The best Wii games of all time

When most people think of the Wii console, they think of Wii Sports. A simple pack-in minigame collection, Wii Sports featured simple, motion-controlled approximations of tennis, golf, bowling, baseball, and boxing. Players use their created Miis (linked to your Wii profile) to participate in sporting events using the Wiimote and Nunchuk, either competing against other players or the computer. The games are simple, but also are very fun and incredibly intuitive. You could put a Wiimote in almost anyone’s hand, and they could figure out how to play in seconds. At the time, it was a perfect showcase for the Wii’s potential. In hindsight, it may have been the pinnacle of success for the console. For a time, you could walk into any college dorm room or apartment in America and see a couple of bobble-headed cartoons battling it out on screen. Given how ubiquitous the title was, it’s no surprise that Wii Sports clocks in as the fourth bestselling video game of all time — only Grand Theft Auto V, Minecraft, and Tetris have sold more copies, and all three of those were multiplatform releases.

Despite the success of Wii Sports, some felt the game was a little bit barebones, with just five sports to choose from — one of which (ahem, baseball) was straight-up awful. Enter Wii Sports Resort, which takes the same idea and cranks it up to 11; or, more accurately, to 12. This Wii game offers 12 different fun vacation-themed activities, including archery, sword fighting, and basketball, among others. The immensely popular golf and bowling games from Wii Sports return, as does tennis (but this time, it’s in ping-pong form). Resort does an excellent job of expanding upon a successful formula, with games that use both the Wiimote and Nunchuk to full effect.

In Kirby’s Epic Yarn, an iconic Nintendo franchise, got a complete makeover, and it’s an absolute blast. The gorgeous “knit” art style here isn’t just for show — with his new abilities, Kirby can interact with the environment itself, unzipping portions of the level and pulling on threads to reveal hidden areas. The creatively designed adventure game is built for younger and more experienced audiences alike, with a low difficulty threshold and lots of secrets to uncover as you play. Clever boss fights and challenges present a good deal of variance in gameplay, with certain levels transforming Kirby into numerous different vehicles. You can also play co-op, working together to reach lofty ledges or defeat crafty foes, and if you don’t own a Wii, the game will be coming to the 3DS as Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn.

If you like the idea of Mario Party, but do not want to risk losing lifelong friends over a meaningless video game, consider going back and playing Wii Party. The fast-paced minigame collection features 80 different activities, which you can play a la carte, or as part of organized game modes like “Board Game Island” and “Globe Trot.” Games like “Time Bomb” and “Buddy Quiz” offer fun game-show-type diversions that let you play casually with friends, though there are also several more involved games like “Balance Boat,” which will require your undivided attention. The game makes excellent use of the Wii remote’s unique control scheme in creative ways, and — best of all — there are no stupid ghosts waiting to steal all your stuff.