The best family Wii games of all time

What are the best family wii games? When it comes to computer game consoles the Nintendo Wii is popular the world over and it is easy to see why. Whilst the Nintendo Wii may not have the same awesome graphics, great sound and game titles of the Xbox 360 you have to remember that not everyone who enjoys playing computer games are hardcore gamers, and that most casual gamers want to play computer games for a bit of light entertainment.

The Nintendo Wii is not a hardcore gamers console, so to compare the Wii's sound, graphics, playability and titles to the Xbox 360 simply isn't fair. The thing that makes the Nintendo Wii so good is the fact that it is so enjoyable to play and it is a consol that will bring the whole family together.

A good family game is one that the whole family can play together and enjoy. Good family games are ones that allow your five year old brother to go head to head with your ninety year old gran, and both of them have a chance of winning.

Good family games should be easy to understand and simple to play. After all, if you can't get to grips with the controls you aren't going to enjoy playing the game right? A good family game is a game that takes a few seconds to learn how to play and get used to.

The graphics, sound and realism of a game makes no difference when it comes to family games. In fact, most of the time the simpler the graphics the better. Young children, and most casual gamers for that matter, prefer to control cute and colourful made up characters than a human being that looks too life like. In the world of family games the cartoon style characters are usually the favourites.

A good family game should be free of blood, violence, gore and bad language. Whilst granny may know all the profanities used I very much doubt she wants to hear them when playing a computer game. Similarly, younger gamers do not need to be introduced to such things at an early age. So, none of these features are found in family games. If you like an onscreen blood bath, that's fine just make sure yo play those sorts of games by yourself or with your mates, and not during a family gathering.

Enough of what makes a good family game and now on to the top family games for the Wii. After months of experimenting and game playing, all of which has been very hard work, I consider the following games to be the best Wii family games of all time.

Carnival Games

In my opinion Carnival Games is one of the best family Wii games currently available and this package of party games has provided hours of entertainment for the whole family. Carnival Games consists of over 20 different "fun fair" type games, all of which are very easy to learn which makes it perfect for all family members, regardless of age.

The Carnival Games collection consists of the most popular carnival games such as the shooting gallery, ring toss, nerves of steel, frog leap, dunk tank, clown splash, hoops and lucky cups amongst many more. As well as the classic carnival games there are also the classic carnival prizes (over 250 of them) and there is something really satisfying about winning a virtual goldfish in a bag.

If you want one of the best family Wii games of all time then step right up and buy Carnival Games.

If after reading my review about Carnival Games you are still not sure and need a bit more convincing check out some of the game play, as below, courtesy of Youtube.

Carnival Games is an awesome family game that is perfect for the whole family. Carnival Games is nothing but fun, fun, fun.

Family Feud

If you are like me and think that bringing a bit of controversy and competition makes the best family Wii game I am sure you will agree that Family Feud is one of the best family Wii games around.

In Family Feud you can either team up with family members or go head to head with them. This game consists of over 2,000 survey questions that were posed to 100 people. Family Feud features the best parts of the TV show, including "Face off", "Stealing" and "Fast Money". Family Feud is not ideal for younger children but it is perfect for the teenagers and grownups once the "little ones" have gone to bed. There are many Family Feud type games for the Wii but this is the best one by far.

Family Feud really is a good family Wii game that will spark off some debate and friendly competition. If you want to see some actual game play footage take a look at the following clip, courtesy of Youtube. As you will soon see, Family Feud is a game that will keep the family entertained for hours.

Mario Kart was first released back in 1992 on the SNES, where it became an instant hit. In fact, Mario Kart is the third best selling game for the SNES of all time, and it is easy to see why. Mario Kart is a simple racing game whereby the players simply race their karts around a number of different circuits in a bid to be the the first kart over the finish line. Many famous and popular Nintendo characters make an appearance in Mario Kart, such as Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Princess Peach and Toad to name but a few, and you can be any one of these you choose.

So, the most entertaining and fun racing game is available on the Nintendo Wii and it is bigger and more popular today than it was when it was first released. Luckily, Mario Kart has not been revamped or changed in any way and it is exactly the same as the original SNES version. The rules are the same, the characters are the same, the karts are the same, in fact very little has changed. Nintendo could have messed about with the Wii version of Mario Kart and ruined it, but fortuantely they didn't and the decision to release the game exactly as it was on the SNES was the best decision.

