The Wii could well be the most accessible console of all time, and the best multiplayer Wii games have brought families, friends, and complete strangers together all over the globe since 2006.
What a legacy to leave behind, eh!
With over 101 million sales, the Wii remains Nintendo’s best-selling console of all time. I don’t remember going to a house without a Wii as a teenager; everyone had one, and they promoted couch co-op that got us off the couch and interacting like never before.
Is that floor co-op, or maybe living room co-op?
But which were the best multiplayer Wii games that we went to time after time? Which titles saw the hours fly by in the blink of an eye, and which caused more crushed dreams and mandatory victory speeches?
I think we’re about to find out!
Best Multiplayer Wii Games For 2 People
1. Wii Sports (2006)
Wii Sports is obviously the best multiplayer Wii game of all time.
How many of you spent hours squaring off against mates in Wii Boxing or trying not to break your TV screen while playing Wii Tennis?
So, this was mainly designed to show people what the Wii could do and get them used to the new controls. But man, it was also so much more.
It sold almost 83 million copies during the Wii’s lifetime, making it the 4th best-selling title of all time and the best selling Wii game.
This game allowed players with little to no experience to dive into the action with zero training. It’s so natural that it hurts, and what could be easier than swinging an imaginary tennis racket from side to side?
Swinging an imaginary baseball bat?
Seriously, if you’re one of the few people who lived under a rock when this game came out, go back and give it a go. You’ll have so much fun that you’ll never want to put it down!
2. GoldenEye (2010)
GoldenEye 007 isn’t exactly the same as the original, one of the best N64 games for my favourite console. Bond looks more like Daniel Craig now and the general feel of the game has changed in relation to the events of the movie.
Still, it’s got epic multiplayer action, and that’s all we’re bothered about today.
Complete with a Wii Zapper, players take each other on in split-screen action. Plug in a GameCube controller or use the Wii-Nunchuck combo; the choice is yours.
One thing that does remain the same is the characters from the original game.
Play as Trevelyan, Baron Samedi, Jaws, and more. And, the Facility reappears, albeit in a reimagined form with new features.
If you’re searching for that quintessential split-screen shooter on the Wii, then you just found it!
3. Donkey Kong Country Returns (2010)
If, like me, you’ve spent a lot of time playing Donkey Kong Country on the SNES, then this game is going to feel so familiar yet fresh at the same time.
While not a remake or a remaster, Donkey Kong Country Returns is inspired wholly by the legendary SNES and features all of the same side-scrolling action with new levels and amazing graphics.
Yes, Shigeru Miyamoto finally got his way with those pre-rendered graphics that he hated so much. The visuals are incredible, and Nintendo have managed to create some incredible depth to the levels by paying extra attention to the backgrounds.
Two players can team up to save Donkey and Diddy’s banana hoard once more. Find the golden KONG symbols, ride mine carts, and interact with animals like Rambi the Rhino to give your adventure an extra boost of adrenaline.
Diddy can ride Donkey through tough areas if one of the players is having a bit of trouble, a little like how my girlfriend attaches herself to me in Unravel 2 when there’s a tough jump coming up… and then she takes all the credit.
Donkey Kong doesn’t often get enough love in Nintendo lists, falling behind Mario and Link. Still, when it comes to two-player action on the Switch, this is one of the best games for getting stuck in with a friend. It takes a little while to get used to using the Wiimote controls and is easier with a nunchuck attached too, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll find it insanely hard to put down!
4. Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (2008)
Next up on our list is Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars, another epic Capcom crossover title with all the epic characters we’ve come to know and love over the years battling off against each other.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as amazing as Viewtiful Joe fighting Ken the Eagle, the greatest battle of all time!
This is the first 2.5D title in the canon, boasting 3D arenas for Tatsunoko characters such as Polymer and Gold Lightan to show what they’re made of.
Choose two characters for a tag team or pick from a mammoth character that takes some serious beating.
My go-to team is Mega Man Volnutt and Viewtiful Joe every time; that’s how it’s done!
5. Kirby’s Epic Yarn (2010)
Now I know what you’re thinking; this looks like a game for kids. Well, it might have a cutesy vibe to it, but Kirby’s Epic Yarn is anything but an easy ride.
This is a solid platformer with hard levels and fantastic features that make it a joy to play for all ages. It’s the first Nintendo game to take on the crafty feel, followed by Yoshi’s Wooly World a little later on the Wii U.
