It's been many years now since Nintendo changed the game with Wii, the little motion-controlled console which broke away from the competition and started a revolution. Its brilliantly compact design (the size of three DVD boxes, remember?) and approachable and accessible controller helped it open up gaming to a whole new audience, young and old alike.

Despite its reputation as a casual, 'kiddy' console, Nintendo Wii hosted a huge library of fantastic and varied titles, the best of which took advantage of its unique controller and provided opportunities for experiences that simply weren't being offered on other consoles at the time. Thanks to the efforts of Nintendo Life readers, we've now assembled our list of the top 50 Wii games ever.

Any Wii game with at least 50 User Ratings is eligible. Remember, though, that this list is not set in stone. The ranking will continue to evolve automatically according to user scores submitted to the Nintendo Life game database, so don't worry if you missed out on 'voting' — you can still do so by simply scrolling down and rating them now, and the order will be influenced!

You can find more details on the game by reading our vintage reviews, which are accessed by clicking the title to go to the game page, or the 'Review' button on desktop (funny, that). And if you just can't get enough of ranked lists, we've assembled lists of the top 50 N64 games, 3DS games, Game Boy games, Nintendo DS games, GBA games, GBC games, Wii U games, GameCube games, SNES games, and NES games. More than enough to be getting on with!

If there's a game bubbling under the top 50 that you'd like to rate, feel free to find it using the search tool below and give it a score out of 10. Enough chatter — it's time to dive into our list of the top 50 Wii games ever. We begin, as is customary, at number 50...

Note. In order for games to become eligible, they need a minimum of 50 User Ratings in total.

50. Pandora's Tower (Wii)

Pandora’s Tower delivers an involving resource and time-management RPG experience with an imaginative action and combat system. Its overall aesthetic, as well as its focus on a relationship between two characters, are bold design choices that work well as long as you’re willing to invest in the game world. It’s a pity that the experience, most notably the action segments that take up a large part of the 12-15 hour adventure, are partially undermined by technical failings: as a result it’s questionable whether many will engage in multiple playthroughs in pursuit of happier endings. This title has much to recommend it, as long as you’re willing to look beyond some of its faults.

49. Wii Fit Plus (Wii)

Whilst the failure to fully address issues from the original Wii Fit was a bit of a disappointment, Wii Fit Plus was still a good exercise program with a large array of fun activities that appealed to a broad range of Wii owners. If you already owned Wii Fit, it was definitely an upgrade worth getting.

48. Castlevania The Adventure ReBirth (WiiWare)

Part of Konami's 'ReBirth' series – which also includes Contra and Gradius – this M2-coded offering has very little to do with the Game Boy original, outside of the fact that it showcases Christopher Belmont in the lead role. A return to the hand-drawn 2D visuals of the classic entries in the series, Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth plays like a dream – although it can be somewhat brutal at points and, with only six stages, doesn't offer the same amount of content as, say, Bloodlines or Dracula X. It's also no longer available for purchase as Nintendo has long since closed the Wii eShop; fingers are firmly crossed that Konami sees sense and republishes all of the ReBirth titles on modern-day systems.

47. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (Wii)

Another strong fighter entry for the console, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 built on the gameplay and roster of its predecessor, with a huge number of characters and forms to play as. This entry also added online multiplayer to the series, letting you take on all-comers from around the globe. Not now, of course — Wii's online is very much offline now — but at the time it was a handsome addition.

46. Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon (Wii)

An action RPG from Tri-Crescendo and Namco, when Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon is good, it’s excellent, with great cutscenes, a beautiful decaying world to explore, and enough mystery to make Professor Layton hang up his hat. The combat is the only downside, but graphically and aurally it excels in offering a world unlike any other - and it uses the Wii Remote to great effect. Telling an affecting story that's a tad downbeat, Fragile Dreams is worth returning to if you missed out back in 2010.

45. Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility (Wii)

Tree of Tranquility simply repeats too many past mistakes, with little advantage taken of the Wii’s capabilities other than a few motion controls and minigames. However, the addictive gameplay of past titles is still there. We still think the series needs a complete overhaul in the presentation stakes to complement its rock-solid gameplay structure. However, if this is your first Harvest Moon game, this isn't a bad place to start.

44. Cave Story (WiiWare)

There are plentiful ways to enjoy Cave Story these days, and none of them are bad. The WiiWare version will be mighty difficult to get hold of if you don't already own it and have it downloaded (the Wii Shop is no longer in operation), but regardless of where or how you play this indie platforming gem, it comes heartily recommended, and the WiiWare version was a winner.

43. Monster Hunter 3 (Tri~) (Wii)

While Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is arguably the best way to play Monster Hunter Tri, the original game is still an impressive piece of software from Capcom. It's something of a slow-burn, and certainly a daunting challenge if this is your first hunt, but the old-school monster hunting magic is in this game's DNA regardless of platform. If you have the fortitude to persevere through the first few hours, you'll find out why this series has only gone from strength to strength over the past decade.

42. No More Heroes (Wii)

No More Heroes certainly isn’t perfect; the tasks you’re given in between missions are dull (calling to mind the same boredom experienced when you had to get a job in Sega’s Shenmue), the Grant Theft Auto-style driving sections border on the pointless (we can only assume they’re intended to be a thinly-veiled dig at the successful franchise) and the general gameplay doesn’t actually change during any of the assassination missions. But regardless of these points, it still entertains in a way that few other games can manage. It’s a chaotic riot packed with gleeful videogame references, over-the-top dialogue, and some seriously awesome-looking combat action.

A far more accessible proposition than Killer7 ever was, No More Heroes is so wonderfully amusing that it’s easy to forgive its minor shortcomings; Suda 51’s epic fully deserved to garner the kind of attention and praise that unfortunately eluded its predecessor.

41. Resident Evil (Wii)

A Wii port of the 2002 GameCube remake featuring new controls, Resident Evil (or Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil to give its full title) provides what we came to expect from Wii re-releases of previous gen titles: a more accessible, incrementally improved control experience with box art that's a bit rubbish. Just concentrate on the horror of the game rather than the horror of the box and you're golden.