What, where, why, Wii!

This may been asked a thousand times before, but no matter, I shall ask it again.

I am VERY LTTP in terms of just getting myself a Wii. I've agonized over this purchase several times in the past, but never had enough reason to jump into buying one just for myself. The main impetus this time, and the one that got it past the wife, is my daughters.

My youngest loves gaming to bits, so much so, blue isn't ever called just that, it's always Sonic Blue. My eldest however is getting bored 'just watching Daddy play'. This is where the Wii comes in. I think it's time for her to enter the game...

I need a list of games that would appeal to a 5 year old. She is a diverse little soul. She cries when I squish a little blue dude in Swarm, but wants me to 'keep fighting Daddy' when Lisa is kicking butt in VF5. She loves Pixar, but also Dreamworks. She likes her princesses, but they need to be able to kick butt and take names, not just lay in wait to be rescued.

Skylanders were great, but again, it got boring, fast, 'just watching'.

There is a bit of a sneaky Part B to this one too, that might appeal to the non-parents amongst us. I also would like a list of any Wii exclusive titles you think I need to track down for myself.

I have a functioning Cube, so I have enjoyed my Windwakers (Twilight Princess is still on the pile), Metroids and classics for that, but is there anything I need to get for this little N-box? I'm not fussy when it comes to pile additions. If it's good enough, I will venture into unknown territory in terms of genres, so cast the net wide. I would like my Wii pile to be definitive (if possible).


For the little kids

  • Mario Galaxy 1 and 2
  • Zak and Wiki
  • Kirby's Epic Yarn
  • Mario Kart
  • MySims Agents
  • Pikmin

For the big kid

  • Silent Hill : Shattered Memories
  • The Last Story
  • Xenoblade

Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 are obvious choices (especially with that asymmetrical co-op thing going on). Also Zak & Wiki maybe? (possibly a bit complex for a 5 year old but it has adorable pirates and monkeys in it), Rayman Origins? , Kirby's Epic Yarn? Okami? (LOT of text dialogue in that one though, especially at the start).

I've not played it but MySims Agents is supposed to be reasonably good as well.

For yourself, I always highly recommend Silent Hill : Shattered Memories (aka the BEST Silent Hill Game) and the Wii has probably the definitive version of Resident Evil 4.

Kirby's Epic Yarn is definitely easy enough for a kid.

*facepalm* Mario Kart.

I got Mario Kart as the bundled game, along with the Motion Plus controller and the BigN's wheel overlay.

I'm going to be scouring eBay for the rest. Pick up a couple of cheap 'knock off' controllers for the kids, keep the official one for myself. You know, all the responsible parent stuff.

Stevenmack, I have RE 4 on the Cube, would you say the Wii version trumps it? They also love watching Rayman on 360, so it would be good to get them into it themselves.

How about deBlob? I enjoyed it on 360, but does Mario scratch that itch better?

Any JRPGs I need to purchase either?

de Blob a bit difficult for a youngun. Hell, it was difficult for my wife. It'd be fine if there wasn't a timer.

Animal Crossing, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Tiger Woods PGA, Mario Party and Pikmin (until it became too hard) were hits with my daughter. We played Galaxy 2 for a bit with her as "star Female Doggo", and she enjoyed it but my wrist problems stopped us and we haven't gone back.

It seems to have worked, because she's an XBox fiend lately.

m0nk3yboy wrote:

Any JRPGs I need to purchase either?

The Last Story is my favorite RPG since.. FF9, I think. I can't recommend it strongly enough.

You might want to check out Clocky's Wii thread for some more ideas.

Blind_Evil wrote:
m0nk3yboy wrote:

Any JRPGs I need to purchase either?

The Last Story is my favorite RPG since.. FF9, I think. I can't recommend it strongly enough.

You might want to check out Clocky's Wii thread for some more ideas.

I was thinking of doing that actually. Might cross post, so as to not clutter that thread up.

m0nk3yboy wrote:

Stevenmack, I have RE 4 on the Cube, would you say the Wii version trumps it?

Not sure about any differences content-wise but It's mostly the controls that make it the better version - The remote/nunchuck setup works brilliantly.

