2009 is the year of the wii

With so many Wii games to be released in the near future, one can only hope that at least a few of them will be serious blockbuster hits that will rejuvenate everyone's favorite little white console. Along with the latest news that Electronic Arts has set its sights on a whole line of Wii games and ports (including Dead Space!), 2009 should be a strong Wii year. Here are a few of the upcoming game titles for the Wii that I'm most excited about:

Deadly Creatures. Scorpion and tarantula team up to battle snakes and other creepy-crawlies, all amidst a noir-style plot going on high above their heads in the world of men around them. If there's one thing I can say, it's that I've never played as a protagonist insect, at least not since SimAnt anyway!

Tenchu: Shadow Assassins. This one just came out this past week and looks pretty sick. Leaping around in the shadows, lurking about to find the perfect moment to attack, and the graphics even look pretty cool. Click here for the IGN review - they gave it an 8.0 which is pretty damn good for a Wii game.

Pikmin. If you never played this wonderful game on GameCube, make sure you pick up the upcoming port for the Wii, due in March. Rumors are swirling about since last year's E3 of the potential of an actual Pikmin 3 title new for the Wii due out sometime in the future but until then, revisit the fun of directing your little dudes around with a whole new set of sweet Wii controls. The first game port in the GameCube Masterpiece/Play for Wii series.

Little King's Story. Apparently a "Pikmin-like strategy game", the animation looks adorable and this game is made by Harvest Moon creator Yasuhiro Wada and the music is by the same guy who did the Kingdom Hearts series. Due out February 17th.

Wii Sports Resort. This sequel to the game that ultimately sells the console more than any other (studies show that many Wii buyers never even purchase a game to play other than Wii Sports) is doubly exciting because it will ship with the new Wiimote MotionPlus add-on. The MotionPlus is supposed to revolutionize the motion controls of the remote and take the Wii's unique control system to a whole new level of accuracy.

Dead Rising: Chop till you Drop, House of the Dead: Overkill & MadWorld. Three awesome-looking games with the M-for-mature rating we all want and need from Wii game developers. Yes, it's true, people over 17 do play the Wii. Keep the blood, guts, gore and zombies coming on the Wii and I'll be a happy girl.

Fragile: Fairwell Ruins of the Moon. 2008 saw some pretty fantastic RPG titles come out, and Fragile is one of the ones people are discussing for 2009. Another game featuring ghosts and demons as enemies, Fragile is by RPG titans Namco Bandai, and looks to use the Wiimote's pointer for much of its controls.

Fatal Frame IV. Not much is out about this one yet but it sure sounds cool. While I'm not familiar with this franchise, this new one will be a Wii exclusive and sounds like it will use some pretty innovative controls to help you fight hostile ghosts while studying/photographing nice ones. Also it apparently will push the limits of the Wii visually and boasts no load times to suffer through.

Between the GameCube ports, EA's new efforts and the M-for-mature renaissance, 2009 should be a grand year for the Wii. Fingers crossed!