The 50 Best Nintendo Wii Games - #30-21

Hopefully you’ve had a chance to read the first two parts of The 50 Best Games For Nintendo Wii before reading this one – if not, go check them out so you can see what I’m thinking!

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

The 50 Best Games Available for Wii
Numbers 30 to 21

30. The Godfather: Blackhand Edition
Release Date: 3/20/2007 | Players: 1 | ESRB: M (Mature) | Genre: Action Adventure
Ratings: IGN: 8 | Gamespot: 7.6 | Nintendo Power: 8 | Test Freaks: 9.1
This game is designed for people looking for one of two things: either you enjoy the Godfather movies and have always wanted to be able to act like you are part of organized crime, or you really like GTA and want something very similar. It's an incredibly violent game that uses blood and swearing in excess, but if that's what you are looking for, look no farther! The controls are great - to shoot you point your WiiMote at the screen and take aim, to punch someone you actually punch with your WiiMote (and it picks up on where you are punching - unlike Wii Sports boxing!), to choke someone you bring the WiiMote and Nunchuk up, you get the idea. Your goal during the game is to go from a lowly errand boy to controlling the Corleone family through various missions and side-tasks. Overall, a great GTA-like game that (if you're okay with the violence) will keep you entertained for months. NOT suitable for kids.

29. Boom Blox
Release Date: 5/6/2008 | Players: 1-4 | ESRB: E (Everyone) | Genre: Action Adventure
Ratings: IGN: 8.1 | Gamespot: 7 | Nintendo Power: 8 | Test Freaks: 9.6
With a cover that reminds me of Evil Monkey from Family Guy, you have to be wondering if you're getting yourself into a decent game when you first see Boom Blox (the name doesn't exactly help it out either...). When you get past that (and don’t mind the not-advanced graphics), you can have a lot of fun with the gameplay, either by yourself or with friends. The idea here is simple - you have to make blocks go boom (Boom Blox - get it!? Get it?!? Ahh never mind...) in a variety of ways (that change from level to level). With friends, you can play cooperatively or competitively, both of which are fun. It's not a very serious game, but you can definitely kill some time and have fun in the process.

28. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
Release Date: 6/27/2008 | Players: 1-2 | ESRB: T (Teen) | Genre: Rhythm/Music
Ratings: IGN: 7.6 | Gamespot: N/A | Nintendo Power: 7 | Test Freaks: 8.6
What should have been called Guitar Hero IV features different graphics and songs than GH3, but nothing overly different than that. Similar to Rock Band Track Pack: Vol 1 with Rock Band, it is a free-standing game (meaning that you do not have to own the first one to play the second) that has a sense of individuality. Play as Aerosmith and make your way from their first gig to the Superbowl! Not all the songs are Aerosmith songs, but a majority of them are: Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes | Cheap Trick - Dream Police | Aerosmith - Make It | Aerosmith - Uncle Salty | Aerosmith - Draw the Line | Joan Jett - I Hate Myself For Loving You | The Kinks - All Day And All Of The Night | Aerosmith - Movin' Out | Aerosmith - No Surprize | Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion | The Clash - Complete Control | New York Dolls - Personality Crisis | Aerosmith - Livin' on the Edge | Aersomith - Ragdoll | Aerosmith - Love in an Elevator | Lenny Kravitz - Always on the Run | Black Crowes - Hard to Handle | Aerosmith - Back in the Saddle | Aerosmith - Beyond Beautiful | Aerosmith - Dream On

27. Wii Sports
Release Date: 11/19/2006 | Players: 1-4 | ESRB: E (Everyone) | Genre: Sports
Ratings: IGN: 7.5 | Gamespot: 7.8 | Nintendo Power: 8.2 | Test Freaks: 9
What's not to love about Wii Sports - it's free, a great introduction to the Wii, and can provide hours upon hours of entertainment. Play tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, and boxing against your friends - or challenge them to fitness tasks! This is a game that young and old can enjoy - especially after making your very own Mii and no longer being classified as Guest C!

26. MLB Power Pros
Release Date: 7/29/2008 | Players: 1-2 | ESRB: E (Everyone) | Genre: Sports
Ratings: IGN: 8.4 | Gamespot: 8 | Nintendo Power: 7 | Test Freaks: 9.2
The characters remind me of Wii Sports, but with shoes - still no legs and arms. The idea is that you play in actual MLB parks, but as cartoonistic characters (not sure that's a word) instead of the real players. You can also incorporate the Mii's that are on your system and play with them too - create a team of Mii's and take on a real pro team! You use the WiiMote to swing and pitch in Exhibition and Home Run Derby modes, but you cannot use the Wii's motion sensing technology in the other modes. If that wasn't the case, this game would have fallen a lot higher on the list! For people who are looking to play a casual game of baseball with your friend, this is a great one for you!

