Top 10 WiiWare Titles Worth Your Hard Earned Points
Over the past few months we have been checking out every WiiWare and DSiWare game available on the Australian market. We’ve caught up with most of the back catalogue (only about 5 or so WiiWare titles to go), and now it’s time to take a look at what games are really worth your hard earned cash.
You can check out all of our mini WiiWare reviews or DSiWare reviews on their respective pages. We keep our WiiWare reviews short, sharp and to the point, and give them a recommendation rather than a score out of 10. This will either be ‘highly recommended’ ‘good buy’ or ‘stay away’.
The 100th game was released on WiiWare last week in the US, but Australia is lagging behind with approximately 70-75 games currently available. Each week Nintendo Australia releases a selection of Virtual Console, WiiWare and DSiWare titles. This generally equates to one new WiiWare game each week. The service has allowed small developers to blossom in a large market. No longer are the limited to the making freeware flash titles, as they can release full games for download on the Wii for a fraction of the cost of a full release game. Smaller games means a smaller cost to make, a smaller team to pay and allows for bigger risks to be taken. This has resulted in some interesting, unique and quirky games that we never see from AAA game developers, and we love it!
It has been a tough job, but we’ve managed to sort through all of the WiiWare titles that we’ve reviewed so far and pulled out the top 10. It’s almost impossible to rate them in order from 1-10 as they are so different and cater for a range of different audiences so they are listed in no particular order (note that a handful of titles are yet to be reviewed by us and were not taken into consideration).
Top 10 Australian Released WiiWare Games
World of Goo
Price: 1500 Points
I didn’t want to single one game out as being the absolute best available on WiiWare, but I almost feel compelled to with World of Goo. It’s a basic game, with simple controls using the IR pointer on the WiiWare. However, don’t interpret that to mean that it is easy. You must build a structure using balls of goo to allow other goo balls to travel across the stage to an exit. If too many Goo Balls are placed on one side the tower will topple under the pressure. Meanwhile in the back of your mind will be the number of Goo Balls that must reach the exit drainpipe in order to progress to the next level. All in all it makes for a very addictive game, and while it is at the top end of the price spectrum at 1500 points it’s the one WiiWare game every Wii gamer should own.
What we said in our review
World of Goo is what WiiWare is all about, it is one of the best games to appear on the Wii this year, and thoroughly deserves its serious contentions for Wii game of the year in numerous awards. It’s amazing to think that a development team of just three people put this all together, and they ought to have the support of gamers so they can continue to produce such wonderful games. 2D Boy has raised the bar for what we expect to see on the service in the future. This is proof that you do not need the biggest development team or budget in the world to make a great game, all you need is great execution and World of Goo pulls off what it has set out to do perfectly. It ticks all the checkboxes, the addictive gameplay is great, full of well designed levels, it looks fantastic; it sounds wonderful and controls almost perfectly. World of Goo is the first must own WiiWare game.
Onslaught
Price: 1000 Points
The first person shooter genre has been neglected on the Wii. Many gamers are of the belief that the Wii Remote’s IR control is the perfect console option for FPS games. Meanwhile it seems that many developers struggle to comprehend making Wii shooters, but perhaps this has more to do with the audience rather than the control. Either way Hudson decided to give it a crack via the cheaper WiiWare with Onslaught. The single player campaign is fairly bland, but at its core Onslaught is all about the online multiplayer. It is easily one of the best third party online games on the system and well worth it for the retail price of just $15.
What we said in our review
At 1000 Nintendo Points Onslaught offers the best online multiplayer experience on the service to date. On a console that struggles to produce quality FPS and online games Hudson deserve credit for what they have been able to create with limited file size. Onslaught is well worth a look for any FPS fan.
Art Style: Orbient
Price: 600 Points
Any of the three Art Style games currently available on the Australia Wii Shop Channel are worth a look. Jeann (one of our WiiWare reviewers) was the lucky one who reviewed each of them for MyWii, and while ORBIENT is my favourite of the bunch ROTOHEX and CUBELLO are just as good. Orbient has you controlling a star in space, with the aim of absorbing other stars of a similar size while avoiding other objects and black holes. It’s simple, but like many successful WiiWare games extremely addictive.
