While the Wii lacks the graphics power of the PS3 and Xbox 360, there are some games out there that show just how good a Wii game can look. Here are the 10 best looking Wii games.
MadWorld
MadWorld is not simply the most visually stunning game ever made for the Wii; it is one of the most visually striking games ever made for any platform, showcasing a primarily black and white world that looks like a detailed, living line drawing. With its grim locales and savage violence, you wouldn’t call the game pretty, but it certainly is striking.
Okami
With its Japanese watercolor look, Okami boasts an art design that blows away 99% of all video games. It’s a wonderful demonstration of the need for video games to think more about visual design and less about detailed texturing and frame rates.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
This 2D platformer is essentially a series of really pretty landscapes — flowing streams and falling blossoms — set off by pretty avatars battling cool monsters. The game has the lovely quality of a Japanese woodcut.
Lost in Shadow
With mysterious machinery casting long shadows tossed across ancient, sun-dappled floors and walls, Shadow has a wonderfully magical quality to it that caused people to compare the game visually with the classic Ico. While the gameplay sometimes felt repetitive, the visuals were always fresh.
Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon
It is remarkable how often Fragile Dreams manages to create landscapes in which a beautifully lit sky is placed behind the silhouettes of dark towering structures while a figure watches from the foreground. It works; the game is full of moments where you gasp as you enter a new location.
Endless Ocean: Blue World
It’s wonderful how well the game creates the feel of being in a beautiful underwater paradise of colorful fish and lovely ruins.
Kirby’s Epic Yarn
Kirby is notable for its clever visual design; the whole game appears to have been prettily sewn together, with Kirby himself being a living yarn outline. With its pastel colors and varied textures, the game makes you feel as though you’ve wandered into your mom’s sewing kit.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
No one has had more practice making games for the Wii than Nintendo, so it’s unsurprising that five years after the console’s debut they’ve learned how to make very nice-looking games indeed. It was shocking when critics spoiled by the PS3’s HD graphics complained about the game’s look. If you can watch the shadows of clouds sweep across a vast desert and feel nothing, you must be a little dead inside.
Disney Epic Mickey
While considerably less edgy than its early concept art lead us to expect, Epic Mickey did a wonderful job of both creating and subverting the look of a Disney classic. It looks more like a Disney cartoon than most current Disney cartoons do.
And Yet It Moves
While the paper collage art style is purposely rough, this somehow just makes it look seem even cooler. AYIM shows that an imaginative, original style can compensate for a very tiny budget.
Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day
