Getting a Nintendo Wii

[Dr.Epic]

So, I was walking down the street today and passing my local Game Stop I saw the price of Wii's have dropped to $80. I don't have the cash for it now, but in a month or two I should. I was just if anyone has any game suggestions. Honestly, I've been thinking about getting a Wii for awhile. I love the Legend of Zelda series, and the last game I played for that was Majora's Mask, so as you can imagine, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword are the first two game I'm gonna get. Also, is the Wii backward compatible, 'cause I might also want to check out Wind Waker? Also, Super Mario Galaxy looks pretty cool. I'll probably also get Smash Bros Brawl. I played the original on my N64 and liked that.

So, yeah, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Dumbledore lives]

Honestly the Wii has a lot of great games, and including Gamecube titles in there widens the list to be incredibly big. Shrinking your scope would help significantly for suggestions, but I'll list some that just about everyone should play.

Honestly every first party Nintendo title is worth trying, excluding a few like Wii Music. Some of the great ones for the Gamecube include Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi's Mansion, Pikmin 1 and 2, Animal Crossing, Mario Kart Double Dash, and Sumer Smash Bros Melee. Animal Crossing is kind of the black sheep of those, but is a very enjoyable game in the style of the Sims. You should definitely get Wind Waker as well, I'd also suggest the Metroid Primes but they are available on the Wii in a better collection.

As for Wii games the ones you mentioned are all very good and I would suggest getting them, maybe even both Mario Galaxy games because both are incredible 3-D platformers. If you want a party game for the Wii I'd suggest something like one of the first Rayman: Raving Rabbid games, which are very well built mini-game collections. Other fun games for the Wii include the bevy of recent 2-D platformers including Donkey Kong Country Returns, New Super Mario Bros Wii, Kirby's new game or Rayman: Legends. Like I said there are a huge number of great games so any more specifics would be great.

[Zevox]

You never had a Gamecube either? Sheesh, you'll have a lot to catch up on, even for systems with as little third-party support as these.

First though, a question: what kind of games do you like/dislike in general? To make suggestions easier.

Off the top of my head, Nintendo games for the Gamecube and Wii:

- The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword.
- Super Mario Sunshine, Galaxy 1 & 2
- Super Smash Brothers: Melee and Brawl.
- Metroid Prime Trilogy (Wii collection of all three games.)
- Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
- Super Paper Mario
- Pikmin 1 & 2
- Star Fox Adventures & Assault
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance & Radiant Dawn
- Kirby's Return to Dream Land
- Donkey Kong Country Returns

And that's just Nintendo's first-party games, that I can think of right now.

Zevox

[Veridis Quo]

Just echoing the statements above, what types of games are you interested in? Using the legend of zelda as a rough guideline I assume you like exploration and action in your games?

For wii games I would recommend:
- Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Muramasa The Demon Blade
- The Metroid Prime Trilogy (I recommend getting each game individually instead of the collected edition due to price/avaliability)
- Beyond Good & Evil (Gamecube game)

Each of these feature great exploration elements, and plenty of action with very good stories to tie it all together.

[Dr.Epic]

Originally Posted by Zevox

You never had a Gamecube either? Sheesh, you'll have a lot to catch up on, even for systems with as little third-party support as these.

Hey, I've been busy. While you people were busy playing with Gamecubes, I was busy downsizing the Greek pantheon.

First though, a question: what kind of games do you like/dislike in general? To make suggestions easier.

Meh, I'm not really sure. I've never really specific area of gaming. I like fantasy games hence why I'm gonna get the Zelda games. RPGs are a favorite of mine too. I find Hack and Slash and Beat 'em Ups fun too. I also like action-adventures games. I'm not really a fan of driving or sport games, though I do like Mario Kart. I'm not a huge fan of platforms, but I like games with platforming. Hope that helps.

[Dumbledore lives]

If I may suggest a more unusual games I might also put in No More Heroes, a satirical bloody action game by Suda 51 for the Wii. From what I understand the sequel is also quite good, though I have not had a chance to play it myself. The original though is actually one of my favorite games for the Wii probably because how weird and interesting the characters in it are. I guess it's not far from Hack and Slash, though very simplistic.

