Nintendo doesn’t always release video game consoles that contain the most processing power, but the hardware has still been able to stand out and make strong impressions due to their unique games. The Gamecube was a quirky console for Nintendo, but one that many hardcore gamers overlooked. Nintendo’s Wii was a much more mainstream success thanks to the innovative motion controls that they pushed.
The Wii celebrated some excellent video games, but the console’s popularity also resulted in Nintendo’s decision to re update some of their best Gamecube titles on their newer hardware. Re-releases aren’t unusual, but the Wii went above and beyond with the titles from the previous generation that it helped give second lives.
10 Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Zelda series has strangely become Nintendo’s de facto flagship franchise to get double-dipped at the end and beginning of each new gaming generation.
Twilight Princess is the first Zelda game that started the trend as it marked one of the Gamecube’s best and last games as well as signaling the start of the Wii’s reign over the video game industry. Some may prefer the more traditional controls that the game was developed with, but the Wii update makes for a stunning introduction to the console.
9 Resident Evil 4
The Resident Evil series is notorious for being one of the most acclaimed survival horror series of all time, but Resident Evil 4 marked an important turning for the franchise that pushes it into a more modern era of gaming. Resident Evil 4 is a game that’s practically been ported to ever platform imaginable so it’s easy to forget that it started as a Gamecube exclusive.
The original game is a high point for the Gamecube, but the Wii version manages to improve upon it, both with re-mastered graphics and a better control scheme that takes advantage of the Wiimote.
8 Metroid Prime
The original Metroid series are some of the best action-adventure titles for Nintendo’s earlier consoles, but Metroid Prime marks a major departure by taking Samus Aran and the series’ rich lore and turning it into a sleek first-person shooter. Metroid Prime is just the kind of update that the series needed and while the Gamecube game is impressive, it can’t hold a candle to the Wii’s remake. Much like in the case of Resident Evil 4, the biggest update is the improvements to aiming, which are everything in a shooter. It’s a very smooth experience.
7 Pikmin
The Pikmin series has taken some time to catch on and even now it doesn’t have the level of support that it truly deserves, but it’s a standout title from Shigeru Miyamoto that’s proof of why he’s such a visionary in the video game industry.
Pikmin mashes together the real-time strategy genre with an amazing world that’s full of adorable and horrifying creatures. The Wii version of Pikmin doesn’t try to rock the boat, but it does make use of the console’s control scheme to make the game a more streamlined and intuitive experience.
6 Resident Evil 0
Nintendo’s Gamecube surprisingly helped give the Resident Evil franchise a series boost and so it became only natural to port over many of the entries in the series to the Wii. Resident Evil 0 is a curious outlier in the franchise and it brings Rebecca Chambers back into the fray. The Wii version of Resident Evil 0 isn’t as drastic a redesign as Resident Evil 4, but the re-mastered graphics are nice and there are many extra features and quality of life adjustments. Most importantly, it helps bring more visibility to an entry in the series that many people missed.
5 Chibi-Robo!
It’s fascinating to see a franchise perform well in one region, only to completely flounder in another. For instance, Nintendo’s Chibi-Robo! series is a major contender in Japan, but the quirky title has had a difficult time in America. Accordingly, it’s somewhat surprising to see the niche Gamecube game get a major push on the Wii, but it’s absolutely appreciated. The Wiimote and nunchuk controller make Chibi-Robo! even more enjoyable and while the title shares a lot in common with Pikmin, it’s distinctly its own thing and has a great sense of humor that only compliments the game’s playful absurdity.
4 Pikmin 2
The Wii’s New Play Control version of the original Pikmin got a fair bit of attention, but this updated version of the sequel was largely overlooked, which is a shame since it adds to the original in some inspired ways. Pikmin 2 introduces new breeds of Pikmin, more dangerous threats, and a slightly less stressful structure than its predecessor. Future titles in the series have struggled to connect with audiences, but Pikmin 2 perfects the formula and uses the Wii’s controls to aid Captain Olimar in his journey. This updated game becomes one of the best titles on the Wii.
3 Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
There are many Wii re-releases in the New Play Control line that provide helpful updates to beloved games, but Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is perhaps the only one where the new control scheme feels like a major revelation. Nintendo is no stranger to unconventional peripherals and the Gamecube’s version of Jungle Beat is controlled by a bongo controller where rhythm is key to success. The Wii upgrade ditches the cumbersome controller and translates the motion to the Wiimote and nunchuk, which is a lot more natural and helps make the game seem less impenetrable.
2 Mario Power Tennis
Mario is such a juggernaut for Nintendo that the company started basing sports games around him and his extended cast of characters. The Mario Tennis series have always been entertaining, but due to the phenomenon that was Wii Sports, it was only inevitable that the Gamecube’s Mario Power Tennis would migrate over to the Wii and make use of this addictive gimmick. With all of the big adventure games that headed over to the Wii, it was easy to overlook Mario Power Tennis, but the improved controls and wealth of unlockable content makes the Wii version a triumph.
1 Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Metroid Prime 3 is the first entry from the series on the Wii and there’s the superb Metroid Prime Trilogy, which is one of the best deals on the system and a dream for any first-person shooter fans. Despite the big release of the trilogy compilation, there were also solo releases for Metroid Prime and its sequel, which flew more under the radar. If there’s only one title from the series that can be played on the Wii, this updated version of Metroid Prime 2 is the answer. It improves upon the original, both in terms of gameplay and story.