, etc. instead of a fastball down the middle every time). Sprinting is probably my favourite thing - you shake your WiiMote and Nunchuk up and down like your are pumping your fists while running - good exercise and hilarious if you are just watching! The game offers a bunch of different modes that you can play in and they are all very fun - from just an exhibition game against your friends to creating a rookie and trying to see him make it in The Bigs - you will not be disappointed in this game!

32. The Sims 2: Castaway
Release Date: 10/23/2007 | Players: 1 | ESRB: T (Teen) | Genre: Simulation
Ratings: IGN: 7.5 | Gamespot: 8 | Nintendo Power: N/A | Test Freaks: 8.9
So you really like the show Lost and want to live it via your Wii - you want to build shelter, try to survive, go to other nearby islands, and build a whole community! If you've played any of The Sims and enjoyed it, then this is a good game for you! Unfortunately, the platform is not designed to use the WiiMote in any useful way, and this is something where I think they could really improve - if you want to go fishing with a spear, use the WiiMote to throw it, not to just click A! The only other downside is that you can only save one game, so if you have multiple people who want to play, well, it's just not going to happen. Unless, of course, they don't mind having their games saved over... Bottom line, though, is that if you enjoy any of The Sims, this is a similar game with similar controls so chances are you'll enjoy Sims 2: Castaway too!

31. Madden NFL 07
Release Date: 11/14/2006 | Players: 1-4 | ESRB: E (Everyone) | Genre: Sports
Ratings: IGN: 8.5 | Gamespot: 8.4 | Nintendo Power: 8.5 | Test Freaks: 9.4
The Madden platform has been releasing NFL games for a long time now, and each year something new has been introduced. The Wii allows for a whole new level of interactive gameplay: throwing by making a throwing motion with the WiiMote, juking by pulling the WiiMote and Nunchuk towards you simultaneously, you catch the ball by moving the WiiMote and Nunchuk upwards simultaneously, etc. It's a lot more fun than the boring controller Madden's. Also introduced in Madden 07 is the ability to control a blocker on a running play - so you do not have to be the running back, you can be the blocking fullback. Rookie mode is also a lot of fun - where you create a player and try and make it in the NFL (after getting drafted to a team and setting your attributes). If you're looking for a great football game (that is now especially cheap), buy this one! If you want to newest and fanciest - go with Madden 09!

That's it for 40 to 31 - be on the lookout for 30 to 21!

50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1