With the obvious exception of the big name Nintendo series' such as Mario, Zelda, and Metroid, Resident Evil is the only thing I believe that Nintendo has going for it.
Now, for starters I only want to give this game about 4 stars, but I'm giving it 5 to help balance the reviewers who didn't do their homework. They obviously have this wonderful piece of technology called the internet, and for them not to find out that it was a first person rail shooter before buying it is just ridiculous.
I'm an avid Resident Evil fan, so this game was a must for me - most simply because of the name, "Umbrella Chronicles". The Resident Evil Series has one of the most confusing plots - especially when concerning the character of Albert Wesker. This game does a nice job of filling in the gaps and plotholes that have existed for years in between the RE games that have been released, which is a nice thing to have before playing Resident Evil 5 (hopefully to be released in 2008), where I think Chris and Wesker will have a showdown (probably a final one).
The game itself is fun. It's the first rail shooter that I've ever played. It's appropriately named though, since it's like you're on fun house ride where you can't control where you're going, which does add a bit more tension. There's certainly no running away or getting into positions of your choice in this one. You also have to be very quick and aware or else you'll miss items that you, of course, cannot go back and get.
They did a nice job recreating the scenarios from the older games in this. As another reviewer put it - it's nostalgiac fun. It goes further than being just a recreation of the older games though. You also get to play as characters that you didn't get to before (Wesker, Richard, Ada, and Hunk) in scenarios that you didn't see before. Some have complained about not being able to play Leon in any Resident Evil 2 / 4 scenarios, but I honestly didn't care since I already know what happened to him during and between those games. Besides, it would have been annoying to have the view on the right side of your screen obstructed by overlong bangs.
The replay value is quite high, since there are many unlockables. There's a ratings system in this game, just like all of the other games, and it's based on things like shooting accuracy / percentage. I did pretty terrible on the first level, since I wasn't familiar with the controls and gameplay, but I've sort of mastered it now. Just don't go for headshots all of the time. The enemies like to fall back with their heads bent slightly out of sight when you get the first head shot, so don't go for a second one right away. You have to be quick in taking them out too, or else they like to jump on you, which is frustrating. You should also always be on the look out for explosive barrells and stuff, because it's really hard to take out a large group of enemies otherwise. My favorite part of the gameplay is taken right out of Resident Evil 4, where you have to press buttons as they appear on the screen at certain points to avoid death. All of that together keeps you on your toes / on the edge of your seat - as it should. All of it is also complimented nicely by great settings / atmospheres, and the same kind of unsettling music that can be found in it's predecessors.
Right now I'm waiting for the Wii Zapper before I replay it. Hopefully the zapper will not be a piece of crap like so many other Wii accessories before.
If you're a Resident Evil nut like me, then pick this up (or at least rent it). Exclusives like this and the Mario/Zelda games are the only reason for owning a Wii right now. Other than that you have multiplatform games (which are always inferior on the Wii) and Foo Foo kiddie games.