Also, Xenoblade is a must-have JRPG I think.

Thanks all. I'm going to update the OP as I get feedback so I have a goto list for the future. Clocky's post looks pretty damn thorough though.

Wii exclusive you should track down for yourself: House of the Dead: Overkill

Just to reiterate, that's for you, not the kids.

And again, not the kids.

Finally, absolutely not for the kids.

Rayman Origins is probably pretty good for both.

I got a Wii about a year ago, although I didn't put quite as much time as I thought I would with it... *sigh*

You seem to enjoy Zelda, so obviously Skyward Sword is up there. It's fun. Worth a play.

Wouldn't a Wii U be more future-proof? It's everything a Wii is, minus a bundled Wiimote, plus it has additional offerings.

Do I need to play this generation's metroid? I have prime and prime 2 echoes. Also, does Pikmin 2 offer much over the GC original?

LarryC wrote:

Wouldn't a Wii U be more future-proof? It's everything a Wii is, minus a bundled Wiimote, plus it has additional offerings.

It would, but i can't pick up a new WiiU and game for under $100.

This is more of a Gateway entry point for the kids more than something for me. I'm just adding my needs for gap filling in the BigN experience.

I might look through here too.

http://au.ign.com/articles/2011/08/1...

My little girls liked Mario Party a lot. Silly minigames, the Princesses Peach and Daisy are selectable characters, etc. We had both 8 and 9, spent more time with 8 but it's not widescreen, if that poses a problem for you, get Mario Party 9.

Another vote for Rayman Origins, it's gorgeous looking and fun to play co-op.

Super Smash Bros Brawl if she/you likes fighting games.

Like most of my games, I have a ton of Wii games just sitting on the pile, but one that we've enjoyed a lot ( kids and I ) was Boom blox. My son plays a lot of Monkey Ball ( though I can't stand that game, I don't have the coordination ), and my daughter has been playing Lego Star Wars. We have loads of others, but those three pop on the top of my head as the most played in the house.

Awesome, I'll update the lists shortly. Thanks a lot guys.

I'm having a lot of fun tracking these titles down too. eBay is presenting a few gems, and also some astronomical price hikes. I've got a 'go to' importer that is my moderator for pricing, where it should/could be, and I'm also going to do the rounds in some of the local second hand/pawn brokers in the areas, see if they are sitting on any hidden bargains.

Ah, the meta game of acquisition for minimal outlay. Love it.

Warioware: Smooth Moves was probably my favorite Wii game for the first six months of the console's life. It does get old quickly after you've seen everything, but it's fun for all ages and totally worth the pocket change that it would cost these days.

Also: STAR NOSE

IMO RE4 is by far better on the Wii than GC/PS2. Same goes for Okami (more people will disagree with me, but after some learning curve and fighting through the first couple segments, I was on my way to far superior speed and accuracy) and the Metroid Prime games. I haven't tried Pikmin on the Wii.

If you're an Overlord fan, I found the Wii version to be well worth my time as it was always moving forward at a good pace for the 8hrs it took.

Other great experiences include: Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Little King's Story, and either Boom Blox game. Boom Blox would be good for the kids as long as they keep the wrist strap on / don't let go of the remote when doing the throwing motion.

Despite the criticisms, you really can't go wrong with either Twilight Princess or Skyward Sword. Whatever the problems, they are still Zelda games, and they have a baseline of quality that's hard to beat.

m0nk3yboy wrote:

My youngest loves gaming to bits, so much so, blue isn't ever called just that, it's always Sonic Blue.

If she loves Sonic, you have to get her Sonic Colors. It's the best Sonic game in years.

Seconding Kirby's Epic Yarn as so perfect for a child. And it's fun for an adult too, making it a wonderful game to play together!

This is a thread right in my wheelhouse. Here are a few suggestions off the beaten path.

A Boy and His Blob is a fun puzzle-platformer with gorgeous hand-drawn art. I highly recommend playing with a classic controller. (It looks like this got an EU release but not an Australian one. I don't know how that works with region locking and the like. Hopefully you can import.)

