I'm about to become a new Wii owner and am looking for recommendations on which games to get. But rather than just look at a list of what's popular, I was hoping to get some recommendations tailored to what I specifically would more likely enjoy. So here's some info about me:

I started playing video games with the Atari 2600. The last game system I bought was the Sega Genesis. (I always thought the thumbpad controller was a step backwards from the earlier joysticks, more like issuing a command than actually doing something, but I adapted okay... I guess this partly explains why the Wii is the new system that captured my attention, seemingly more visceral controllers.) I never got into anything too complicated or time consuming or requiring all kinds of tricky control maneuvers... I guess you'd have to call me a casual gamer, despite the hours I used to spend! (Oh, I had a Turbografx-16, too.)

From that background you might be able to guess... I like games that can be learned in just a few minutes. That you can enjoy without a walk-through. That can be fun to play for maybe a 30 minute stretch, I don't have the time to spend hours upon hours gaming.

I like action. Puzzle elements are fine. But I don't care about "plot", I'm not into RPG (casually exploring worlds, conversing with characters, "buying" things at virtual stores, etc etc... I want to just play, and not have to remember anything except how to play if I come back to a game days or weeks later).

Shooters are okay, but I don't like fighting games.

I like games that offer something different/unusual. So games that are tough to categorize are often a good bet. But some standard genre things can be good too, particularly if they have an interesting twist.

On the Wii, I'd specifically want things that take advantage of the controllers, I don't want to be using the remote like an old Genesis pad, though I might make an exception if something was really good and unusual.

Graphics by themselves are not that big a deal for me. Genesis had too many side scroller/platformers, and nicer graphics wouldn't be enough to entice me to buy another one, but I would consider one if there was something unusual/unique about the game play, and wasn't just a prettier version of something I've done plenty of before. (I guess that was the beauty of the old 2600... the graphics were so limited that the emphasis was on coming up with new and different kinds of game play!)

I haven't generally gone for sports games, but I am getting Wii Sports and think the idea of racquet games, bowling, etc. with this controller sounds interesting. I'm also going to get Wii Fit. Maybe it will finally make exercise enough fun that I'll actually do it! Other games that require a lot of physical involvement may interest me as well.

I'm interested in solo games, and in 2-person where two people can play simultaneously.

Well, that should be enough to rule out most recommendations, what's left? :-)

How about super mario galaxy?not much of a plot just save the princess and defeat your rival don't really have to remember anything just the controls.
I heard endless ocean was pretty good.It's about being a diver in a big ocean to explore.
The only racing game i would ever recommend for the wii is mario kart wii.You race around with some wacky (yes i said wacky)nintendo characters trying to get to first place while using crazy items along the way it's especially fun with more people if don't have more people to play with you can always go online and race people from anywhere.

Well, I'm probably a little bit older than you, so you can check my list.

Brain Age,Rayman Rabbids, and Olympics are games I got to play with a group of people. I usually only play them when I have Wii parties.

I've been playing a ton of Tiger Woods lately. My neighbor comes over and we usually do a round in about an hour.

Elebits was the first game I got. Puzzle game, easy to learn, but I haven't played it much since I got it.

I recommend Mario Galaxy and will be getting Mario Cart.
I will also be getting Wii Fit.

Get Wii Play and the extra remote. If you an Atari 2600 fan, the tank game will make you wish they redid Atari Combat for the Wii.

Just found this off of Google

Wii Puzzle Game list
I would look into Kororinpa and Mercury Meltdown.

Geometry Wars is quite fun in a "pick up and play" way - and has simultaneous co-op too. But it can be a bit daunting with so many bullets and enemies flying around on screen, it's still good to play!

Do you like football? Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is a fantastic version for the Wii, and whether you play against the computer or friend it's lots of fun (if you want co-op, you have to take turns - we usually do a half of a game each and swap).

Wii Sports will keep you busy (and entertained) for many an hour (in fact, the more you get into it, the deeper it gets - there are tests and training modes to uncover which are fun, especially against another player!)

Wii Fit is still an unknown as it's not out yet (though mine shipped from Amazon today so hopefully I'll be playing it tomorrow night!)

You should consider some party games too (rayman rabbids you've already mentioned) but I think Wario: Smooth Moves is much more fun, especially when there are more than 4 people playing or watching (and you only need one wiimote)... it's just incredibly "out there" some of the stuff it has you doing... it's almost as much fun to watch someone make a fool of themselves doing the actions as it is playing it, and when you've completed single-player you unlock multiplayer which has some great multi-player modes!

