5 Licensed Wii Games You Missed Out On

Everyone and their mother and their mother’s mother loved the Wii. It was the best-selling console of its generation and easily has the biggest install base of any modern console (which is why it’s still getting annual releases like Just Dance 2019). Back in its heyday then, it made sense that every business in the world had their eyes on the Wii. It guaranteed sales for even the trashiest of movie tie-ins and led to gamers disregarding any release associated with a non-gaming license, completely losing the trust of consumers.

Scattered amidst all the trash though, some developers put real love and care into their tie-in games. But thanks to garbage like Doctor Who: Return to Earth and M&M’s Kart Racing, these gems went mostly ignored by the gaming community. Now, to hopefully make their efforts worth it, these are 5 of the best Wii licensed games that flew under your radar.

 

1. Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings

LucasArts used to mean something. Back in the 80s and 90s, they helped define the point and click adventure game with releases like Sam & Max: Hit the Road, Manic Mansion, and the pivotal Monkey Island series. They expanded the Star Wars Universe with thrilling action games like Dark Forces and Shadows of the Empire, and even developed WWII flight sims for home computers. As the 21st Century started however, their original productions went overlooked in favor of Star Wars games and media, leading to some of their most unique games being ignored by consumers. Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings was one such game.

Released in 2009 and skipping the other 7th Generation consoles, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings presented a whole new globetrotting story for everyone’s favorite archaeologist. It took advantage of the Wii’s unique features, such as cursor aiming and motion controls, offered varied locales and scenarios, and delivered an engaging cinematic experience on Nintendo’s 480p Console. The game isn’t perfect by any means, especially if you hate motion controls, but it’s worth the playthrough just to take one last quality ride with Indy. LucasArts even included the 1992 classic Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis as an unlockable. Staff of Kings was a worthwhile experience on the Wii, and doesn’t deserve the mixed reception it still bears to this day.

 

2. Ghostbusters: The Video Game

This game came out of left field for a lot of gamers. On PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Ghostbusters was a hyper-realistic fully voiced story-driven sequel to Ghostbusters 2. It had the original actors reprising their roles, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis writing the plot, and the classic movie soundtrack we all know and love, leading to many touting the entire game as “Ghostbusters 3.” So what did the Wii version do to detract people from singing its praises too? Absolutely nothing.

This is the same beloved game released on the more powerful consoles, only now everything is stylized. The level design is simplified for the sake of control while retaining its full destructibility, and the actors are portrayed as caricatures of themselves, using the same voice acting from the HD versions of the game, but tied to more bombastic and cartoony animations. This is a genius move by the developers, as it not only appeals to the childish market the Wii is assumed to have, but it leads to less strain on the hardware itself while creating a uniquely styled game with few technical letdowns. It’s one of the console’s better looking games as a result. Don’t sleep on Ghostbusters on the Wii, because I promise it’ll make you feel good.

 

3. Captain America: Super Soldier

I’ve never understood the hate behind clone games. “Oh, this game is a rip-off of Resident Evil.” “Oh, this game is a rip-off of Dark Souls.” If you liked the initial games, what would be the problem with a well-made clone of them? You get more of the gameplay you enjoy with fresh new visuals, and hopefully enough unique changes to make it interesting. The only time I could see hating a clone game is when the game isn’t cloned well, but when it comes to Captain America: Super Soldier on the Wii, that’s far from the case.

Once again, this was another cross-platform game on PS3/360/Wii, and Cap clones the Batman Arkham series hard. He jumps between enemies, uses effective counter attacks and throws his shield totally not unlike a Batarang. The only issue? The PS3/360 version is just as boring as the movie it’s based on. The graphics are dark and gritty, the story is non-existent and aside from the replicated combat, everything else about the game has a level of jank that just can’t be shaken. So how does the Wii fix all this? By scrapping everything but the combat.

Despite having the same box art as its HD counterparts, the Wii version of Captain America: Super Soldier is a different beast entirely. It has a unique, colorful artstyle, more focused level design, better enemy variety and even more special features such as classic Cap costumes. The only thing carried over is the spot-on Arkham combat, which the developers translated very well to the Wiimote and Nunchuck and even added more absurd comic-book style action, leading to one of the Wii’s most polished non-Nintendo games.

 

4. Batman: The Brave and the Bold

This is where we get into the good stuff. I’m gonna be honest, I’ve never seen Batman: The Brave and the Bold. I know of it, I like its aesthetic, and I’ll forever damn myself for missing it in its prime. Luckily for me, this is possibly the most forgiving tie-in game ever made when it comes to plot. As soon as you start the game, it jumps right into high quality cutscenes that look as though they were pulled right from the show, setting up the first “Episode” of many. From then on, you’re playing one of the most beautiful 2D Beat ‘Em Up Sidescrollers I’ve ever seen.

Everything looks cohesive, the voice acting is fun and witty, punches land with matching “WHAPS”, and the way the game is broken down into TV-Length episodes ensures everything is constantly engaging. Characters are introduced in an endless stream of cameos, then just as quickly waved off as the next act starts, and locations range from underground lairs to dark brooding rooftops at the drop of a hat. I shouldn’t need to say anything else. Get yourself a Robin and dedicate a good Saturday to experiencing Batman: The Brave and the Bold on Wii. It’s worth it.

 

5. GoldenEye 007

Now I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right. The Classic Nintendo 64 FPS by Rare never got a Wii port, so what could this possibly be? This, my ever so patient readers, is neither a remake nor a port. It is an entirely new game recreating the original film starring current Bond star, Daniel Craig. I mean, if you’re gonna make a new game based on the classic movie, making a version for the Wii only makes sense since GoldenEye as a film owes most if not all its notoriety to Nintendo. And oh boy, it’s a damn good game.

Yeah, there are criticisms to be had, such as the generic Quantum of Solace styled HUD/Menus, some visual limitations of the Wii, and of course the whole underhanded tactic of trying to sell this to fans of the original game, but those pale in comparison to the actual quality put on display here. Action set-pieces are high-octane and still stunning on the Wii, stealth is handled really well and features entire levels of quality sneakin’, and the story still has the same impact it did 23 years ago with a fresh new feel to it all.

As a huge fan of the original movie, and the James Bond film series in general, the most fun you can have with this game is just seeing how they reinvent some of the most iconic moments in the film. Entire locations and conversations are modeled around bringing GoldenEye into the 21st Century, while Daniel “Browline” Craig provides the only passable voice acting work he’s ever done. I wouldn’t call Daniel Craig my favorite bond, but I’d be lying if I said the devs didn’t pin down his “style” of Bond to a T.

This game has garnered a lot of unearned hate, usually from those who played the awful awful PS3/360 remastering, and as a result GoldenEye 007 on the Wii was left forgotten by those it tried so hard to win the favor of. The multiplayer is as fun and hectic as the N64 game, there are tons of control options ranging from the Wii Zapper to even the Gamecube controller, and the campaign even surpasses most modern shooters of the time. The fact that it’s so easily brushed off by many as “not the good GoldenEye” is a damn shame. Get this game, play it on the Wii as God intended, and call me in the morning.

MORE GAMING:
– The Quiet Man (PS4) REVIEW – Quiet On The Set
– Retro Reflections: Sabrina the Teenage Witch: A Twitch in Time
– 35 Biggest New Games of 2019 & Beyond