Best Arcade Style Rain Gun Wii Games

I recently started playing my Wii I have had for almost two years yet never really used.  I bought to to play Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart, but apparently newer Wii models do not include Gamecube controller ports, so it has been a paper weight since I bought the thing!

Anyway, I decided to give a few rail shooters a try.  Now please keep in mind, there very well might be an amazing rail shooter on this system I am missing.  If this is the case, please please please let me know.  I've been Googling around for a list, but they all include games I don't consider arcade style rain gun games.  Either these games really don't feel like arcade games, or they are mainly a different type of game with a rail shooter mode.

In my mind, a rail shooter is a game where you don't actually control the movement of the character you play as, like you are on rails.  These games typically involve your character advancing through a stage while shooting at things that appears in front of the screen.  Popular examples include Time Crisis or House of the Dead.

The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return

We will start off with a classic!  This game compiles The House of the Dead 2 and The House of the Dead 3 onto one disc.  Both games feature arcade mode, original mode, boss mode, and training. Should be around $30, which is nothing compared to the huge amount quarters I have pumped into the House of the Dead 2 in my lifetime...

House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return on Amazon

The House of the Dead Overkill

Now if you were disappointed by the lack of updated graphics and features in House of the Dead Returns, you should be quite happy with this installment.  Now it might just be the hours of playing House of the Dead II, but the graphics here are quite nice for the Wii.  It plays just like the older titles.  It is extremely violent though, but what did you expect from a zombie rail shooter?

House of the Dead Overkill on Amazon

Recommended Resident Evil Playing Order

Resident Evil has become the example of the survival-horror genre.  The game has some strange numbering at times, and numerous spin-offs and unrelated titles.  This is my recommended playing order, but not necessarily the best or in release order.

1. Resident Evil
2. Resident Evil 0
3. Resident Evil 2
4. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
5. Resident Evil Code: Veronica
6. Resident Evil Gaiden
7. Resident Evil 4
8. Resident Evil Revelations
9. Resident Evil 5
10. Resident Evil 6

Resident Evil (1996)

It would be obvious to start with the first one, right?  While technically it takes place second in the storyline, it would make vastly more sense to start here.

In this game, you play as either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine.  They are both members of an elite police squad, STARS, and they are dispatched to investigate some killings that have occurred.  Bravo team has already been sent in, but nobody has heard from them.  Alpha team is dispatched and attacked by dogs, and runs into a nearby mansion...

Other Resident Evil 1 options:

• Resident Evil Director's Cut (1997): The Director's Cut is the same game with a few items and enemies moved around.  There are two versions of the Director's Cut, one with dual-analog support and one without.
• Resident Evil (2002): This is an enhanced remake for the Gamecube.  the graphics are far greater, controls are better, and each character now has their own extra weapon.  The game also slightly changes the story to mention some future game characters.
• Resident Deadly Silence (2006): This is a remake of the first game for the Nintendo DS.  It has some new gameplay mechanics and features inspired from Resident Evil 3 and 4.
• Resident Evil is available on the PSN as a PSX Classic.
• The Gamecube version of the game was ported onto the Wii.

Resident Evil 0 (2002)

Now you might think this game should come first, as it is a prequel to the first game.  I really think it works better after Resident Evil 1.  While the gameplay mechanics are going to be much better than the next few games on the list, the game is going to be the most relevant after finishing the first one.

The story is about Rebecca Chambers, a medic from the first game, and Billy Coen, an escaped convict.  Rebecca was part of the first team that went missing in the mountains before Alpha team arrives.

Other Resident Evil 0 options:

• The game was released on the Wii.

Resident Evil 2 (1998)

This is probably considered the best "classic" Resident Evil game.  It takes place shortly after the events of the first game.  To keep this spoiler free, the mansion from the first game had some zombies in it, they got out and found their way to Raccoon City.

In this game, you can play as either Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield.  Claire is the brother of Chris in the first game.  Claire comes to town looking for her brother, not knowing their is a zombie apocalypse occurring.  Similarly, Leon is on his way to town for his first day on the job as a Raccoon City police officer. The game features two storylines, one for each character.  Their stories are taking place simultaneously, typically at different sections of the game.  The majority of the game takes place in the police station and surrounding areas.

Other Resident Evil 2 options:

• The game was ported to the Gamecube.  To my knowledge, it is no different than the original release of the game.  It's not like the enhanced version of the first.
• Resident Evil 2 is available on the PSN as a PSX Classic.