Top 10 2008 Nintendo Wii Games

Nintendo’s popular Wii gaming system is once again a must-have gift for the 2008 holiday season, but you’re probably wondering about the console’s best games. Well, top sites like IGN, Gamespot and GameFAQs haven’t yet released their lists on the best Wii games as of 2008, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do here. This list includes all games that will be available on store shelves by the end of 2008, so you’ll be able to see what’s actually worth buying.

#10 – Pokémon Battle Revolution

At the 10th spot on the list is Pokémon Battle Revolution, the first Wii game in the Pokémon franchise. Although the game doesn’t offer much in terms of gameplay, it has some of the best graphics seen on the console, awesome sound effects and a huge database covering all 493 Pokémon in the series. It took me 108 hours to reach the final rank in each of the Colosseums, and I’m a seasoned Pokémon veteran.

#9 – Mario Party 8

Mario Party returns for the Wii for yet another sequel to the ever-popular party-game. Players compete in mini-games as they move around a board in an attempt to collect the most stars. The graphics, sound and gameplay all look familiar to that of Mario Party 7 on the Gamecube. This has suggested that the game isn’t as fresh as it should be. Nevertheless, it’s something to pass the time with when you have a couple of friends over.

#8 – Mario Super Sluggers

A baseball game involving Mario and friends. Players compete in a regular baseball match-up, with each character being able to perform a special move used to gain an advantage on the field. Baseball-fans will love this spin-off of the traditional Mario series of games.

#7 - Mario Strikers Charged

A soccer game involving Mario and friends. Players compete in a regular soccer match-up, with each character being able to perform a special move used to gain an advantage on the field. Soccer-fans will love this spin-off of the traditional Mario series of games. It offers a bit more than Mario Super Sluggers.

#6 – Animal Crossing: City Folk

The Animal Crossing series makes its much-awaited debut on the Wii this November with City Folk, the latest installment in the series. For those of you not accustomed with the series, it’s basically a simulation game where the player owns a house in a town, and interacts with the other characters in the game. It can best be compared to SimCity or The Sims. You won’t see much action or adventure in the game – it’s basically a real-life alternative to, well, real-life. The game is best known for the wide variety of activities you can perform in it, and its real-time synchronization feature. For example, in past Animal Crossing games, events such as the Acorn Festival would only occur once a year during the autumn season, and since the game is set to real-time, you’d literally have to wait a whole year for the event to begin – either that or modify the time/date settings on your DS. In any case, fans of the series will be overjoyed at this latest version of the game. Players may also purchase an optional accessory known as WiiSpeak, a microphone that sits above the Wii Sensor Bar on your television. You can use it to communicate with your friends over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

#5 – The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Kicking off the top five games, the Zelda series continues with its 2006 release of Twilight Princess, a game that stays true to the entire Zelda franchise. You control Link, the soon-to-be-hero of the land of Hyrule, as you fight monsters, traverse dungeons and collect items, all in the hopes of rescuing Princess Zelda from the clutches of evil. It’s a bit disappointing to see the series still without voice-overs, but the graphics and sound effects are pretty good for this Wii title. Although it came out 2 years ago, it’s still one of the best action/adventure games Wii has to offer. Patience is required in this game, however, as many of the dungeons have puzzles associated with them. Some have obvious solutions, such as shooting an arrow at a target to open a door. Others, well, require some more thinking. It’s definitely a game any RPG fan has got to get their hands on.

#4 – Mario Kart Wii

Mario Kart makes its debut on the Wii in this latest 2008 title. Mario and friends take to the racetrack yet again as they compete against each other to be the first one to cross the finish line. Bundled with the game is a Wii Wheel, a hard-shelled casing for which the Wii Remote can be inserted into. The plastic wheel gives for a fuller gameplay experience, making you feel as though you’re actually driving a vehicle. The game supports up to 16 players racing simultaneously over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, so if you have lots of friends, then this is the game for you. Mario Kart Wii is my #4 pick for the best Wii games of 2008.

#3 – Super Paper Mario

It’s time for the top three, and at number three lies 2007’s Super Paper Mario. It’s a different take on the Paper Mario series, which debuted on the Nintendo 64, having the player travel to various places and battle in a turn-based RPG scenario with the ability to level up and learn new attacks. The 2007 version takes on a new turn, replacing the turn-based battles with real-time battles. Traditional Paper Mario fans weren’t too pleased with this change, but hardcore Super Mario fans embraced it with joy. Mario is also able to “flip” dimensions allowing you to solve some unique puzzles and avoid confrontations with certain enemies. In addition, the Wii Remote is used is a unique way to perform action commands – used to determine the success of battle items. The story is deep, there’s lots of humor, and although it lacks the turn-based battles seen in previous versions of the series, it’s still one of the best games out for Wii.

#2 – Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Barely holding on to the number two spot, the Super Smash Bros. series has always been a reason to choose Nintendo over Sony or Microsoft. In the game, up to 4 players pick a Nintendo character to use in battle and then compete locally or over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection against each other. The objective? Use your character’s attacks to knock the opponents off the screen. It’s a tried-and-true concept similar to the Street Fighter series, except instead of each character having Hit Points, they have a Damage Percentage whereby the higher the percentage, the easier it is to knock that character off the screen. The game has tons of replayability, various game modes (including an immense Story Mode known as “The Subspace Emissary”), and over 30 characters to pick from and use in battle. Although the price tag is steep, this game is worth it. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the best multi-player game for the Wii.

#1 – Super Mario Galaxy

It was voted the best game of 2007, and it still holds onto that spot for 2008. Super Mario Galaxy combines the Wii’s best graphics, sound and gameplay together for a wholesome experience that’s unlike any other game currently out for Wii. The controls are quite intuitive, the storyline’s very intense, and the physics used in the game to let Mario jump from planet to planet are literally “out of this world.” In traditional style, Mario has to traverse various galaxies, defeating all kinds of foes, in order to rescue Princess Peach from evil king Bowser. There’s no question about it. Super Mario Galaxy is definitely the best single-player game for the Wii.

Other Great Wii Games

In particular, many Nintendo gamers might wonder why I’ve left out a couple of other good games on this Top 10 Wii Games List. I’ve tried my best to write a list incorporating what I believe are the best games of the system as of 2008, based upon gameplay, graphics, sound, storyline and replayability. If you believe there’s another good Wii game that’s worth being mentioned, feel free to post a comment to my article and let everyone else know.