Between Nintendo's freshly minted Wii console plus the launch of the sleeker, slicker handheld system known as the Nintendo DS Lite, a lot of games have come available in a year-end blitz, each vying for your attention. Here are some of the best offerings.

Wii Titles

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
From: Nintendo
Price: $59.99 Cdn | $49.99 USD
Rated T for Teen

Years in the making, this newest entry in one of Nintendo's most recognizable franchises pulls out all the stops on the Wii, requiring players to get good and comfortable with the system's innovative remote-and-nunchuk gyroscopic controller thingy while making the most of its next generation graphics. Players swing their remote to make hero Link slash and stab enemies onscreen, and when he (spoiler alert!) transforms into a wolf, similar motions will be used to swipe at enemies with his claws. It may well end up being the game that determines the system's fate.

Trauma Center: Second Opinion
From: Atlus
Price: $54.99 Cdn | $49.99 USD
Rated T for Teen

Another genuinely innovative employment of the oddball Wii-mote and nunchuk attachment, Trauma Center: Second Opinion has you playing as a rookie surgeon of the future, which makes remote control surgery seem plausible, while deft handling of things like a scalpel, laser, defibrillator etc., is paramount. Sounds serious, but the game's storyline is actually hilarious, too. A solid showcase of Wii's alternative gaming potential.

Madden NFL 07
From: EA Sports
Price: $56.99 Cdn | $49.99 USD
Rated E for Everyone

Re-tooled specifically for the Wii remote (Wii-verse engineered?), Madden NFL 07 lets players throw and hike by making the appropriate gestures -- and football fans are well at home with making pointed gestures at their TV sets anyway. No online mode, but includes Wii-exclusive multiplayer games -- easily the best football bet for Nintendo’s new console (also the only one).

ExciteTruck
From: Nintendo
Price: $64.99 Cdn | $54.99 USD
Rated E for Everyone

Though perhaps a little shy on tracks and vehicles, ExciteTruck, for all its seeming simplicity is one of the most engaging and entertaining Wii games available. Totally ridiculous, turbo-injected off road racing with mile-high jumps, transmogrifying tracks and smash-'em-all power-ups, all controlled brilliantly with the motion-sensing Wii-mote held sideways like the cross bar of a steering wheel - or, better said, the yoke of a plane for all the time you'll spend in the air.

Need for Speed Carbon
From: EA
Price: $56.99 Cdn | $49.99 USD
Rated E10+ for Everyone 10+

Steer by classical analog control or by tilting the nunchuk, the latest in EA’s blistering-fast street racing franchise, Need for Speed Carbon, looks great on the Wii despite its lower graphical prowess (compared to the 360 or PS3) and the AutoSculpt option finally lets players create their cars from scratch -- the ultimate pimp-my-ride. Plus, Canyon tracks are back!

Wii Sports
From: Nintendo
Price: $Free
Rated E for Everyone

It's the game that comes with the system, but it may well be all you need to start having a blast right away. Wii Sports is actually a collection of games designed to make use of the Wii's unique controller, including baseball, boxing, golf, tennis, and bowling. The games aren't particularly deep or complex (what do you expect in a freebie?), but they're good for some communal, goofball fun if with several players (so go buy additional Wii-motes, too). Plus, they'll whet your whistles for the more sophisticated games based on each sport that are sure to follow.

DS Titles

Elite Beat Agents
From: Nintendo
Price: $36.99 Cdn | $34.99 USD
Rated E10+ for Everyone 10+

This is about as good as rhythm-based games get, particularly for handhelds. It makes no sense whatsoever, but Elite Beat Agents' top-shelf, tap-to-the-beat gameplay, awesome comic-style cinematics, and good range of licensed music makes it all a lot of fun. It takes a lot of getting used to, but once you do you're in for some long term play-time. Includes four difficulty levels and multiplayer.

Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime
From: Square Enix
Price: $34.99 Cdn | $29.99 USD
Rated E for Everyone

The adorable, blue Hershey’s-Kiss-shaped bouncing blobs of Dragon Quest fame get a title of their own in Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, a game of cartoon vengeance with big, bulbous tanks, excellent candy-colored visuals, rock-solid gameplay, bad-pun dialogue to burn, and some epically hectic multiplayer modes. Take the blue pill, Coppertop!

Pokemon Ranger
From: Nintendo
Price: $39.99 Cdn | $29.99 USD
Rated E for Everyone

Same old Pokemon phenomena, brand new twist. Pokemon Ranger let's you capture the perennially capture-worthy Pokee-dudes with the DS stylus. The game's pro-eco stance and unmitigated syrupiness adds to the Pokemon mythology nicely. Like it needed more syrup.

Yoshi’s Island DS
From: Nintendo
Price: $36.99 Cdn | $29.99 USD
Rated E for Everyone

Following up on the previous Yoshi’s Island games (on earlier Nintendo platforms) was probably a tough job, but it had to be done, because Yoshi fans are always begging for more. New to DS, Yoshi’s Island DS features brilliant visuals and environments in 40+ levels. The ability to employ the skills of Mario-ettes -- like Baby Mario, Baby Donkey Kong and Baby Princess Peach (on top of Yoshi's) -- help keep the experience fresh.

The Sad and Unspectacular


Sadly, quite a few unspectacular games came out to coincide with the Wii launch, games that may have innovative intentions, but just come off as rushed. Unless you see them in the bargain-bin on the cheap, avoid the likes of Red Steel (Ubisoft), Monster 4X4: World Circuit (Ubisoft), GT Pro Series (Ubisoft), Open Season (Ubisoft), Happy Feet (Warner Bros.), Altered Beast (Sega), Rampage: Total Destruction (Midway), and Avatar: The Last Airbender (THQ).

Out for the holidays on Nintendo DS, a great many titles are trying to cash in the movie and TV licenses they're based on. The kids they're intended for might be fooled -- or blinded by the branding, at least --, but for all their screen fame, Flushed Away (D3), Happy Feet (Warner Bros.), Tom and Jerry Tales (Warner Bros.), Justice League Heroes (Warner Bros.), Charlottes Web (Sega), and SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab (THQ) are not good games.

Also See:

• Cream of the year-end crop '06: Windows PC games


• Cream of the year-end crop '06: PlayStation games


• Cream of the year-end crop '06: Xbox 360 games