[Dr.Epic]

Originally Posted by Dumbledore lives

If I may suggest a more unusual games I might also put in No More Heroes, a satirical bloody action game by Suda 51 for the Wii. From what I understand the sequel is also quite good, though I have not had a chance to play it myself. The original though is actually one of my favorite games for the Wii probably because how weird and interesting the characters in it are. I guess it's not far from Hack and Slash, though very simplistic.

Hmm, I might have to check that out. I do love God Hand, and God Hand's pretty comical, violent, and surreal.

[Dumbledore lives]

Originally Posted by Dr.Epic

Hmm, I might have to check that out. I do love God Hand, and God Hand's pretty comical, violent, and surreal.

Just be aware that the game-play is less than polished. In fact the entire game lacks much of a sheen, but that's part of the charm.

[Mando Knight]

Originally Posted by Veridis Quo

- The Metroid Prime Trilogy (I recommend getting each game individually instead of the collected edition due to price/avaliability)

It was the other way around when the Trilogy collection was just released. Now? It's $200... between that and my Star Wars Saga books, I've got some serious collector's items in my apartment, apparently...

Originally Posted by Dr.Epic

Hey, I've been busy. While you people were busy playing with Gamecubes, I was busy downsizing the Greek pantheon.

We've been blowing up planets. How've you been?

[Zevox]

Originally Posted by Dr.Epic

Meh, I'm not really sure. I've never really specific area of gaming. I like fantasy games hence why I'm gonna get the Zelda games. RPGs are a favorite of mine too. I find Hack and Slash and Beat 'em Ups fun too. I also like action-adventures games. I'm not really a fan of driving or sport games, though I do like Mario Kart. I'm not a huge fan of platforms, but I like games with platforming. Hope that helps.

Hm, not much to go on. Guess I'll just give my general recommendations for each console, then. Skipping the Nintendo-made games I listed above:

Gamecube:
- Tales of Symphonia (JRPG)
- Skies of Arcadia: Legend (JRPG)
- Sonic Adventure 1 & 2
- Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (Lovecraft-style Horror)
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (& sequels) (Action)
- Gladius (Turn-based Strategy)
- Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (JRPG, but a weird one)
- Mega Man Anniversary Collection (Includes Mega Man 1-8, and a couple of arcade games never released outside Japan before this collection)
- Sonic Mega Collection (Includes a ton of classic Sonic games, plus Ristar)

Wii:
- MadWorld (Action, very bloody, NSFW humor/language)
- Little King's Story (Somewhat Pikmin-style gameplay, goofy adventure game)
- Monster Hunter Tri (Action, I guess)
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Action)

Wii games I haven't played yet, but was interested in enough to pick up and hear nothing but good things about:
- Xenoblade Chronicles (JRPG)
- The Last Story (JRPG)

Zevox

[DiscipleofBob]

I must warn you about Skyward Sword.

It requires an attachment besides the usual Wiimote + Nunchaku that can be difficult to find nowadays, and so far I ragequit out of frustration at the first boss, who does NOT follow the standard Zelda formula.

Twilight Princess is my favorite game in the series though.

Most of the other Wii games I would recommend have been listed, with the exception of Red Steel (don't let the negative reviews fool you. Aside from the swordfighting parts which are few and far between it's a very fun shooter) and No More Heroes (a bit of a grind between boss fights, but the boss fights are well worth it). I haven't played either of the sequels yet though.

Besides all the other suggestions, don't forget the Virtual Console which has a pretty sizeable collection of titles from the NES, SNES, N64 days, not to mention NeoGeo, Sega, and original titles etc.

[Eldan]

I didn't find Twilight Princess all that good. The boss fights were just... lacking. Too easy by far. Quite a few of them, I didn't lose any hearts at all.

[Dr.Epic]

Originally Posted by Mando Knight

We've been blowing up planets. How've you been?

Spoiler

"Posers. I was blowing up planets before it was cool. Or should I say Cooler."

