The version of Downhill Jam for Wii was developed by Toys for Bob, developer of Pandemonium! and Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure. This version is played with the Wii Remote held sideways, and players tilt it left or right to steer their character down the track.
As in older Tony Hawk's games, there are game modes for high scores and completing goals, but a high-speed racing mode forms the crux of the game. Tricks are used in part to reach secret and alternate routes, although revert and manual tricks are absent. This formula is similar to that used in the SSX series of snowboarding games.
The Wii version features a multiplayer mode with four players competing head-to-head in split screen. While online play was announced within early development, it was not included in the final version of the game.