Wii: Top 10 Hidden Gems for the Console

Similarly developed as a very loose “reimagining” of the original PS1 game from 10 years prior, 2009’s SH: Shattered Memories tasks Wii players with guiding (a version of) Harry Mason through “chase sequences” from strange monsters he’s completely defenseless against. The release (which gained PS2 and PSP ports in 2010) also features a then-impressive “psychological profile” system that notably changes and “remixes” multiple visual, contextual, and other story-focused elements.

7. Cursed Mountain (2009)

Again, while survival horror/action-adventure “hybrid” Cursed Mountain isn’t the most innovative (or challenging) game for the Wii, its central setting in the Himalayas (backed by a narrative focus on Tibetan Buddhist folklore) serves to give it a unique identity among other, similar titles. Of particular note is the game’s utilization of a “third eye” mechanic allowing players to see and attack aggressive ghosts to weaken them, subsequently using motion controls to perform QTE-like “banishing” rituals.

6. Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (2010)

Serving as an updated Wii console release for the Japan-only Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes arcade fighter (featuring both obscure and well-known Tatsunoko and Capcom characters), Ultimate All-Stars included additional minigames, new story mode expansions, and online play support for its Western localization. The release, as presented in a highly stylized 2.5D/3D graphical format, was generally well-received despite some notable criticisms regarding gameplay and online functionality, with many clamoring for a future re-release on modern consoles.

5. The House of the Dead: Overkill (2009)

Purposely designed and formatted to evoke the style and charm of sleazy “grindhouse” exploitation movies (with a particular and obvious focus on Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror), 2009’s THotD: Overkill is a fantastically gory, exceedingly profane, and completely wild exercise in poor taste that greatly sets itself apart from the Wii’s generally “family-friendly” image. Overkill became an instant cult classic upon its release (earning multiple accolades for its twisted and irreverent humor), with the game also receiving an “extended” HD port for PS3 (as well as its own Typing of the Dead entry).

4. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (2009)

Developed as a sequel to The Umbrella Chronicles from 2007, the “on-rails” light-gun shooter title The Darkside Chronicles took a similar – but markedly improved – approach from its predecessor by providing condensed retellings of the original RE2 and RE: Code -Veronica- (as interspersed with a brand-new side-story setting up Krauser’s actions in the original RE4). Instead of trying to cram in adaptations of three games like the previous entry, the decision to only include two in Darkside Chronicles allowed for more “breathing room” (as supplemented by the aforementioned side-story).

3. Pandora’s Tower (2013)

Originally released in 2011 for the Japanese market (followed in 2012 for the Australian and European markets), action-focused RPG Pandora’s Tower finally came to North America in 2013 via the “Operational Rainfall” fan campaign. Taking place in a surprisingly dark and gloomy fantasy setting, Tower tasks players with battling enemies and solving puzzles within a massive fortress to help slow down (and potentially cure) a young woman’s transformation into a flesh-eating monster.

2. Nights: Journey of Dreams (2007)

While Wii title Nights: Journey of Dreams was met with justifiable criticisms regarding its haphazard motion control-based gameplay (and equally messy camera system), the extremely late sequel arguably still had a considerable amount of the original 1996 game‘s fairly charming and well-crafted story, characters, and overarching audio-visual design. Also noteworthy was that Journey of Dreams was simply the then-only available option for most people to play and enjoy Nights outside of Japan until the 2012 digital HD port of the 1996 game (which, tragically, is no longer available).

1. MadWorld (2009)

Featuring a mixture of various elements pulled from The Running Man, Rollerball, Mad Max, and Fist of the North Star, the 2009 Wii title MadWorld is an insanely violent (albeit, cartoonishly so) beat-’em-up/hack-and-slash game with a stark black-and-white visual presentation evocative of the Sin City comics (including the frequent use of red for blood). And even though some might be turned off by MadWorld‘s excessive – and flippantly unhinged – focus on over-the-top violence, there’s still a wonderfully dark satirical edge to the game that brings to mind subversive classics such as RoboCop.