What we said in our review
While Orbient sounds quirky and complex, the game successfully balances simplicity of controls with plenty of challenge to keep you playing for hours. As with all the Art Style games, Orbient focuses on quality gameplay which successfully contributes to an innovative and fun experience.
Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Series
Price: 1000 Points per episode
Once you download one you just can’t stop, and before you know it you’ll be the proud owner of all 5 episodes of SBCG4AP. The Strong Bad games are a series of point and click titles based on the popular Homestar Runner web cartoons.
SBCG4AP #1 - Homestar Ruiner What we said in our review
Awesome humor? Check. Awesome puzzles? Check. Quite possibly the best game on WiiWare so far? Check! SBCG4AP delivers with huge budget production values at a fraction of the cost. Sure the graphics may not feature lens flares and shiny shaders everywhere, but it's not that kind of game. Strongbad works because Telltale have clearly had a very exact idea of the look and sound of the game, and followed it through. The humor is universal, the puzzle logic is understandable, and the whole game strikes the perfect balance between directing your attention on puzzles without just walling you in frustrating situations.
SBCG4AP #2 - Strong Badia the Free What we said in our review
Like other Strong Bad games, you are free to explore the environment and pick up useful items after the brief plot introduction. Compared to the first Strong Bad game, Episode 2 is more straightforward and offers new achievements, collectibles, costumes, and dialogues. The environment is a joy to explore as you anticipate the next witty comment, and the arcade classic “Math Kickers featuring AlgeBros” can be played. Strong Badia the Free offers a quality experience that is well thought out and a strong continuation to the series.
SBCG4AP #3 – Baddest of the Bands What we said in our review
Episode 3 starts off with Strong Bad, our badass character with something witty to say about everything, playing a shoot-em-up video game. All of a sudden, his fun machine blows up! It’s up to Strong Bad to get it fixed, and he takes it to handyman Bubs who requests a sack of cash in return for repairing it. Strong Bad quickly devises a plan to get this cash – to organise a Battle Royale of Bands and rake in the profits.
SBCG4AP #4 – Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective Review
What we said in our review
Unlike other Strong Bad games, Episode 4 is fairly linear, with more straightforward puzzles. The overarching storyline revealed at the start with a CGI opening movie. This makes the game markedly more enjoyable, as you don’t waste time trying to solve obscure puzzles. Easily the best in the series to date, Strong Bad Episode 4 is dangerously addictive.
SBCG4AP #5 – 8-Bit is Enough What we said in our review
The last Strong Bad gives us plenty more jokes to laugh at, leaving a fond and fuzzy lasting impression. High replayability, plenty of collectibles, and well-thought out dialogue makes this and every Strong Bad game a must-have for cool and attractive gamers.
Defend Your Castle
Price: 500 Points
The idea behind Defend Your Castle couldn’t be simpler. Villages come running at your castle filled with murderous rage attempting to destroy it, and using the Wii Remote you must do whatever it takes to stop them. ‘What ever it takes’ basically means toss them sky high and watch come crashing back down to Earth. While it sounds shallow, there’s more to it than meets the eye. The difficulty rises as the levels progress to include attacks from both the left and right of your castle, and a range of different enemies.
What we said in our review
While it doesn’t offer much in terms of relay value, for 500 Wii Points it’s on the lower end of the price spectrum, and is a great little title when you’ve got a few minutes to kill. Defend Your Castle is what WiiWare is all about, a small developer bringing something unique to Wii owners. The only gripe is you can get a similar experience online for free, although $7.50 is hardly too much to ask.
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Price: 800 Points
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years is the sequel to the popular Final Fantasy IV. It features many of the same gameplay traits as the prequel, such as randomised encounters, and retains the graphical enhancements from the GBA remake of Final Fantasy IV. The After Years has been released on WiiWare in an episodic format. The main game will set you back 800 Nintendo Points, and an additional 8 episodes will cost 300 Points each. In total there will be 13 chapters, with the main game featuring the first three. The remaining chapters will be released episodically throughout 2009.
