So I finally joined the current generation of video game consoles, picking up a Wii last weekend. The Wii is something of an oddity; “hardcore” gamers deride it for it’s “kiddy” status and mountains of shovelware, but of the current offerings it’s the only one that holds to the “video game console” monicker. Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 are (essentially) glorified media centers, streaming HD video, browsing the net, and costing ungodly amounts of money.

The Wii can do a lot of this too, but it’s much more focused on games, and because of it’s (so far) one-of-a-kind Wiimote, unique games. For whatever reason—-probably ever-rising development costs—-very few truly console-exclusive games exist these days. Even if a game starts out on, say, the Xbox 360 as an “exclusive” title, it’ll undoubtedly show up on the PS3 and PC (via Steam, more often than not) after this brief period of exclusivity.

The Wii’s uniqueness places it in an interesting position for me, however. When it comes to next-gen gaming, I can get nearly all big name titles (save for those few that remain truly exclusive) via Steam on my PC. And while it’s showing it’s age, it can still handle the vast majority of games out there, and at worst it’ll cost about as much as a PS3 or Xbox 360 to upgrade the video card and RAM. This is how I’ve managed to play games like Street Fighter 4, Batman: Arkham Assylum, and Assassin’s Creed without ever dropping a grand on a PS3 or Xbox 360 and their related accessories and games.

I can’t fire up Steam and purchase Super Mario Galaxy. And even if I could, I couldn’t play it without a Wiimote. This has made the Wii an obvious purchase for me, as the PS3 and Xbox 360 don’t provide enough unique incentives for the (relatively) high buy-in. Both have stellar games, but too many of them are available to me on a platform I’m already heavily invested in: Steam.

So I have a Wii. For my initial game purchases I decided to eschew the obvious titles like New Super Mario Bros. Wii or Twilight Princess and go for more oddball titles like A Boy and His Blob, Okami, and Madworld. I’ve also picked up some more traditional fair via Wiiware in the likes of Mega Man 9 and 10 and the first Phoenix Wright game (which I’d never played, having not owned a handheld gaming device since the original Gameboy).

I’m glad I got these particular games, as they run the gamut from “kiddie puzzle game” to “adult gore fest”. Each has a very unique look and feel, and each uses the Wiimote controls in interesting ways.

A Boy and His Blob was an unexpected gift from a friend. If you remember the original you know it was… not the best game ever. It was overly difficult and, as I recall, didn’t give you much indication as to how to actually play. The basic premise has you playing the titular Boy who befriends an alien Blob. The two of them team up to save Blob’s homeworld, with the Boy using various flavors of jellybeans to make the blog transform into useful things like a ladder, a trampoline, etc.

In contrast to the original, the new game has wonderful hand-drawn cartoon graphics and is simple to pick up and play. The game uses images to show you exactly what each jellybean will turn Blob into, and (at least in the early stages) uses signposts to identify which Blob form you need to use to advance. It’s a spectacularly simple game that doesn’t really utilize the Wii’s unique controls but really couldn’t have been released on any other system.

Okami is a PS2 port. Having never played the original on PS2 it seemed like the Wii version would be a good choice as a key gameplay detail, the Celestial Brush, is perfectly suited for the Wiimote. In Okami you play a Japanese god (in the form of a wolf) who’s power hinges on this Celestial Brush, which lets you literally paint things into existence (and do other neat things too).

The Wiimote’s motion control should be perfect for this, but one of the first powers you gain reveals some missteps in the port. The power in question requires you to draw a horizontal line across on object. When successful, you can split trees, rocks, and even enemies in two. Because of the sensitive nature of the Wiimote, though, it took me a good twenty tries to get it right. It’s incredibly difficult to draw an actual straight line, or anything for that matter. The brush controls are a little too sensitive in some cases and not nearly enough in others, making it overly difficult to do just what you need to.

Madworld is probably the most unique of three. One of the M-rated Wii games, Madworld earns the rating and then some with vulgar language and over-the-top violence. There’s just nothing more satisfying then shoving a tire around some poor sap, sticking a couple street signs in his head, and the throwing him into an oncoming train, you know?

Really, the only reason I can think of that this game didn’t get massive backlash is that the violence is so ridiculously beyond the impossible. The black and white visuals help; this is one stylish game. Everything is black and white, save for the copious amounts of red you’ll be seeing from enemies, and the occasional splash of yellow.

The Wiimote is used to grand effect, as well. Most basic attacks are achieved with the press of a button, but all of the most interesting assaults require Wiimote usage. You swing chainsaws with the wiimote, throw people with the wiimote, and break necks with the wiimote (I accidentally pulled my wiimote and nunchuck apart the first time I did this, actually). It isn’t particularly difficult to play, but it is loads of fun and beautiful to behold.