Mario Kart is the ultimate family game and one that will have all family members enetertained for hours on end. As with all family activities there will be a lot of competition, a lot of cries of "foul play" and lots of banter, especially when karts are wiped out by one of the many weapons you pick up along the way.

So, if you are looking for the ultimate family game to play at all family gatherings Mario Kart is the one and it is a game all Nintendo Wii owners should have.

Mario Kart is a game that I would highly recommend and one that all Wii owners should have in their games collection. If you want the ultimate family game then this has to be it.

If you want to see just how good Mario Kart is and want to see actual game play check out this clip.

Number two in the list of the best family games for the Nintendo Wii ever is yet another Mario based game, and this one is Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games. In the days of old Nintendo and Sega were arch enemies and fought tooth and nail to be the market leader in the games console world. However, things changed and with Sega deciding to focus on making games rather than producing games consoles Nintendo and Sega have teamed up to produce this excellent family game.

Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games is a game that focuses on the various olympic events, including various track events (such as the 100m dash and the hurdles), various field events (such as the hammer and javelin), various swimming events (such as diving) and various gymnastic events (such as trampolining) amongst much, much more.

With this game you not only have access to several famous Nintendo characters, such as Mario, Luigi, Toad, Donkey Kong, Peach and many more, you also have access to several famous Sega characters, such as Sonic, Tails, Robotnik, Vector and many more. Classic Nintendo characters are great, as are classic Sega characters but when you have access to all characters in the same game it is simply awesome.

Mario & Sonic At The Olympic games is great fun to play and suitable for people of all ages.The graphics are very good, the colours are bright and vibrant and the game play is entertaining. On the whole, the controls are easy to learn and pick up however some of the events require some time and practice as you need to have good co-ordination and timing. The more difficult events are best avoided when playing Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games with the family. This is another game that will get all players on their feet and shouting at the screen, which is always good.

With the London Olympics due to start in the summer of 2012 there is a new Mario & Sonic At The Olympics out, but this is not that much different than this game. With a new game released this one is going to be an even better buy as the price is sure to plummet in the next few weeks.

If you want to check out some actual Mario & Sonic At The Olympics game play footage, have a look at this clip.

Another game of the Mario genre, but this one also includes all the classic and retro Sega characters as well. Another game that comes highly recommended and one that will keep the family entertained for hours on end.

The games that always seem to come out of the cupboard during family gatherings and parties are quizz games, such as Trivial Pursuit and the like. It seems that everyone wants to test their brain power and general knowledge against their family members and there is a lot of pride at stake in doing so. Trivial Pursuit has been the cause of many family disagreements and arguments at family functions, yet it gets played time and time again.

The best family quiz game available for the Nintendo Wii is Smarty Pants, This game claims to be suitable for players aged eight to eighty, which means everyone can have a go. The best thing about Smarty Pants is the questions are aimed specifically for the player whose turn it is, and since you enter the age of each player the computer can ask suitable questions for that player. The technology in this game is brilliant and it is the only quiz game where everyone is on a level playing field.

The range and breadth of questions included in this game is huge and very impressive and when a player takes their turn the questions come thick and fast, so you have to stay on your toes. When you play Trivial Pursuit there is always someone who has swotted up on the questions before hand, however this is not possible when playing Smarty Pants and a random question really is a random question.

There's no doubt about it, quiz games are great for family parties and Smarty Pants is no exception. So rather than dusting off the Trivial Pursuit and other board games get Smarty Pants and let's see who really is the most intelligent and not who has been bothered to swot up on all the questions.

Dancing is another activity that all the family enjoy. Get the family together, play some music and everyone will be up on their feet shaking their thing in no time at all, so it only seems right that at number three of the best family games for the Nintendo Wii is Just Dance.

Just Dance is a simple game that involves selecting your favourite song from the many included tracks, setting the game going and then shadowing the moves of the on screen dancer. As you groove away and copy the moves you will earn points, the amount of which depend on accurate you are and how good your timing is. The aim of the game is to get as many points as you can, and the winner is obviously the one with the most amount of points. Dance offs are good fun and Just Dance provides the perfect opportunity to have a dance off with your family members.

