The Nintendo Wii tried to revolutionize gaming. While it had a strong life as a gimmick console, Nintendo followed with the Wii U and then discontinued the format. After this, it went back to a more traditional system with the Nintendo Switch. The main difference was that the Wii tried to eliminate traditional joysticks for the Wii remote controller.
The biggest lure was games that required a lot of movement, with sports games and action games paying the most dividends from the new controller system. However, when looking at the top-ranked Wii games, there are some heavy hitters there too. Here is a look at the best Nintendo Wii games ever made, according to Metacritic.
Updated March 27, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: The Nintendo Wii was one of the most popular consoles around, successfully appealing to casual gamers with its revolutionary motion controls and amazing library of games. While most people know the Wii for its wide category of motion-control sports games and the like, there are actually several other titles in the console's library that have attained critical acclaim due to their mastery of the system's unique controls. Here are some of the best games on the Wii, ranked as per their Metacritic scores.
15 Art Of Balance (88)
It's a shame that more people don't talk about the Art of Balance, which was a revolutionary title that deserved to be way more popular than it was. The premise of this title was so simple that perhaps its lasting power was bound to diminish after a point.
It's easily one of the calmest games on the Wii, with its puzzles being pretty smart without frustrating the player. It struck a perfect balance, which is pretty fitting given the title's name itself.
14 Cave Story (89)
Cave Story was an indie Metroidvania released during a time when the gaming scene was mostly dominated by big studios and AAA companies. The innovative mechanics and charming aesthetic of this game made it a massive success across multiple systems.
Cave Story arguably paved the way for the massive indie scene that players love and adore to this day. It's a great game that shone on the Wii as well, with its alluring nature meaning that the casual fanbase could also get into this great title.
13 Guitar Hero 5 (89)
A ton of games that focused heavily on motion controls and rhythm-based gameplay absolutely shone on the Nintendo Wii. Guitar Hero 5 was no exception to this golden rule.
The massive selection of songs coupled with great tried-and-tested gameplay instantly turned Guitar Hero 5 into a masterpiece. Players had a great time teaming up with their buddies to tackle the many songs present in this game.
12 Okami (90)
Okami is a game that should've been extremely popular from the get-go. The title boasted a stunning art style and amazing gameplay that fit the Wii's mechanics to a T.
Unfortunately, poor marketing ultimately led to the series being a flop. It's a shame, but the game has slowly turned into a cult classic and is still looked back on fondly to this day, so perhaps the title wasn't a big failure in the grand scheme of things.
11 Rock Band 3 (91)
Another game in the same vein as Guitar Hero, Rock Band 3 is also a brilliant title that players loved on the Nintendo Wii. After all, the control scheme for the Wii made it a perfect fit for this rhythm game! As a result, Rock Band 3 was insanely popular on the Wii and sold pretty well too. It's a shame that this series is just a shell of its former self in modern times.
10 Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (91)
Resident Evil 4 was already a popular game on consoles, but when it came to the Nintendo Wii, it went through a slight re-design. The game needed to add the Wii Remote and Nunchuck support, allowing fans of the horror franchise to really get into the action of killing monsters.
In this game, players control Leon, a man exploring a town full of cultists and mutants, and the Wii Remote doubles for a great weapon of choice. Reviews say this is the best version of the game thanks to the Wii Remote and Nunchucks allowing gamers more accuracy and intensity.
9 Metroid Prime Trilogy (91)
The Metroid Prime Trilogy brings the first-person motion controls introduced in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption to the original two games for the first time. Now, all three games could be played using the Wii Remote, offering the best precision of any version of the popular shooter.
The Game Cube originals arrived on the Nintendo Wii better than ever thanks to the advanced controls. Critics said that the original brilliant series received a new life for what amounted to be a discount price thanks to the bundle.
8 Rayman Origins (92)
Rayman Origins is a 2D co-op platform game for the consoles that ended up as a huge favorite for the Nintendo Wii. The average Metacritic score was an impressive 92, and even fans loved it, giving it a very high 8.5 rating on the site.
This game was the fourth installment in the Rayman series and the first in eight years. The humor, graphical design, and intensive levels made it a favorite for critics, as Rayman and friends battle Darktoons to protect the Glade of Dreams.
7 Xenoblade Chronicles (92)
Xenoblade Chronicles came out in 2010 in Japan and 2012 in America for the Nintendo Wii. This game was the first of the series and was a science fiction open-world fantasy RPG. What makes the game so worthwhile, with its 92 Metacritic rating, is the endless hours of playing time.
There are sidequests in an amazingly colossal world sitting on two warring titans, full of oceans, swamps, and caves to explore. Add in a great story with crackling dialogue and humor and beautiful design, and this is an RPG that any MMO lover should fall in love with.
6 Rock Band 2 (92)
Rock Band had two games on the list of the best Nintendo Wii games of all time. Rock Band 3 sits proudly with a 91 rating, but Rock Band 2 is just a little better, sitting at 92. Both games are ranked higher than the similar Guitar Hero 5, which itself is only ranked an 89 for the Nintendo Wii.
One thing that pushes Rock Band 2 to the top, outside of the great controls with the Wii Remote, is the songs. There is metal, with tracks from bands like Motorhead and System of a Down, classic hits from Journey and Billy Idol, and even some alt hits from Soundgarden and Beck.
5 The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword (93)
This game is the 16th release in the Zelda series, released in 2011. The action takes place on a floating island with Link solving puzzles and completing quests to move the story forward.
This game uses the Wii MotionPlus expansion device so the player can use the controllers to attack and block with their swords and shied. The gameplay is massive, with over 30 hours to complete the story and one critic called it the best Zelda game since Ocarina of Time.
4 Super Smash Bros. Brawl (93)
Ranked at 93, Super Smash Bros. Brawl won the Metacritic 2008 Wii Game of the Year. It was the third game in the series, with some new characters added to the gameplay. As with previous games, the goal is not to knock your opponent unconscious and out of the screen.
It also was the first in the series to have playable third-party characters. These characters include Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series and Sonic the Hedgehog. The graphics are gorgeous, the online play was seamless, and the stages seem almost endless.
3 World Of Goo (94)
Sometimes a game comes from out of nowhere. World of Goo rates as one of the best Nintendo Wii games of all time based on Metacritic scores with a 94 average. What is World of Goo? This is a puzzle game released on both the Nintendo Wii and Windows computers in 2008.
The game was nominated for a ton of awards at the Independent Games Festival and received critical acclaim for the indie release. This is a physics-based puzzle and construction game that is both clever and stylish and proves that a company doesn't need a cast of thousands to create the perfect video game.
2 The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess (95)
The second Zelda game on this list is The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, considered by Metacrticic reviewers to be the best in the series as far as the Nintendo Wii is concerned. Ranked at a 95 average on the platform, this was the 13th installment in the series, released in 2005 for the Game Cube and then ported to the Wii.
The game was a massive success, selling 8.85 million copies worldwide since its release. Metacritic named it the best Nintendo Wii game of 2006.
1 Super Mario Galaxy 1 And 2 (97)
When it comes to the best Nintendo Wii game of all time, it is a tie. Both Super Mario Galaxy 1 and Super Mario Galaxy 2 sit at the top of the mountain with a 97 Metacritic score. They are also beloved by fans, with a 9.1 user score for the second game and a 9.0 for the first.
The games put the iconic Mario and his friends in an adventure that has them gravity-hopping through outer space while defying physics. The video game delivers a beautiful and fun adventure for kids of all ages. These were arguably the best Mario games that Nintendo ever made.