What we said in our review
After the first hour of playthrough, the conclusion is that the sequel retains as much as possible from the original FFIV, including music, combat, characters, 16-bit graphics, and even monsters. A few pleasing new features have been added, such as a “moon-phase” which weakens or strengthens attack and magic. For 800 points, FFIV: The After Years is available, however up to 8 additional side stories can be purchased for an extra 300 points each. These side stories flesh out characters in the main game, with the first available being Rydia’s Story. This game brings back the nostalgic feel of older Final Fantasy games, and will definitely be pleasing to fans of the series.
Toki Tori
Price: 900 Points
Toki Tori was originally released on the Gameboy Color back in 2001, but like many quality games towards the end of a console's life it never got the attention it deserved. Jump forward 7 years (no I haven't lost track of time, it was just released last year) and Toki Tori is back, with enhanced graphics and gameplay on WiiWare. The game puts you in charge of Toki Tori, a cute little yellow bird creature is out on a mission to bail out his brothers trapped in eggs. Unfortunately Toki Tori isn't the most mobile bird, and is a fat little thing confined to the ground, only being able to climb ladders and small steps. Each stage is a layout of platforms that Toki Tori must navigate to collect his buddies but it's not a straight platformmer experience. To traverse the environment you'll need to get savy with bridge building, teleporting, freezing enemies and a few other neat skills.
What we said in our review
Toki Tori is as solid as it was back in the Gameboy days as it is now. The level design has only been slightly tweeked, but that doesn't matter as chances are this is going to be a first time play. The game makes its rules and stick by them, allowing every puzzle to be solved without having to bang your head on the wall, and the difficulty curves wonderfully. While there's no real 3D in the game, all the rendering work is really eye popping and backed up with catchy sound. Lack of time trial, scoring, and the use of only one save file is a pain but at the end of the day don't destroy the experience. Best of all, it's cheap as!
Megaman 9
Price: 1000 Points
Mega Man 9 is the first numbered instalment in the popular series since 1997’s Mega Man 8. Capcom have released a new retro game if you will, and have specifically targeted old school gamers with the release of Mega Man 9 on WiiWare, PSN and XBLA. Mega Man 9 is a classic platformer, featuring 8 stages that will have you pulling your hair out and raging at the extreme difficulty. “They just don’t make ‘em like they used to” but with Mega Man 9 they do!
What we said in our review
Despite its insane difficulty and stone-age look, Megaman 9 is well-crafted and brings us back to the era of difficult and satisfying NES games. If you crave a true challenge and are familiar with retro games, Megaman 9 fits the bill perfectly. However, stay away if you haven’t heard of Megaman and played your first game on the Wii.
Bit.Trip Beat
Price: 600 Points
Bit.Trip Beat revitalises the classic gameplay of Pong while keeping all the charm from 80’s arcade game. The gameplay is simple; holding the Wii Remote on its side you must move the paddle by tilting the controller up and down. “Beats” will fly across the screen and must be knocked back pong style. Rather than simply returning the one ball Bit.Trip Beat has you retuning a barrage of beats to earn big points. This becomes increasingly difficult as you progress as the music changes and new types of beats that move and affect the stage differently are introduced.
What we said in our review
Bit.Trip Beat takes pong and introduces more a musical element and yet manages to retain the feel of an 80’s arcade game. More importantly it still has the pick up & play element to it that thrusts you straight into the thick of the action. With only three levels you’ll be left wanting more but it’s hard not to recommend when it’s only 600 Nintendo Points.
Bomberman Blast
Price: 1000 Points
The interesting thing about Bomberman Blast is that it was released as both a Wii retail game and on WiiWare. The WiiWare version only contains the traditional Bomberman battle mode, but that’s really all you need. The core gameplay is the same as past games in the series, as you use bombs to blow up opponents and obstructions in a maze-like arena. During the course of the battle you can collect a range of items to become the ultimate bomberman!
What we said in our review
Bomberman Blast is another title that’s similar to the rest of the series, with a fun and engaging multiplayer mode. The lack of story mode does dull single player games, but 1000 points is still good value for fans.
Do you agree with our list of 10 WiiWare games released in Australia that are worth you hard earned cash? I have no doubt that there are easily another 10 well worth checking out, and then some hidden gems that may have unfortunately gone under the radar. If you’re looking for something different, but don’t want to spend too much have a look at the WiiWare selection. You should find something that tickles your fancy.
Compiled by Ben Salter - (Message)
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