If you miss the good old days of light guns and CRT TVs, then take a look at the best Nintendo Wii light gun games of all time.
From cantankerous chickens through to monstrous mutants, these games put you right in the firing lane, shooting like your life depends on it.
And in the 9 cases below, it kind of does.
The Wii is known for its interactive games and immersive gameplay, and thanks to the Wii Zapper, the following titles make you feel like a kick ass soldier, a mutant killer, and an angry farmer.
Of a the three above, I guess I relate to the last one the most.
That’s enough jabbering from me. Let’s crack on discover the greatest light gun games for the Nintendo Wii and find out which one came out top.
Table of Contents
9. Chicken Riot (2010)
We’re kicking things off with Chicken Riot, a game where chickens literally rule the roost.
Listen, I know chickens are nice creatures, and you might be a vegan who doesn’t like the thought of anything happening to little chicks, but these guys are menaces that need to be stopped.
If you want your farm to stay intact and have a business to run come morning, then take out every last one of them, in the air, on the ground, or up in your face!
Chicken Riot is a rail shooter title that the whole family can enjoy, way more than the rest of the titles further down this list.
It’s clucking crazy, with funny animations and ridiculous weapons that make blasting buzzards even more exciting.
Grab Wii Zappers, play mini games, play with friends, and eject those cluckers from your property.
The fate of your livelihood depends on it!
8. Target Terror (2004)
Next up on our list of the best Nintendo Wii light gun games is Target Terror, taking the player into a world of stopping terrorists and saving the United States from endless bomb threats and destruction.
In a weird way, you do get to see some cool places like the Golden Gate Bridge and the White House, but the terrorist vibe really takes the fun out of the sightseeing process.
Using the Wiimote in place of the light gun with the Wii Zapper and the Nunchuck throwing out smart bombs, players can wield machine guns, flame throwers, and rocket launchers while taking down masked soldiers and downright dirty killers.
With full motion capture scenes and insane gory visuals, it’s more humorous than scary. Still, if you love arcade titles and want a Wii game that you can go co-op with your friends with, then jump right in.
7. Duck Hunt (1984)
The next game in our list of the best Nintendo Wii light gun games of all time needs no real introduction. Duck Hunt is a timeless classic, and with the Wii Zapper in hand on the Wii.
Ok, so it’s not as scary as House of the Dead, but come on, this game is pure nostalgia.
Yes, it’s just shooting ducks on a screen (not real ducks, don’t worry), but this is a bonafide title from the classic age of gaming, and the laughing dog always looks so happy!
I guess this games means a lot more to me due to the fact that I used to play this game as a kid with my uncle before he passed. We’d use the NES Zapper and play this game for hours.
If anything, he was the one the got me into gaming, so I’ve got a lot to thank him for.
Now, you don’t have to shell out for one of the best CRT TVs for Retro Gaming to play this game; grab your Wiimote and play on your widescreen TV.
Technically that’s more room for shooting the ducks, right?
6. The House of the Dead: Overkill (2009)
I still find it odd that The House of the Dead: Overkill is on the Nintendo Wii. Still, this offshoot of the main arcade series was specifically made for the Wii controls, so I guess you can’t say fairer than that!
Point to aim, hit B to shoot, and shake to reload bullets. It’s that simple!
Overkill takes place before the very first episode of House of the Dead, fighting through hordes of mutants in an bid to reach the mysterious Papa Ceaser.
Weirdly, and I know that this is odd considering it shares the same series name as the rest of the titles, but this game has a very different vibe to the other games.
If anything, it’s even more of an over the top horror title now, like a crazy B movie that feels scary and funny at the same time. Still, the violence is so intense, and the zombies that shudder their way towards you are REALLY freaky, especially when they get incredibly close to the screen!
Complete mini games to get coins, spend coins on new weapons, and use them to destroy your friends over and over again!
5. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (2007)
The 5th spot of in our best Nintendo Wii light gun games list goes to Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles.
If you were a fan of the best GameCube horror games, then the chances are you’ve already played many of the Resident Evil titles on the Wii’s predecessor.
