10 Wii Era Games That Could Thrive On Switch 2

The Wii era was a good one for Nintendo, which rewarded its ingenuity with massive sales and a broadening fan base. Despite that, however, it was a time when some games just didn’t get the spotlight they deserved.

After all, this was before Nintendo opened the floodgates to third-party properties, so almost everything on the Wii was either a first-party or second-party adventure. And many of those, in turn, were silly sports, party, or experimental titles.

But if you looked hard enough for the quirky and niche stuff, you could get rewarded with some truly great offerings. There’s a bunch that have yet to see daylight on the original Switch.

So now, we’ll cover several of them that could be amazing on the new Switch 2!

10

Spectrobes: Origins

Fossilized Monster Catcher

There was a period when I was pretty tired of the Pokémon series. I just wanted something fresh and new to fill the vacuum, and I got it when Jupiter and Disney Interactive Studios released the first Spectrobes games on the DS.

The game featured digging up fossils (done with the stylus) to bring monsters to your team, and then you could send them off to battle, even joining yourself.

Though simple, they had fun characters and a pretty respectable plot. So when they brought the series to the Wii with much improved graphics, it should have been a slam dunk.

But unfortunately, the shift from stylus controls as well as the move to a bigger console seemed to alienate some fans, as did the game being developed by Genki instead of Jupiter.

All that said, Spectrobes: Origins is still a fun monster catcher that I’d wager most gamers haven’t even heard of, let alone played. It would benefit from an HD facelift on a new console, along with some modern controls.

9

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn

Dawn of a Hardcore Era

After Fire Emblem first got brought stateside on the GBA, they decided to go big on consoles. One of those adventures was called Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.

While the game features a gorgeous art style and a compelling story about rebels, both human and Laguz, it’s also incredibly difficult. So much so that even longtime fans of Fire Emblem might chafe.

But that’s not a deterrent, but a reason I think Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn should be brought to a new console. They can keep the graphics, maybe add a little polish, and add more difficulties to balance things out.

Not to mention some features popularized in recent entries, like turning back the clock during battle. After all, they managed to do an amazing job with Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, so I see no reason they couldn’t do something similar here.

8

The House of the Dead: Overkill

Zombie Grindhouse

As a gamer of a certain age, I still fondly remember going to the arcade and playing The House of the Dead games. So when they brought The House of the Dead: Overkill to the Wii, I was overjoyed.

The game is an over-the-top, bloody parody of the genre, but delivered in such a way that it feels like a love letter to arcade shooters.

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While I acknowledge that the game would have to be tweaked to play without Wiimote controls, I don’t see that as a problem. There’s a surprisingly robust game here, with decent replay value and great multiplayer.

Why keep it lost in the Wii era when it can shine on modern consoles?

7

Metroid: Other M

Team Ninja in Space

Metroid: Other M got a lot of crap from fans after it released, and I won’t say none of it is justified. Team Ninja’s actual storytelling and characterization of Samus were more than a bit out of place.

But you know what was still incredibly fun in Metroid: Other M? The actual gameplay.

While Metroid Prime translated Samus’ adventures into a first-person context, this game brought it into a sort of on-rails, almost 3D adventure that looked stunning and featured frenetic action.

There’s good exploration, terrifying boss battles, and great combat. So even if Other M isn’t the purest example of the series, it’s still a worthwhile exclusive.

6

MadWorld

Black, White, and Red All Over

Let me just establish from the get-go that MadWorld is out of its mind.

It’s like the love child of Travis Touchdown and Sin City. It’s bloody, hilarious, and satisfying. And as such, it deserves to be on more than just the Wii.

As a lifelong Nintendo fan, I was used to games being tame and kid-friendly. So when I started to see them take risks on mature games, I had to dive in headfirst.

The only real complaint I have about MadWorld is that it’s too short.

But who knows? Maybe they could give it the old HD remake status, add some DLC, and give Jack even more fun time in the bloody chaos that is Death Watch.

5

Rayman Origins

The Origin of the Species

Before picking up Rayman Origins, the extent of my connection with the series was having played one demo at a local event. So I didn’t know if I liked the series or not. But that all changed after this adventure came to the Wii.

Not only is Rayman Origins dripping with style, but it’s fast-paced and is all about precise platforming, which I rather enjoy.

It also featured a colorful plot and several creative worlds to explore, not to mention a ton of replay value in collectibles.

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The only complaint I have about Rayman Origins is that I found the game that followed it, Rayman Legends, to be an utter disappointment.

But if you’re a fan of platforming, either solo or with friends, you’d love playing Origins on a modern console.

4

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Link’s Goth Adventure

I know I’m being a little greedy here. After all, Twilight Princess HD came out almost a decade ago.

But since Nintendo is bringing Wind Waker to Switch 2, I’d love to see Twilight Princess join the fray, whether the original or the remake.

It was just a refreshing change of pace, with the darker themes and moody visual style.

Not to mention Link’s ability to transform into a wolf, as well as his new buddy Midna.

Even if you’re not a diehard Legend of Zelda fan, I think you’d find something to love in this off-beat story arc.

3

Pandora’s Tower

The Power of Love

You might have heard of the Operation Rainfall trilogy of games, which were brought stateside after a lengthy campaign.

The one everybody knows is Xenoblade Chronicles, which went on to become a huge success. But one of the others that deserves more time in the limelight is Pandora’s Tower.

The game features a truly heartfelt story about how far we’d go to save someone we love. Aeron is driven by the need to reverse a vicious curse on his beloved Elena before it’s too late.

Easier said than done, since he’ll have to traverse the deadly tower and harvest Master Flesh from the monsters within.

Though the combat would be a challenge to translate, since it features Wiimote controls as well as dual weapons, I think it’s a hurdle that could be surmounted.

A memorable adventure, but we still have two excellent Wii games left!

2

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

Frigid Terror

Let me just start by saying I’m one of those gamers who still get terrified by survival horror. Despite that, I’m drawn to the genre, which is how I found myself playing Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.

Silent Hill is known for being a frightening and mind-bending series. But in some ways, Shattered Memories took things farther than they’d been taken before.

For one thing, the monsters in this game learn from your behavior and act accordingly.

What makes it worse is that you can’t actually fight back and kill them, instead being forced to avoid them and find ways to deter them from chasing you.

Throw in a story about a father searching desperately for his daughter, and a world caught in an icy grip, and you have a winner. But we’ve saved the very best for last.

Epic Mash Up

The older I get, the less I get invested in fighting games. So it takes a really special one to not only grab me, but hold my attention for years. One of those games was Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars!

The game features a vast roster of heroes to play as, ranging from Viewtiful Joe, Zero, and Frank West to Ken the Eagle, Tekkaman Blade, and Yatterman-2. Truly eclectic and bizarre, but with a wonderful range.

What was neat is you could either bring two smaller characters into battle to tag team foes, or one giant character instead.

Perhaps best of all, though, is that the game featured a simplified but not dumbed-down control scheme of three main buttons, which made it far more accessible to gamers of all abilities.

I still don’t understand how Capcom hasn’t seen fit to bring Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars to a modern console. But hopefully, they make up for lost time on Switch 2.

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