Five games that should be on the Wii
Friday, September 28th, 2007 at 3:54pm by Andrew
There are a lot of games in the Wii library that don’t belong there. There are also many games out there that aren’t on Wii that seem like a perfect fit. Nintendo has created a console where many different types of games can be enhanced, but there are some genres that are absolutely ripe for the picking. Here’s a list of five games that are a perfect fit for Wii, either because they match Nintendo’s design philosophy, or because they would work beautiful with Nintendo’s unique input systems.
1. Okami
Existing Platform: Playstation 2
What it is: A Zelda-esque adventure game with a thick creamy coating of Japanese mythology. If you thought it was fun to play as the Wolf in Twilight Princess, best to strap on your paws for the long haul. This 30+ hour game has many of the same traits you find in modern Nintendo games, including an acute sense of style, and rock solid platforming. The game uses a unique ability system; you use a giant paint brush in the sky to paint a brush stroke, and your character will launch into an attack, or a spell. A quick horizontal stroke is an attack, and a circular strokes can make items appear.
Why it would excel on Wii: The problem with the above system is that it requires stopping the game, and fumbling with the analog stick to draw a shape. For a quick line, that’s not a problem, but more complicated symbols make the game more difficult. This problem is two sided - the symbols get more difficult to draw, and as a result, the symbols never get all that complicated. This creates both frustration and less interesting design. Both of these problems are instantly fixed with a simple application of the Wii Pointer. Using the Wii to create brush strokes would feel natural, and make the game flow much more smoothly.
Will it ever get there: Clover studios, which designed the game has now closed, but Capcom is the publisher, and they could certainly decide to bring the game over to Wii. Rumors have circulated here and there, but as of now, Capcom has denied any interest in the project.
Chance of arrival: 30%
2. Orange Box (Half Life 2, etc)
Existing Platform: Xbox 360 / Windows PC
What it is: In 1998, Half Life took the PC gaming community by surprise, and took Game of the Year honors. It was the story of an ordinary scientist, who works in a very unordinary underground laboratory. One day he shows up late to work, and has hell to pay for it. The game was a benchmark in storytelling and AI, and it had a killer cliffhanger ending. That cliffhanger was finally resolved in 2004’s Half Life 2. A technical achievement, the game did everything the first one did, and it did it better. It was released for the original Xbox console in late 2005. The Orange Box is a re-release of Half Life 2 that is bundled with expansions “Episode One”, “Episode Two”, and “Portal”, an all new single player game using the Half Life 2 engine. Multiplayer game “Team Fortress 2″ is also included.
Why it would excel on Wii: With Metroid Prime 3, Nintendo has now shown what it can do with FPS control. The problem, however, is that MP3 is not a FPS. It is an adventure game, hiding in FPS clothing. Assuming that the technological hurdles can be leapt (the hard disk being the biggest), the Wii control scheme for Half Life 2 would be dead on perfect, a vast improvement over dual analog sticks. More importantly, with the Orange Box coming out for Xbox 360, it would be an opportunity for a Wii game to go head to head with a 360 game, to see which one is more fun to play. The Wii already has Medal of Honor coming, but WWII games have saturated the market for a very long time, and it’s time for a fresh, single player FPS with solid controls to grace the white box.
Will it ever get there: It wouldn’t be the first FPS to show up on the system in a post MP3 world, but if Medal of Honor can sell copies, and publishers begin to find that there is a market for the well-made FPS experience on Wii, Half Life 2 might be on the list.
Chance of arrival: 25%
3. Pikmin
Existing Platform: Gamecube
What it is: A quirky real time strategy game that blends humor with… ah, never mind. You know what Pikmin is. I have very fond memories of playing both the first and second games in the Pikmin franchise. This is probably the Gamecube franchise that I hold nearest and dearest.
Why it would excel on Wii: The clumsiest part of the control for the GC version of Pikmin was trying to tell the game where exactly you wanted to throw your Pikmin. With the Wii Pointer, this becomes simple - point and click. On the Wii, I imagine Olimar being controlled with the nunchuck analog stick, and the cursor being controlled with the Wii pointer. When Olimar wants to throw a Pikmin, you shake the nunchuck. When Olimar goes to pull a Pikmin out of the ground, a quick flick of the wrist would be a fun way to bring the player into the game. The multiplayer mode in Pikmin 2 was a fun, but underutilized portion of the game. Taking this online would be a blast, and could introduce new players to the franchise.
Pikmin was awesome on Gamecube. It would be even better on Wii.
Will it ever get there: Here’s what worries me: Nintendo, to my knowledge, has yet to even so much as drop a vague hint about a new Pikmin title. The first two were not the best selling games on the Gamecube, but I would hope that this wouldn’t deter Nintendo from continuing this enormously fun franchise.
Chance of arrival: 75%
4. Bionic Commando
Existing Platform: NES/Gameboy
What it is: Bionic Commando is one of the most unique sidescrollers in the NES era - it’s one that disallowed jumping. Every major platforming game of the day, and even since, has made jumping from platform to platform a major part of the gameplay, but not Bionic Commando. Your hero has a mechanical arm that extends out in front of him, and grasps platforms above, in the vein of Spiderman. Swinging from platform to platform, our hero gets all manners of weapon upgrades, and communications devices.
