Hey there, if you owned Nintendo‘s hit Wii console back in the day, you probably remember just how much fun it was playing first-person shooters with those motion controls. Waving around the Wii remote to aim and fire was an absolute blast! In this article, I want to countdown the 7 best FPS games ever released for the Wii. Trust me, these are the cream of the crop when it comes to shooter experiences on Nintendo‘s Motion control pioneer.
So let‘s dive right in and relive some of the most immersive and exciting Wii FPS moments!
#7 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex Edition
Release Date: November 10, 2009
Metascore: 76
Copies Sold: Over 1 Million
Kicking off the list is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex Edition, essentially a port of the landmark Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. This thrilling game included the entire epic single player campaign where you take down terrorist threats as Sgt. "Soap" MacTavish.
It was amazing re-experiencing the memorable moments like the dramatic nuke sequence and ghillie suit stealth missions with the Wii‘s motion controls. The game translated them to Wii very competently – aiming your sites with the Wii remote and using motions to stab enemies just felt great.
The visuals were reduced from other versions but the stylized animations still looked good. Where the game truly shined was the local multiplayer. Having frantic split-screen battles in maps like Shipment with a friend is a blast. The control scheme lends itself well to the fast combat.
While not the prettiest version, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex Edition competently brought the definitive COD 4 experience to Wii in an engaging way. It received fairly positive reviews, including a 76 on Metacritic and an 8/10 on GameSpot. Most importantly, it sold over 1 million copies, proving FPS experiences could succeed on Wii.
#6 Call of Duty: Black Ops
Release Date: November 9, 2010
Metascore: 80
Copies Sold: Over 2 Million
Following the success of Modern Warfare Reflex Edition, Activision brought Call of Duty: Black Ops to the Wii in 2010. This time, the engrossing narrative was set in the Cold War era. I loved playing through the conspiracy-filled story spanning covert ops in Cuba toVietnam warfare.
The visuals were on par with Modern Warfare Reflex and still maintained smooth framerates during intense action. Gameplay-wise, Black Ops on Wii felt great thanks to solid motion controls. The online multiplayer also saw major improvements – playing modes like Team Deathmatch with voice chat against other players was awesome.
Call of Duty: Black Ops proved that ambitious FPS experiences with online multiplayer were possible on the Wii. It garnered positive reviews including an 80 on Metacritic. It also went on to sell a staggering 2 million copies, making it one of the Wii‘s top sellers.
| Game | Metascore | User Score | Copies Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex | 76 | 8.0 | Over 1 million |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops | 80 | 7.5 | Over 2 million |
#5 Red Steel 2
Release Date: March 23, 2010
Metascore: 80
Copies Sold: Over 1 Million
If you were looking for something beyond standard military FPS games on the Wii, Red Steel 2 delivered in spades. Developed by Ubisoft, Red Steel 2 mixed up first-person gunplay with hack and slash sword combat for an inventive twist.
You have to experience it yourself to really appreciate it – blasting enemies with pistols then switching to slice through foes with your Katana by swinging the Wii remote just feels incredible. The improved Wii MotionPlus tracking means your sword swings are 1:1, adding precision.
Red Steel 2 is set in an alternative future where East meets West, letting you explore an engaging mashup of Japanese and American settings. The visual style is cel-shaded and vividly colorful, running smoothly.
While it lacked multiplayer, Red Steel 2 provided one of the most kinetic and stylish single player FPS campaigns on the Wii. Critics praised its innovative gameplay – it earned an 80 on Metacritic. Red Steel 2 also found commercial success, selling over 1 million copies.
#4 GoldenEye 007
Release Date: November 2, 2010
Metascore: 81
User Score: 8.1
Copies Sold: Over 1.6 Million
This remake of the legendary N64 first-person shooter GoldenEye 007 was met with skepticism at first. After all, attempting to recreate such a revered game is difficult. However, Eurocom‘s Wii version proved to be worthy of the name, capturing the magic of GoldenEye superbly.
The campaign featured Daniel Craig as James Bond across memorable missions based on GoldenEye‘s story. The controls worked great – motion aiming felt accurate and dual analog movement was smooth. It controlled better than many gamers expected.
