After several months of waiting and waiting and watching, we got the Wii for one primary reason: the promise of motion control. As the household Nintendo-backer, I remained firmly skeptical up the day we bought the thing, however. I was happy enough with the Gamecube, which I wasn’t playing all that often anyway, and I didn’t really see much of a need to invest in something else from Nintendo. Still, it was hard to resist the call of Super Mario Galaxy, which literally and figuratively propelled Mario to new gaming heights. To date, the Wii is the one system for which I have the most uncompleted games, so part of my list below is driven by a desire to finish what I started. And seeing as how I’ll be alone on my island with nothing but time on my hands, finishing things will be a top priority. Err, well…maybe after finding food, building a home of sorts, locating a power source… y’know, after all that.
Was it just me, or was the Wii a bit confusing at first? I remember hearing about the Wii around the time of E3 in 2005 because the thing, or something related to it, was supposed to be shown then. Only it wasn’t. It was supposed to be something “new” and “revolutionary,” and it was supposed to “shake up the gaming world as we knew it.” Because of course, and because that’s what’s always promised with new consoles. It was another year before the world saw the Wii – a tall, thin white box with a motion-based remote control. Hmm…interesting… The first time I saw Wii Sports in action, I had to laugh a little at all the flailing, but in reality, it did look kinda fun. And apparently the world thought so too, because it was nearly impossible to get your hands on a Wii for several months after its launch in late 2006. Yep. It was THE THING to buy during the 2006 holiday season. Will it be THE THING for my island, despite my feelings on motion control? Ooo, the excitement lingers…!
The Last Story
The Last Story was the last game I ever thought I’d get for the Wii, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Outside of the occasional Final Fantasy title, I’m not the world’s biggest JRPG fan, and I’m hardly able to keep on top of new games as is. The Last Story originally passed me by until I read a review of it on The RPG Square. The story of the hero Zael , the horrible Gurak, and Lazulis Island simply sounded too intriguing to pass up. The game didn’t make its way to the state until later summer 2012, and I didn’t get to it till around the holidays last year, but it was worth the wait. The game offered an immersive story line and some wonderfully engaging characters with interesting stories of their own. It took me awhile to get used to the combat system using the Wiimote, but it wasn’t so difficult as to be awful. The Last Story was a game that moved me in ways I never expected. And in dealing with all that emotion, I missed out on tons of sidequests! Those’ll probably keep me and my island occupied for quite awhile.
Epic Mickey
What do you get when you turn the Disney universe on its ear, add in a rogue rabbit, and color it all with a little paint? Epic Mickey! This fun yet unusually dark game brought to life Mickey Mouse in the world of Wasteland. Paint the world to make it more vibrant and reveal secrets; use paint thinner to dull the world and reveal different secrets. All in an effort to save the world from enemies called Blots and Wasteland’s head honcho, Oswald the lucky rabbit. Whether you choose to paint the world or thin it, Mickey’s actions have a direct result on the outcome of the game and the fate of Wasteland. While me as the fan enjoyed this game for all its Disney elements, me as the gamer had a blast with the game’s puzzles and combat. Sure, using the Wiimote and nunchuck to control the flow was paint wasn’t always easy, but, for me, the great story made up for any technical challenges.
Super Mario Galaxy
I won’t go into the long-winded story about why I gave up on Super Mario Galaxy. Suffice to say, choosing the end the game prematurely is a terrible regret that I still live with. If there was one Wii game that was hyped to the nines when the system first rolled it, it was Super Mario Galaxy. Set in outer space, not the mean, nasty, airless outer space we know, but the cute, colorful, and breathable re-imagining of outer space, Mario’s goal was to find Power Stars in order to power up a interstellar observatory, which then would help him save the Princess, who had of course been kidnapped by Bowser. Super Mario Galaxy is a game that made for the Wiimote. It played beautifully and I loved traversing space with Mario and Yoshi. And by golly, I’ll do it again on my island!
