The Top Five Best Looking Wii Games So Far!

Ever since its launch, the Wii has experienced an accumulating amount of shovelware and Playstation 2 ports piling onto the system. This is because most companies developing for the Wii aren’t trying to provide entertainment; they are only trying to make a quick buck. However, a small amount of developers (Nintendo being one of them) actually took their time to make well-fashioned games. We are starting to see software built from the ground up for the Wii, but we’ve just barely scratched the surface as companies like High Voltage Software are actually trying to push the limits of the Wii’s hardware. Last week they showed off their Quantum3 engine that literally has people asking, “can a Wii game really look this good?” Which is exactly what we want publishers to do. My Wii News is here to present to you the top five best looking Wii games on the market right now to give the heroes out there (the good developers) a little bit of praise. Because without them, we would have nothing worth looking at.

Cruis’n - one of the most remarkable Wii titles out there
(note the heavy, heavy sarcasm)

Number 5: Medal of Honor: Heroes 2

On November 13, 2007, EA made history by releasing the first solid first-person shooter on the Wii. Many Wii owners were waiting to use the controller that seemed so perfect for first-person shooters, but nobody seemed to be able to get the control scheme down. Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 was the first game to bring us arcade-perfect FPS controls with the Wii Remote that actually rivaled the precision found with a keyboard and a mouse. Not only that, but it also brought us good graphics, good gameplay and a decent online mode that got rid of those pesky friend codes that we all hate. On top of all that, MOH:H2 also had some really impressive lighting effects, and character models, making for a visually impressive game on a whole. Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 was a title made from the ground up for the Wii, which explains why the game looks good. Even though the A.I. admittedly sucked, the game ran at a smooth frame rate and is still one of the prettiest games on the system.

(Click to enlarge)

Number 4: Geometry Wars Galaxies

Whether you love or hate them, the Wii has seen its fair share of puzzle games. Regardless of your feelings, the truth is that the casual market absolutely loves puzzle games. It’s hard to miss how tight Nintendo’s grip around casual players is, which means that we’ll probably continue to see massive amounts of puzzle games rolling onto the the system.

Even though there’s a ton of puzzle games for the Wii, one of them stands out among the rest as an original, oustanding adenture: Geometry Wars Galaxies. Even though puzzle games aren’t always known for being visual powerhouses, Geometry Wars is more than pleasing to your eyes. With hypnotic colors, incredible lighting, fancy effects and mind blowing colors, Geometry Wars is easily the best looking puzzle game on the Wii. The only reason why this game came in fourth is because it seems much more difficult to make a good looking action or shooting game then a simple puzzle game, but that sure doesn’t mean it’s not pretty. Geometry Wars Galaxies is an absolutely awesome looking game which is why it easily makes its way onto our list.

(Click to Enlarge)

Number 3: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was the first big Wii title to come out from Nintendo (remember kids, Twilight Princess was a GameCube game). After getting delayed for over a year, Nintendo fanboys were going crazy when the could finally get their hands on this game. The game stunned us, in a good way, with traditional Metriod problem solving and a fast paced adventure that was perfectly suited for the WIi. The Wii’s unique controls made what was perfect even better, effectively using the Wii’s IR sensor to point and shoot your way to victory. Many of us were extremely relieved to finally had a good control system to make up for Ubisoft’s poor FPS attempt, Red Steel. But that wasn’t the end of it - not only did Metroid Prime 3 have solid story and controls, it also looked amazing on the Wii. At the time, it was the best looking game on the system, with stunning particle effects, lighting, and character models that showed up almost everything else. Retro Studios succeeded in creating an impressive looking and playing game, which is why Metroid Prime 3: Corruption easy makes its way to number three on our list.

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Number 2: Super Smash Brothers: Brawl

Super Smash Brothers: Brawl. Have you heard of it? It was a little game released a few months ago that sold a few copies to the few people that heard of it. Oops! Our bad. We forgot it was actually one of the best selling titles of the year, easily taking the crown for most anticipated title for the Wii so far.

Smash Bros. started out on the N64 and who could ever forget it? One of the best fighters ever made, Super Smash Bros. gave us priceless four-player fun that many of us invested hours upon hours into. While the franchise hasn’t changed much gameplay wise, which is a good thing, it has made a huge leap graphically over both the Gamecube and N64 versions (unlike the dreadful N64-esque Cruis’n above). But the truth is that Super Smash Bros. is just the definition of fun, and you can’t really ask for much more in a game. Sakurai and his team did an awesome job with the latest installment, and made a wonderful game that ended up bring one of the most graphically-impressive titles on the Wii yet.

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Number 1: Super Mario Galaxy

Yup, the top three best looking games on the Wii are all first-party titles, go figure. But really, who can compete with “The Big N” for top quality games? Not too many people, thats for sure. But with new and exciting gameplay, along with overachieving graphics, its hard to doubt that Nintendo brought us the definition of a masterpiece with Super Mario Galaxy.

Mario is a character that every gamer knows: a legend, a hero, even a role-model. Mario really does have it all, which is probably why his games are so great. Super Mario Galaxy shot Mario into unfamiliar terrain for a plumber: the vacuous depths of space. Without the brilliant mind of Miyamoto backing up the project, Super Mario Galaxy could’ve become just another lackluster title like so many others on the Wii. But instead, it became a creative, fun, pretty, exciting, crazy and overall mind-blowing experience. There are just not enough words to describe how wonderful, and beautiful, this game truly is. In our minds, Super Mario Galaxy is the number one, best looking game on the Wii.

