So I just bought a Wii for the first time, what are the essential Wii games that I NEED to own?

Obviously Galaxy 1 and 2, I have Skyward Sword and WarioWare, any others off the top of your heads?

You should check out The Metroid Triology, No More Heroes 1 &2 , Twilight Princess, RE4, Donkey Kong Returns, Fire Emblem, Madworld, Muramasa(unless you own a Vita), Punch Out, Rhythm Heaven: Fever(Highly underrated) and Xenoblade Chronicles. That should keep you entertained for a while.

The Trauma Center games are my favorite games on the Wii. I can't recommend them enough.

^ All those, with some Sin and Punishment thrown in.

Sin and Punishment 2 Star Successor

Muramasa the Demon Blade (also on Vita, not sure if that version is better)

Punch-Out!!

Xenoblade

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (on the Eshop)

New Super Mario Bros Wii

Wait, why is LTTP in the title? Anyway, here's what I'd recommend, in alphabetical order:

• Disney Epic Mickey
• Donkey Kong Country Returns
• Elebits
• Excite Truck
• Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
• Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon
• Goldeneye 007
• Kirby’s Epic Yarn
• Kirby’s Return to Dreamland
• Klonoa
• Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
• Link’s Crossbow Training
• Mario Kart Wii
• Mega Man 9
• Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
• Metroid: Other M
• Muramasa: The Demon Blade
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii
• NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams
• No More Heroes
• No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
• Okami
• Pandora’s Tower
• Phantom Brave: We Meet Again
• Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
• Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles
• Super Mario Galaxy
• Super Mario Galaxy 2
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
• Trauma Center: Second Opinion
• Wii Sports
• Wii Sports Resort
• Xenoblade Chronicles
• Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure

Apparently it means "late to the party", but I had no idea before looking it up. Based on the thread title, I thought he was asking something about the Virtual Console version of a Link to the Past.

@video_game_king: Fantastic list that I second the OP checks out. The only glaring omission that I can spot (seeing as you've included another port) is Resident Evil 4.

@guesty_01:

That's largely because I haven't touched the Wii version.

@video_game_king: Well that would explain it. Best version IMHO.

Monster Hunter Tri. Pretty good intro to the series if you haven't played it. I much prefer the PSP versions though.

@guesty_01: Seconded

Yes to many of those mentioned plus de Blob as I'm looking at my Wii collection. And I'm really surprised nobody mentioned Boom Blox.

Xenoblade.

I haven't seen The Last Story mentioned so I'd recommend that, I'm having a lot of fun with it.

@video_game_king: Glad to see someone else has played Fragile Dreams and actually liked it enough to mention it. That game is beautiful and depressing, if not a bit rough mechanically; it's unlike anything else I've played in all my years of gaming. I hesitate to second VGK's nomination for playing it, as I don't think it's a game for everyone and may just end up frustrating you.

Otherwise, it looks like the rest of the selections here have covered everything I would suggest.

Thanks a lot guys! WIll check out the games you listed.

One more question, I have a single remote with Motion Plus and a single nunchuk.

Am I correct in believing that I just need extra remotes to enjoy multiplayer games, and that the other players generally don't need the nunchuk?

EDIT: Also I think there are multiplayer games that use a single remote.

you have to really look for Wii games and when you do they are actually something special. I personally found the Wii Virtual Console to be the best element out of the system, the component cables looked beautiful on a HDTV even if it's 480p, but the pixels really stood out as sharp.

@thomascro said:

Some multiplayer games have you pass around a single remote (WarioWare Smooth Moves, many modes of Wii Sports/Wii Sports Resort).

As for nunchuks, it depends on the game. Donkey Kong Country Returns, Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and a few other games have multiple control schemes (just remote, or remote + nunchuk, or Gamecube controller). DKCR in particular I didn't like the remote+nunchuk controls for, so I played the whole game with just the remote (turned on its side so it's like an NES controller). However, I prefer playing Mario Kart Wii with remote + nunchuk.

On the other hand, something like Mario Strikers Charged (a really fun soccer game that plays more like 4v4 hockey because you can body check everyone constantly) always uses remote+nunchuk. New Super Mario Bros. Wii always uses just remote.

So it kinda depends on what you think you'll be playing. I actually don't think the system has a ton of great 4-player local multiplayer games (I would mostly name Mario Kart Wii, Smash Bros. Brawl, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii). Everything else is either taking turns with a single remote (Wii Sports, WarioWare, I believe Mario Party 9 supports this as well), or may as well be only 2 player (Mario Strikers Charged is really awkward with more than 2 players).

The Wii was definitely a system where I felt comfortable owning 2 remotes and 2 nunchuks (basically 2 complete controllers), and if there was ever a group gathering, I would try to get somebody else to bring more remotes and nunchuks to make a complete set. So many people own a Wii (whether they actively play it or not) that this was usually pretty easy.

A boy and his blob.