“What makes a great Wii game?”

As Nintendo’s motion-controlled monster continues to storm the market, the question remains without a consensus, and developers have struggled in their search for an answer. Several third-parties have attempted to emulate the spirit of games such as Wii Sports, but most seem to be missing the point.

The “Wii spirit” that makes the system’s best titles so extraordinary seems an elusive capture. And while WiiWare’s Pop doesn’t quite reach that level, it embodies the system’s unique qualities and does a surprisingly admirable job of “getting” what Wii is all about.

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More than two decades of verification have solidified it as truth, but given the absurd quality of recent software, it seems worth reiteration; the best titles on Nintendo’s console have been first-party Nintendo games.

Whether pushing innovation with Wii Sports and Wii Fit or polishing the established with Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Kyoto-based gaming juggernaut has shown an unflinching, relentless attention to detail on its own Wii titles.

Given Nintendo’s impressive Wii track record and the post-DS resurrection of interest in the franchise, the recently released Mario Kart Wii has been one of the most hotly anticipated Wii titles of the year. 2005’s Mario Kart DS reestablished Nintendo’s long-running racer as one of gaming’s premier franchises, so lofty expectations seem a natural application for any new Mario Kart title. Fans will be pleased to know Nintendo has, in most respects, gone above-and-beyond their ivory-coated suppositions for Mario Kart Wii.

But players should be forewarned; Mario Kart Wii often frustrates and disappoints almost as wholeheartedly as it thrills. Veteran kart aficionados, in particular, may be dispirited by Nintendo’s insistence on rewarding the tenderfoots and punishing the skilled.

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Within the context of the gaming realm, Scurge: Hive is old news.

Released in late Oct. 2006 by independent publisher SouthPeak Interactive, Scurge: Hive was met with mixed critical reception, no publicity and extremely modest sales figures. So why revisit this obscure, unrecognized game more than 15 months after it hit store shelves?

Quite simply, because it rocks.

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Announced back at Leipzig 06, Nintendo’s sequel to their console version of Advanced Wars hasn’t gotten a lot of press. This is a shame, because Battalion Wars 2 improves on just about every element of its predecessor. From controls to graphics, BW2 takes full advantage of the Wii and adds more…

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Activision got lucky this time. If it weren’t for the rocking gameplay of Guitar Hero III, the audiophile in me would advise against the $90 purchase on principle alone — don’t ship a music game with mono-only sound while in game mode. Inexplicably, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for Wii does precisely that. Fortunately, there’s an abundance of saving graces.

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Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire is retro gaming bliss made anew with engaging motion-controls. It’s not even close to being one of the most memorable games of the year, but its gameplay, somewhat impressive visuals, and old-school storyline sans superfluous “cheese” make it a worthy purchase.

The extremely linear gameplay evokes fond memories from my gaming past; sorta like playing an old NES game in three dimensional space. The enemies are a bit mindless, but when in large numbers they can present quit a challenge.

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