The Best of the Wii

Only Nintendo could have had me running around like a fool at ungodly hours in the morning on Black Friday 2006 in search of an elusive Wii.

A year later I cannot find a reason to regret that trek through toy stores, video game stores, big box retailers, a Sears (of all places) and finally the holy duo of Costco stores on opposite sides of town. It amazes me that people are still having to jump through these hoops more than a year later!

In hindsight, the Wii lives up to the hype. It has successfully achieved our goal of shifting some gameplay back into the living room from our computers. Yeah, some of the early games we got were oversold and underdeveloped, but there have been some real gems.

Here is my take on the best that has made it home since we got our beloved glowing blue machine:

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
For sheer fun, it is hard to beat Lego Star Wars. This is a simple straightforward game. Yeah, there are denser, more intricate games out there, and I'm fully aware this is just a glossed-up port from the old versions, but who cares? We have wasted endless hours retracing our steps looking for elusive Minikits and bonus bricks. More importantly, there aren't that many games that really let two players share the game in such a satisfying way, let alone with lightsabers in hand. The game is fast paced and whimsical. Darth Vader using a polaroid to explain things to Luke Skywalker? Priceless.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
If you want dense and gorgeous, this is the game for you. In contrast to Lego Star Wars this is a complex, dense world that requires your undivided attention. This was the launch title that really got the Wii going and it was worth the hype. With intricate game play that built consistently through endless hours of discovery, Twilight Princess truly raised the bar. Even watching someone else play is an experience. The wizards at Nintendo designed a lush and beautiful game that succeeds on a more important front: It is thoroughly challenging.

Super Mario Galaxy
Fast forward a year later and Nintendo hits another home run -- this time with their whimsical plumber on his never ending quest to save his dearly beloved princess from the evil clutches of Bowser. Where Zelda was dark and dense, here it is all about bright colors and hyperactive settings. Hopping from planet to planet, you realize the broad canvas the game creators created, and how easily this game could have been mediocre. But clever animation, a good sense of humor and crisp game play controls make this a must-have for the Wii.

Excite Truck
I would never have purchased this, had it not been included in that fateful Costco bundle. I mean, off-road 4x4 racing? One of the best games we own? Really? Yes, really. The controls are a bit iffy sometimes and there's not much more to it that that description. So if you want to hate, there you have your reasons. That said, this game has gotten more action than any of the rest we own. Sometimes simplicity trumps all else. There is something supremely gratifying about super turbo jumping your way to the finish line!

Elebits
Do you remember those cool supernatural zappers in Ghostbusters? If ever there was a use for the Wii Remote, that would be it. Apparently I was not the alone in thinking that. While a Ghostbusters game will have to wait a bit, the guys at Konami clearly got the message with Elebits. Instead of chasing specters, your job is to find little energy thingies hiding throughout a house. There are few things more gratifying than zapping sofas around a room with a flick of your wrist!

Rayman Raving Rabbids 1 & 2
Slamming doors on outhouses. Cow flinging contests. Washing underwear competitions. Sawing branches. Carrot Juice spraying. Oh, yeah, and plunger shoot-em-ups. All with screaming, yelling, yes, raving rabbits. While the first version was sometimes a bit clunky in the controls department, the warped Frenchmen behind this sublime brand of lunacy have brought their A-game to the sequel. There have been plenty of party games in the past year, but these are by far the cream of the crop! Not only will you want to play this together with friends -- it will make you laugh together too!

Super Paper Mario
Considering how amazing Super Mario Galaxy turned out to be, it is very easy to forget the placeholder Mario game that Nintendo released earlier in the year. Much more similar to the old Super Mario Games, this one is a more straightforward take on the plumber and princess story. For the most part a scrolling game, if you played the old ones you will feel right at home with this one. That is when the game flips things around on you and forces you to learn different skills you need to beat the big bad monsters. This Mario was a worthy challenge over the summer, and stands on it's own.

Wii Sports
Simply perfect. These five games were a masterstroke in defining what the Wii can be. Even a year later, with all the fancier games that have followed, it is hard to knock what Nintendo achieved with this game. Anyone can play and that makes it the great gaming equalizer. When even people who claim to hate video games fall in love, you know that this is much bigger than the hardcore gamers would lead you to believe.

Here's a few others worth checking out:

Dance Dance Revolution: I have no rhythm whatsoever, so this one sometimes just frustrates me. That said, any video game that really gets you moving is a good thing.

Mercury Meltdown Revolution:
This is a bare bones game that really makes good us of the Wii's motion sensing technology. While there is not much to it, for the price you really do get a good solid game.