Mario Kart Wii is another must-have - it's simple and quick to play, but there's a lot of re-play value (and 2 players on the same Wii can play online against 10 other people too) - the online is great, the game is fun and you won't get bored of it very quickly.

I'm sure there's loads more but those are the ones that spring to mind.

Let us know what you opt for and what you think!

Cheers

Neil - psst... wanna watch some chicks?

Zach and Wiki takes advantage of the wiimote and it doesn't take very long to learn either. It is basically a puzzle game with a little humor thrown in. It is also cheap too.

Another game is Lego Star Wars. Lots of action and if you like Star Wars you will probably enjoy playing through the movie scenes. This seems to fit into something with an interesting twist.

sounds to me like youd enjoy Mario Party! or youd enjoy Medal of Honor!

I would suggest Excite Truck, great arcade style racing. Innovative play mechanics. Easy to pick up and do a race. The only problem is mario kart comes out in 3 days !!!!! I'd suggest that of course before excite truck.

Endless Ocean is a cool very chill relaxing game where you explore the depths of a fake ocean with wildlife from the real world. I've spent about 20 hours with it and I learned the names of tons of fish. Easy to pick up and go for a 30 minute dive. Check out my review here: http://www.wiichat.com/nintendo-wii-...ess-ocean.html

Mercury Meltdown Revolution is also probably a good game for you. Puzzle game, tilt controls, $20 price tag. Graphics aren't all that great but the reviews are great for a budget title. I haven't played it myself but on my list for sure. (Kororinpa is the same type of game)

When I'm looking for a game to buy I usually go to metacritic.com or IGN.com and go to the wii section. Then click on reviews and organize them by rating. Check out the games that get at least an 8. Read up on anything that interests you then come back and ask for opinions on the specific titles. You'll get much better feedback that way.

These are variants of a similar theme. Mercury Meltdown [I have] is newer + higher ranked ... though when I borrowed Kororinpa from a friend, I kinda like that one better.
But they use the remote in a neat way, works quite well ... and they're interesting puzzle games.

I also [while not a real-life golfer] play a lot of Tiger Woods Golf. I like the use of the remote as a club, will often take 30 minutes and play a round [of Tiger Challenge/etc] every other day or so as a de-stress after work.

I'm a soccer fan [played in college] and also like ProEvo Soccer 2008. Does require more practice [going through couple minute training sessions on different stuff] to get very good ... but I really like the game. IMO hard to tell your players on our 24" TV, works much better on the 42" [hard to see jersey color quickly on small TV]. Likely to become a favorite as I get better at it.
I can see myself playing a LOT of this one.

SuperMario Galaxy [while I'm not a big Mario guy ... like you I played the 2600 in early grade school + never was a big convert to the later controllers] - but this is a good, good looking, fun, and fairly deep game [lots of hours to play]. Most stages take 15-20 minutes [and controls aren't too hard to learn] so you can play a bit and be done without gaming for hours.

Personally, I'm not a SuperSmashBrothersBrawl guy ... at least not yet. Seems well loved by folks who played a lot of prior Nintendo systems - but it doesn't instantly appeal to me as much. That said, when I have time to play a lot more of it - I very well might become a convert.

Nor am I a big shooter [FPS] type ... after losing a few months of life in the early 90's playing Doom endlessly - since then I guess I grew out of those games. Maybe that's me, but while I might get one eventually it's quite low on my list. While the graphics/depth are amazing in comparison to then, IMO it's not that more exciting even with those [to me].

Beyond those - I still play Wii Sports,[great group game] have tried some other stuff out. Got a few older games off of locals selling on Craigslist recently to add to my collection for bargain prices.

I'll be getting MarioKart when it comes out, Wii Fit too.

That's my opinion ... have fun!

Super Mario Galaxy is definitely at the top of the list, and Mario Kart Wii would also be a fantastic buy. You can't go wrong with either of those.

Good to know, I've been thinking about getting one of those or both, since they are about $20 now.

Like pinball? Try Pinball Hall of Fame - The Williams Collection! Excelllent graphics and gameplay. Also, do not buy Dream Pinball 3D: I've heard horror stories about that one...

If it appeals to you, for the price, IMO a good deal for either. While I don't expect to play it endlessly - I toss it in every few weeks and have some fun. Over the next year or more ... it will easily be worth $20.

While the mercury vs. variety-of-marble makes the mechanics/movement different [some elements too] ... the main difference is how the remote is held [sideways vs. head-on] and what is altered/moved through your actions + whether you move the board [Kororinpa] or just the gravity/movement of the blob [Mercury].

