The Nintendo Wii, the strongest selling console of this generation. I’ll be honest; I have always been a huge fan of Nintendo. Their first party titles have always to me, stood as benchmarks in gaming progress. They defined home console gaming with ‘Super Mario Bros’ for the NES, took the gaming population into incredible 3D with Super Mario 64 and……then what happened?? I loved the GameCube but a lot of people didn’t get into it, so when Nintendo announced their “Revolution” project I was so excited, I thought “Yeah, they’re going to change the game”…. What we got was the Wii, a standard definition console with a weak online service. Now the console is bombarded with awful third party offerings such as ‘Family Fortunes’ (I actually shudder at the thought) and to top it off, the Wii owners don’t get the great third party games that 360 and PS3 owners get such as Modern Warfare and Grand Theft Auto. So how can it be, that despite all this, the 5 games in this list represent to me the best games of this generation?? Because Nintendo did have a vision which they adhered to and if third parties would just follow suit and play to the Wii’s strengths they could do something truly special, to embrace great gameplay design over simply making the shiniest game possible. So if you are a Wii owner, which games do you need??

5: Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

Released: 2007
Price: 30 – 40 euro

The only third party offering on this list and a terrific action/adventure game. This game originated on the GC in 2004 and found its way to the Wii in 2007. Resident Evil 4 is a 3rd person action game that puts players in the role of Leon S. Kennedy as he battles a cult to rescue a kidnap victim.
The game drips with incredible atmosphere and excellent action set pieces. The Wii edition sports some wonderful pointer controls and some nice visual touch-ups that make this the definitive version of one of the greatest games of all time.

4: Mario Kart Wii

Released: 2008
Price: 40 – 50 euro

Nintendo’s classic racing series has enjoyed a very successful string of titles across all platforms since the NES. The Wii iteration of the series represents the very best effort to date on any console.
Players are treated to 8 different cups, each sporting 4 courses of predictably great design. But the most enjoyable element of the series has always been the very tight and accessible gameplay coupled with the charm and frantic pace of the characters and races and this game brings all those things with impeccable finesse. You will speed around tracks hurling shells at your rivals and using a whole manner of crazy items to propel yourself ahead of the competition.
The game also features a robust online mode that still stands as the Wii’s best online offering to date.

3: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Released: 2006
Price: 50 euro

The Zelda series will be familiar to anyone who has ever truly enjoyed games. They have long stood as the highest quality titles of any generation and many critics consider both ‘A Link to the Past’ for the SNES and ‘Ocarina of Time’ to be the greatest titles in gaming history. So naturally this name carries a lot of expectations for new additions in the series.
‘Twilight Princess’ puts players in the role of Link, a boy from a small village on the outskirts of a huge world. Things start of nice and quiet as always….but after an incident in their village, Link is forced to take action and venture out into the world to solve some problems. It’s a tried and tested formula but it is still a wonderful experience to watch this boy go from a small life to saving the world and no game has ever done it this well.
The gameplay mechanics are super tight. Link is very proficient in the use of swords, bow & arrow and is also great on horseback. There are a number of very inventive items which you will experience in the game that I won’t spoil. Link also acquires the ability to morph into a wolf (which I’m sure Twilight fans would love☺) and I found the wolf play mechanic a lot of fun.
Overall, an absolute must own game, masterful.

2: Metroid Prime Trilogy

Released: 2009
Price: 40 euro

Three of the best first person action games ever on one disc?? Yeah, there is no way I couldn’t include this in the list.
The Metroid Prime series follows Samus Aran across the galaxy in her epic confrontations with space pirates.
The gameplay is very tight, the atmosphere is outstanding and the games are executed without a technical hitch. Retro Studios have created something really special here; you owe it to yourself to try it.
For more info, read my detailed review right here on Venntertainment.

1: Super Mario Galaxy

Released: 2007
Price: 40 – 50 euro

Super Mario Galaxy is a 3D platforming adventure starring everybody’s favourite Nintendo mascot.
In this title Mario is put in outer space and is collecting stars from various planets to power a downed ship.
The Galaxy setting allows for some very inventive platforming sequences utilizing gravity. The gameplay is magnificently tight. Players move Mario with the analog stick, shake the Wii remote to make him spin or use items and use the pointer to collect star shards.
I chose this game as number one because it perfectly embodies everything that a great game should have. The level design is spellbinding, the gameplay is fun and intuitive and the game has an undeniable charm that is so hard to surpass in any entertainment medium.
Simply a wonderful achievement; I almost get emotional thinking about it.

So thee you go folks, my picks for the Top 5 Wii titles.

Please let us know what you think.
Many thanks for reading.

Stay tuned for the PS3 and Multi-Platform list.

Paul Hickey will be writing a series of short features discussing the Top 5 games for each current generation console. He won’t be including multi-platform titles as they will be getting their own segment later on. Enjoy!

