7 Awesome Old-school Wii Games Not back To The Future... Back To Your Childhood!

The Nintendo Wii has found a massive following, despite the fact that it focuses far more on imaginative use of the controller than on graphics (which are central to the Xbox and PS3 offering). Or perhaps ... Wii games have been successful because they use such basic graphics? The kids that grew up on first generation games consoles are now earning their own cash and buying their own little slices of otherworldly gaming experience, and a big part of the appeal in Wii games is the old-school look and features. Today we check out some of the games that will be most successful in taking players on a trip back down memory lane ... from Super Mario to Tetris!

Super Mario Bros for Wii

You can still have up to 4 players, it's still a neat traditional platform style game, and even those little brown gremlins look the same! On an Xbox, you'd expect Mario and Luigi to almost look like real plumbers, but this Wii game has a satisfying aura of authenticity about it. There are some cool new features - but it is a very familiar Wii game overall.

EA Sports Active

Even those of us that didn't have games consoles (or any substantial complement of games) for much of our childhood will remember the PC-based version of EA Sports. The new Wii game version is pretty radically changed, simply by the inclusion of the Wiimote and Motionplus sensors. There are a few major changes, like the inclusion of a personal trainer (not really appropriate when you have to sit at a desk chair!), and games like dancing and inline skating, but still very true to form.

Mario Kart Wii

Show me a 30-year old that can resist buying the Mario Kart Wii game, and I'll show you a man or woman of steel! There are personalized Mii characters, 16 new courses, and even a range of different controller options. You can compete with up to 11 other drivers from around the world via an internet hookup - a feature barely imaginable when the original SNES version was released.

Resident Evil 4

There's nobody to stop us playing 'survival horror' genre Wii games before bed nowadays! The game has a more 'immersive' controlling style - you can use the Wiimote to aim, slash and fire things. Apparently the Wii game version is "what the original game wanted to be".

Tetris Party

So simple ... so addictive! If you have ever gone to bed at night with imaginary Tetris blocks floating in your mind's eye, you'll love the new Tetris party Wii game. There are quite a few new single player and multiplayer versions of the game, however they all retain their innate Tetris-ness. How could they not?

Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess

This action and adventure game really evolves with its Wii game incarnation, just like Resident Evil, into the game it was always supposed to be. Another game where you can certainly notice the difference between the Wii's graphics and the Xbox's, but perhaps all the more charming because of that!

Punch-Out!

The Wii game of Punch Out is surprisingly similar to the original ... apart from the striking difference of the controller, of course! You combine motion control of the punch with motion-stick fine-tuned controls, creating hooks and jabs. It's simple, but a great party Wii game.