In the United States, the Wii has often been a repository for mediocre party and fitness games. This is less true in Japan, where Nintendo has published many big budget, critically acclaimed Wii titles. Unfortunately, they have often decided Americans didn’t deserve these games, inspiring an import advocacy group to demand the release of several of them. Nintendo’s refusal to release many games likely to appeal to core gamers on a platform that — in the U.S. — has been lacking in core games has infuriated many.
Of the eight games on this list, three — after a huge clamor and an online campaign by advocacy group Operation Rainfall — were released in the U.S. While Nintendo denies OR’s influence on their decision, five significant games they did not lobby for are forever out of North America’s reach — four from Nintendo, and one third-party game that Nintendo should have offered to publish here. Here’s a look at the lot of them.
Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
What it is — An entry in the eerie survival horror series co-developed by series originator Tecmo and Suda 51, the guy behind the No More Heroes series. The game uses the Wii remote and Nunchuk to aim the spirit-destroying camera and a flashlight.
Creepy survival horror atmosphere.
Good graphics.
Controls are frustratingly slow and awkward.
Running is annoyingly slow.
Interesting fact — Since the game was never released for English speakers, some clever gamers created an English patch for the game.
When it was released — 2008
Where you can play it — Japan Only
What the critics say — Famitsu’s four reviewers gave it 9, 9, 8, 8. Eurogamer gave it 7/10, lauding the atmosphere but complaining bitterly about the sluggish control scheme.
What’s it like — Game Trailer
A game Nintendo thinks America deserved more than this one — Wii Play
Dragon Quest X
What it is — An MMORPG entry in a hugely popular game series.
Great artwork and visuals.
Easy to switch classes (called jobs).
Requires a monthly fee.
Zones are small.
When it was released in Japan: — 2012
Where you can play it — Japan. While it was supposed to come to the rest of the world, on the Wii and then on the Wii U, Japan is the only place it has ever been released.
What the critics say — Famitsu’s four reviewers each gave it a 9/10.
What’s it like — Game Trailer
A game Square Enix thinks America deserved more than this one — Pony Friends 2
Fatal Frame Deep Crimson Butterfly
What it is — A Wii remake of Fatal Frame II.
Scary and unnerving visuals and gameplay.
Improved controls over previous title in the series.
Good story.
Combat becomes unbalanced in the player’s favor as the game progress, making it easy.
Voice acting can be dull at times.
When it was released — 2012
Where you can play it — Japan, Europe, Australia
Interesting fact — The game inspired an Operation Rainfall copycat group called Operation Zero.
What the critics say — Famitsu’s four reviewers gave it 8, 9, 8, 9. Metacritic gives it 77%. Reviewers have reported that its controls are an improvement over the previous Wii Fatal Frame game.
A game Nintendo thinks America deserved more than this one — Wii Music
Another Code R: A Journey Into Lost Memories
What it is — A sequel to the DS game Trace Memory. It is billed as being like reading a mystery novel and sounds like it is essentially a puzzle-driven adventure game.
Nice graphics and details to characters and locations.
Interface is intuitive.
Slow pacing.
Dialogue-heavy, and the dialogue is uninspired.
When it was released — 2009
Where you can play it — Japan, Europe
What the critics say — The four Famitsu critics gave a combined score of 28/40, which averages to 7. The metacritic aggregate score is 66/100. Many critics were particularly impressed with the game’s use of the Wii remote in its puzzles.
A game Nintendo thinks America deserved more than this one — FlingSmash
Disaster: Day of Crisis
What it is — An action adventure game in which you must survive natural disasters while battling terrorists and saving civilians.
Exciting and unpredictable gameplay.
Has big ideas and ambition.
Dialogue is poor.
Feels like a mish-mash of games.
Pacing can be slow.
Where you can play it — Japan, Europe, and Australia
What the critics say — Famitsu’s four reviewers scored it 9, 9, 8, 8. Western publications have ranged from 8/10 from IGN to 5/10 from Gamespot.
What’s it like — Game Trailer
A game Nintendo thinks America deserved more than this one — Samurai Warriors 3
Pandora’s Tower
SUCCESS — Was released in North America in Spring 2013.
Story is interesting and engaging.
Atmospheric and engrossing — and gross — at times.
Combat with the sword is limited and repetitive.
Camera angles can obscure enemies, leaves you vulnerable.
What it is — An action role-playing game from Ganbarion. This doesn’t have the stellar credentials of the other games — Ganbarion is most notable for making games based on the One Piece anime series. But the trailer looks really cool.
When it was released — 2011
Where you can play it — Japan only. It apparently was demoed in France, raising the possibility that it will come to Europe.
What the critics say — Famitsu’s four reviewers gave it 7, 7, 9, 8
A game Nintendo thinks America deserved more than this one — Pokemon Battle Revolution
Xenoblade Chronicles
SUCCESS — Released in the U.S. on April 6, 2012.
Great music soundtrack.
Game world is enormous and visually exciting.
Combat and progress through the game can feel too scripted.
Characters and dialogue are hackneyed.
Inventory management is a pain.
What it is — A role-playing game from Monolith Soft, the developers of the Xenosaga series.
When it was released in Japan — 2010
Where you can play it — Japan and Europe
What the critics say — Each of Japanese magazine Famitsu’s four reviewers each gave it a 9/10, similar to the 92 score on review aggregate site Metacritic.
What’s it like: — Game Trailer
The Last Story
SUCCESS — Released in the U.S. on August 14, 2012.
Villain characters enliven the game.
Storyline is engaging.
Great visuals.
Protagonist characters tend to be flat.
Combat can be frustrating and imprecise.
What it is — An action role-playing game from Hironobu Sakaguchi, the man who created the Final Fantasy series. This is the first game he is credited on as director since Final Fantasy VI.
When it was released in Japan — 2011
What the critics say — Famitsu’s four reviewers split; two gave it a perfect 10, the other two gave it a 9.
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