A couple of weeks back, we took a look at some of the best GameCube to Switch ports and remakes. We also added a few more we would love to see, as a treat. Well, that was a lot of fun so I’ve decided to do the same idea but with games from the Nintendo Wii. Like before, we’ve got what we feel are the ten best games to fit the criteria, plus five more we are trying to will into existence. All are presented in no particular order, so don’t worry too much about that. Let’s get to the games!
Super Mario Galaxy ($Godspeed)
Let’s get it out of the way right away. Super Mario Galaxy, as part of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, brought one of the best Wii games to the Switch in excellent fashion. It’s an incredible game, and it’s amazing just how little of a facelift it takes to make it look like a modern game. The controls didn’t perfectly map as you might like, but they’re good enough to get the job done. Alas, Nintendo has delisted this in both digital and physical form, so you’ll have to get one of the ten million physical copies that are out there somewhere in the world if you want to play it.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD ($59.99)
Skyward Sword is an odd link in the Legend of Zelda chain. While we couldn’t see it at the time it first came out, it’s an important step towards what we got in Breath of the Wild. That doesn’t help wallpaper over its many flaws, but in knowing where things eventually went it’s at least easier to understand some of its quirks. This Switch version does its best to improve the game without making too many dramatic changes, and if nothing else being able to control the sword with the second stick instead of using motion controls helps. It’s as good a Skyward Sword as we’re going to get, and that’s not nothing.
Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe ($59.99)
A pretty extensive overhaul of a great Wii game that many slept on, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe adds some interesting new stuff to an already solid game to create an adventure no Kirby fan can resist. Kirby has had a handful of games on the Switch, and they’ve run the gamut from the tepid (Star Allies) to the terrific (Forgotten Land), but Return to Dreamland Deluxe ensures that we have at least one high-quality side-scroller featuring the pink puff to enjoy.
No More Heroes ($19.99)
See also: No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle. In the lead-up to the release of the over-the-top third installment in the No More Heroes series, both of the previous games got ported to the Switch. The games are both a lot of fun, but if you had to pick one I’d say the original is where it’s at. It introduces the ever-charming Travis Touchdown and what it lacks in polish it makes up for in sheer enthusiasm. Just a good silly time, and I’m happy it got a rerelease on the Switch.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition ($59.99)
Some of these games got more improvements than others in their journey to the Switch, but Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is probably the biggest glow-up of them all. A full-on remake of the first game in the series, done up to the standards of Xenoblade 2, this allows us to not only play the whole main trilogy on one platform, it actually strengthens the link between them in almost all respects. Arguably the best game of the three, and a fully uncompromised experience on the Switch.
Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! ($39.99)
Here’s another excellent conversion, and again it’s a game that I felt flew under the radar for many. Sadly, it seems to have done the same on Switch. If you’re looking for a slightly lower-pressure roguelike on the Switch with plenty of Final Fantasy fanservice and a mind-blowing soundtrack, check out Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY!. It’s even yelling its new subtitle to try to get you to notice it. Don’t you want to be its BUDDY? Take it from someone who already is among the EVERY BUDDYs, it’s a club worth joining.
Another Code: Recollection ($59.99)
Okay, this is a bit of a cheat. Half of this game is a DS game ported to the Switch, but the other half is a Wii game. Two games in one, really. But are they good games? Well, I won’t pretend they’re masterpieces that you should run out and play right away, but the puzzles are clever and the stories are engaging enough. There’s a very particular vibe to the Another Code games, and while the original developer is long gone, the team that handled this remake did that aspect justice. Perhaps the most unlikely of all of these games to get a port.
A Boy and His Blob ($14.99)
A Boy and His Blob is one of those ideas that is so good that it’s a shame it isn’t revisited more often. The multipurpose Blob as a puzzle-solving tool is great in a mechanical sense but also works to drive the character work and narrative. WayForward’s take on the concept is softer and kinder in many ways than the quirky original, and it’s well-worth playing if you want some good vibes from a puzzle platformer. It takes to the Switch well, too.
De Blob 2 ($29.99)
If I had a nickel for every game involving a blob on this list, I’d have ten cents. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice. Overused memes aside, De Blob 2 is a very good game. I feel like a lot of people haven’t played it, and I get it. Looking at it, it almost seems to be one of the million throwaway platformers that era produced. But it’s actually quite fresh and fun with its color-mixing mechanics, and I think anyone who enjoys a good platformer will have a great time here.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed ($19.99)
What list can’t benefit from the presence of a Star Wars game? When bringing The Force Unleashed to the Switch, Aspyr probably had to make the choice of which version would be best. Some weren’t pleased that it went with the Wii version as the basis for the port, but I think it carries itself well enough. Odds are reasonably good that any given reader has played this game in some form or another, but if you haven’t, it’s certainly worth going back to. It’s a fun game with a nice Star Wars feel.
And… 5 Wii Games We’d Like to See on Switch
Super Mario Galaxy 2
There are people who prefer this to Super Mario Galaxy. Sometimes I’m one of them. Given how great the first game is, that speaks loud volumes. While at its core this is just more Super Mario Galaxy, the team’s experience in making that game is clearly on display here with some wildly creative stage designs and a nice difficulty curve. And it has Yoshi! Who doesn’t like to see Yoshi show up in a Mario game? This is the only home console 3D Mario game that you can’t play on the Switch, and it would be great to see that changed.
Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
It’s my list, and I can make unreasonable demands if I want to. Yes, Marvel Vs. Capcom is by and large a better series with more globally appealing characters, but Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom has a lot of its own unique charms and it feels criminal that it was landlocked to a single console. The roster is really fun, with the likes of Mega Man Volnutt, Yatterman-1, Casshan, Frank West, and Zero providing a variety of playstyles and cool animations. I’ll take a port or, better still, an expanded follow-up.
Excitebots: Trick Racing
One of the more enjoyable launch titles for the Wii was the unassuming racer Excite Truck, and it’s a game I certainly got a lot of satisfaction from. I ended up sleeping on its follow-up, Excitebots: Trick Racing, when it came out. I wasn’t the only one, it seems. The game apparently massively underperformed, putting an end to this short side-trip for the Excite franchise. I picked it up a few years after for a very low price, and my earlier mistake was apparent. This game is an absolute blast, and it deserves another chance.
The Last Story
Apart from the first of these picks, there is a theme to what I’m including. This is another game that got overlooked due to the part of the console’s lifespan it released in. An ignoble end for what is to date the last console game worked on by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, to be sure. The Last Story isn’t Final Fantasy, but it’s an enjoyable role-playing adventure with a lot of cool ideas. Xenoblade took off under similar circumstances, and I think this one has a good chance of doing so too if given the opportunity.
Trauma Team
Atlus: it used to make a lot of things that weren’t related to Persona or Shin Megami Tensei! One of those things was this series of games based on and around hospitals. Trauma Team is a mix of visual novel-style scenes and a variety of minigames focused around specific aspects of medical diagnosis and treatment. Each of the game’s chapters stars its own character, and they all come together in the thrilling finale. This would be a tricky port due to its reliance on the special controls the Wii offered, but I have to believe there is some way to do it.
And that’s the list, friends. Are there any Nintendo Wii games you enjoy on the Switch? Any you would like to see? Feel free to sound off down in the comments and let us know what you’re thinking! It’s always interesting to hear the opinions of others on this kind of thing, especially for a console with so many unconventional titles as the Wii. Thanks for reading!
