We Ski was developed by the Ridge Racer team, and generally got favorable reviews in line with that series. Cooking Mama isn't my thing, but it seems to be a pretty well put together series with quite a bit of crossover "core" appeal (industry journalists seem to like and play it at least, unlike most "casual" fare). Sonic and the Secret Rings is probably the best Sonic game we've gotten since the Dreamcast days, and was directed by a Team Andromeda (ie: Panzer Dragoon series) ex-pat.
All 3 of those games are from "core" game developers and fall within well established genres that go back to nearly the start of gaming. Honestly, I fail to see how Zack & Wiki is more "serious" or even "good" than any of them. If anything I'd say Z&W is in the same boat, it's really a "core" game that's often mis/re-cast as new gimmicky casual fare.
In my experience with Z&W it seemed more a cute puzzle adventure wrapped in an attractive (for me, kiddie for some) visual, with generally imprecise context sensitive waggle controls and coming from a developer with an excellent pedigree. I'd say it's an average game really, and if it had put up these sorts of numbers on PS2 or GC last gen no one would've batted an eye.