The good thing about Just Dance is that it can be as energetic or as relaxed as you want it to be, which makes it suitable for people of all ages and dancing abilities. With this game you can really throw yourself in or you can be a bit more sedate, it is entirely up to you.

The original Just Dance was released back in 2009 and proved to be such a big success that Just Dance 2 was released in 2010 with a third game in the series, called Just Dance 3 released in 2011. On the whole, all the games are similar however they all have different music tracks and they all have different dances. As a result of the success of Just Dance there have been many other dance off games released, although the original Just Dance is still the best.

Just Dance is quite difficult to explain. If you want to see exactly what this game is like I suggest you take a look at this clip and see for yourself.

All the versions of Just Dance are great fun and worth buying. So, if you want a dance off with your family members these are the games to get.

How frequently do you play air guitar to your favourite tracks? Come on admit it, we all do it right? If you have ever fancied yourself as a lead guitarist (or bass guitarist for that matter) of a rock band but cannot play the guitar the Guitar Hero series are the Wii games for you. With Guitar Hero you can rock out to your favourite tunes, all in the comfort of your own home. S be prepared to challenge your family members and have a "play off" to win points and become the best guitarist.

There are several Guitar Hero games available, all of which work in the same way, but all of which have different tracks. Some Guitar Hero games, such as Guitar Heroes 3, only allows two players to go head to head, but other Guitar Hero games, such as World Tour allows up to four family members to go head to head. The two player version is good but if you really want to enjoy the Guitar Hero experience the four player games are the way to go.

The problem with four players is you are going to need four separate guitar controllers to allow everyone to have a go at the same time. The guitar controllers are not only expensive but they are also quite large and will take up a bit of room when they are not being used. However, despite the shortcomings you really do need to get the four player games. If cost is an issue, keep a look out on ebay and amazon for some secondhand guitar controllers. Since many people will play Guitar Hero for a few weeks and then give up you will often find several used guitar controllers for sale.

For the ultimate music game the whole family can enjoy Guitar Hero has to be top of the list and is well worth buying.

Guitar Hero starts off simple and gets very difficult. If you want to see how fast you need to be to get a score in any of the Guitar Hero games check out this little dude. What a rock star!

If you own a Nintendo Wii the chances are you will already own Wii Sports. To really get the most out of Wii sports and make it even more life like there are some top accessories you can get, as detailed below. Since it is the Wii remote that is the "brains" behind the accessories and all they do is house the remote none of the accessories are that expensive. Despite their simplistic design these accessories do make game play more enjoyable.

When the Nintendo Wii was first released it was sold with Wii Sports, and to this day Wii Sports remains one of the best family games for the Wii of all time, so at number four is Wii Sports.

Out of all the family games for the Nintendo Wii this game is the simplest of them all. Stick the game in the console and turn it on, grab the Wiimote controller and you will be up to speed in a matter of seconds. The controls of each and every game are so basic and easy to pick up you won't have any problems whatsoever, neither will your five year old brother or your ninety year old gran. If you want to introduce your extended family to the Wii and what it can do then Wii Sports is the game with which to do it.

Wii Sports consists of five mini sports games including ten pin bowling, golf, tennis, baseball and boxing. Wii Sports was released to show the true potential of the Wiimote' sensor. Even though Wii Sports is simple it was well received by critics and gamers alike, and it soon became the best selling game of all time and even outsold Super Mario Bros. There have been more than 75million copies of Wii Sports sold world wide to date, so it really is a top selling Wii game.

So, there we have it. If you want some great Wii games the whole family can play at family events that are simple, fun, entertaining and likely to stoke up a bit of competition then the Wii games above are the ones to go for.

For the best deals on Nintendo Wii games, and all things Wii related make sure you check out Amazon as there are loads of bargains to be had, and we all like saving a bit of money right?

Check out below for some hot Wii titles, or if oyu can't find what you are looking for try the search facility.

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What Nintendo Wii game does your family enjoy playing together at family gatherings? Have you got any other great family games to try?

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