Top 5 WiiWare Games … So Far

There has been quite a bit of news regarding the world of WiiWare this week. There has been the release of the initial trailer for Eduardo: The Samurai Toaster. We also received confirmation of Hudson working on WiiWare’s first FPS title, Onslaught.

In light of all of this WiiWare news, I thought we would take a look at the best WiiWare games that have been released thus far. I reserve the right to bring this list back in the future, as more games are released. That is all, so now let’s get to it.

5. Star Soldier R

Unlike most of my Top 5 lists, my decision for the #5 slot was the most difficult today. There are quite a few games deserving of resting here, but Star Soldier R has that special something that earned its spot. If you’re left scratching your head at its inclusion on today’s list I understand, because it’s a very niche title.

If you’re a fan of shoot em’ ups , or schumups or whatever the hell you call them these days then download Star Soldier R. Just a forewarning, the game is very short, in fact it’s probably the shortest game I’ve ever recommended as a purchase. There are only two levels to play through in the game, with three game modes to try out.

What keeps you coming back to the game, is the online leaderboards and the idea of improving your Star Soldier R skills. As much as I’ve played the game (25 hours), you’d figured I would have everything memorized by now, but that #1 spot still evades me. I’ve gotten as high as 28th at one point. I still play to this day, and the game’s fast paced and addicting gameplay is the reason.

I just wish Hudson would release a full version with a decent amount of levels. Until such time, I’m happy to keep playing this one, until I’m crowned the best Star Soldier R player around.

4. Dr. Mario Online Rx

Dr. Mario is a game that was one of the pioneers of the puzzle genre, along with Tetris. For me, Dr. Mario has always been one of the painfully addicting games for me over the years. Painful, because its kicked my ass more time than I’ve done to it. Addicting, because if you’ve ever played a Dr. Mario game, there’s something about virus busting that makes you come back for more.

The release of Dr. Mario Online Rx was received with a tremendous amount of hype, and rightfully so. What really set Dr. Mario apart from early puzzle games was the idea of making it multiplayer. Sure, playing against the computer is ok, but the true fun came when you and a friend battled it out against one another.

So, when it was announced an online multiplayer Dr. Mario was coming, many gamers were ecstatic. This one included. Then when the game finally arrived, we not only received an online Dr. Mario but two different ways to play entirely. There was of course, the standard Dr. Mario which is always a blast, and playing it online was just/is as fun as I imagined. The WiiWare version of the game really set itself apart from previous iterations by including what’s called, Virus Buster Mode.

In Virus Buster, the usual conventions of Dr. Mario are thrown out the window. Which is a good thing. This mode really utilizes what makes games great on the Nintendo Wii. It’s a four person co-op (heavy emphasis on co-op), and utilizes the IR pointing control scheme. In Virus Buster, multiple pills will rain down from the top, and it’s up to you and your partners to coordinate your efforts to place them strategically.

The online aspect of Dr. Mario is reason enough for it to be on today’s list. The inclusion of the Virus Buster mode is just the cherry on top.

3. Mega Man 9

If you’re reading this, and for whatever reason have never played a Mega Man game then stop…get off the computer…and go download Mega Man 9 or any other Mega Man off the virtual console. If you have played any of the Mega Man games, specifically Mega Man 9 then you know it was definitely going to be on today’s list.

It could be argued that Mega Man is just as big of a video game icon as Mario. That’s a debate for another time, but it shows what kind of caliber we’re talking about when we speak of Mega Man.

When Mega Man 9 released on WiiWare, the hype of the game was through the roof. Capcom did just about everything right in making the game, along with marketing it. They knew that the audience that would be playing this would be gamers that are a sucker for nostalgia (again, myself included). When you load up the game, there’s options for including old glitches from the NES days. If that’s not pandering to the old school crowd I don’t know what is. Then you had the box art for the game, which never really had a box, but was bad ass none the less.

So, the game might have quenched our nostalgia thirsts, but did the old style Mega Man gameplay live up after all these years? The answer is definitely, yes. There’s something timeless about the classic, buster shooting, special weapons using, boss strategizing gameplay that was so fun on the NES. For me, it’s probably the hardest game I’ve played on the current gen consoles, and shows how challenging games used to be. Back when all we had were RF adapters, and password saving systems.

Luckily, Mega Man 9 isn’t too nostalgic in that regard.

2. World Of Goo

Today’s #2, and #1 spots are truly interchangable in my eyes. Depending on what mood I’m in, coupled with which game I just played would dictate what game is deserving of the respective slots. The reason is, both games to me are the benchmarks of what makes video games truly great. Specifically on the Nintendo Wii. Albeit in different ways.

World of Goo to me is what happens when creativity truly wins the day. In a world filled with sequels, rehashed ideas, and long running series, it is so refreshing to play a game that truly breaks the mold, all the while being a blast. World of Goo truly represents all of those ideas.

Holly wrote a guest review, that I believe sums up many of the reason why World of Goo is so great. I want to expand on some of those ideas, and share what I loved about the World of Goo experience so much.

The backbone of what made World of Goo such a great, was easily the physics engine. For a game that’s classified as a puzzler, the use of physics hadn’t been seen quite like this before. Some puzzle games had physics in it, like Loco Roco for the PSP, or Boom Blox but World of Goo completely banked on it. The investment was definitely worth it, as the physics based gameplay is nothing short of extraordinary.

Ahh, This picture never gets old for me

The other very impressive part of World of Goo is its graphics, which set a standard artistically and technically. It really is a marvel to look at, with the high variety of color use. The quality of the animations, all the way down to the smooth and diverse use of “goo” really show off what World of Goo is capable of.

1. LostWinds

As I was searching back through WiiBlog, for past posts on LostWinds I realized I had praised the game quite a bit. It was a winner of the ‘The Essence Of The Wii Game Award’, and was also the first game I ever wrote a review for on here. Here are some of things I’ve said about LostWinds in the past:

“If you have 1000 Wii points, then you’ll be hard pressed to find a better way to spend it on than LostWinds. While it’s short, and takes a patient mind to appreciate, there’s just so much fun to be found here. The intuitive controls alone are worth the purchase. Not to mention the amazing artistic style, and amazing puzzle platforming gameplay. It’s my hope that games take some kind of inspiration from LostWinds, as this is a game that shows the true spirit of the the Nintendo Wii.”

LostWinds greatest strength came by way of its control layout. Every action in the game besides walking is coordinated with a Wii remote motion. If you want to jump, you better be good at flicking your Wii remote up and down. Games that rely heavily on motion control usually feel tacked on. LostWinds’ motion controls add to the experience more so than detract it though. I think that when Nintendo was creating the Nintendo Wii, they had games like LostWinds in mind when developing the Wii Remote.

I mentioned that both World of Goo, and LostWinds are interchangable for the #2, and #1 spot today. The reason is that both games to me represent what makes gaming through WiiWare so great. Both truly show off what the Wii is capable of. LostWinds is still the game that is a reference of what makes gaming on the Nintendo Wii so great. Its innovative controls, world design, and graphical style are all reason it rightfully sits as the #1 WiiWare game….so far.

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What did you think of today’s Top 5 list? Are you a big fan of the WiiWare service? If so, what games have you downloaded and enjoyed so far? I’m thinking about downloading some Toki Tori action this weekend, so let me know if you’ve played and enjoyed it.