Where the game truly delivered was the local and online multiplayer. Having 4-player split-screen battles in classic maps like Complex is a blast, especially when you‘re yelling and laughing with friends in the same room. Online play worked smoothly as well.
Critics praised the game as one of the best Wii FPS experiences – it earned an 81 on Metascore and an 8.1 user score. Commercially, it sold over 1.6 million copies, proving the strong appeal of the Bond license. Overall, Eurocom developed an impressive GoldenEye remake that lived up to its namesake.
#3 Call of Duty: World at War
Release Date: November 11, 2008
Metascore: 83
User Score: 8.2
Copies Sold: Over 1 Million
After experimenting with motion controls in Modern Warfare, Activision delivered an even better FPS experience with Call of Duty: World at War in 2008. Ditching modern combat, it returned to World War 2 with a campaign set in the Pacific theater.
Blasting through tropical locales using the Wii Zapper peripheral was seriously fun – I loved aiming down the sights and taking out enemies with satisfying feedback. Having a second player jump in for co-op at any time using the Wii remote kept things lively.
On top of the epic single player, World at War introduced the addictive Nazi Zombies co-op mode that became a massive hit. Facing endless hordes of the undead with friends is a tense blast!
Critics loved the thrilling campaign and fun MP modes – World at War earned an 83 on Metacritic. It also moved over 1 million copies on Wii, proving the console could deliver blockbuster FPS experiences.
#2 Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Release Date: August 27, 2007
Metascore: 90
User Score: 8.7
Copies Sold: Over 1.4 Million
Next up is Metroid Prime 3: Corruption – the pinnacle of first person experiences on the Nintendo Wii. Fans, myself included, were blown away by how well the game utilized the Wii‘s motion controls. As iconic bounty hunter Samus Aran, aiming your arm cannon with the Wii remote and blasting enemies just felt perfect.
The sense of immersion and precision from the controls was matched by stunning sci-fi visuals and environments. Metroid Prime 3 really pushed the Wii technically, with huge draw distances and dazzling effects. Each new planet you visited had unique challenges and ability upgrades to find.
Combined with a thrilling narrative taking Samus across the galaxy, Metroid Prime 3 is everything you could ask for from a AAA Wii FPS. Critics universally praised the game, with Metroid Prime 3 earning a 90 on Metacritic and 8.7 user score. It also went on to sell over 1.4 million copies, making it one of the Wii‘s top titles.
#1 Metroid Prime: Trilogy
Release Date: August 24, 2009
Metascore: 91
User Score: 9.0
Copies Sold: Over 1 Million
Sitting comfortably at the top spot is Metroid Prime: Trilogy – the definitive FPS package on the Nintendo Wii. This premium compilation included the first two Metroid Prime games completely remastered with all-new motion controls.
Having all three of Samus Aran‘s GameCube adventures on one disc was incredible value. The updated control schemes allowed you to experience all three titles with the same immersive pointer-based aiming standard set by Metroid Prime 3. It was smooth FPS action across the board.
With three critically acclaimed FPS adventures in one place, Metroid Prime: Trilogy is easily the best overall Wii shooter experience. It earned outstanding review scores, with a 91 average on Metacritic and 9.0 user score. Commercially, it shifted over 1 million copies as well.
Really, no Wii FPS collection is complete without Metroid Prime: Trilogy. It lets you journey through Samus‘ entire GameCube trilogy with some of the most responsive and engaging motion controlled combat ever.
Reliving The Glory Days of Wii FPS Games
And that wraps up our countdown of the absolute finest first person experiences on the Nintendo Wii! I hope this guide brought back fond memories of dual wielding the Wii remote and nunchuck to blast through intense FPS campaigns and multiplayer battles.
It just goes to show that you don‘t need the beefiest graphics to create immersive, exciting shooters. The Wii‘s ingenious motion controls could allow you to aim, move and shoot in such imaginative way.
These 7 games represent the peak of that innovative control scheme. They made aiming feel intuitive and their gameplay incredibly fun. Each one is absolutely worth revisiting if you want to relive the height of motion controlled FPS action.
So that concludes our trip down memory lane! Let me know your own favorites Wii FPS games and moments in the comments below!