[Sipex]

Just a note! Check to see if the Wii you're buying has backwards compatibility built in. I've long assumed they all did but a friend of mine got one this passing Christmas and he claims it won't take gamecube games anymore.

Might be a complete bull but it can't hurt to check.

For suggestions? Donkey Kong Country Returns. It's every bit as insane as the original DKC trilogy (often far more insane) and looks amazing.

[Anarion]

Originally Posted by Zevox

Hm, not much to go on. Guess I'll just give my general recommendations for each console, then. Skipping the Nintendo-made games I listed above:

Gamecube:
- Tales of Symphonia (JRPG)
- Skies of Arcadia: Battle (JRPG)
- Sonic Adventure 1 & 2
- Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (Lovecraft-style Horror)
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (& sequels) (Action)
- Gladius (Turn-based Strategy)
- Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (JRPG, but a weird one)
- Mega Man Anniversary Collection (Includes Mega Man 1-8, and a couple of arcade games never released outside Japan before this collection)
- Sonic Mega Collection (Includes a ton of classic Sonic games, plus Ristar)

Wii:
- MadWorld (Action, very bloody, NSFW humor/language)
- Little King's Story (Somewhat Pikmin-style gameplay, goofy adventure game)
- Monster Hunter Tri (Action, I guess)
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Action)

Wii games I haven't played yet, but was interested in enough to pick up and hear nothing but good things about:
- Xenoblade Chronicles (JRPG)
- The Last Story (JRPG)

Zevox

It's Skies of Arcadia: Legend and Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. And both of those are excellent games and worth playing. Skies of Arcadia in particular is one of my favorite RPGs ever and a really unique game that does the air pirate thing about as well as it has ever been done.

Baten Kaitos is also really incredible, although I never played the second one, so I can't comment there.

I wouldn't put The Force Unleashed anywhere close to the above, and do not recommend it for Wii at all.

[Mando Knight]

Originally Posted by DiscipleofBob

It requires an attachment besides the usual Wiimote + Nunchaku that can be difficult to find nowadays, and so far I ragequit out of frustration at the first boss, who does NOT follow the standard Zelda formula.

All new Wii consoles should have the Wii Remote Plus, which integrates the Motion Plus attachment, and are the only Wii Remotes currently available at retail.

[Zevox]

Originally Posted by Eldan

I didn't find Twilight Princess all that good. The boss fights were just... lacking. Too easy by far. Quite a few of them, I didn't lose any hearts at all.

Not the bosses in particular, but the game on the whole was very easy. Which is my only substantial criticism of it. If it weren't for that, I'd consider it to be a contender for best game in the series (I am currently split between Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword for that).

Originally Posted by Anarion

It's Skies of Arcadia: Legend and Sonic Adventure 2: Battle.

Woops . Edited.

Originally Posted by Anarion

Baten Kaitos is also really incredible, although I never played the second one, so I can't comment there.

I wouldn't go that far, but it is unusual, and was fun for the one play-through I gave it. Really weird ending though. I also haven't played the sequel, since the game didn't really leave me wanting one, even though I enjoyed it.

Originally Posted by Anarion

I wouldn't put The Force Unleashed anywhere close to the above, and do not recommend it for Wii at all.

I wouldn't say it's a great game by any stretch, but I think it's worth it, especially now that it'll be available for well below full price. I think it's an example of good use of the motion controls - not for lightsaber combat mind you (I'd actually recommend not bothering with your lightsaber in that game at all), but for the force powers. I'd genuinely say that just using things like force push and force choke was made more enjoyable than they otherwise would be because of those.

Zevox

[JoshL]

Zelda, of course, Mario, of course. And seconding No More Heroes by a lot (as well as the sequel). Some fantastic deconstructive humor, and some really entertaining fights. On the Wii, if you have a taste for retro, the Samurai Shodown and Metal Slug collections get a lot of play in my system. And since Fatal Frame 4 never came out in the US, I can't recommend that...

If you didn't play the recent Sam and Max games on the PC, they're on the Wii and definitely worth it, but they require a taste for old school adventure games.

On the gamecube, I also enjoyed Mystic Heroes, which is Dynasty Warriors with an anime coat of paint. Mass army beat-em-up with magic and cartoony character design.