Listen, this is the perfect game to get someone who doesn’t like video games into gaming. If your partner or friend loves crocheting or knitting, then they’ll find it incredibly hard not to love this game.
Help Prince Fluff to stitch Patch Land back together by collecting magical yarn.
Honestly, it’s not a kid’s game!
Kirby doesn’t steal abilities in this game. Instead, he can turn into a tank or a submarine… which is way cooler!
6. Dead Space: Extraction (2009)
Dead Space: Extraction is a first-person rail shooter that will literally have you on the edge of your seat.
Or in many cases, hiding behind it…
For many people, the Wii is a pretty family-friendly console, but fighting Necromorphs while controlling a bunch of space colonists doesn’t fit into that equation!
The first-person action style makes for pretty jumpy gameplay, though it’s not always this frightening. Players can move the camera on some levels to give themselves a much-needed break.
Playing with the Wii Zapper is the best too, firing both long and short-range blasts to destroy hordes of weird aliens.
Oh, and you can use kinesis too! Space rules!
7. Pikmin 2 (2004)
Pikmin 2 dropped on both the GameCube and the Wii and boasts a co-op mode that makes collecting Pikmin even more enjoyable.
I really got annoyed with the first game in the series, and that was largely down to the fact of the time pressure element. I don’t like to be pushed too much when playing games, I want to take my time and enjoy them and explore, and the removal of the 30-day time limit made the world of Pikmin instantly more enjoyable.
The main game sees Captain Olimar returning for more Pikmin-plucking action, and he’s joined by Louie, another intrepid space explorer.
Players can either play a game that feels a little like Capture The Flag using marbles, where players collect marbles and try to obtain their opponent’s marble (which has often made me lose my marbles over the years), or a Challenge Mode.
The Challenge mode sees players tackling a dungeon-clearing-style format of gameplay, with you and a friend working together to defeat enemies within a time limit. Yes, they managed to find a way of getting that time limit back in there, but I don’t mind it so much when it’s in side-quests and extra play modes like this!
8. Need For Speed Carbon (2006)
Need for Speed Carbon is a game that my dad used to play all the time on my Wii. I say ‘my Wii’ because he referred to it as the ‘family Wii’ whenever he wanted to play on it.
Illegal street racing and tilting around corners using the Wiimote is fun, but it’s even better when you have a friend (or a Wii-hogging Dad) to play with. I loved the graphics and how smooth the cars felt when tilting and turning the controller.
My Dad has been doing that with wired controllers for years without even realising it, so he’d managed to get a lot of practice in!
The customisation options in this game are immense too; my Dad and I would spend half an hour kitting up our cars before we even considered starting a race, and then we’d do it all again because the placement of a decal was wrong.
Even the stock models were impressive though, and I would revel at the cars that my 16-year-old brain wanted more than anything but would never be able to afford.
While the Wii never had online multiplayer, that didn’t really matter. Sitting on the sofa and careering through streets with neon lights felt so damn good, one of the main reasons why Carbon topped my list of the greatest Need for Speed titles.
9. Mario Power Tennis (2009)
Mario Tennis games have a sense of childish fun that’s impossible to ignore. Wimbledon and the USA Open are serious, prestigious events, but Mario Tennis is a colourful, bright, and friendly game that never fails to make me smile.
And while Wii Tennis is my favorite Tennis game for the Wii, I’ll never get tired of seeing my favourite Nintendo faces serving aces and diving around courts umpired by Toads.
And yes, you can use the Wiimotes to move the character’s bats. It’s immersive Nintendo goodness from start to finish!
With 18 characters and themed courts to tackle, it’s impossible to get bored playing this game. Each character has a characteristic Power Shot to use too, so it pays to test every player out just to check out their special moves!
What I like about the multiplayer mode in Power Tennis is that it’s simple. There are no bells and whistles and the gameplay isn’t convoluted. You don’t need to memorise a bunch of commands like the early SNES fighting game days either; just grab a Wiimote and swing!
10. Just Dance (2020)
Yes, you did just read that right. Even though the Wii finished production in 2012, Just Dance 2020 still proved a popular hit with fans. Ubisoft knew that a lot of Just Dance customers were Wii owners, so they appealed to the masses.
That’s the sign of a clever company right there!
