Top 10 Hardest Nintendo Wii Games

The survival horror is not to be entered lightly, it seems. A rail shooter, “The Darkside Chronicles” serves as a revised rendition of the events of “Resident Evil 2” and “Resident Evil Code: Veronica” - but with increasingly difficult foes. The standard zombies, additional virus-mutated creatures and near-invulnerable bosses from games past are here relentless and brutal in their potential for damage. Factor in split-second prompts to dodge attacks lest your character get injured, and you have a game designed to put new players to the test.

Sporting a sentient blob of mercury as its hero, this puzzle game takes an intriguing approach to level design. Each of the ten melting labs in “Mercury Meltdown Revolution”, themselves containing sixteen stages apiece, is based around a scientific field. The stages are built to test the player's patience and reinforce a particular lesson, via the scattering of puzzles such as pressure switches and coloured-coded exits. Thus, players are taught to adopt specific ways of thinking in order to succeed, which can be at once frustrating and cathartic.

Are you ready to start the surgery? An enhanced remake of a Nintendo DS title, “Trauma Center: Second Opinion” builds on the core tenants of its predecessor: simulated surgical operations requiring precise on-screen manoeuvres. Here, the delicate balance between carefully conducting surgery by way of Wii Remote movement and trying to keep a given patient's vitals stable provides the primary source of challenge. At least the game grants players the tools and information necessary to operate... though that doesn't prevent some scenarios from reaching nerve-wracking extremes.

Beware the Red Marker, and all that it summons. 2009's “Dead Space: Extraction” serves as a prequel to the original “Dead Space”, going into gruesome detail about the exact circumstances behind the devastation of the USG Ishimura. To that end, it delivers on a healthy stream of relentless enemies in the form of the Necromorphs, horrifically-mutated corpses that can only be killed by severing their limbs. That singular weakness, matched by the Necromorphs' natural persistence and the close-quarters nature of the game's combat, ensures players are always on their toes and working for their survival.

The Wii was certainly no stranger to rail shooters... though this went a bit further. Think, Star Fox meets Bullet Hell. Picking up years after the events of the Nintendo 64 cult classic “Sin & Punishment”, the game follows Isa Jo, a young man driven into conflict against his employers The Creators. In terms of gameplay, “Star Successor” has players shooting, manoeuvring and dodging enemies while also contending with deadly environmental hazards and increasingly ruthless bosses. It's telling that Hard Mode has the warning, “You will be punished”.

Even on its easiest mode, the game doesn't hold back. “Blast Works” is a scrolling shooter in which the player commands an aircraft that absorbs the pieces of destroyed enemies as both extra weapons and shields. Despite this degree of armament, the game itself proves a healthy challenge by way of its enemies having varied attack patterns, and by said weapons and hardware not being indestructible. Topped off by a complex editor packed in with the core game, this is an experience not lacking for difficulty.

Good to see the hard adventure games of yesteryear have a worthy successor. “Zack & Wiki” follows its titular duo, a young pirate and his monkey friend, in their mission to find Treasure Island. To that end, Zack and Wiki explore various locales – with the player having to solve environmental puzzles to progress. Said puzzles rely on transforming enemies into items via Wii Remote, interacting with context-sensitive item and paying attention to subtle clues in order to progress to each level's treasure chest. Everything comes down to a mix of observation and problem-solving, two values which we respect greatly.

The Blue Bomber's return made for quite the challenging experience, as befitting the series' legacy. “Mega Man 9” embodies the earlier games' 8-bit side-scrolling platforming, with constantly respawning robot foes and instantly-fatal hazards, though much more frequent than prior games. What results is a classic-feeling game that consistently throws difficulty-boosting obstacles in the player's path, from the varied Robot Master bosses to the design of levels. Everything is built to destroy Mega Man, and thus it becomes all the more rewarding to guide him to victory.

Originally created by Rare, the “Donkey Kong Country” series spent many years in slumber. But in 2010, that changed when Retro Studios brought us “Donkey Kong Country Returns”, a Wii title designed to both revive and revitalize the brand. Thus, gamers are faced with a colourful and stylized world... wrapped around side-scroller gameplay where animal enemies hurt with one touch and pitfalls are not far on the horizon. From its instant-death rocket levels to those FUCKING ROCKET BARREL LEVELS, all signs point to a deliberate effort to make the experience as traditionally hard as possible.

Before we unveil our top pick, here an honorable mention:

“Deadly Creatures” (2009)

Cautious action is advised here. “Radiant Dawn”, the tenth “Fire Emblem” game, builds upon previous instalments' design – namely a turn-based strategy experience on a grid-based map. On top of carefully plotting moves and keeping in mind the threat of permanent death, players also have to contend with new features such as Dark Magic and elevation advantages. Though mid-battle saving is an option, it still stands that the complexities and various dynamic elements of “Radiant Dawn” are a grand challenge by design.

Do you agree with our list? What do you feel is the hardest game on the Wii? For more tense Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.