Why it would excel on Wii: On Wii, we would have a fast 3rd person game with a behind the shoulder camera. The original game had an espionage flavor, but a game like this is better off not trying to compete with Metal Gear and Splinter Cell, so while the communication and wire tapping should remain, it shouldn’t have an ultra-realistic flavor. The game would remain colorful, and be humorous. To use the Bionic arm, the player swings the nunchuck forward, similar to when Samus uses the grapple in Metroid Prime 3. The Wii pointer would be used to aim and free look around the screen. In this vein, the game might actually play more like a first person shooter than a third person shooter.
Will it ever get there: In a day in age when everyone is looking toward their archives to reinvent an IP, I’d say there’s definitely a chance.
Chance of arrival: 40%
5. Four Swords
Existing Platform: GBA/Gamecube
What it is: Nintendo decided to try something very different when it attached a major franchise to it’s overzealous “connectivity” campaign. They took a game concept originally developed as a way to add value to a GBA rerelease, and fleshed it out into a beautiful, top down 2D Zelda game. The problem? In order to really get the full experience, you needed three friends with GBAs, connectivity cables, and free time. I owned the game, but as a primarily solo gamer in a post-college, new city world, it wasn’t possible to get everyone together to play it as intended.
Why it would excel on Wii: Online Play. With a little voice chat magic, you and your friends could play the game online together using the DS as a controller and a microphone. This could be a masterpiece of wireless technology. The DS connects to the Wii and downloads the software, eliminating the need for messy cables. Then, you use the DS as a wireless controller, communication tool, and voice chat tool that communicates with the Wii, which in turn communicates with the players across the Nintendo WiFi Connection. For the players who don’t want to get into voice chat, the game could include an option where you can scribble notes on the touch screen and send them through the Wii to the other players.
Will it ever get there: When Nintendo announced they were making a Zelda DS game, they said it was a sequel to Four Swords. Later, this was scrapped in favor of the imminent Phantom Hourglass. Maybe they were holding off until the install base of the systems got higher, or maybe they moved on from the project entirely.
Chance of arrival: 60%
September 28th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
You forgot a new Kid Icarus.
September 28th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Hell yes to Bionic Commando. It’s one of my favorite games from the old days and it’s in definite need of a revival.
I’m down for some Pikmin as well.
September 28th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Okami has at least twice the chance of getting remade on the Wii than Bionic Commando.
September 28th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
rez REz REZ! A sequel or updated version of Rez needs to come to the Wii.
September 28th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
1. Rez
2. Kid Icarus FPS (Think Bow and Arrow)
3. Castlevania (Crack the whip)
4. Okami (Duh, no brainer)
5. Killer 7 (They should have just waited)
And Bionic Commando. Good thinking on that one. That would be excellent.
September 28th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
And god dammit, I want a sequel to Luigi’s Mansion. I loved that game more than any man should and the Wii is so well suited for it it’s not even funny.
September 28th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
I haven’t played Okami, but would check it out if it came to the Wii. Given the sales of Resident Evil 4 on the Wii, porting Okami seems like a no brainer. Get to it Capcom. I would love to see Half Life on the Wii as well.
September 28th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
This is my blog on Kid Icarus for Wii.
boisv - please no, FPS + Pit = Pit again copying Samus…the Angel needs to get into another genre entirely, spread his wings a little you know?
I agree 1,000,000% on Okami. Not making this game for Wii is openly stating, “No thanks, I don’t like money” Though I would much prefer a sequel over a remake.
Andrew - Please bump up the likelihood of Pikmin on Wii…I remember Miyamoto saying he wanted to keep working on the franchise, which guarantees a new one will be made…I will try to find the quote.
Also, I will plug one more time for a 3D Ecco the Dolphin game for Wii, that is all.
September 28th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
http://dlindema.gametrailers.com/gamepad/index.php?action=viewblog&id=162499
Aww damnit..I knew I forgot to post the link…here is my blog.
September 28th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
You forgot MegaMan Legends and a new Awesome Eriks-esque game.
September 28th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
There’s a rumored Wii Katamari Damacy game that would fit perfectly. And I have no doubt that we’ll be seeing a Pikmin game in Wii’s future.
September 28th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
Dang. That Andrew is an amazing writer.
September 28th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Andrew, why must you make me want things that I will not have?
Orange Box please. Please? It’s not as if the Wii can’t handle it. Halo 2 was on the original Xbox, and the Wii has the same graphical power.
Why…why…why…
September 28th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
Halo 3 Forge. That would be amazing on Wii. Placing fusion cores to make vast chain explosions would be neat and easy with the Wii pointer and an Elebits-like control scheme.
September 28th, 2007 at 11:23 pm
Damn! The Orange Box on the wii would be AWESOME. Then there could be a “Steam Channel” that would link with the PC steam community, and then we could play online. I know it will never happen, but fun to dream.