It doesn’t matter whether you’re 16 or 61, this game is incredibly fun to play (especially after a couple of beers!)
I still feel a little bit like I’m having a bizarre dream when I see that purple gorilla on the screen. Still, one thing’s for sure; Just Dance 2020 is a cracking icebreaker if you’ve got people coming around that you’ve never met before.
That or a massive no-go zone which means they’ll never come back…
Close the curtains so the neighbours can’t laugh, and then make a fool of yourself or wow your mates with some power stances and kick-ass moves.
Best 4 Player Multiplayer Wii Games
1. Mario Kart Wii (2008)
Can you remember the first time you played this game? Opening up that box and pulling out the plastic Wii wheel; nothing else compares to it.
Guess how many copies of this game sold too… 37,380,000!!!
That makes it the 12th best-selling game of all time!
For the first time ever, we could move our controllers left and right and actually move the car onscreen. My dad suddenly became a racing expert!
Tilt to turn, A to go, B to break, Z to fire. Simple.
Adding bikes into the mix for the first time was a fantastic touch too. But…who is the best character in Mario Kart? I think we all know the answer…
Just make sure you have enough of those plastic wheels to go around… if you’ve only got three then there’s going to be a fight to death for them!
2. Mario Strikers Charged (2007)
Wouldn’t football be a lot more fun if the players were being chased by a massive Chain Chomp? Mario Strikers Charged does what the Premier League is too afraid to do and brings dangerous obstacles and items into the mix, and it turns out Mushroom Kingdom rules are much more enjoyable.
If you enjoyed Super Mario Strikers (or Mario Smash Football for PAL gamers), one of the best GameCube multiplayer games, then this follow-up title has all of the same exciting action turned up to 11.
Just look at that madness above; it’s usually impossible to make head nor tail of what’s happening on the pitch, so as long as you aim a Super Strike in the right general direction, then you’ve pretty much got all the right bases covered.
Whereas games like Fifa are more about skill and pulling off epic combos, Mario Strikers Charged is a little more of a free-for-all.
Still. we don’t play this game because we’re bothered about pulling off overhead kicks; we play it because it’s a cracking title and a real credit to the console.
I guess you can’t say fairer than that!
3. Mario And Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games (2009)
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games brings all of the exciting events of the actual Winter Olympics from 2010 into the Mario & Sonic game series.
If you’ve always fancied going to Vancouver but don’t like the cold, then this game will put a smile on your face.
Ok, there are more reasons to like it than just that. how about 27 exciting events that can be played with both the Wiimote and Wii Fit balance boards?
Even Winter Olympics stars need a little bit of R&R time, which is why there’s now a feature to do a little bit of shopping for your character, with equipment decals and Mii costumes available.
Still, we’re here to talk about the 4 player modes, and Winter Olympics certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Team up with friends in coop mode or go against each other in heats to see who has the fastest fingers and steadiest nerves.
This is a superb game to play with a full house and pizza on the table, and thanks to the Wiimote controls, it’s so intuitive that even the dim one of the group can pick it up easily.
Oh, and if you don’t have a dim one of the group, then it’s probably you…
4. Super Smash Bros Brawl (2008)
It’s time to bring out the big guns. Super Smash Bros. Brawl takes a little getting used to with a Wiimote, it has to be said. But, once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll soon realise it’s one of the best games in the series.
It also changed Link to his Twilight Princess form which was a huge win for Zelda fans everywhere.
More characters started appearing in the Wii version, 39 in total, though there’s still a small enough choice to not get overwhelmed when you’re preparing for battle.
Ok, so you didn’t actually have to use the Wiimote when playing Brawl; there are plenty of custom GameCube controllers available for those old-school smash vibes.
One of the weirder facts about this Mario outing is that there were 38 different composers working on the soundtrack for it.
So those 38 people are the ones responsible for making me so tense every time I’m on 200% damage!
If Nintendo characters beating each up sounds like something you’d be into, then this game needs to be in your collection!
5. Mario Party 8 (2007)
Mario Party 8 might not have gameplay that revolves around a moving vehicle like Mario Party 9 and 10, but it does have MC Ballyhoo with his talking coin-spewing hat showing up at every verse end.
Even despite the weird 4:3 display instead of showing widescreen, this game is still one of the best 4 player Nintendo Wii games on the console. It’s a Mario Party game; what did you expect?
