10 Wii classics that deserve a place on Switch Online
Nintendo’s Switch Online library has expanded with GameCube titles through the Expansion Pack, making the Wii an obvious candidate for a similar preservation effort. Its catalogue includes inventive Nintendo releases, unusual third-party experiments and several games that remain difficult to revisit on modern consoles.
These ten Wii games would give Australian players another reason to explore the system’s broader legacy. They also show why a strong arcade and gaming news archive should look beyond the best-known releases.
10. Excite Truck
Released: 19 November 2006
Monster Games’ arcade-style racer puts players behind the wheel of powerful pickup trucks, racing through striking environments around the world and beyond. Nitro boosts send vehicles over hills, while changing island terrain keeps each event unpredictable. The game was followed by Excitebots: Trick Racing in 2009, which focused even more heavily on aerial stunts. A remaster or new sequel would be welcome, but a Switch Online release would also give this short-lived series another opportunity.
9. Dawn of Discovery
Released: 22 May 2009
Known as Anno: Create a New World outside North America and related to the PC title Anno 1404, this Wii city builder was adapted by Keen Games and published by Ubisoft. Its interface and visuals were simplified for consoles, but the satisfying cycle of planning, construction and expansion remained intact. The Wii edition handled the game’s scale more comfortably than the similar DS version. Ubisoft did not produce a sequel, yet this accessible strategy title would fit neatly into a subscription library.
8. Little King’s Story
Released: 22 April 2009
Developed by Cing with Town Factory, Little King’s Story combines real-time strategy with a colourful kingdom-building adventure. Players guide a young cartoon king, explore new territory, fight monsters, complete tasks for citizens and gather resources to grow the realm. Xseed Games later published a Steam version, but the game remains less visible on consoles than it deserves to be.
7. The Dog Island
Released: 26 April 2007
Yuke’s brought an unusually gentle adventure to the Wii with The Dog Island, the third game in its series and the first released outside Japan. Players select a puppy breed before travelling through cosy environments, helping other dogs and dealing with minor dangers using tiny barks. Its calm presentation suits younger players, while the surprisingly substantial adventure gives it more depth than a simple pet simulator.
6. Fortune Street
Released: 1 December 2011
The Wii edition of Square Enix’s long-running Itadaki Street series introduced many Western players to its board-game formula. Nintendo and Dragon Quest characters compete to build wealth, buy spaces and disrupt opponents in matches that share some DNA with Monopoly. Its lively cast and strategic property play made it distinctive, even though the game did not attract widespread Western enthusiasm. A subscription release could give it a larger audience.
5. The Last Story
Released: 27 January 2011
Mistwalker’s action RPG reached North America after a fan campaign known as Operation Rainfall helped draw attention to several at-risk Japanese role-playing games. Xseed Games published it after Nintendo declined the opportunity. Its combat system, music and story earned a positive overall response, despite some shortcomings that stopped it from reaching universal acclaim. Directed and co-written by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series, it remains an important Wii role-playing game.
4. Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Released: 9 April 2009
Vanillaware’s action RPG combines responsive controls and demanding combat with richly drawn fantasy artwork. It launched as a Wii exclusive before receiving a Vita port titled Muramasa Rebirth. Some players may find its combat loop repetitive over time, but its visual design remains exceptional. With Muramasa: Revenant Blades scheduled to retell the story in February 2027, making the original easier to access would be a sensible way to revisit its foundations.
3. Punch-Out!!
Released: 18 May 2009
Next Level Games’ Punch-Out!! was the last proper solo outing for Little Mac. The boxer faces familiar opponents including Glass Joe, King Hippo and Super Macho Man in fast, colourful bouts that echo the NES classic Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!. Nintendo has continued to use Little Mac in crossover appearances, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but a return to the ring through Switch Online would be particularly fitting.
2. Dokapon Kingdom
Released: 31 July 2008
Sting and Atlus created a multiplayer role-playing board game built around rivalry, luck and deliberate mischief. Players travel across a fantasy map, defeat monsters to gain levels, capture cities and occasionally duel one another. Losing can mean a humiliating new hairstyle or an even harsher setback. The 2023 release Dokapon Kingdom: Connect brought a remastered version to PC and Switch, but the original Wii game would still suit a shared subscription catalogue.
1. Elebits
Released: 2 December 2006
Konami’s early Wii release is known as Eledees in Australia and Europe. Players search houses and other compact environments for tiny creatures that resemble mischievous versions of Pikmin. Although the first-person view can suggest a shooter, the main activity is rearranging furniture and manipulating objects to uncover the creatures. As the elebits absorb more energy, players gain new ways to interact with the environment and progress through each stage. Its inventive use of the Wii Remote makes it an excellent candidate for a modern re-release.
Why these Wii games still matter
This selection covers arcade racing, city building, strategy, role-playing, action, party play and experimental motion controls. It also includes games from Nintendo, Konami, Ubisoft, Square Enix, Atlus and smaller specialist teams, showing how varied the Wii library could be.
Some of these titles already have ports or remasters, while others remain tied closely to older hardware. For players building a dedicated home setup, the same interest in accessible controls and multiplayer play can be explored through arcade machines, bartop arcades and the practical advice in RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide.
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