September 29th, 2007 at 12:47 am
If I had to pick 5, I’d pick…
1) Earthworm Jim
Now with multi-directional aiming and Wiimote headwhipping in addition to gorgeous cell shaded graphics! In 2D, of course
2) Mega Man 9/Classic
Really, just similar to what I’d like EWJ3 to be. A classic, cartoon looking Mega Man game with Wiimote aiming.
3) Okami
This has been covered. Although somewhat oddly, it would probably be harder to draw a straight line in Okami with the Wiimote. Sort of ironic, since the slash attack in Okami is the simplest shape. I imagine it being a particular pain in the ass to cross off enemies from your list.
4) God Hand Wii
I imagine a beat ‘em up where you actually throw punches at the thugs…kind of a huge extension to Wii Sports Boxing.
5) Ninja Gaiden
Hard, violent and the Wiimote is your sword. It’d have to have some re-tooling a bit in it’s more modern incarnation, but if they can get something at least close to 1:1 controls down, it could be tons of fun.
September 29th, 2007 at 9:11 am
dlindema is right - Miyamoto has said several times in the last year that Wii would be a good fit for Pikmin. In Miyamoto-speak that’s as good as a confirmation that the game is in development!
boisv - I’m with you on Luigi’s Mansion
I loved that game soooo much and whilst I think it’s generally under-rated by teh hardcore, the new/casual gamers that Nintendo are attracting would lap it up I think.
September 29th, 2007 at 9:32 am
If Miyamoto has been talking about Pikmin on Wii, I must have slept through it! If anyone can provide a link or a quote, I’d love to read it.
September 29th, 2007 at 10:24 am
http://wii.ign.com/articles/804/804262p1.html
In case you are lazy Miyamoto says this on the subject of Pikmin 3 for Wii:
“I certainly don’t think we’ve seen the last of Pikmin,” he said. “I definitely would like to do something with them, and I think the Wii interface in particular is very well suited to that franchise.”
What Shiggy wants, Shiggy gets.
September 29th, 2007 at 10:42 am
katamari
pikmin/other rts style game
halo zero style game
some first person sohoter
taiko drum master
September 29th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
I saw on G4 during the feed that okami was confirmed for the wii.
My top 3 games for the wii
1 mother
2 mother 2
3 mother 3
That would be freakin sweet… Or a totally origional mother story awww yeah.
September 29th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
A person could even think more simply and look at types of games. Why is there no mini golf on the Wii. Nintendo could make a bitching one with Metroid and Kerby themed holes. They need a trivia channel, not a game a channel. A new Star Fox has many possibilities. Real time strategy games could have promise as well.
September 29th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
PLEASE NO 3D BIONIC COMMANDO.
Bionic Commando is one of my personal top 10 gaming experiences ever and please don’t feed strange ideas to developers. 2D is just fine, don’t need everything to be 3D. Just look at Castlevania.
September 29th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
ROCK BAND FFSAKE???!!!!
I mean, it’s coming out on PS3, 360, and EVEN PS2. GHIII is coming on Wii. Does EA specifically hate us? What is it about us that makes them despise us and our money?
September 29th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
I’m loving the idea of a Luigi’s Mansion sequel, don’t know why I never thought of that but I can see it working really well, especially if it was from an over the shoulder perspective - Wiimote being the vaccuum obviously (activated by B), perhaps with a laser sight-esque torch (A button). Use the nuchuk to move about.
Pikmin, I think, has got to be a cert somewhere along the line.
I’m waiting for a truly awesome FPS and once someone gets the controls nailed, I wouldn’t say no to a bit of Unreal Tournament.
September 29th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
First of all, I remember when people were saying that Portals was coming to Wii. And second of all, you shoud make a list of non-nintendo games that should come out on the wii that have been released in the past few years. That would make more sense.
September 30th, 2007 at 12:13 am
Dammit, when is Cliffy B going to show the Wii some loving? I know he likes it, he also loves his DS. Y’know, just something to fill that action FPS/TPS gap. Hey, why not Unreal Championship 2(or 3)? Melee weapons on the Wiimote. Hey, why not just port UT2K4 with some extras? Come on Cliff, we’re dying here man!
September 30th, 2007 at 3:29 am
[...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptNintendo has created a console where many different types of games can be enhanced, but there are some genres that are absolutely ripe for the picking. Here’sa list of five games that are a perfect fit for Wii, either because they match … [...]
September 30th, 2007 at 9:12 am
@ Andrew - the Miyamoto comments I’ve seen about Pikmin on Wii have been in several interviews in the last few months, some of which where he has been directly asked about the possibility of this, and his response has been along the lines of ‘yes, the Wii would be a good fit for Pikmin’. I’ve just Googled for you and found this one:
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3161530
Considering that his apparently throwaway comments often actually transpire e.g. asking Rare to change the characters in Dinosaur Planet into the Starfox charachters, I think it’s likely we’ll see a Wii Pikmin :D.
September 30th, 2007 at 10:49 am
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