Mario Party titles have played a huge part of my gaming life, always coming out at Christmas, birthdays… ok, and most weekdays and weeknights too.
Play against three of your friends or team up in couples in order to become the Party Star. Buy coins, get stars, and try to avoid Bowser whenever he turns up at all costs!
Plus playing with the Wiimote is super fun too. This was the first game where swinging your controller upwards affected the dice block, and of course the motion controls revolutionised the mini-games completely!
6. WarioWare: Smooth Moves (2006)
WarioWare: Smooth Moves is one of the most bizarre games I’ve ever played, and my friends and I probably spent (wasted) far too many hours on it over the years.
Nothing is more tense than a game whose whole premise revolves around 3-5-second mini-games.
Not only do you need to figure out the premise of what’s going on immediately, but then you have to try and complete it in the remaining 1.5 seconds.
To be fair though, that’s the whole point of the game and what makes it so dam addictive.
It also keeps it fresh and current too, meaning that you still might not understand what the hell to do on a game the fifth time it turns up.
You don’t play Wario Ware for the graphics or phenomenal gameplay. You play it because it’s impossible not to laugh while watching your mates screwing pu time and time again.
Because everyone loves to witness other people’s misfortunes, am I right?
7. Rayman Origins (2011)
Rayman has always been up there with Mario and Sonic in my opinion. His side-scrolling adventures are always thrilling, and the graphics on Origins are simply stunning.
And, more importantly, there’s an option to play the main story mode through with four players (otherwise I don’t suppose it would have featured in this list…).
So what’s the score here then?
Well, players can control Rayman, Globox (my favourite character), and two Teensies in a format that feels very similar to New Super Mario Bros Wii (Toads and Teensies obviously aren’t important enough to have actual names these days).
Your mission is to stop Darktoons from causing havoc in the Glade of Dreams. Grab new abilities, rescue Electoons, and experience the highest-rated port of this game on Nintendo’s best-selling console of all time.
That’s a lot of accolades to take in at once!
8. New Super Mario Bros (2009)
New Super Mario Bros Wii is another 4 player platform game that sees you and your mates working through side-scrolling themed levels like the classic Mario games of old.
Players can pick from Mario, Luigi, and two eager Toads as they smash Goombas and bounce on Bowser’s baddies.
Save Peach, don’t die… you know how these games work by now, surely!
Don’t worry; it might just be the four players, but Yoshi still makes an appearance to help Mazza and the gang out of tight spots.
I don’t need to go into this too much with you; if you love Mario games like Super Mario 3D World or the plumbtastic titles in our best NES games list, then New Super Mario Bros Wii will be right up your street.
9. Mario And Sonic At The Olympic Games (2007)
Speaking of quick reflexes and button mashing, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games is up next.
That’s right folks; Mario and Sonic are no longer the console rivals that caused all those rifts years back. They work together now to organise the Olympics (yes, I’m pretty sure it’s the actual one…), and compete against characters from both the Mushroom Kingdom and Mobius in all the sporting events you know and love.
Can you remember you and your mates squeezing onto a three-seater sofa, the four of you wielding Wiimotes like there was no tomorrow, sprinting down the 100m track before either jumping up with joy or holding your head in your hands with disgrace?
Nothing beats seeing Mario pitting his skills against Shadow. You’d think the Ultimate Life Form could wipe the floor with Mazza, but he must have some boost mushrooms stored in his moustache or something.
10. Kirby’s Return To Dream Land (2011)
Ok, so Kirby is 100% taking vibes from Link in this title, but that’s fine by us! It also has some serious Crystal Shards vibes going on too, recreating those classic-Kirby-platform-feels of yesteryear.
And the best bit is that you can bring your friends along for the ride!
There’s nothing better than working together with your friends to beat Whispy Woods and all the other incoming Kirby baddies that we know and love.
Play as Meta Knight, Kirby, Waddle Dee, and the mighty hammer-wielding King Dedede as the four of you move through this luscious side-scrolling title.
Remember the Goomba Tower from Super Mario Odyssey?
Well, all the players can jump on top of each other to make a Kirbalicious column of death (I made it sound better than it actually is…) in order to take down enemies.
Collect spaceship pieces and lose yourself in the fantastic graphics and textured backgrounds. It’s a joy to play and a worthy entry on our list.
