Topic: Best looking games

The other day I had some friends round for a bit of a gaming session. The first games we played were R: Racing (a Namco racer linked to the Ridge Racer series) and F-Zero GX. The comments I got were "wow I had no idea the Wii could do such good graphics" - the thing is these were GameCube games - from 2003!

Now it has never occurred to me before about these games having exceptional graphics today - at the time maybe, but not today. However I noticed they did have nice game models, high detailed backgrounds with no pop up, crisp (but not blocky) textures and lots of detail after this was pointed out to me.

This got me thinking - what Wii games look amazing visually? The ones that came to mind was Twilight Princess, Resident Evil 4, the Metroid Prime games, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros Brawl. The thing is two of those are GameCube ports (3 if you count the Metroid Prime games).

I basically want to know why GameCube games from 2003 are impressing people wheras actual Wii games from today are not. Is it lazyness from developers today to not manage the Wii's hardware correctly to gain a better performance out of it as they did with the GameCube? Am I just overlooking a number of titles? Everyone says The Coduit looks great - but compare it to the original Metroid Prime and it looks like piss.

It's true. Some of the earliest Gamecube games from 2002 and 2003

• The Wind Waker
• Super Mario Sunshine
• Starfox Adventures
• F-Zero GX

have better graphics than most new Wii titles.

The most gorgeous Nintendo game to date has to be Super Mario Galaxy. Super smash Bros. is nice as well.

But if you see what Wind waker and Metroid Prime did in 2003 they are amazing as well.

As a GameCube game Twilight Princess is great as well. And even as a Wii game it's got a lot of atmosphere compensating for the lack on the technical side.

Metriod Prime enough said

Its always find it odd what games some people are impressed with visually. I guess its because its a very subjective thing... but still. I know my Dad in particular is never really interested in games but for some reason when I got him interested in "Tiger Woods PGA Tour '10" he spent about half the time ranting about "how good the graphics are".

Personally I tend to disagree with that, I don't like realism unless it can be done properly (i.e. give it to a render farm), to me art has more value.You can play a game with good art and forget about the fact that the Wii is "under-powered" and is only outputting 480p. Metriod Prime, Twilight Princess, Brawl Super Mario Galaxy manage that with good tech and art. Games like Zack & Wiki, Super Paper Mario, Swords and Soldiers, the Bit Trip games and Geometry Wars also manage it but more by knowing what sort of styles (retro and toon) work well on the system. Hell, even the original Super Mario Bros looks "better" than some modern games IMO

Wario Land: Shake It!

Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime, Okami

I'm no graphics wh**re but it does seem a shame that everything on the Wii could be done on a gamecube, but then GC graphics are good enough for me so long as the games rock As for the question is it the developers being lazy, well yes ,some are lazy as they know their game will sell to kids and mums regardless but even the games that claim to push the Wii to it's limits don't look like anything that couldn't be done on a GC (see Resi 4 and Rouge Squadron).I know it's supposedly more powerful but I've yet to see any evidence in practise (unless someone can put me right on that score ). The thing that Wii developers need to learn is that the Wii can't compete with the other consoles in terms of raw graphics but with a bit of love in the art direction department they can make beautiful games run on the Wii (see LKS, SMG etc). I don't mean that this makes 'adult' games impossible on Wii but a think a more stylised approach works well and differentiates it from it's 360/PS3 counterparts so that along with the unique control scheme they also get a unique looking game.

Super Mario sunshine had some of the best looking water graphics I have ever seen. I personally think that that game had better water graphics then any Wii game so far.

the conduit has better graphics than prime! are you blind or what? but i think super mario galaxy has some great graphics, better than halo, gears, and such! mario galaxy had colorful vibrant graphics! and have you played army of 2... the water looks like plastic!

Super Mario Galaxy. I think that game has the best wii graphics, from what I have played.

um, in terms of art no, in terms of the graphical capability yes. but put in mind that mario has to look cartoony, cause if they made him look real... well it would suck!

and yes army of twos water dose look like plastic!

@ballkirby1 - Klonoa also has some fantastic water graphics and plenty of charm too.

This is lightly off-topic, but I believe KH 358/2 Days will have the best DS graphics I"ve ever seen.

I have played Final Fantasy The Crystal Bearers for Wii on the Gamescom and that one looked like a 360 game.
Definately the best graphics on the Wii by now. Much stuff happening on screen at once, sharp, vibrant and very detailed.
I thought it was outstanding. (Since it was all translated to German I hope for a 2009 EU release)

That game does look fantastic, but check out Monster Hunter 3. I couldn't tell the difference!

For GCN, the best looking games I've seen are Wind Waker and the Metroid Prime series.
For Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, SSBB, and Sonic Unleashed. (Most people will disagree with me on that, but I thought the graphics were AWESOME. One of the best aspects of the game actually.)

I thought the madden games on the ps3, where real foot ball the first time I saw it.

I call bs.

The thing is (this is a common topic) you ever notice ppl do not have specific examples of wii games they did not care for - (because the games in question would not be expected by a rational person to have impressive visuals?)

Go from Double Dash to MKWii - big upgrade.
Battalion Wars to BWii - big upgrade (graphicaly, gameplay big downgrade)
Sunshine to Galaxy - big upgrade
Prime 1 to Prime 3, Prime 3 is more impressive
I never like Sonic, but Soinic games always look very nice at least...
Sports, Sports Resort Wii PlAy, Wii Music Wii FIt all have iconice, crystal clear, appealing visuals....
Punch Out looks awesome
Geo Wars look great
etc, etc, etc
Oh and -

World of Goo looks great
Bit Trips look great
Swords and Soldiers look great
Mega Man 9 looks great

So yeah, no offense, but I do not get it - I have zero realisitc looking Wii game in my collection but I do have AWESOME, visualy appealing VIDEO games....I think ppl in this topic are just tkaing for granted the varied art styles and awesome graphics of Wii just to have something to complain about....