Gone with The Wii: Top 7 Wii Shooters
The Wii U is set to hit stores in a little under 2 months from now. We thought with the next-generation of Nintendo console on its way that we would look back at the past 6 years of their last console. It wasn’t always the smoothest of experiences, but the Wii did have its shining moments. We will take a look back at games that defined the console, defined its revolutionary controller-scheme and general best in class.
If one genre had to define this current generation, it would be the shooter. From first- to third-person, shooters were the driving force behind the success of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Since the Wii couldn’t match up with the HD twins on a technical level, it didn’t exactly swim in shooter releases, but that doesn’t mean the console lacked quality titles nonetheless. We’re going to look at the Top Shooters that helped shape the Wii’s library and may have even helped move the genre forward in their small way.
7)The Call of Duty Series– Honestly, I haven’t played a Call of Duty game on the Wii since the Call of Duty 3 during the Wii’s launch, but from what I gathered the series continued to be a solid shooter on the years/iterations that made it over on the Wii. They didn’t really set the bar in terms of Wii controller usage or being uniquely crafted for the system, but a good shooter is a good shooter.
6)Medal of Honor: Heroes 2– Before EA rebooted the Medal of Honor franchise in 2010, there was Medal of Honor: Heroes for the PlayStation Portable and the Wii. While it retained the World War 2 settings of the previous entries, it was the unique Wii controls that really set it apart. The game used motion in some interesting ways that not only put you in the game, but allowed weapons to feel differently to the player. From using the nunchuk to reload your pump-action shotgun to twisting the dial on your sniper rifle with the Wii-mote to zoom in and out, it all added to the experience. It would be higher on the list, but let’s be honest World War 2 shooters were old hat by the time this dropped. It was an interesting game in a mundane setting.
5)The Conduit– High Voltage Software went from a no-name company to one that would be on the lips for Nintendo gamers for the better part of a year. Ultimately, The Conduit may not go down as one of the greatest shooters of all-time, but it opened the door for options on a console like never before. The game allowed you to customize how you played on the fly. Could shrink and expand bounding box, turn speeds and button layouts as you saw fit. The game itself wasn’t entirely unique, but went crazy enough to be slightly enjoyable. I haven’t played the sequel yet, but I hear it has one of the best endings in gaming!
4)House of the Dead: Overkill– Rail-shooters or games on-rail tend to get a bad reputation among gamers. I’m not entirely sure why, but due to the Wii’s unique controller, rail shooters saw a brief revival during this generation. Of all the rail-shooters that released though, House of the Dead: Overkill stands head and shoulder above the rest. The game features it all from a top-notch production value to solid rail-shooting action across interesting locales with great music. The game controlled like a dream and even allowed a gamer to dual wield the campaign with the use of two Wii-motes. If you haven’t checked it out yet, House of the Dead: Overkill is worth it.
3)Red Steel 2– The original Red Steel promised gamers a lot during its reveal and ultimately didn’t live up to the hype. Almost 3 1/2 years later, Ubisoft would return to the franchise with a lot more experience and reboots under its hat. The final product was Red Steel 2, one of the most refreshing First person titles I have played. Not only did it live up to the promise of the original title with the ability to wield a gun just as easily as a sword, but did it with style and gutso. The game’s biggest fault would probably come in the lack of variety in enemies and locations. There’s only so much one person can stand looking at the desert! Though the train segment was amazing and really exhilarating!
2)Goldeneye– It is only fitting after making his mark on the Nintendo 64 as the premiere FPS, Bond would return to hold a similar honor on the Wii. Goldeneye Wii wasn’t just a re-imagining on the Nintendo 64 classic, but a modern First-person shooter with a production value and size that matched even the greatest competitors. The game does an excellent job of mixing first person shooting with Bond’s skills as a spy. Even throwing in some hand to hand combat. It also attempted to continue the original’s legacy of multiplayer action. While it does a decent job, it really doesn’t live up to the standard of the former nor match the new benchmark for online gaming. Still a rock solid single player campaign makes it one of the Wii’s best.
1)Metroid Prime 3: Corruption– Retro hit the ball out of the park with their first title so its no surprise that their first title for the Wii was a homerun as well. Not only is it one of the best games released this gen, but easily the best shooter the Wii has to offer (Well second best, Metroid Prime Trilogy which combined all 3 Prime games with Corruption’s Wii controls). Corruption continues the Prime storyline by tasking Samus with traveling through various planets while also suffering from Phazon poisoning. While the Wii was far from a technical powerhouse, Retro was able to do their magic and create some of the most gorgeous worlds of this generation. If you can find it pick up Metroid Prime Trilogy, if not Corruption is the next best thing!
There you have it, not the greatest stable of shooters ever amassed, but you’ll find dozens of quality hours across these titles!
Nice list. I did actually play Call of Duty: World at War on the Wii. I really liked how motion controls felt when playing online, I just wish the online was a more full experience. I’m really hoping the Wii U raises the bar in that department.
Good stuff. Would have put Dead Space Extraction over House of the Dead, mixes the series’ mechanics well with the on rails genre, plus some really memorable moments.