11 Of The Best WiiWare Games… That You Might Have Missed

With the Wii seemingly coming to the end of its lifecycle, and a new Nintendo console on the horizon, now seems a good time to look back at some great WiiWare games, that many Wii owners may have missed. The Wii Shop Channel is home to some cracking titles, but it is really not very user friendly, and Nintendo’s stubborn refusal to release any game demos until very recently hasn’t helped spread the word to the uninitiated.

Listed below are 11 WiiWare games that really stand out from the crowd. Some are console exclusives, some can also be found on other gaming platforms, but all, in my opinion, are worth investing some Wii Points in.

Hydroventure (Fluidity)
Wii Points: 1200

A brilliantly inventive side scrolling game, that has you moving an increasingly large puddle of water around, in search of rainbow water drops. Reminiscent of LocoRoco, in that you control the environment, rather than the water. Full of clever puzzles, and beautifully presented in the form of a book. One of the best games released on any format in 2010.

NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits
Wii Points: 1000

This is an excellent side scrolling platform game, set within the world of Greek mythology. NyxQuest has a unique visual style, a great soundtrack and an excellent control scheme. The combination of platforming and puzzle solving makes for a diverting adventure, that whilst over in a few hours, is captivating throughout.

Swords & Soldiers
Wii Points: 1000

A very different take on the RTS genre, Swords & Soldiers is a fast, frantic and fun side scrolling game. It has a very colourful cartoon style, a good sense of humour, and plenty of content, including a two player spilt screen versus mode. It acts as a great advert for the inclusion of more Vikings in video games as well. Swords and Soldiers is now also available of the PS3, through the PSN store.

Tomena Sanner
Wii Points: 500

If Canabalt and Space Channel 5 had a baby, this one button action game from Japan would be it. Help get Mr. Susumu to the dance party, past a relentless assault of surreal distractions and obstacles. Completely insane, and great fun. Sadly, sales don’t look to have been huge, given that only around 1400 scores are currently registered on the EU scoreboard for Level 1-1. Tomena Sanner is now also available on iPhone/iPad.

Excitebike World Challenge
Wii Points: 1000

Anyone who remembers playing the original Excitebike on the NES should snap up this updated version. It retains many of the core gameplay features of the original, and adds updated visuals, loads of levels and even online multiplayer. There is no local multiplayer option, unfortunately, but even so, lane switching and jumping ramps has never been more fun.

And Yet It Moves
Wii Points: 1000

Originally released on PC in 2009, this great indie title came to WiiWare in 2010, bringing with it an improved control mechanism, and oodles of charm. With no bad guys to defeat, your aim is simply to get to the end of each level, controlling the lead character, and rotating the environment through 360 at will. The whole world appears to be crafted from crushed up paper, giving this clever platform puzzler a strikingly different art style.

World of Goo
Wii Points: 1200

World of Goo is quite simply brilliant. Based on a very simple premise – get the target number of goo balls to the goo pipe – it is implemented perfectly, with smart physics, clever puzzles, and a great art style. Sure, you can also get it on PC, but the Wii version is still great, four player drop-in co-op and using the Wiimote to build structures and fling Goo balls around feels great. I hear that the recent iPad version is just as brilliant.

Lost Winds
Lost Winds: Winter of the Melodias
Wii Points: 1000 each

Two great little games, which are among the best looking titles on WiiWare. Thankfully, the gameplay holds up to the visuals, with each game providing a few blissful hours of platforming goodness. The second game offers a significantly longer experience than the first, and it is also slightly trickier, so if you have to choose one to play, that should be your pick.

Art Style: Penta Tentacles (Rotozoa)
Wii Points: 600

The Art Style games on DSi and Wii are always worth a look. This one involves moving a small organism around the screen, attempting to absorb enough smaller lifeforms to complete the level. The game is simple to begin with, but extremely tricky towards the end, and had me screaming at the screen at times. As you would expect from the Art Style series, the game features simple but beautiful visuals, along with a great electronic soundtrack.

Bit.Trip Beat
Wii Points: 600

One of six titles in the Bit.Trip series, this is probably the toughest game I have played on the Wii. With a very simple control scheme – just tilt the controller to move the Pong style paddle – the game throws waves of beats at you, which you must repel. Do it right, and the beats synch with the in-game music perfectly. Do it wrong, and you lose. The game has a really neat 1980’s 8-bit art style which complements the soundtrack well. I still haven’t beaten this game, despite it only being three levels long, but I have had fun trying.

If you need to get hold of some Wii points, they can be bought at an exchange rate of £7 for 1000 directly from the Wii Shop dashboard. This price is actually below the RRP of pre-paid cards, but there are some decent offers on these cards around, if you look carefully.

At the time of writing, the current best deal is at The Hut, where you can snap up a 2000 Wii Points card for £12.85. I’m not sure how long that deal will last though, so best be quick.

One Comment

1. Pingback: 11 Of The Best WiiWare Games… That You Might Have Missed – The … | Glowball Video Games