Throughout the Nintendo Wii’s lifespan, the console covered a plethora of different genres with its games. While it obviously featured plenty of first-party titles such as Mario and Zelda and also provided plenty of unique RPGs for fans of the genre to try out, very gradually, it also became the home of more than a few excellent horror games.
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Many of these games benefited from the Wii’s innovative motion controls, which helped add an extra layer of immersion to the experience, and in the case of horror games, this goes a very long way in making the core gameplay feel as intense and frightening as possible. Of course, because the Wii was first and foremost intended to be more of a family-friendly and casual console, it means that there weren’t too many horror titles released for it, but with that being said, there’s still a handful that made quite an impression on fans of the genre when they first released.
7 Dead Rising: Chop Til You Drop
Metacritic User Score: 6.0
- Release Date: February 2009
- Developer: Tose / Capcom
- Platform: Wii
After the enormous success of Capcom’s Dead Rising for the Xbox 360, the developers soon decided to create a brand-new entry exclusively for Wii which, although a little rough around the edges, is still an absolute blast to play through. While the story is largely the same as the first game, centering on journalist Frank West’s journey through a zombie-infested shopping mall, there are a few very subtle changes that have been made, such as introducing zombified animals and even a few extra minigames that can be unlocked by beating the main game.
Although the mall is quite a bit smaller compared to its counterpart, there are still plenty of fun and unique items and weapons scattered around that Frank can make use of to humiliate and kill the hordes of zombies that stand in his way. With that being said though, the game does still retain that creepy and unnerving tone that made the original so special, especially with the Psychopaths, who are all extremely terrifying in their own unique ways.
6 Cursed Mountain
Metacritic User Score: 7.1
- Release Date: August 2009
- Developer: Sproing Interactive
- Platforms: Wii, PC
Cursed Mountain puts players in the shoes of Eric Simmons, a plucky mountaineer who travels to the Tibetan Himalayas in the hopes of finding an ancient artifact that is said to grant eternal life, while also trying to find his younger brother who mysteriously disappeared in the same area. While the motion-controlled combat isn’t anything too out of the ordinary, what really makes the game so memorable to a lot of fans is the atmosphere, and how eerie each of the areas feels. As players gradually make their way through the darkness, they’ll be able to hear small creeks and noises coming from the otherworldy monsters and ghosts who are always lurking around Eric, looking for the perfect moment to strike.
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While Eric does keep his pickaxe as his weapon of choice for the entire game, this can be upgraded and enhanced in numerous ways, which adds a nice sense of progression to the gameplay, and there’s also a pretty handy Third Eye ability that can become very useful for the unforgiving puzzle sections. Although the story isn’t anything to write home about, Cursed Mountain still excels at creating a dark and immersive atmosphere that is full of wonderfully creepy monsters for the player to encounter.
5 Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
Metacritic User Score: 7.3
- Release Date: November 2007
- Developer: Capcom
- Platforms: Wii, Xbox 360
The Umbrella Chronicles is an on-rails shooter that re-tells the events of Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, and the first game. The game offers fans the chance to explore some of the series’ most iconic locales, such as Raccoon City and the Spencer Mansion, in a first-person view while blasting away at zombies as they progress through each area. Although the game does contain a lot of over-the-top action, Umbrella Chronicles still includes plenty of jumpscares and some pretty horrifying enemy types to remind players just how dark and disturbing the world of Resident Evil really can be.
Capcom even included a completely original story which is based in Umbrella’s final research facility in Russia, providing a satisfying end to the downfall of the company that was never really shown in the mainline series. The motion controls for this game are extremely responsive, but the game becomes even more immersive when using the Wii Zapper accessory to help make every shot as accurate as possible. All in all, Umbrella Chronicles is a neat little spin-off game that may not be very long overall, but it’s still a very memorable horror experience for what it is.
