items tagged with Wii

Donkey Kong Country Returns

When I got Super Nintendo at the tender age of 11, I had to play Donkey Kong Country because it was the only game I had. It turned out to be a lot of fun, but so frustratingly hard that I grew to be a bit of a potty mouth. More than 14 years later, Donkey Kong Country Returns (released in November on Wii) brings back old memories of exciting platforming gameplay – and some stress-induced vulgarities.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

I’m not a fan of racing games, as they tend to be far too similar to each other. Only the Burnout series caught my attention, primally satisfying in its exhilarating action with a focus on wrecking other racers and events designed to cause as much destruction as possible. So when I saw that the developers of Burnout were making this year’s Need for Speed title with a cops-versus-racers theme, I salivated like Pavlov’s dog. While not as chaos-oriented as Burnout, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii) is still a wickedly fun experience.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn

I sold myself on Kirby’s Epic Yarn (released in October for Wii) almost immediately based just on the presentation. With almost every game I play trying to create realistic settings or characters, the pink puff ball’s adventure in yarn form gave me a childlike sense of awe at first sight. What followed is a game with minimal challenge, but it’s enjoyable nonetheless. It is undoubtedly a kiddie game, but you might find it surprising how delightful it can really be.

Metroid is one of the few Nintendo franchises focused on hardcore gamers. A story in space involving aliens known as Metroids that absorb energy from living beings, space pirates looking to weaponize the Metroids, and a single bounty hunter burdened with the task of eradicating both sides definitely strays from the company’s family-friendly norm.

The previous-generation Metroid Prime trilogy focused strictly on first-person shooting and was a different take on the franchise’s story. Metroid: Other M (on the Wii system) takes a gamble by returning to the original continuity and a third-person action style. It pays off big, though, with fantastic high-speed combat and a deeper perspective on the Metroid universe.

Appealing to both hardcore gamers (with the franchises they love) and casual gamers (with ease of use), Nintendo's Wii has been a powerhouse in the video-game market. This success has led Nintendo's main competitors, Microsoft with Xbox 360 and Sony with PlayStation 3, to develop their own motion-control schemes -- which will be hitting the market in the next few months.