Dead Space Extraction is the best on-rails shooter on the system (and my favorite on-rails shooter period). If you're at all invested in the Dead Space series, it also fills in some more of the storyline with a cast of interesting, sympathetic characters. It's not kid friendly, but it's very fun in local co-op.

A Shadow's Tale is another puzzle-platformer. You play as a shadow in the background of a massive, Ico-like tower. It's not necessarily inappropriate for children, but I don't know that a child would enjoy watching it.

Hydroventure is a Metroidvania puzzle-platformer where you control a blob of water by tilting and shaking the Wiimote. One of the best uses of motion control on the system and a really cute storybook presentation. This one's on Wiiware.

Rhythm Heaven Fever is a fantastic, quirky rhythm game. Rather than playing a plastic guitar to established pop hits like you do in Guitar Hero or Rock Band, you use the Wiimote (no waggle) to swing golf clubs, assemble robots, and high-five tiny monkeys (yes) in time with insanely catchy little tunes.

Thanks all! And thanks Clocky for the off beat suggestions too, just what I was chasing. Demyx, check out the 'already bought' section, psychic or what?

I'm loving this thread so much, quick update...

Running total, so far:
New, mint in box purchases
$94.50 Nintendo Wii, with MotionPlus Wiimote and nunchuck, MarioKart and Official Nintendo Wheel Controller peripheral.
$24.00 Sonic Colours
$16.00 My First Songs (basically karaoke nursery rhymes)
$27.00 uDraw Tablet Including Disney Princess and uDraw Studio games

Considering how much is in there, including console, controller, wheel extension, 5 games and input tablet, I'm really happy with that outlay.

eBay bargains:
House of the Dead: OVERKILL (Nintendo Wii, 2009) - current bid $1.36
Zack and Wiki Quest for Barbaros Treasure (Nintendo Wii, 2008) - current bid $5.00

This where the real fun starts, and the real money starts to get eaten. I've got to make sure I don't get too caught up in the thrill of the chase.

If you like rail shooters, House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return is a fun distraction. The Resident Evil games (Umbrella Chronicles and Darkside Chronicles) have a bit more depth to them. I didn't care for House of the Dead Overkill myself except for one hilarious joke involving an ice cream truck. Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor is brilliant but bloody hard.

My Wii collection grew really quickly because of Ebay. I picked up a few new in wrapper for good prices (Skyward Sword, Xenoblades), but the majority were used, and cheap.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

If you like rail shooters, House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return is a fun distraction. The Resident Evil games (Umbrella Chronicles and Darkside Chronicles) have a bit more depth to them. I didn't care for House of the Dead Overkill myself except for one hilarious joke involving an ice cream truck. Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor is brilliant but bloody hard.

I was just looking at this! Love me some Treasure, and I was curious how they'd handle the transition to 3D rail.

m0nk3yboy wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

If you like rail shooters, House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return is a fun distraction. The Resident Evil games (Umbrella Chronicles and Darkside Chronicles) have a bit more depth to them. I didn't care for House of the Dead Overkill myself except for one hilarious joke involving an ice cream truck. Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor is brilliant but bloody hard.

I was just looking at this! Love me some Treasure, and I was curious how they'd handle the transition to 3D rail.

What I've played of S&P2 has been great.

Shopping in the dying phase of a console is quite enlightening. Bargains galore if you care to look.

Two questions for the collective.

Wii Zapper with Link's Crossbow Training - $15 worth the money, or just a dust collector?

Monster Hunter Tri 3 with Classic Controller - $33. I've seen this for $98 this morning as well, but trying to reduce impulse as much as possible.

Final question, for those with kids, do the clip-on sport attachments help the little ones bridge the gap between 'out of screen and onscreen' with a game like Wii Sports? Do I need a plastic tennis racquet prosthetic on my Wiimote to help them balance their swing, etc?

OK, that was three, shoot me

I think I got a used copy of MH3 for $15-20, I forget. It was without the controller though. So I'd say $33 is fair.

That was shipped on Ebay

You'll want the classic controller pro, and Monster Hunter 3 is a good game. I'd definitely jump on that for $33.