by Chris Pine

Created on: March 21, 2010

One of the most interesting developments in the video game world over the past year or two has been the Wii Homebrew community. A group of hackers figured out how to exploit a hole in the Wii’s software so that homebrewed games (games created by fans) could be installed and played. Since that time, thousands of games have been made, many of which are directly downloadable from the Wii. Most of them aren’t very good, but a few of them are quite intriguing. Here is a rundown of some Wii Homebrew games and apps you should definitely download.

1. SNES Emulator

This simple homebrewed app will open up a whole world of games to you. It can emulate almost every game that you remember playing back on the SNES. This means you can play F-Zero, Super Mario World, and Super Metroid all over again!

2. N64 Emulator

This is the same idea as the SNES Emulator, except with an even more powerful console. The prospect of playing The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time (widely regarded as the best video game of all time) would make the mouth of any video game fan water.  

3. Duck Hunt

This classic game is a perfect fit for the Wii, since you can easily use the Wii remote as a pistol. What really makes this version of the game intriguing is that you can finally shoot the dog when he laughs at you!

4. Wii Paint

Why didn’t Nintendo think of this themselves? Use your Wii remote to make broad paint strokes across your television screen. Why get your hands and clothes covered in paint when you can make a beautiful piece of art on your Wii?

5. Wii Chess

This game of strategy is a fantastic contribution to the homebrew game community. With gorgeous reflective graphics, it’s unlikely that you have ever played with a better looking chess set.

6. Super Mario War

This is like a slimmed down version of Smash Bros. Each player controls a Mario character, and the goal is to stomp the other player as many times as possible. There are over 1000 maps and a wide variety of game modes, including: Get The Chicken, Capture the Flag, and Domination.

7. Helium Boy

This is a completely original platform game inspired by the old school classic Balloon Fight. You must control a boy who is holding some balloons filled with helium. You can float around, collect stars, and avoid the bad guys.

Excellent Homebrew games on the Wii may be few and far between, but they are definitely there if you are willing to poke around and look for them. The best part about these games is that they are all completely free. Once you’ve hacked your Wii to allow these homebrew games to be installed, the possibilities are endless.  

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