Wii: 5 must-have launch games

October 8th, 2006, 10:26 Posted By: wraggster

The five Wii launch games that everyone needs to own. Start saving those pennies...

With the launch of the Wii just two months away, hype for the innovative new console is reaching critical levels. Every gamer in their right mind should be putting down some serious cash, ready for the launch - unless, like us, you plan on blowing your November wage on it, then doing without food for a month. Who needs food when there are so many games to buy? But if you can't afford them all, here are the five that you simply must buy...

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
This one's a no-brainer. When a new Zelda game comes out, you buy it, no questions asked. But Twilight Princess is extra special; not only will it be the first Zelda game to launch alongside a Nintendo console, but Shigeru Miyamoto has promised this will be the best Zelda game ever - and we believe him.

We drool over every new screenshot that Nintendo releases. Seeing Link battling against giant armoured guards, with sparks lighting up the detailed textures on both combatants and bright metal shards flying everywhere is a sight to behold. It's the game that puts end to concerns about Wii's graphical capabilities. And we know that everything we've see so far only scratches the surface of what that game has in store. December 8 can't come soon enough.

Red Steel
Ubisoft is backing the Wii in a big way, with seven games confirmed for launch from the publishing giant. And Red Steel looks like the coolest one of them all. Aside from the fact that we love anything that's even slightly Japanese, the game's Tokyo setting and Yakuza theme makes for one massively intriguing plot.

Ubisoft is really trying to make something special out of the functions that the Wii Remote provides. The motion-operated gun controls will set the standard for all future FPS games on Wii. And although the sword-fighting mechanics were met with mixed reactions at E3 06, they have come a long way since then, and have improved massively. Check back next week when CVG will tell you exactly how well this game plays after an extensive hand-on.

Call of Duty 3
The Call of Duty franchise has undoubtedly dominated the WWII FPS genre since its first release on PC in 2003. Three years later, and after the stunning sequel that rocked Xbox 360 and PC, the third game in the series is launching an offensive on Wii.

So, the Wii version won't look as good as the Xbox 360 or PS3 versions. But we do know that Activision is cooking up some awesome control mechanics for the Wii, including thrusting your hand forwards for a melee attack, and motion-detected weapon changing. We're hoping it'll get some awesome motion-activated grenade-throwing action in there. Imagine how cool that would be.


Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Monkey Ball on Wii looks genius. From the moment we first saw the Wii Remote and learned of its tilt-sensing capabilities, Monkey Ball was the game we dreamed of.

Sega has made our dream a reality. You tilt the remote to tilt the level - it was the obvious application. But it works so well. We predict it'll take some getting used to, and our super-fly Monkey Ball skills might go a bit drunk when we first pick up Banana Blitz, but we will stick with it, conquer it, and show the world what it means to be a Monkey in a ball.

Of course, then there are the minigames, of which Sega is cooking up a whopping 50 in total. That's awesome, by the way. But as long as Monkey Target's in there and as good as it was in the past two games (Monkey Ball Adventure doesn't count), that's all that matters.

Wario Ware: Smooth Moves
Okay, so this one might not be available on day one, but it's expected to hit shops soon after December 8. And when it does our Wii Remotes are going to take a battering.

Wario Ware: Smooth Moves can't fail to make for hilarious party sessions. We played it earlier last week (read the full hands-on report right here) and we had a blast of a time - and the demo was only for a single player. But the real fun will start when the final game lands with all of its crazy minigames, and full four-player compatibility.

Do you remember those over-excited Japanese girls in the original Wii controller trailer that jumped around ridiculously while playing Wario Ware? That'll be us. Loving it.

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