25. Battalion Wars 2
Release Date: 10/29/2007 | Players: 1 | ESRB: T (Teen) | Genre: Strategy
Ratings: IGN: 8 | Gamespot: 7.5 | Nintendo Power: 7.5 | Test Freaks: 9.1
The second game (the first was for the Gamecube) in the Battalion Wars series, BWii offers you the chance to be a soldier in a fictitious war, trying to stop Xylvania from taking over the world, with cartoonish charters. Like most games that involve shooting of some sort, your WiiMote acts as your aim, so you point it at the screen and pull B to shoot. The game involves a lot of strategy, as you have to choose where to send troops and give them orders. It's a fun game that isn't overly different from BWi, but since it's on the Wii instead of Gamecube, it doesn't get whacked as hard for that...

24. Rayman Raving Rabbids
Release Date: 11/14/2006 | Players: 1-4 | ESRB: E (Everyone) | Genre: Party Game
Ratings: IGN: 8.3 | Gamespot: 8 | Nintendo Power: 7.5 | Test Freaks: 9
If you are looking for a game that consists entirely of mini-games that people can just pick up and play without any context, then this is a great game for you. If you are looking for a game with a storyline that makes sense and has substance, however, you should probably just move on. The mini-games can be a little challenging at times, but that doesn't make them any less fun (and it definitely makes it funnier for people who are watching). They can, unfortunately, be a little repetitive, but there really is only so much you can do with motion-sensing (it's better than having to press A to a beat, though). Overall, so long as your not looking for too much substance and can get past the fact that you are dealing with rabbits that have taken over the world, the games are a lot of fun.

23. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Release Date: 11/14/2006 | Players: 1-4 | ESRB: E (Everyone) | Genre: Party Game
Ratings: IGN: 8.4 | Gamespot: 8.3 | Nintendo Power: 8.5 | Test Freaks: 8.4
Another party game in the mix! Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz takes the idea of the Wii and really runs with it - a family friendly console that allows you to intuitively play games (e.g. anyone can pickup a WiiMote play!). Now that's not to say that the games are simple or not fun after a long time - it's just that you can play these games by yourself (Monkey Maze) or with your friends (Party Games/Bonus Games) and have a great time doing it. The game utilized the WiiMote and Wii technology to a certain extent, where you can make your monkey-ball jump by flicking your WiiMote upwards, but for the most part just uses the joystick on the Nunchuk. Overall, a lot of fun either by yourself or when challenging friends!

22. Trauma Center: Second Opinion
Release Date: 11/14/2006 | Players: 1 | ESRB: T (Teen) | Genre: Action Adventure
Ratings: IGN: 8 | Gamespot: 8 | Nintendo Power: 8.5 | Test Freaks: 9.2
You've always wanted to be a doctor but didn't want to put in years at medical school and then deal with being a resident. You really like TV shows like Greys Anatomy, ER, and Scrubs, but haven't wanted to put in the time to make it happen in real life. Well here's your chance to play doctor - hands-on style! Your job is to try and save people as you perform surgeries in the O.R. - occasionally having to fight quickly moving tumors, which doesn't make 100% sense but it does keep it entertaining. While it's rated Teen, it's not an overly gory game, if blood makes you queasy it shouldn't bother you. My only complaint is the excessive use of text and lack of vocals. All in all, a very interesting concept for a game that winds up working very well.

21. SSX Blur
Release Date: 2/27/2007 | Players: 1-4 | ESRB: E (Everyone) | Genre: Sports
Ratings: IGN: 8.4 | Gamespot: 7.4 | Nintendo Power: 8.5 | Test Freaks: 8.6
The next game in the SSX line, SSX Blur gives you the opportunity to either snowboard or ski your way down the mountain, performing crazy tricks or slaloming your way down. The controls are difficult at first, but when you get the hang of them, it's a lot of fun (very steep learning curve, though). SSX Blur is a great example of the Wii's motion-sensing technology, with tilting the Nunchuk side-to-side to carve, tilting it forward to speed up, lifting it up to jump, and performing tricks by twisting your WiiMote in all directions. For uber tricks, you have to perform various patterns simultaneously with the WiiMote and Nunchuk - a good example is one where you have to make the shape of a hear, so your Nunchuk and WiiMote each make half. This is a game that you definitely have to put some time in to really be able to enjoy it, but once you do, you will not regret it!

That's it for numbers 30 to 21 - be on the lookout for numbers 20 to 11!

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