As the 7th title in the series, The Umbrella Chronicles is a much more open, freer game where players have much more scope to explore than in previous titles.
Get ready to go through scenarios from Resident Evil Zero, 1, 2, and 3, with the whole game ending just before the beginning of Resident Evil 4.
One of the best bits about this game, other than the fact that it’s basically Time Crisis with Zombies, is that players get to revisit old characters too.
Play as Billy Coen, Ada Wong, Jill Valenting, Chris Redfield, and loads of other classic characters, all while concentrating solely on shooting while players move forward on their own accord.
Like LylatWars, players can pick different paths and try different routes every time they play. Win stars to trade in for better weapons, and play with a friend to share the killing action.
4. The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return (2008)
The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return brings two epic titles from previous consoles; the House of the Dead 2 for the Dreamcast, and House of the Dead III for the original Xbox.
Ported to the Wii, players could finally take the Wii-Zapper to town on undead freaks trudging towards them through eerie settings.
I remember the original game down at the bowling alley when I used to go with my mates and it creeped me out massively. Now, a much older person… it still creeps me out on the Nintendo Wii!
Wii fans didn’t just get Wii Zapper privileges in the new port. The new Nintendo version got Extreme mode for the intense gamers; bullets not causing as much damage and zombies running at you at twice the speed.
Use guard attack to block zombie attacks, and reload faster for more exciting action!
It still feels weird seeing such a horrifying game on the Nintendo Wii, but after House of the Dead: Outbreak, I really shouldn’t be surprised!
3. Link’s Crossbow Training (2007)
Link’s Crossbow Training takes the bronze medal in this list of the best Nintendo Wii light gun games of all time.
I know, a lot of you might be think that this is a bit overkill because this game doesn’t always get a good rap, but it’s an exciting Zelda title that should get way more attention.
I mean, Call of Duty crossed with Hyrule Warriors and the same graphics as Skyward Sword. Shoot down wave after wave of enemies as they skulk towards Link, wielding his crossbow to gun them down.
Link’s Crossbow Training was the catalyst for the Hyrule Warriors series. If you like all the parts in the Zelda games where you have to hit targets, then the game begins with first smacking down targets while moving.
Then, players move onto real monsters; we’re talking Stalchilds-a-plenty!
Take your aim through 9 levels, from forests, deserts, and other locations found in the Zelda series. Go against massive bosses, attack your mates in a deathmatch, and get into the groove with your Wii-Zapper as you dive back into Hyrule once more!
2. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (2009)
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles takes the silver medal in our list of the best Nintendo Wii light gun games, reliving all the thrills and spills of Resident Evil 2 and Code: Veronica.
Essentially, a rail-shooting version of two Resident Evil classics… I mean, what’s not to love about that!
In this game, players dive into Operation Javier, bringing with it an insight of the backstory into Jack Krauser, the villain in one of the best zombie games on PS2 , Resident Evil 4.
The year is 2002. We’re following Leon Kennedy and his connection with Jack Krauser as they follow a crime lord.
Oh, and there are a boat-load of zombies to blast into smithereens, I probably should have mentioned that sooner.
Players move automatically like Time Crisis; all you need to do is just hit that shoot button!
All the arcade action in your living room – it’s the ultimate Saturday afternoon chilling title!
1. Ghost Squad (2007)
The results are in, and Ghost Squad is officially the best Nintendo Wii Light Gun game of all time!
Remember playing the 2004 SEGA arcade game? Three years later, players took to the streets once more in a fast-paced hostage saving adventure, gunning down bad-guys and diffusing bombs left, right, and centre.
Using the controller and Wii-Zapper like a classic arcade light gun, players must pump enemies full of lead while moving through different levels, choosing varying routes for a different game every time.
Pick from 25 insane weapons and play through 48 different levels of difficulty. Talk about really ramping up the pressure.
Unlike the original arcade game, players can now get stuck into an awesome 4-player mode and head online to rack up high scores.
Yes, Ghost Squad is our winner of the best Nintendo Wii Light Gun games of all time. Grab your best Nintendo Wii accessories and give it a go!