4 Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Metacritic User Score: 7.5
- Release Date: December 2009
- Developer: Climax Studios
- Platforms: Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP
Once Team Silent left behind the Silent Hill series after the fourth game, a lot of the entries that came after haven’t been very well received by fans, but Shattered Memories is definitely the one exception to this. Although the game is heavily based on the first game, following Harry in his quest to find his missing daughter, it’s still set in an entirely different universe, which allowed developers Climax Studios to play around with the story a little bit. The game also features a pretty unique test mechanic where the player must answer certain questions given to them in the game’s therapy sessions, and depending on what they pick, various gameplay elements will be changed once they jump back into the experience.
While there’s a pretty big cast of enemies that Harry will face off against during his adventure in the snowy town of Silent Hill, the game places a big emphasis on its chase sequences which are incredibly intense because of how absurdly fast a lot of the enemies are. Because Harry is unable to use a weapon for the entire game, it also creates a very oppressive atmosphere that constantly keeps players on the edge of their seats. The story might not be quite as compelling or memorable as the first game, and some enemies can fall a little flat, but Shattered Memories is still more than scary enough to be considered a Silent Hill game.
Metacritic User Score: 7.6
- Release Date: September 2009
- Developer: EA Redwood Shores
- Platforms: Wii, PlayStation 3
Although the original three Dead Space games focus on Isaac Clarke since he’s the protagonist of the series, Dead Space: Extraction provides a different point of view of how the Marker came to create the dangerous Necromorphs that would eventually infest the Ishimura mining ship. The game itself is an on-rail shooter where players will need to use the Wii remote to dismember the hordes of creepy Necromorphs that oppose them, but along the way, there’s also a ton of audio logs that players can pick up to learn more about the Marker, and where exactly it came from.
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Because the game is a prequel to the first mainline entry, it also includes plenty of very interesting scenes and revelations that fans of the series will find very interesting, such as seeing Nicole’s fate first-hand, and witnessing the outbreak as it happened before Isaac arrives in the USG Kellion. There’s a ton of fun to be had with this terrifying thrill ride of a game, especially for those who are already big fans of the Dead Space universe and who may want to learn a little bit more about the lore and wider story.
2 Obscure: The Aftermath
Metacritic User Score: 7.9
- Release Date: March 2008
- Developer: Hydravision Entertainment
- Platforms: Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP
Obscure: The Aftermath, also simply known as Obscure 2 outside of North America, is a story-driven survival horror game that initially takes place on a university campus where a mysterious drug created from a dangerous flower is slowly infecting the students, turning them into nightmarish monsters. While the university itself is an incredibly unnerving and memorable area thanks to its dark corridors and haunting imagery, the game also takes players through a plethora of other areas after the infection spreads across the entire country, ensuring that the environments never become too stale or boring.
The game also features a pretty large cast of unique characters who feel very believable in the way they interact with one another, constantly chatting and conversing about the ongoing events in the middle of gameplay. Additionally, there are some very distinctive monster designs that are creepy enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine, even the most hardcore horror buffs. Although it only makes limited use of the motion controls, Obscure: The Aftermath is still considered to be a truly underrated gem that horror fans definitely should try out for themselves.
1 Resident Evil 4
Metacritic User Score: 9.1
- Release Date: January 2005
- Developer: Capcom
- Platforms: Wii, GameCube, Xbox 360, Xbox Series S & X, PS4, PS5, PC, Switch
Many Resident Evil fans argue that Resident Evil 4 for the Wii is actually the best way to play the game, and considering the staggering amount of times the game has been ported, that really says something about how amazing it is. As players make their way through a Spanish village in an attempt to rescue the president’s daughter from a mysterious cult, they’ll be forced to take down numerous villagers and cultists who have been corrupted by Las Plagas, a parasite which makes them much stronger and more durable than they were before.
What really makes the Wii version of the game shine so much is how well it integrates the system’s motion controls, making each and every encounter feel extremely tense, especially when the Ganados start grouping up on Leon all at once. Rather than having a laser sight like in other versions, players will now use their motion controls to guide Leon’s reticle before firing at an enemy, which means that staying patient and composed during an encounter becomes absolutely essential, otherwise, it won’t take long before a Game Over screen pops up. Alongside the thrilling gameplay, the wonderful cast of memorable characters and brutal boss enemies also help to make Resident Evil 4 one of the best horror games ever made, but the Wii’s motion controls really do help take it to a whole new level.
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