In the June 2012 issue (#279) of Nintendo Power, one of the featured stories was called "Wii Essentials", which listed the top 30 Wii retail games available (plus some download games). I thought it was a pretty good overview of all the great games the Wii has to offer, although I disagree with a few of the choices. Most importantly, Resident Evil 4: Wii edition is a huge omission. I would've also liked to see Boom Blox Bash Party, Monster Hunter Tri, and Okami up there. Here's the Nintendo Power list:
The Must-Haves
Donkey Kong Country Returns
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Little King's Story
Mario Kart Wii
Metroid Prime Trilogy
Rayman Origins
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
Xenoblade Chronicles
The Should-Haves
Bully: Scholarship Edition
Dead Space: Extraction
Kirby's Return to Dream Land
Klonoa
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
No More Heroes 2
Punch-Out!!
Sonic Colors
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure
The Nice-To-Haves
Disney's Epic Mickey
GoldenEye 007
The House of the Dead: Overkill
Kirby's Epic Yarn
MadWorld
Metroid: Other M
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Rhythm Heaven Fever
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
WiiWare Essentials
Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth
Cave Story
Contra ReBirth
Mega Man 10
World of Goo
Virtual Console Essentials
Final Fantasy III
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Revenge of Shinobi
Super Mario World
Super Metroid
So GAF, let's reflect on the Wii library. While it doesn't have the volume and variety the HD twins have, in contrast the Wii provides the types of games you wouldn't find anywhere else. The one genre it clearly excels at is platformers, from Nintendo and third parties as well. It has some pretty good action/adventure games too, and a number of quirky fun titles. I'm also impressed with the Virtual Console offerings, which includes almost all the 8-bit and 16-bit games you could ever want. In sum, the Wii turned out to be a great console to own with a unique library of games.
The Must-Haves
Donkey Kong Country Returns
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Little King's Story
Mario Kart Wii
Metroid Prime Trilogy
Rayman Origins
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
Xenoblade Chronicles
The Should-Haves
Bully: Scholarship Edition
Dead Space: Extraction
Kirby's Return to Dream Land
Klonoa
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
No More Heroes 2
Punch-Out!!
Sonic Colors
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure
The Nice-To-Haves
Disney's Epic Mickey
GoldenEye 007
The House of the Dead: Overkill
Kirby's Epic Yarn
MadWorld
Metroid: Other M
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Rhythm Heaven Fever
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
WiiWare Essentials
Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth
Cave Story
Contra ReBirth
Mega Man 10
World of Goo
Virtual Console Essentials
Final Fantasy III
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Revenge of Shinobi
Super Mario World
Super Metroid
So GAF, let's reflect on the Wii library. While it doesn't have the volume and variety the HD twins have, in contrast the Wii provides the types of games you wouldn't find anywhere else. The one genre it clearly excels at is platformers, from Nintendo and third parties as well. It has some pretty good action/adventure games too, and a number of quirky fun titles. I'm also impressed with the Virtual Console offerings, which includes almost all the 8-bit and 16-bit games you could ever want. In sum, the Wii turned out to be a great console to own with a unique library of games.