Gamertell

Thanksgiving (and Black Friday!) and the December holidays are nearly upon us. You know what that means - it’s the time when gamers’ thoughts turn to their holiday wish lists, eager to play the very best and brightest that the previous year has brought. If you’re a Wii owner, or you’ll be shopping for one - check out this list for the goods.

For Everyone Who Likes Fun

New Super Mario Bros. Wii - This recent release has been reviewing through the roof (see our own take here at Gamertell) - and for good reason. It brings everything that was awesome about the old-school Mario games (excellent, challenging 2D levels, wacky characters and a boatload of charm) and mixed in some excellent 4-player action. Not to be missed.

Boom Blox Bash Party - The sequel to last year’s best party game, Bash Party trimmed everything superfluous from Spielberg’s ingenious physics-based puzzler and added a ton of new modes, new “toys” and new game types to the mix. This is the most fun I’ve ever had in mixed (gamer and non-gamer) company since Mario Kart back in the day.

For Gamers Who Like to Get Their Groove On

The Beatles: Rock Band - If you have any love for the Beatles, you should definitely pick up this bad boy, which allows you to sing, play drums, or play guitar (all on an assortment of lovely plastic instruments) right along with John, Paul, George and Ringo.

DJ Hero - For music fans who like more than rock, DJ Hero is an awesome, unconventional take on the Guitar Hero formula. Complete with a “turntable” controller and 80 mash-up-able tracks.

For the Action-Adventure Set

Metroid Prime: Trilogy - A set of three truly excellent games, enhanced with Wii controls, in one definitive package, Trilogy is the best deal in gaming (pound for pound) since The Orange Box in 2007.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade - A gorgeous 2D action title with some light RPG elements, this is one of the most visually stunning games on the platform.

A Boy and His Blob - A successful “re-imagining” of the classic NES title, this platform/puzzler has amazing graphics and animation, satisfying old-school gameplay, and a metric ton of charm.

Pikmin - It’s not exactly action/adventure, its more RTS/Puzzle, but don’t even think about letting that stop you. Pikmin is a wildly entertaining, challenging game, made all the better by the Wii-fied new controls.

Klonoa - Another jaw-droppingly gorgeous 2D platformer, Klonoa is a beautifully re-done PS1 title with inventive levels and incredible character design.

For Athletes and Speed Demons:

EA Sports: Active - Forget about Wii Fit - if you’re serious about getting in shape with your Wii, try the “30-day Challenge” in EA Sports Active. It’ll blow your mind - and your quads.

Need For Speed: Nitro - It may not be quite as pretty as Need For Speed: Shift, but this racer is solid as they come - and about as “sim-y” as you’ll find on Nintendo’s system.

Excitebots: Trick Racing - Forget racing sims, this speedy little package is all about pulling off wacky tricks and completing in-race minigames. It’s ridiculously fun, and one of the smoothest online experiences on the Wii.

For The “Mature” Gamer

House of the Dead: Overkill - This is the funniest, goriest, most R-rated experience you can have on Wii. If you like zombie-blasting, you absolutely cannot go wrong here.

MadWorld - Does the idea of a violent comic book world come to life sound good to you? If so, you’ll enjoy the hell out of punishing baddies in Madworld‘s bloody fantasy playground.

Happy holidays everyone! And happy hunting - be sure to keep checking back with us for sales and deals throughout the holiday shopping season.

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