Mario Kart Wii
So it comes bundled together with a gimmicky steering wheel for the Wii mote and lacking visuals, but at its core it's still a deeply enjoyable casual racer. The series seems to never get old.
What we said in our review
Mario Kart Wii is a game of improvements, not revolutionary features. There's enough of these that if you're sitting on Double Dash or Mario Kart DS, you'll want to check these out. The introduction of Bikes is nice, but hasn't really added much more than a new handling class.
Overall they don't perform that differently to the karts and the tricks, while fun and occasionally race changing, aren't gonna really affect the overall game. The removal of snaking has given us really balanced online play that isn't dumbed down, and the text chat interface has made it a much more social experience, even though it feels a tad forced politeness. The controls of Mario Kart Wii give you a lot of options, and the motion controls are some of the better ones we've seen in the racing genre. If you want a Wii game that is fun, social, and accessible to everyone Mario Kart is still the way to go, and the fact it has online has just made it so the party never stops.
Wii Music
Marketed as a music simulator, then as a casual music party game, gamers never really knew what to expect when Wii Music hit the Wii last month. What we got was a unique and somewhat enjoyable title that Wii enthusiasts should enjoy.
What we said in our review
Wii Music is aimed at younger kids and families and this is the audience that will get the most value out of this game. Young children will have no problem listening to “Yankee Doodle” 600 times in a row while they bash incomprehensible beats out of their synthesized steel drums
Spider-man: Web of Shadows
While the 360 and PS3 versions of Web of Shadows didn't blow anyone away, the Wii version is surprisingly enjoyable. It makes good use of the Wii controller and is a great Christmas gift for younger Wii gamers.
What we said in our review
While not without its issues, Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows features a good story, many interesting characters and some great voice acting. The game can be quite hard to stop playing once you get started and fans should note that this is the better of the Spider-Man games currently available on the Wii.
Order Up!
Order Up! is a relatively unknown title that shocked a lot of critics with its deep gameplay and solid presentation. It's a very enjoyable title that makes great use of the Wii-mote and offers plenty of value. A great Christmas gift for anyone looking for a great Wii simulator.
What we said in our review
Order Up! is a great cooking title for the Wii. The gameplay using the Wiimote is accessible and fun and there’s plenty of depth and enjoyment in this title to keep it in your Wii for a while. The graphics are bright and cartoony and compliment the direction and tone of the game. The voice-acting is surprisingly good, although the soundtrack is quite generic. Check this out if you’re looking for a tycoon-esque title with plenty of depth and fun gameplay.
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
With a fantastic marketing campaign and plenty of hype leading up to its launch, Wario Land: The Shake Dimension is another addition to the critical and commercially successful party-game series. Worth checking out if you're into party games and want something to entertain your guests after Christmas lunch.
What we said in our review
Warioland: Shake Dimension is a great title for those who have been around since the era when platforming was where it was at. Casuals and those who missed it the first time around will also find joy here. Don't expect it to challenge you too deeply. Just lean back and enjoy the visuals, and everything will be just dandy.
LEGO Batman
The LEGO franchise has impressed everyone with its charm and value. Nothing has changed with this fifth addition to the franchise, with great gameplay, visuals and humour.
What we said in our review
The Lego game franchises have been hugely successful. Lego Batman, while not really bringing any new ideas to the table, looks and sounds good, provides some humorous moments and offers a lot of replay value. It is disappointing that some gameplay kinks present in the previous Lego games are still here; you would have thought they could have been eliminated by now. That said Lego Batman is still an enjoyable game and if you loved the other Lego games then you should not be disappointed.
FIFA 09: All-play
Unlike NBA Live 09: All-Play, FIFA 09 on Wii is a great sports title that takes advantage of the Wii-mote and offers plenty of replayability and depth for the casual sporting gamer.
What we said in our review
If you don’t already own a soccer game on the Wii you will be impressed by this game. It contains a wide variety of game modes and options, the controls feel good, it is fully licensed with your favorite teams and players, it includes your Miis participation and has online features to boot. In short, EA have created a football game that plays well and is accessible to everyone from the casual to hardcore football fan. Is it good enough to buy if you already own a copy of FIFA 08 or Pro Evolution Soccer 08? It’s difficult to say; perhaps you might have to try before you buy and argue about it in the forums.
Samba de Amigo
Unique and deeply enjoyable, Samba De Amigo is the perfect Christmas gift because of its accessibility, charm and ability to entertain even the most casual of gamer.
What we said in our review
Samba de Amigo is a good game which does grow on you and you will get some enjoyment from shaking to the beat with friends after a few tequilas. However, on the down side, it does get repetitive and the lack precision in the controls (which you never feel that you have quite right) will probably mean that only die-hard Latin music fans will keep returning in the long term. Regardless of whether ‘Samba de Amigo’ is the game for you, you can be assured that you will still have ‘Mambo No. 5’ and ‘Macarena’ stuck in your head long after you lay your maracas to rest.
SimCity Creator
After some lackluster spin-offs and sequels, the SimCity franchise returns to its roots with a great Wii version. The controls take a bit of getting used too, but it's still one of the best SimCity titles of the past few years.
What we said in our review
Sim City brings the goods in terms of gameplay options, but gets dragged down by control issues and in-your-face-but-fairly-useless advisors. If you can get past the controls, Sim City has got a lot of value in it.
de Blob
A surprisingly enjoyable title that fits the Wii perfectly. A great gift for a younger crowd and even for hardcore Wii owners craving a new gaming experience.
What we said in our review
De Blob has simple, effective gameplay with some great looking visuals and sound effects. The controls feel naturally suited to the Wii. It has an entertaining single player storyline (complimented with some great cut scenes) and it also offers some addictive multiplayer modes. De Blob really sets a benchmark for what gamers should expect from “true” Wii games. This was the brainchild of Dutch game design and development students; so if this is a taste of what the future holds for gaming then it looks like we are headed in the right direction.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
No Star Wars fan should go without playing The Force Unleashed, a title that puts you into the grasp of The Dark Side, with stunning visuals and great gameplay.
What we said in our review
Force Unleashed is a solid enough beat 'em up for anyone into the genre, but only Star Wars fans are going to walk away with that fuzzy feeling. Yeah, it's full of little glitches and repetitive gameplay, but not enough to kill the experience completely. If you just want to hurt lots of things with very little care for the Star Wars theme, give it a rent, or wait for a price drop; but if you love the saga, the plot is mature and an interesting take on the universe.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Die hard Nintendo fans waited and waited and waitied. And then they waited a little more. Finally, Super Smash Bros. Brawl came to our shores and it was just was good as promised. If you're going to ask for any fighter on Wii this Christmas, make sure this is it.
What we said in our review
It's a really good fighter, and probably one of the best ever produced in the genre. It's absolutely feature packed and really balanced. But if fighters don't do it for you chances Brawl won't either. With fighter fans in mind however, this is probably one of the best packages to ever come out in the genre. You've got good offline and online play, enough customization that you can tweak it to your play style, insane amounts of unlockable content, mini game events, and a nicely presented adventure mode. Brawl is real value as for as content goes and it's something that will probably get scratched to death before you truly shelve it.
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