Top Wii Games

The Monday feature, a little late but then again this list is so preliminary after only 8 months with the system. We begin with a couple of honorable mentions which will likely make the list once they come out.

Honorable Mention: Super Smash Bros Brawl - This game will probably compete with the Gamecube version for one of the most popular party games in the Wii.

HM: Super Mario Galaxy - There are certainties for every Nintendo system, one being that there will be a high quality Mario game. This game looks like it will revolutionize the Wii platformers and be nearly as successful as Super Mario 64. Big times await Mario.

10. Wii Play - A collection of nine mediocre games comes together with a pack-in Wii Remote for the same $50 as all other games. For $10, you really cannot beat the value assuming you bought the Wii-mote at retail value. The games do grow old in a hurry though.

9. Madden NFL 07 - Certainly to be outdone by the 2008 version once EA gets off the pot and brings out the Wii version, the 2007 Madden showed that the future is bright for football franchises on the Wii. You finally feel like you are in the game by throwing and stiff-arming and all the other neat moves you can do.

8. Mario Party 8 - While this game has a new set of great minigames, it offers nothing unexpected or new to the Mario Party formula. It's nice to have Wii minigames, but the visual quality should really be better. Perhaps this franchise needs a break. Still a fun party game.

7. Wario Ware Smooth Moves - This was the first set of crazy new Wii minigames, and the set is actually better than the Mario Party ones. The big disappointment is that Wario Ware was a great party game for the Gamecube, but this is only 1 player. With a few more hours of design this game could've been in the top 2-3 for a long time. Single player Wario Ware is not as fun.

6. Resident Evil 4 - The Wii version incorporates all that was great about the other versions and adds beeter control with the Wii-mote. The silly scare tactics might be gone, but the game is devilishly scary still and challenging.

5. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 - TW has been a vastly improving sports franchise the past half-decade, and this entry is no disappointment. The Wii Sports template for golf was imrpoved upon and made easier in this classic.

4. Wii Sports - The pack-in game with the system does not disappoint, as the games show off the basic realm of control possible with the Wii-mote. Bowling is amazing, Tennis is scary realistic, and the other three are all fun to play over and over again. A nice introduction to the Wii.

3. Super Paper Mario - Although Super Mario Galaxy may change this perception, but the best Mario games to come out since Super Mario 64 opened the door to 3-D are all in the Paper Mario 2-D series. Of course there are some 3-D puzzles and aspects, but a primarily 2-D game shows how well the platformer games continue to be playable.

2. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - OK so I don't have my hands on this game yet, but it appears that this game will set the bar high for graphics, story, and first-person shooter controls on the Wii. Add in the fact that Metroid games are some of the most popular games out there, and you have a sure-fire winner. This could end up #1 eventually.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - The most genius decision outside the design of the Wii was Nintendo pushing this game back a year to become a Wii release title instead of a second Gamecube title. The best entry in the Zelda series since Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess did everything right to set the bar high for Wii games. The controls are seamless, the graphics astounding, and the difficulty about perfect. Twilight Princess will be a hard game to beat, but the new Metroid and Mario games may just surpass this instant classic.

So there's the current Top 10 list for Wii, subject to many changes. The fact that there are 10 games to rank (and 6-7 of them very deserving) in one year is a good sign for this system, which gains market share and strength every day. Nintendo is entering a second golden era with the Wii for sure.

Tomorrow, we cover the top 15 Gamecube games.