And for both: Super Monkey Ball. Love those games! Lots of challenge therein...

[Jade Dragon]

The Wii is backwards compatible, but only if you have a Gamecube controller (which is my preferred way of playing SSB Brawl anyway. The controls on the controller just seem intuitive, although I think I've been using the uncharged smash attack button as a crutch for not learning how to use charged smash attacks effectively).

[Zevox]

Originally Posted by JoshL

On the gamecube, I also enjoyed Mystic Heroes, which is Dynasty Warriors with an anime coat of paint. Mass army beat-em-up with magic and cartoony character design.

I think I actually rented that a couple of times way back when. It is indeed quite fun, although there's not much to it in the end. Probably worth grabbing for the few bucks it must be worth these days though.

Zevox

[Dr.Epic]

Originally Posted by JoshL

If you didn't play the recent Sam and Max games on the PC, they're on the Wii and definitely worth it, but they require a taste for old school adventure games.

You mean Rabbit-dog and Bunny-man?

Also, I might want to get SBCG4AP.

[Mando Knight]

It's "Rabid dog," I believe.

[Dr.Epic]

Originally Posted by Mando Knight

It's "Rabid dog," I believe.

Well it was last time I checked...which was 1987.

[Madara]

Originally Posted by DiscipleofBob

I must warn you about Skyward Sword.

It requires an attachment besides the usual Wiimote + Nunchaku that can be difficult to find nowadays, and so far I ragequit out of frustration at the first boss, who does NOT follow the standard Zelda formula.

Twilight Princess is my favorite game in the series though.

Most of the other Wii games I would recommend have been listed, with the exception of Red Steel (don't let the negative reviews fool you. Aside from the swordfighting parts which are few and far between it's a very fun shooter) and No More Heroes (a bit of a grind between boss fights, but the boss fights are well worth it). I haven't played either of the sequels yet though.

Besides all the other suggestions, don't forget the Virtual Console which has a pretty sizeable collection of titles from the NES, SNES, N64 days, not to mention NeoGeo, Sega, and original titles etc.

But...But...BEST ZELDA GAME EVER!!!

[DiscipleofBob]

Originally Posted by Madara

But...But...BEST ZELDA GAME EVER!!!

Why yes, Twilight Princess was the best Zelda Game ever.

[Sipex]

As noted earlier, for Skyward Sword you need the Wii Motion Plus attachment IF your controllers don't already have the Wii Motion Plus built in. Most controllers on sale today will already have it built in but if you're unsure, just check the box.

[Knaight]

Originally Posted by Dr.Epic

Meh, I'm not really sure. I've never really specific area of gaming. I like fantasy games hence why I'm gonna get the Zelda games. RPGs are a favorite of mine too. I find Hack and Slash and Beat 'em Ups fun too. I also like action-adventures games. I'm not really a fan of driving or sport games, though I do like Mario Kart. I'm not a huge fan of platforms, but I like games with platforming. Hope that helps.

So, here's what I'm getting from the list. You would like an RPG in which you beat the tar out of a whole bunch of monsters, that is set in a fantasy setting, which has platforming elements.

Allow me to introduce you to Baten Kaitos. It's been mentioned prior, but not in detail, which is a shame. The setting is an interesting experiment in surrealism and oddity, with an artistic style that ranges from Hieronymus Bosch to Salvador Dali, though generally a bit happier than one would expect from their works. In addition to this there is the combat system - each character has a deck of offensive and defensive cards, which they use in real time. It's a tight balancing act of going for combinations, staying within element types (firing off attacks of contradictory elements within the same salvo causes them to counteract eachother to some extent), making sure you have enough defense cards after your attack, having a sufficiently open hand, and having access to particular cards that you may desperately need. Moreover, it does all this while being fast paced and accessible. The game does have some weaknesses, particularly in storytelling and voice acting, but is is very solid, and even the story has some good stuff going for it. Then there is the matter of deck building, which includes the use and obtaining of specific card combinations that get you new cards (for instance, you can throw a pot helm at someone, throw some uncooked rice their way, douse the whole thing with water magic, then light it on fire to get cooked rice after the battle), and taking into account the way cards transform over time (wine eventually becomes vinegar, ice sculptures become mineral water, there is a two faced coin that transforms between a light healing item and a dark attack item). Again, there is a lot there, but it is accessible and fun.

