I only had a Wii during the last generation, and I only got a PS3 last december. However, the Wii was my first console ever, and I have a ton of nostalgia for it. I don't really have any games that stand out to me as unknown but amazing, but there are a few titles that have gone fairly unnoticed which are actually rather good. These are just the ones I have:
3. Barnyard
Based on the Nickelodeon animated movie, Barnyard is one of the best licensed games I've played. Granted, I played it as a kid, so there's some nostalgia here. And it's most definitely for kids. I recently played it again, and there isn't much to find for adults. But as a kid, I absolutely loved it. The overworld is varied and fun to explore, the tasks and things to do are simple but fun, and the minigames, while not super deep, are fun for kids to play. Not to mention, the game has a lot of personality and style to it that perfectly reflect the movie and tv-series, and it also helps it stand out. I still chuckle a little whenever I tease the mailman. It's silly, but it's silly in a good way. Honestly, the licensing is really unfortunate, because I know it'll turn some people away from the game. I, as a gullible kid, bought it because of the licensing however, and I'm so glad that I did. It's definitely not a game to hunt down for yourself, but if you're looking for a game to introduce your kid into the world of open-world mission based gaming, with some amusing minigames and characters to boot, then this game is a certain recommendation. And don't worry, almost no prior knowledge of the license is required to enjoy the game. The only advantage you'll get is that you'll recognise the characters and locations. It's an advantage, but not a requirement.
2. Excite Truck
I don't know how popular this title was when it came out, but I never hear people talk about it, so I think it quickly fell into obscurity. That's a shame though, since it's one of the better racing games on the Wii. As a spin-off to the Excitebike series, this game was clearly meant as a way to show off the capabilities of the WiiMote. It, however, does it really well. The off-road racing feels just right; the turning can be somewhat slippery, but just enough so that it doesn't become frustrating and feels fitting with the style of the game. I also like the varied vehicles with clearly different stats, which really change the way you play and make for a good fit for any player. For example, I prefer cars with more control, while my brother is willing to sacrifice that for more pure speed. I know this seems like standard stuff, but this game pushes the boundaries of what you can do with these stats, and it does it really well. The stages are clever and somewhat varied too, and trying to score extra points by landing right and making awesome boost jumps is a fun extra challenge. I won't deny that the game gets repetitive after playing a little while, but if you have friends around, I highly recommend it.
1. Go Vacation
I believe this game was a moderate success, but again, I never hear people talk about it. And that's really too bad, because Go Vacation is a great game. Go Vacation can be classified in the same category as Barnyard; a family friendly introduction to open-world mission based gaming. However, Go Vacation sacrifices some of Barnyard's personality and variety for HUGE amounts of content. There are four resorts to explore, each with a distinct theme, vehicles, and minigames to find throughout it. The minigames aren't anything special, but they're fun time-wasters. What make this great to me, however, are the resorts. I spent hours just going around these resorts with my little brother, driving along the beach on ATV's, riding horses through the mountains, or skiïng down a mountain. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something about these overworlds that just makes them so fun to ride through. It's like the title screen to Scribblenauts; you can spend hours on it and not get bored. I'll admit, it does bore me now, partially because I've grown up, and partially because I now know these resorts like the back of my hand. However, it's still fun to play when someone who isn't as familiar with the game joins in. I highly recommend it, especially if you've got kids around to play it with.
Now, none of these are truly outstanding titles, and I don't think any of them would make a top 10 best Wii games (except maybe Go Vacation as number 10), but they're still really good Wii titles that too many people seem to have overlooked. If you ever see them going cheaply, don't hestitate to pick any of them up, they're really worth it.