For some reason altering the board [which visually is trickier] seemed more logical to me than with Mercury Meltdown ... that said, I like the sideways remote use of Mercury better. Each has it's peculiarities.

Thanks to everyone for all the good (and fast!) responses!

LoganSix, I never got into Combat on the 2600, but there was some overhead tank game I liked on either the Genesis or TG-16. The Wii I'm getting, used, comes with an extra remote, but not Wii Play. I imagine there must be people now and then who keep the remote and decide to put Wii Play up on eBay so maybe I'd try to pick one up that way.

Skorp, yes, I actually started on the sites you mentioned, but was overwhelmed by the number of games! And I feared most of the reviews/ratings would be from die-hard gamers, whose perspective would be different from mine, as I described. But I will go back and look there some more.

CoralMark, interesting that you like the golf game despite not being a real-life golfer. LoganSix mentioned that one too. My used Wii is coming with that one, I didn't even care, but it sounds like it's worth taking a look at, despite no particular interest in golf!

Shooters wouldn't be my favorite, but one might be interesting, especially if I pick up something like a Zapper or Perfect Shot. The controller might add something, and I'd like to get some first-person-perspective stuff. So maybe Resident Evil 4? Or Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles? (I've never played any Resident Evil game, though I see these have gotten good reviews.)

And thanks for the thorough comparison of Mercury Meltdown and Kororinpa. Again preferring a more direct feel for what I'm doing, I think I'd rather manipulate the "ball" than the board so MM clearly sounds better for me. Besides, in "real life," I don't like the marble games where you move the board!

I have to second what everyone is saying about Super Mario Galaxy. I'm not a big gamer, but that is a lot of fun, VERY easy to learn, and doesn't require hours and hours at one sitting (though it can be hard to turn off, because it's so much fun). Great graphics, nice variety, but none of it is difficult to learn. And ALL of it utilizes the Wiimote nicely.

I also liked Super Paper Mario. I was never a big Mario fan before (just really never played games) but this one has a fun sense of humor and uses the Wiimote in interesting ways. Only drawback might be the LONG cut-scenes, those can really drag on and on.

Rayman Raving Rabbids is fun too, basically a collection of hilarious minigames that all utilize the Wiimote VERY well. Both 1 and 2 are fun, my personal favorite was 1 but that's just me.

My personal favorites are Endless Ocean (mainly just swimming around the ocean, sounds boring but it really is nice) and Thrillville: Off the Rails. I know I'm in the minority on Thrillville but I think it's a riot - I love riding the roller coasters and playing all the minigames! My husband's favorite game is Tiger Woods, but he's a huge golf fan. It is really neat and different on the Wii, I must say.

My BIGGEST recommendation would be to rent a lot of games just to see what feels like fun on the Wii. It's a pretty different sort of console, and hard to tell at first what you'll really like the best. Personally I am a Gamefly member because I live out in the country and enjoy having the games delivered to my house, but if you live near a Blockbuster or other store like that, you can rent all you want. I bought a lot of real bummers when I first got my Wii, but now I try before I buy! It has saved me a lot of money and hassle!

Yeah there are a ton of games out now. The IGN reviews are usually pretty good, it just depends if you want to invest the time to read them. I would say take the suggestions from here and read the reviews for those. Should give you a really good idea about the games.

Metacritic collects reviews from critics not normal players so the ones rated high on that are universally liked by reviewers.

Weeding out the hardcore games from the pick up and play more casual stuff can be daunting though I agree. I hope you end up finding something you really enjoy. I'm sure you'll find that research definitely pays off.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

I think I'll be starting with Mercury Meltdown, Thrillville, Resident Umbrella, and, despite lukewarm reviews, I have to admit to being a little drawn to Carnival Games. (Any thoughts on that?)

In my "second tier," I am thinking I might add Zack and Wiki, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Super Mario Galaxy (really mostly because of the near universal raves, rather than being grabbed by what I've seen)... and I'll keep an eye on Kart, as it seems everyone is hot on it, which is weird because it's not out yet so no one has actually played it, right?

BTW, to clarify something I said earlier... at least 90% of my playing will be solo, and I'll almost never be playing with more than one other person.

It's been interesting reading reviews and watching clips on youtube. I'm so out-of-time! Most reviews, understandably, assume that you've actually played some game that has been released in the last 20 years, I haven't. So I don't get all the references to other similar games, versions on other platforms, earlier versions of games, etc. (I've never actually played a Nintendo anything ever in my life!) And there are so many acronyms! I managed to figure some of them out, but GTA? NPC?

But the reviews and clips did often help in some way, And I discovered more "rules." I don't want to watch little movies in between playing. (And I d