The Xbox 360 was first out of the gate in this generation and in its 4 years on the shelf and so far it has amassed the largest hardcore gaming audience out of the three consoles. Why? Well aside from having a fantastic online service, it sports a wide range of excellent exclusive software and from the development angle, is much easier to work with than the PS3. So if you have a 360 or are thinking of buying one, which games should be first on your list??

5: Far Cry Instincts Predator

Released : 2006
Price: Bargain Bin (30 Euro or less):

Probably not the first choice you expected. This Ubisoft title includes two full games, Far Cry Instincts and its sequel Far Cry Instincts: Evolution. These are both ports of games for the original Xbox, upscaled to run at 720p with some touch ups to cater for high definition output.
The games tell the story of Jack Carver, a smuggler who winds up in a battle with a group of terrorists on a tropical island. In the first game, Jack acquires “feral” abilities, which give him superhuman strength and agility. These superpowers are what make the game so fun and the development of these abilities throughout the single player story make for the best moments of the game.
Not the most technically spectacular games by today’s standards or the most original plot but I found them to have excellent well paced action throughout and some of the more unique gameplay elements in any first person shooter I’ve seen.
The online will unfortunately be redundant at this stage due to lack of players but the story modes make it worth the cheap purchase.

4: Forza Motorsport 2

Released: 2007
Price: 30 Euro

The Forza series has always held up excellent standards in the racing genre. They originated on the Xbox in 2005 and Forza Motorsport 2 represented their first appearance on the Xbox 360.
I am not huge fan of racing games whatsoever. I usually find driving simulators like Gran Turismo go way over my head and I would generally veer more towards arcade style racers like Mario Kart. So it came as a huge surprise to me that I could become so enthralled in a traditional racer like Forza. The game succeeds admirably in delivering a very deep racing experience whilst not making it too overwhelming for the player.
The game runs spectacularly at 60fps without a hitch and holds together even during the more frantic races. The amount of cars and possibility for customization with your vehicles alone will keep you occupied for hours.
In short, you don’t have to be a fan of racing games to enjoy this.

3: Orange Box

Released: 2007
Price: 30 – 50 euro

I know this is a multi-platform title….but Valves Orange Box collection was built for 360 and is far superior to its PS3 counterpart so I decided to include it on this list.
The half-life series will be familiar to most gamers. They are some of the most revered shooter games of all time and have become huge fan favourites.
This Orange Box collection features Half life 2, Half Life 2: Episode One, Half Life 2: Episode Two(all first person shooters) as well as Team Fortress (an online shooter) and Portal (a puzzle game).
The sheer amount of content on this disc is immense. The three half life episodes feature stellar single player campaigns with phenomenal production values. The pace slips a bit during the first two episodes with some drawn out vehicle segments but that is all the bad I have to say about it.
You will clock in 30 hours of play to finish the three story modes and team fortress is a blast online. Portal, although incredibly short, will keep you hooked even just to attain its very creative achievements.
A phenomenal package.

2: Gears of War

Released: 2006
Price: 30 Euro

This game is so bad-ass….Gears of War is a third person action game that puts the player in the role of Marcus Fenix and pits them against the vicious locust horde.
Lead designer of this game Cliff Blezinski aka “Cliffy B” says he was inspired to make this title after participating in a round of paintball.
The backdrop for the story is quite dark. You are a member of a military unit called the “COGS” and you are tasked with defending your planet from an evil race known as the locusts.
The game employs the over the shoulder camera used in Resident Evil 4 and focuses on the cover element of gunplay. You will spend the majority of the game looking for cover and good vantage points while eliminating enemies in tremendously gory style. It sports wonderful voice acting to support an unfortunately very weak story but thankfully this plot takes a back seat to the tremendously fun and tight gameplay and stunning grpahics.
Just try the Chainsaw Bayonet, and you will understand this games place on the list.

1: Halo 3

Released: 2007
Price: 30 Euro

Arguably the most famous game series on the planet. Halo has established itself as one of the strongest franchises in videogame history.
As a shooter it has introduced regenerating health systems, a unique engine and without a shadow of a doubt the strongest online shooter experience currently available.
Halo puts the player in the center of an intergalactic war and will bring you across many diverse locations in your battle. The Halo mythology has reached cult level status, countless graphic novels and online viral videos as well as a full fledged Peter Jackson produced movie are among some of the spin-offs of this series. Personally, the story feels kind of boring to me but the single player campaign is still very exciting and well paced to play through, even if you don’t dig the fiction.
But where the game really shines is online. The game is PACKED with features. Very creative maps and wonderful gameplay mechanics complement the tight controls and feel of the game. Players can compete in huge scale matches, utilizing vehicles such as tanks and planes with the possibility of capturing screen shots and making movies of all their action and posting it on bungie.net for the entire world to see.
I normally can’t get into online shooters too easily. The competitiveness and frantic pace can oftentimes frustrate me more than entertain me….but there is something special about this one. It feels right, very accessible yet deceptively deep.
The must own system of the Xbox 360. Worth buying the system if only to play this game.

So there you have it. Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading. Keeps an eye out for the next features coming your way soon!!

Do you agree/disagree with the choices? Please let us know.