Summary
When theWiiwas released in 2006, it quickly exploded as the number one console across a wide demographic. It became so popular that the elderly were even getting down to play some Wii bowling. There were a lot of good first-party games from Nintendo to keep the hardcore gamers satiated, fromSuper Mario GalaxytoThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
However, third-party companies that tried to capture those same hardcore players with spinoffs to popular franchises made games that are now forgotten on the Wii. A lot of them were ports likeDead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, which was just the first game with added motion controls. Are these other examples just as forgettable or should they be more widely-remembered?
8Castlevania Judgement
A Dracula-Infused Fighting Game
Most games intheCastlevaniafranchisefall into the action-adventure or Metroidvania categories.Castlevania Judgementis the one time Konami published a fighting game featuring classic series characters battling along with new ones. It was a Wii exclusive, and it has never been ported to another console.
One of the for that reasons might stem from the low review scores as seen aggregated on Metacritic. It gave players some fun crossover fan service, but it didn’t add much to the franchise as a whole, and certainly douldn’t compete in the fighting game landscape.
7Contra ReBirth
Trapped Konami Remakes
Konami made a better move with theReBirthseries, which was a trilogy of remakes from the NES era. There wasContra ReBirth,Castlevania ReBirth, andGradius ReBirth. All three were enhanced, 16-bit adjacent remakes for the Wii, and they remain trapped on the console too.
All three reviewed well thanks to graphical upgrades and gameplay tweaks, making for smoother experiences overall. Konami has been re-releasing some of their classics lately, includingCastlevaniaandContragames, so maybe a boxed set will eventually come out featuring these three remakes.
6Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed
A Missing Chunk In The Trilogy Timeline
Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashedis the final game in the trilogy, and was not supposed to be a Wii exclusive. It was set to release on the PS2 and thePSP, but both ports were canceled.
The first two games have been remastered recently, so there is the possibility thatDestroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashedcan escape the Wii someday. For now, players will have to take over mankind and turn them into hot dogs on an older system. The plot is truly one of the wackiest in the trilogy, so it is actually worth the effort to play.
A Prequel That Sets Up Isaac’s Misadventures
Dead Space Extractionis a rare game on this list that did escape the Wii. However, the PS3 port into HD also remains lost to time on that console.
This was a light-gun spinoff toDead Space, filling fans in on how the USGIshimurafell to the Necromorphs in the first game. Players could grab a hold of classic weapons from the series, from tools to real guns. For anon-rails horror experience, it holds up well, especially with a buddy along for the co-op experience.
4Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen And The Tower Of Mirrors
A First-Person Take On A Classic Formula
There have been a lot ofDragon Questspinoffsover the years, but this is up there as one of the most unique takes on the series.Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrorsis a first-person on-rails experience similar toDead Space Extraction,minus the violent horror. Players could use the Wiimote as a sword to thwart classic monsters like Slimes.
There were moments where players could explore freely, like in towns, but these sections were brief. Also, players could gather party members to help in battle, making it feel like a legitDragon Questgame. Square Enix tried this with a plug-and-play setup too, withKenshin Dragon Quest: Yomigaerishi Densetsu no Ken, but that was only released in Japan.
The beginning of theFar Cryserieswas quite confusing before Ubisoft started naming them with numbers. Originally, the firstFar Crywas a PC-only game, but it was remade for the original Xbox under the titleFar Cry Instincts. That version received a direct sequel calledFar Cry Instincts: Evolution.
Far Cry Vengeanceis a remake ofFar Cry Instincts: Evolutionfor the Wii, with enhancements like movement controls making it a unique entry.Far Cry Instincts: Predatorwas an Xbox 360 collection ofFar Cry InstinctsandFar Cry Instincts: Evolutionand the port is not based on the Wii version, makingFar Cry Vengeancea Wii-exclusive experience.
2Samurai Warriors: Katana
A New Way To Musou
Koei Tecmo has tried a lot of things with itsvarious Musou series, including withSamurai Warriors. The third main entry in the series was a Wii exclusive, which made sense given Koei Tecmo tends to release this specific series on the most popular console of the day. They also made a spinoff calledSamurai Warriors: Katanawhich was a Wii exclusive.
It is played in first-person, with players controlling their katana with the Wiimote’s motion sensors, like withDragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors. Players are given more freedom inSamurai Warriors: Katanathough with their weapon choices, and as far as the series goes, this Wii version holds up well to otherSamurai Warriorsgames.
1Soulcalibur Legends
A Fighting Game Turned Brawler
Not many fighting games make the jump into the brawler genre, butSoulcaliburdid viaSoulcalibur Legends. This is a Wii exclusive, and it remains so to this day. It can be played like a normal action game, though without many motion-based gimmicks that make it unique.
Players can jump into the shoes of famous fighters like Siegfried, Ivy, and Sophitia, and many others. The game makes good use of the weapons for the playable characters - like Ivy’s weird sword-whip - which makes every character feel unique.