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Well there you have it: the top five best looking Wii games so far. But you know what, that’s not it. Because not only does My Wii News like to look to the past, but we also like to look to the future to see what games might be unseating these beauties in due time. So here are a couple of games to keep your eyes out for in the near future:

The Conduit:

(Yes, these are Wii screens)

WALL-E:

(Robots are taking over the world!)

Sonic Unleashed:

(Sorry, not Wii screens)

Well there you have it, those games are looking good and they can only get better! Leave a comment below. or take it to our forums, to discuss whether or not you agree or disagree with our top five choices. Keep checking back to My Wii News daily for more news and updates on the Wii!

Sonic Unleashed Preview

Ever since Sega’s blue hedgehog thoughtlessly entered the three-dimensional world, the Sonic franchise began to sink deeper and deeper into a seemingly endless hole. Over the years Sega has made numerous attempts to bring back the glory to their prized mascot which at one time only Mario could rival. They failed time and time again, and while one of their latest attempts on the Wii (Sonic and the Secret Rings) was a good effort, it just did not capture the thrill and pleasure that the legendary franchise was once known for. The small spurt of reputation that came with Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games feebly pushed Sonic back onto the radar and is now giving the hedgehog another chance to leap back on to the podium of famous mascots.

Sonic Unleashed definitely has the chance to do just that. While Sonic’s latest adventure will be breaking new ground, it is also going to stick to it 2D side scrolling roots that worked so well for it in the past. A quote from the lead designer of the Sonic team, Yoshihisa Hashimoto, states that Sonic Unleashed will have no relation to Sonic the Hedgehog (360/PS3) or Sonic and the Secret Rings (Wii). Instead it will have more in common with the older Sonic adventure games.

Everything about Sonic Unleashed has been developed completely from scratch, from its new character models, to its “Hedgehog Engine.” Players will still be able to use Sonic’s iconic moves, such as the “spin attack” and the “homing attack” but you can expect to see a bunch of new elements in the game that will give it a breath of fresh air.

Sonic has a few new tricks up his sleeve, including the new Sonic boost, which will have you collecting rings to fill up an energy bar that allow you to dash throughout the course at a high speed, Sonic Drift, which will allow players to take short, sharp turns at curves while running through the course, and the Quick Step, which allows players to move left or right rapidly to avoid an oncoming obstacle. We can probably expect to see more actions revealed at a later date.

Though details on the storyline are slim, it is confirmed that Sonic will turn into a “were-hog” at night time. It is also confirmed that in the beginning of the game Sonic will be trapped by Dr. Eggmans evil plan and the power of the Chaos Crystal will be misused and something inside Sonic’s body changes. This most likely causes him to turn into Were-Sonic during the nighttime levels. Were-Sonic has been reported not to be evil, but more of a Hulk-like version of sonic. So far Sonic’s trusty sidekicks Tails and Amy have been confirmed to be in the game, but it is still unknown if other fan favorites such as Knuckles or Shadow will be making an appearance.

It’s fine to be a little skeptical on the fact that there will be a new Were-Sonic in the game. But from what we can tell so far, Were-Sonic looks to be a welcome addition to the game and the franchise. According to Hashimoto, Sonic during the day will maintain his quick and agile speed, but during the night he is a slightly slower, and surprisingly a more agile beast. While regular Sonic darts past and aviods obstacles, Were-Sonic will “manhandle” them out of the way and can “toss enemies around like nobody’s business.” The Official Nintendo Magazine has reported that instead of running, Sonic will use his tremendously long arms to swing across the level, sort of like an ape.

There is also some very good news for us Wii owners, as Sega has said that the Wii version will be a graphical showcase for the system. The Official Nintendo Magazines reports that the Wii version of Sonic Unleashed has “shiny next-gen visuals.” It is even reported that the Wii is the lead-platform version of the game, while the PS2 version will simply be a downgrade from the Wii. Of course the 360/PS3 version may be tuned up with a little extra polish and gloss, but My Wii News cannot currently confirm this.

Very little is know about the gameplay and nothing is known about the controls of the game except that the main controller for the Wii version will use the the Wii Remote and Nunchuk combo instead of holding the Wii Remote sideways like in Sonic and the Secret Rings. It is still not know if players will be able to use other controllers such as the Gamecube or Classic controllers, but it seems like Sega is trying to use the Wii Remote’s unique abilities to the fullest, so it appears to be unlikely.

The developers mention that their new side-scrolling camera angle works extremely well. While it keeps Sonic up to date with the 3D environments, it also allows for the game to keep that old Sonic essence that everybody knows and loves.

So far, Sonic Unleashed appears to be a breath of fresh air to the Sonic franchise which has been struggling over the past decade. Hardcore Sonic fans will definitely want to keep an eye out for this one, because we all know that we want the old Sonic back. I have high hopes for this game and it looks like it will show people that Sonic can be awesome in 3D too. Give us your thoughts by leaving us a comment below, check out the debut trailer, the ONM screens, and keep checking back to MyWiiNews.com for more Wii and Sonic info