Xenoblade Chronicles
Yet another of the unfinished Wii games that I simply must – MUST! – finish. I started playing this famous (or infamous) JRPG earlier this year; but as my time for gaming has dwindled, I’ve had to set aside really long games in favor of shorter ventures. This game about a sword called the Monado and a guy names Shulk who comes to possess it is simply brilliant. I got far enough into the game to become captivated by its characters and stories. I mean, The Last Story was compelling, but Xenoblade, I think, outdoes it just a little. However, I never did become used to its unusual combat system, and it led to more than one fit of frustration. This is the only thing that gives me pause about bringing it in on my island. After all, I’ll only have my controller plus a spare, and ain’t nobody got time for controller-flinging. However, since I’d be by myself, I could yell and scream all I wanted instead. Yeah…that would do.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
One of the smaller factors that contributed to the demise of me playing Super Mario Galaxy was Twilight Princess. I got Twilight Princess as a gift; and since I was all about the Wii at the time, I strongly hinted prior that I’d rather than the Wii version than the Gamecube version. And that’s what happened…uh, obviously. Anyway, my time with Link and Midna was time well spent. Though I found Midna to be a nag occasionally, and I never did get used to dealing with Link in wolf form, Twilight Princess had everything anyone could ever ask of a Zelda game. Its story was great and it also played well with the Wiimote. I didn’t have any good reason to quit the game, except Mass Effect. Yeah. Once I started that, everything else fell by the waste side.
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Alrighty then! My romp down the Nintendo lane has ended (unless the Wii U drops to, like, $50 between now and next week…) and it’s time to wheel back again into the past. Up next is another combined list, this time for the Playstation 1 and 2. It took me awhile to take off my Nintendo hat and join the Sony team, but the adventure was well worth it for what was to come. And where did I start that adventure? Well, you’ll just have to check back here to find out!
I never owned my own Wii, but my old roomates used to have one that they picked up for her son. Eventually I picked up Twightlight princess for it, because I’ve been a lifelong Zelda fan and engrossed myself in it. I played for like a week during most of my spare time and got all the way to the last dungeon, then came home one day from work to find out they had sold the Wii to pick up an xbox game they wanted…………….. Moral of the story, never buy games for a system you dont own…….. oh and Wii bowling is addicting
Oh man, what a story! I know it’s a long way to get to that last dungeon, but I hope you get to complete the game someday.
And I’m with you on Wii bowling — totally fun. If Wii Sports was the only Wii game I could ever own, that and Tennis would be enough to keep me going.
Great list! I still have to finish Epic Mickey and Super Mario Galaxy. Ever since I got an Xbox and with the handhelds I own, my poor Wii games have been neglected. I really need to get my butt moving to finish those! I really want The Last Story and Xenoblade Chronicles, though, I think I’ll have better luck buying The Last Story over Xenoblade. Xenoblade is crazy expensive and rare to find now. Another game
I would add to my own list Muramasa: The Demon Blade. It’s another Wii game I haven’t finished yet, but it’s super fun and a beautiful world to play in.
I remember hearing about Muramasa several years ago, but it just never stuck on my radar. Is it an JRPG?
It’s terrible that Xenoblade is so difficult to find. I’ve too looked at copies for sale — over $200 for a Wii game?! I mean, I know it’s rare but c’mon! It’s an amazing game, but I don’t know that it’s quite worth the investment. I rented my copy from Gamefly, but I didn’t want to keep it for a year. (That would have cost hundreds anyway!) I figure when the timing is right, I’ll just rent it again.
Muramasa isn’t a JRPG, but a side scrolling action game. It has two stories you can choose to play, one where you play as a girl and another as a boy. I’m playing the story as a girl at the moment. The game is fun over all. I can’t say the story is super engaging, but I enjoy the battle system and acquiring different blades as you progress further in the game.
Ah, sounds interesting! Definitely something of a different take on side-scrollers, which can often seem one-dimensional. I might try to check it out someday. :)
I would definitely go with “Zelda: Skyward Sword” and “Okami”, two games I found to be some of the most delightful games I have ever played, plus they are nice and long, which will give me plenty to do. Also, “Super Paper Mario” because it was fun and had a great story. And it’s different from previous “Paper Mario” games. Then, that gives me two choices left. Hmm, “Rayman Origins” is fun, has some great music I’ll enjoy while I’m all alone on that island, and it is challenging. And number five, how about “Metroid Prime 3”. I love “Metroid Prime” and that one was my favorite of the trilogy.
I like your choices! And, see, now I read that Super Paper Mario was similar to Paper Mario and that it’s wasn’t worth playing. Harumph. You just can’t trust anyone these days! I’m going to throw it in my Gamefly queue and maybe will get around to it someday. Also, I can’t wait to get through the Metroid series – Prime is fantastic! I especially like that, with there being too many hours between my game sessions, it’s easy to pick up where I left off.