Now that Wii games have arrived onto the eShop (with a standard $20 price tag), I thought I'd look back at some Wii games that have been released over the years. In retrospect, there are some games that could really use a digital version. Some games became more popular after release, are hard to find a physical copy of, or would simply be a good fit for the Wii U as a digital release.
Note that third party titles are being excluded (for now) simply because I imagine there are extra hurdles for those.
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Fire Emblem is in fashion this season. 2012's Awakening for the 3DS was the biggest hit in franchise history, the new Super Smash Bros game includes a squad of playable fighters from this series, and today's Direct confirmed that a new entry in the series is on the way for the 3DS. This makes it seem odd that 2007's Radiant Dawn didn't do particularly well upon release. Critics were harsh on this "old school" RPG, which was panned for lacking the typical production values of a 7th gen console RPG. So despite being the first notable RPG on the very successful Wii, Radiant Dawn sold worse than its GameCube predecessor, and was the last console entry in the Fire Emblem series. Today though, fans of Ike in Super Smash Bros might be interested in seeing him in his natural habitat, and by no means beautiful, the game's graphics have not aged as poorly as many other games of the era. Perhaps for $20, people will look into this now rare 40 hour adventure.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land
The first traditional Kirby game for a console in over a decade was somewhat overlooked in late 2011, most notably in normally Kirby-friendly North America. This was partially because 2010's Epic Yarn stole its thunder, partially because the Wii was declining rapidly by then, and partially because this was hardly the first 2D platformer with cooperative elements on the Wii. That said, Return to Dream Land has its fans, and the game has kept near its full initial price for over three years since its release. Though the Wii U already has and will have more 2D platformers, it is unlikely that Kirby will star in these. However, Kirby is still fairly relevant, as Rainbow Curse's upcoming release indicates. Maybe this game can ride the popularity wave and show Kirby's basics at once.
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
The original Sin & Punishment first reached foreign shores via Virtual Console. It was a hit, as was the sequel, Star Successor. However, Star Successor, naturally, soon became far rarer, and thus more expensive and hard to find, than other Wii games. Star Successor is a type of game that is rarely found on the Wii U, and though short for a retail game in this day and age, it would be well priced at $20.
Wii Sports Resort
True, the Wii already has Wii Sports Club, with its enhanced visuals and online play. But Wii Sports Resort's 12 sports total would be a great deal for $20. Even though this was already a huge success at retail, the game was somewhat held back by the need for the Motion Plus add-on, especially in multiplayer. However, since the improved Wiimotes have been around since late 2010, anyone whose bought a Wiimote in recent years would be ready to play. So even Wii veterans might benefit from the abundance of the newer controllers. Not to mention, I still end up seeing people gathering around some version of Wii Sports ocassionally.
Xenoblade Chronicles
Take a wild guess.
Any other ideas for Wii games that ought to be brought to the eShop?
Love and tolerate.
