After many rumors, information leaks, and the admittance of a new console on the horizon, Nintendo formally announced the Wii’s price drop to $150. Hoping to spur sales, the company repackaged the system with Mario Kart Wii, a wheel, and a WiiMotionPlus-endowed controller. On top the that, the company even debuted a new line of budgeted popular software, named Nintendo Selects.
For the few remaining people on the planet that don’t own the device yet, now is probably the best time to pick one up. While its online may not compete with Xbox Live, and its visuals are no match for the PS3, there are still some terrific core gaming experiences to be had, and at great prices. We’ve rounded up the absolute best of the best games, divided by price levels, for you to consider.
Under-$20
MadWorld (81 Metacritic/$9.99 Retail): Graphic in more ways than one, this game mixes some actual decent waggle mechanics with an outrageous style. The visuals were iconic, sure, but the gameplay was what made MadWorld a fun experience. It’s kind of like Bulletstorm-meets-God of War. With Frankenstein, of course.
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (84 Metacritic/$19.99 Retail): Dropping the open world of the first NMH, the sequel took superstar Travis Touchdown on a murderous, light-saber escapade as he worked his way up through the ranks of hitmen. Creator Suda51 once again stressed his flair for unique style, and his love of combo-based action games.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (95 Metacritic/$19.99 Retail): It’s Zelda. Yes, that’s all you need to know. The game is really that good.
Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition (91 Metacritic/$19.99 Retail): I know, I know. You’ve played a billion versions of RE4 already, but trust when I say that this is the definitive version of the game, featuring all of the Gamecube and PS2 bonuses, along with a very good aiming/shooting mechanic.
The Beatles: Rock Band (89 Metacritic/$17.99 Retail): Because you can never have enough Rock Band, and because the Beatles version has unique visuals and the greatest songs ever. Peripherals on the Wii are cheap to come by, as well.
$20-$35
NBA Jam (79 Metacritic/$24.99 Retail): It’s classic arcade hoops action, with modern players and teams. It was designed from the ground up for the Wii, and is a fun 4-player competitive experience.
Little King’s Story (87 Metacritic/$29.99 Retail): The game is an endearing, heartwarming, and extremely fulfilling mix of different genres. It’s part-RPG, part-sim, part-real time strategy, and all fun.
Monster Hunter Tri (84 Metacritic/$29.99 Retail): As far as RPGs go, Monster Hunter Tri may be the best the deepest that the Wii has to offer, at least in terms of replay value. It’s an MMO that capitalizes on obsessive-compulsive quest fulfillment, and it’s sure to keep us playing for a long time.
Sonic Colors (78 Metacritic/$29.99 Retail): The best Sonic game since Sonic 2.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade (81 Metacritic/$29.99 Retail): From the makers of Odin Sphere, Muramasa takes classic ninja side-scrolling action and coats it in beautiful hand-painted visuals.
$35-$50
Super Smash Bros Brawl (93 Metacritic/$49.99 Retail): It’s the premiere fighting game on Wii, with solid (now) online play, an incredible amount of unlockables and secrets, and a lengthy single-player quest.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (97 Metacritic/$49.99 Retail): This is the best Mario game ever made. It mixes gorgeous visuals with creative gameplay, wonderful puzzles, and weeks worth of content.
Goldeneye 007 (81 Metacritic/$39.99 Retail): It’s classic shooting action that not only capitalizes on our memories, but improves upon them. Classic Controller Pro usage is a must.
DJ Hero 2 (88 Metacritic/$39.99 Retail with Turntable): The DJ Hero series has been consistently well-made, so with DJ Hero 2‘s improved visuals, progression, and better music selection, it’s no surprise that it was the best music game of 2010. At least, in my opinion.
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (87 Metacritic/$39.99 Retail): This game is fast, furious, and frustratingly great. Arcade-like action at its finest.
WiiWare
Swords and Soldiers (84 Metacritic/$10): It’s cel-shaded, side-scrolling, chaotic strategy gaming. And it’s a heckuva lot of fun.
Cave Story (89 Metacritic/$12): It’s a Metroidvania game that takes place in a cave. With awesome, 16-bit visuals!
Excitebike World Rally (70 Metacritic/$10): It’s the Excitebike we all know and love, but now with new visuals, modes, stunts, and online play!
NyxQuest (82 Metacritic/$10): It’s a lot like Kid Icarus, but with a much more serious storyline. Gorgeous, stylized visuals, too.
And Yet It Moves (83 Metacritic/$10): By tilting the WiiMote, the character on the screen can rotate, tilt, and modify the paper world around him. It’s some of the best physics-based platforming you’ll come across.
Virtual Console
Megaman 3 (NES/$5): As good as Megaman 2 was, Megaman 3 was the peak of the series, featuring great visuals on the NES, great powerups, and great challenge.
Super Mario RPG (SNES/$8): It’s so rare, yet so good. SMRPG combines the best of all Mario games with the know-how of Square to make a supreme Nintendo RPG.
Chronotrigger (SNES/$8): Quite possibly the best RPG ever made.
Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (SNES/$8): It’s the best version of the best Star Wars movie, featuring great platforming action and story elements.
Super Metroid (SNES/$8): One of the greatest games ever made, and possibly the greatest platformer ever made.
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