BEST SPORTS TITLE
Winner: NHL Slapshot
While relatively unheralded, NHL Slapshot manages to present a Wii Sports-esque take on hockey while still giving starved Wii hockey fans a full-fledged game. The included peripheral, which is in the shape of a hockey stick, gives you great control over your characters, and you can do fun and tactile things with it. The wide variety of game types cover all levels of hockey from Peewee to Pro. In fact, the game’s main mode, in which you create and guide a player through the different stages of their career, is called just that: Pro mode. NHL Slapshot is a great Wii-specific title that makes good use of the system’s strengths.
Not pictured: plastic hockey stick thingRunner Up: NBA Jam
The moment you hear the classic phrase, you know that NBA Jam is going to deliver: “Boomshakalaka!” The game does the little things right, from the return of the classic Jam announcer to adding in dozens of crazy unlockable player characters. Although the game’s interface is a bit clunky, the core gameplay of NBA Jam is as rock solid as it was in 1993. Alongside the classic arcade mode is a plethora of mini-modes and boss battles. In the modern age of retro gaming, NBA Jam sets the standard.
BEST SHOOTER TITLE
Winner: GoldenEye 007
You can’t tell me with a straight face that you weren’t a little hesitant about Activision’s "re-imagining" of this classic Nintendo 64 party game. Turns out the haters were wrong: GoldenEye Wii is terrific in every sense of the word. The solo campaign is engaging and challenging, the local multiplayer improves with more people, and the online multiplayer (the game’s greatest achievement) brings the deep, customizable, perk-based progression seen in the recent Call of Duty titles to the world of James Bond. Truly a shooter for all seasons.
Runner Up: Sin and Punishment: Star Successor
One of the N64’s last great games, Sin and Punishment never got the Western retail release that it deserved. Thankfully, Star Successor did not suffer a similar fate. It is an extremely worthy sequel that will easily blast its way into the heart of any seasoned gamer. Blissful Wii Remote controls combined with plenty of the insane boss battles that Treasure has built a legacy out of make it a must-play. Don’t let the game’s nonsensical story deter your interest; it is a fiery good time with a side of sword-slicing action.
Instructions: Press fire button as rapidly as you canBEST SIMULATION TITLE
Winner: Trauma Team
Simulation might be a bit of a strong word here, but Trauma Team does have the chaotic feel of the ER during a major medical crisis. Whether you’re setting broken bones, removing tumors, diagnosing dark spots, or treating burns, the game creates a palpable level of stress that can prove to be involving. Slick storytelling allows the ongoing medical mysteries to unfold in such a way that the oncoming crisis feels immediate, and the impact of each operation you perform increases along with the complexity it demands. While no one is going to learn to recognize the signs of liver cancer from Trauma Team, it does a good job of capturing the experience while remaining fun.
Don't ask about the butterflies, it's stupidRunner Up: Endless Ocean: Blue World
A truly different experience compared to most Wii games, this slow-paced, diving-based title is the height of serenity mixed with an air of adventure. Even though it is a sequel, it does everything that a follow-up title should, adding variety, goals, and even greater exploration of its vast ocean. With so much content on offer, completing all of the game's achievements is indeed a nearly endless challenge.
Whale songs galore
