Nintendo's charming, family-friendly Wii console is known for its library of diverse games for all ages, and motion controls that were quite intuitive — at least for their era. The console caught lightning in a bottle for a time, though have become a curious afterthought for many gamers today. While there were many gems featuring staple IPs, as well as new phenoms like Wii Fit, the console was notoriously wrought with less-than-stellar efforts, particularly by third parties.
Still, even some of the more tepid titles were decorated with visually-interesting box art. Often filled with unique, colorful imagery and stunning detail, this cover art spurred the imagination — even if the games themselves didn't always live up to this. While many efforts fell flat or were simply lost in the pages of gaming history, their cover art stands as a visual relic that will live on.
10 Wario Land: The Shake Dimension (PAL)
Best known for being the crude counterpart to Mario and the money-grubbing star of Game Boy platformers, this Wii game was largely overlooked. Titled Wario Land: Shake It! (or The Shake Dimension in PAL regions) the game has players tilt, shake, and plow through colorful sidescrolling maps. Naturally, the goal is to wreak havoc and nab as many gold coins as possible. While fun in its own right, many were turned off by the slim campaign and heavy use of motion controls.
The cover, however, tells a different story, particularly when it comes to the PAL version. Vibrant, cartoony, and rife with detail, the cover presents a fun comic-esque feel that invites gamers of all ages to embark on this wild journey — brief as it may be.
9 Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed
It's tough not to enjoy a campy, off-the-wall sci-fi thriller — even if the content isn't exactly too deep or interesting. Such is the case with this action-adventure from Locomotive Games and THQ. While this alien romp invaded the gaming scene as a sleeper hit, this third entry from '08 didn't do much to keep players enticed. With a rough presentation and a rather wacky premise involving a fast-food conspiracy, Big Willy Unleashed didn't click with gamers as a whole.
The game's cover art certainly presents some visual intrigue, however. Featuring a chaotic street scene with a looming Big Boy-esque figure, and some stylish action text, the imagery just screams fun popcorn flick.
8 Geometry Wars Galaxies
Like its predecessor on Xbox 360, Geometry Wars Galaxies quietly flew under the radar as a thrilling and addictive early-comer for the console. Despite the addition of motion controls (which felt tepid for most) as well as new features and baddies to shoot, this spinoff was overshadowed by bigger series hits. The simple, retro-style romp also struggled to stand out amongst a fast-growing Wii library.
When it comes to the game's bustling box art, Galaxies manages to shine quite a bit more. The onslaught of colorful polygons and vibrant particles greatly capture the arcade shooter's fun, frenzied nature. Bizarre Creations and Kuju Entertainment do a lot with a little here, given the game's limiting flat perspective and black backdrops.
7 Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
It's hard to fathom that one of the biggest names in survival horror can be home to a forgotten effort, but that's largely the case with this ironically-named spinoff from Climax Studios. It does make sense when factoring in the premise and settings, which exist separately from the mainline games. And despite its rich, spooky atmosphere, the lack of combat and monster encounters made Shattered Memories feel dull for many.
The box art, however, proves sufficiently creepy. The image of the frozen, dead-eyed girl is unsettling and impressively detailed. It succeeds in conveying the icy, atmospheric vibe of the game while encapsulating the plot of a man seeking his lost daughter after a car crash.
6 Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Despite being a product of Nintendo, this tactical RPG has struggled to really take off outside of Japan, at least in the pre-Switch era. Well-crafted and imaginative as it may be, Radiant Dawn's heavy dialogue, slow-paced gameplay, and strategic elements didn't bring a mass appeal on Wii.
The cover art excels in presenting the game's fantastical themes in a grand fashion. With its warm color scheme, dense atmosphere, and detailed hand-drawn visuals, the graphic looks akin to an epic fantasy novel or gripping anime saga.
5 Epic Mickey
Cover art need not always be loaded with detail and epic imagery to be effective — even if the game in question has the very word "epic" in its title. Case in point? This storybook platformer featuring the iconic Disney mascot, Mickey Mouse.
While a tad bogged down by control issues and limited content, the game is subtly full of depth, with its paintbrush mechanic to draw objects and a dynamic choose-your-own-adventure structure. Epic Mickey's box art, with its sleek, stylish graphics and cinematic feel, illustrates that sometimes less can be more.
4 Zack & Wiki: The Quest For Barbaros Treasure
Capcom, the studio behind epic monster-hunting adventures and creepy survival horrors, shows their range and creativity with this overlooked puzzler. Utilizing Wii's motion controls and pointer, the game offers a slew of clever, dynamic puzzles for players to tinker with, as they embark on a pirate voyage with their monkey friend Wiki. Despite bare-bones content, slow-paced gameplay, and limited appeal, Zack & Wiki really shows the Wiimote at its finest.
The vibrant, whimsical cover art is another standout element of this hidden gem. It centers on Zack, pointing off in the distance with an enthusiastic smile on his face. This spurs the imagination of the exciting journey beyond, enticing players to delve into this colorful world of treasure and strange puzzles.
3 Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
Being localized fairly recently, Star Successor's predecessor never got a chance to shine on the N64. This chaotic romp by Treasure did get its moment in the sun with a global release in '09-2010, but remained overshadowed by deeper, more well-known rail shooters like Bayonetta and House of the Dead.
Still, the box art remains one of the most epic and explosive examples to hit the Wii. Designed by Japanese box artist Yasushi Suzuki, it features a stand-out neon green color scheme and themes that seem to fuse monster flicks with sci-fi thrillers.
2 Mario Strikers Charged
Despite hosting The Big N's biggest mascot, this Mario soccer spinoff only recently returned to the spotlight for many, after the announcement of an online-focused Switch sequel. Even with its fun arcade elements and solid online gameplay, Mario Strikers Charged got overshadowed by other Wii party hits like Smash Bros. Brawl.
The cover art, designed by Japanese box artist Masanori Sato, is at once simple and complex. It uses crude hand-drawn sketches that are both stylistic and dynamic. This is complemented with the bold title card, which emphatically captures Strikers' frantic nature.
1 Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars
In terms of gameplay and artistic sensibilities, there are few Wii titles more overlooked than this plant-based platformer by Red Fly Studio. During this bizarre (and brief) campaign, players embark on a surreal journey as an anthropomorphic fungus, wading through a ruined landscape after a comet crash.
The cover art, with its wild fantasy imagery, is a great extension of Mushroom Men's strange, imaginative vibe. The stylistic choice is quite fitting as well, reminding players of campy retro thrillers such as Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.