It’s not all about the launch games on Wii, y’know. We’re previewing every single one of them on here, but there’s some exciting titles on the way next year too (as well as 4,002 games involving sword-fighting, which I’m giving a wide berth).

But if you’re about to shell out £180 on the console, chances are you want an early look at the games you’ll be blowing future pay packets on in 2007. With that in mind, I’ve picked out the five games that are going to have the WiiWii team dribbling onto our nunchuks in the months ahead.

1. Super Mario Galaxy

It’s had Nintendo fans gasping ever since it was first shown off, but Mario’s first Wii outing isn’t going to make it for launch. Still, it looks set to be worth the wait.

It’s a 3D platformer that keeps the best bits of previous Mario games on the GameCube and N64, while also making full use of the Wii’s Wii-mote and nunchuk controllers. You move with the nunchuk, while targeting with the Wii-mote. Top-notch visuals make it one of our most eagerly-awaited Wii games.

2. Wario Ware: Smooth Moves

As the froth around Wii Play and Wii Sports should tell you, mini-games look set to be one of Wii’s key strengths. And what better way to show it off than with the lunacy of Wario Ware, which has been a deserved hit on DS and GBA.

It’s business as usual: a host of mini-games, most of which are very short, and many of which are incomprehensible. Not that this spoils the fun. And they involve swinging, twirling, thrusting and pointing the Wii-mote like there’s no tomorrow, which promises to be quite a task if you’re simultaneously doubling up with laughter.

3. Super Smash Bros. Brawl

In a sense (a very loose sense), Super Smash Bros is the Emerson, Lake & Palmer of the Nintendo gaming world. Not because it goes on for hours with no discernible tunes, but because it’s a bona-fide supergroup.

In short, lots of famous Nintendo characters (with some guests from other games) beat seven blazes out of each other. Included are Mario, Wario, Kirby, Pikachu and Link from Zelda, with guests including Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid). Better still, it’s going to be fully playable online! This will rule.

4. Sonic And The Secret Rings

We’re still waiting to find out if Sonic the Hedgehog will also make it into Super Smash Bros, but he’s getting his own standalone Wii game too. First shown off at the recent Tokyo Game Show, and is a super-fast 3D platform game, in traditional Sonic stylee.

However, the exciting thing is the multiplayer mini-games that are set to be included – more than 30 according to an interview in this month’s Official Nintendo Magazine. These’ll use the Wii-mote in a bunch of interesting ways, although the main game itself will be more traditional.

5. Bleach

Not actual bleach – that’d be bad for your console, and it’s white anyway, so completely unnecessary. Instead, Bleach is an anime beat’em up based on a popular (i.e. mad as a box of frogs) TV cartoon.

Sega’s doing the game, and it involves swordfighting (okay, just the one then) using the Wii-mote to stab, slash and swipe. Animated violence was never so likely to get you fit… Bleach looks like it could be a niche title, but having seen the video Kat posted of a fat chap playing it, I’m intruiged.

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This entry was posted on Friday, November 10th, 2006 at 10:21 am by Stuart Dredge
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