Nintendo Okie

It’s our final list of 2010.  Today we’re going to take a look at our favorite Wii games that hit store shelves this year.  We’ve had a good run so far, but it’s come to an end.  I think it’s a very fitting way to end 2009.  Read the list.  Let us know what you think. 

MadWorld

Tony Says:  MadWorld was the one game every in the “hardcore” pinned their hopes on for Wii.  They said if it couldn’t sell then nothing could.  While sales weren’t great for the title it was a very unique experience and one of the best on Wii this year.  It had a super stylized, unique look with the stark contrast of the black and white splashed with red blood, a good soundtrack and some very interesting commentary.  The brawler is still alive and MadWorld was one of the best ones of the year.

Wii Sports Resort

Matt Says:  It was a shame that most peopled passed off the original Wii Sports as a tech demo and nothing more; but it looks like Nintendo rectified that issue by making it’s sequel, Wii Sports Resort, more robust in every way.  You couldn’t accuse them of trying to shill the Motion Plus peripheral like a half-hearted Wii Play;  not only are there more events like disc golf, sword fighting and canoeing,  they show off their depth with multiple levels, a nice difficulty curve and ever-addictive achievements that have you coming back long after you’ve “mastered” the events.  They just turned your Wii party’s awesomeness to 11.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade

Tony Says:  There are two games that I said this year were head and shoulders above the rest in terms of visuals and they’re both unsurprisingly on this list.  Muramasa would easily take my pick for the best looking game of the year.  There’s no doubt it’s gorgeous.  The amount of layers moving separately all blending to give you unparalleled depth of field made for a memorable experience from the moment you turned the game on.  The hand drawn Japanese watercolor style art is a beautiful style for a video game.  It might have had its flaws, like the length of the game, but there’s no doubt it is one of the best experiences you’ll find on Wii this year.  The combat, while simple, provided a large amount of depth if you wanted to dive into it and the RPG elements and sword crafting immersed you in this world of feudal Japan. 

Metroid Prime: Trilogy

Shelby Says:  Back in 2002, Metroid Prime proved that Samus could exist in 3D.  Two years later, Retro Studios added even more Metroid flavor to the 3D realm with Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.  Without a doubt, these are two of the greatest games that ever graced the GameCube.  So when Nintendo announced their “New Play Control!” series would include Prime 1 and 2, gamers had reason to be excited.  My inner bounty hunter daydreamed at how much fun it would be to revisit the Chozo Ruins and Torvus Bog with the fluid control scheme of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.  Not only did Retro Studios update the control schemes of Corruption’s older siblings but they also upgraded textures, added an award system, shortened load times and added 16:9 widescreen abilities making these games much more than a simple port.  In Japan, the upgraded Prime 1 and 2 saw individual releases but in America we got the Metroid Prime: Trilogy collector’s edition.  Nintendo went above and beyond how all other “New Play Control!” games were published and gave fans a metal game case, an art booklet and they threw in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for good measure!  Regardless of how much of the Prime series you have played before, Nintendo and Retro have given Wii owners plenty of reasons to enjoy these three adventures of “The Huntress.”  For a MSRP of $49.99, this is gaming’s best deal since The Orange Box and one of our top Wii games of 2009.   

Dead Space Extraction

Tony Says:  Every time a developer says something can’t be done on Wii we always get someone who says it can’t.  While the Wii isn’t the ideal platforms for shooters (I still think that belongs to PC) EA did prove that you could put Extraction onto Nintendo’s console.  It has most of the elements that made the original popular, strategic dismemberment, scares, and it looks great as well.  2009 may just be the year that people say shooters can work on Wii, whether they’re on rails or not. 

a boy and his blob

Tony Says:  Despite the curious case of missing capital letters, a boy and his blob is the other game that I would say is the best looking game on Wii this year.  It’s dripping with cuteness in nearly every aspect.  The relationship between the boy and the blob, while curious in its beginnings, is a heart warming tale of friendship and dare I say…love?  The puzzles in the game have you bending your mind while simultaneously lobbing jelly beans for the blob and dispatching enemies with boulders.  There are secrets littered throughout the world that give you access to even harder challenges and it’s just a game that shouldn’t be missed, whether you’re 5 or 50.  

The House of the Dead: Overkill

Matt Says:  While the light gun genre has been beaten to death on the Wii, Sega decided to take the staid formula and beef it up.  Putting your zombie blasting skills to the test and reaching the highest score are still at the forefront; replays don’t seem as trite thanks to some weapon leveling and a more diverse feeling arsenal than you usually get.  Taking the cheese that made the series so memorable in the first place, there’s a nonsensical but highly entertaining story that takes it all with a film grain.  Mature?  Not really.  Lewd, violent, obscene and gross?  Absolutely.  And that’s why it’s !@#$ing awesome.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Ed Says: What can be said about the new Super Mario Bros that has not already been said? While it is not quite pure old school 2D side scrolling action, it is certainly in the spirit of those older Mario games. This games feels like a Mario game, which is more than can be said for a lot of sequels and re- imaginings. The game plays well and is a lot of fun both singly and with others. Nintendo pretty much delivered exactly what they said they would. A multiplayer Mario experience.

Boom Blox Bash Party

Shelby Says:  In 2008, Boom Blox was noted by critics and fans alike as one of the best games of 2008.  Even though EA wasted no time in producing a sequel, Boom Blox Bash Party builds on the concepts of its prequel to make it one of our top Wii games of 2009.  Despite the word party being in the title, this game does not suffer the same pitfalls as other “party games” do.  Boom Blox Bash Party features new environments, shooting mechanics, shapes and special blox that keeps the game play from being identical from the original game, but similar enough it doesn’t “recreate the wheel.”    The level builder gives Bash Party nearly limitless replay value as levels can not only be shared with friends but can also be downloaded from EA servers.  Also, thunderous applause are in order for the developer, EA Los Angeles, by eliminating friend codes and making Bash Party read directly from your Wii Friends list.  Boom Blox Bash Party is a game that you can play with anyone, thus truly capturing what the Wii is all.

Punch-Out!!

Tony Says:  I love Punch-Out!! and it doesn’t matter what form it comes in.  This retro reimagining of the original game introduces a lot of new challenges and one new characters.  You’ll find yourself in familiar territory early in the game, but after you become the champ, the tables turn and even Glass Joe has it out for you.  The brilliant use of the Punch-Out!! theme in every world and the classic gameplay combine for a healthy dose of nostalgia for those of us old enough to remember the original and a nice introduction to the series for a younger generation. 

So there you have it folks; our look back at the best games of 2009.  It wasn’t easy compiling the list, but I think we’ve come up with the best games of the year.  If you agree, or disagree with us.  Let us know in the comments, or head over to the forums and talk to us there.  We’ll be back tomorrow to ring in the new year with our predicitions and hopes for 2010.