Here's a gameplay example.

In addition to this, I recommend Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. It's a very good game that has nothing to do with the rest of Final Fantasy, marred mostly by its lackluster spinoff and atrocious sequel. It's completely real time, has multiplayer, and consists of you taking your one character through a wide mix of levels. It could have been boring, but it maintains an effective tension throughout due to the fragility of the character, and the time it takes to use meaningful attacks. It also has fairly good art, a very nice flow to the game as a whole, and a system of gaining power that is unobtrusive, doesn't encourage grinding per se, and adds a bit of competition to the cooperative multiplayer.

[DiscipleofBob]

Originally Posted by Knaight

So, here's what I'm getting from the list. You would like an RPG in which you beat the tar out of a whole bunch of monsters, that is set in a fantasy setting, which has platforming elements.

Allow me to introduce you to Baten Kaitos. It's been mentioned prior, but not in detail, which is a shame. The setting is an interesting experiment in surrealism and oddity, with an artistic style that ranges from Hieronymus Bosch to Salvador Dali, though generally a bit happier than one would expect from their works. In addition to this there is the combat system - each character has a deck of offensive and defensive cards, which they use in real time. It's a tight balancing act of going for combinations, staying within element types (firing off attacks of contradictory elements within the same salvo causes them to counteract eachother to some extent), making sure you have enough defense cards after your attack, having a sufficiently open hand, and having access to particular cards that you may desperately need. Moreover, it does all this while being fast paced and accessible. The game does have some weaknesses, particularly in storytelling and voice acting, but is is very solid, and even the story has some good stuff going for it. Then there is the matter of deck building, which includes the use and obtaining of specific card combinations that get you new cards (for instance, you can throw a pot helm at someone, throw some uncooked rice their way, douse the whole thing with water magic, then light it on fire to get cooked rice after the battle), and taking into account the way cards transform over time (wine eventually becomes vinegar, ice sculptures become mineral water, there is a two faced coin that transforms between a light healing item and a dark attack item). Again, there is a lot there, but it is accessible and fun.

Here's a gameplay example.

In addition to this, I recommend Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. It's a very good game that has nothing to do with the rest of Final Fantasy, marred mostly by its lackluster spinoff and atrocious sequel. It's completely real time, has multiplayer, and consists of you taking your one character through a wide mix of levels. It could have been boring, but it maintains an effective tension throughout due to the fragility of the character, and the time it takes to use meaningful attacks. It also has fairly good art, a very nice flow to the game as a whole, and a system of gaining power that is unobtrusive, doesn't encourage grinding per se, and adds a bit of competition to the cooperative multiplayer.

Baten Kaitos could have been one of the greatest RPG's of all time if it weren't for that stupid card system.

The only thing with Crystal Chronicles is that for multiplayer, where the game really shines, you need game boy advances and adaptors to use them as controllers instead.

[Rising Phoenix]

I'll just pop in and say that if you enjoy JRPGS you must get Xenoblade Chronicles. It is simply stunning and one of the few jrpgs in which the main protagonist is not soul crushed, romantic emo. The rest of the cast are all likeable too and at 100 hours plus of gameplay, a great OST and amazing areas to explore it's well worth the money. Oh and if you are a purist you can play the game in Japanese with english subtitles

I haven't finished playing the last story, but it's ok so far, not as good as Xenoblade chronicles and the main two characters are romantically cliche and cheesy. The dub job is, however, very well done.

Other games I can recommend are Monster Hunter Tri (spent 600 hours on that game...), muramasa the demon blade and okami.

[Madara]

Originally Posted by DiscipleofBob

Why yes, Twilight Princess was the best Zelda Game ever.

Sir, while I did enjoy the sword techniques, I doth protest. Fi is obviously the best companion, and Skyward Sword filled in more of the timeline, and really fit well in the overall story. But that is for the Zelda thread.