With the Switch just a few days from release the crew decided to pick two games each and give you their ten favorite Wii U games. If you still own a Wii U or are going to pick one up soon for some reason, we have some games you have to check out.
Jean:
The WiiU was a console that missed its target completely… as long time Nintendo fan it’s hard to admit but now that the Wii U is as good as dead I think I can openly say it… this doesn’t mean it didn’t have any good games, but for me personally the best game on the system is an HD port of a Gamecube classic.
The Legend Of Zelda Wind Waker HD:
This timeless classic got a light style revamp and an HD widescreen treatment without touching the core experience we got the first time back in 2002! This is the definitive version of the game and I feel a bit disappointed having sold my Wii U so quickly since I really miss sailing the open sea. This was a major negative aspect for a lot of players, yet I just couldn’t get enough of the never ending sailing, discovering new tiny islands secretly harboring large underground booty (yes, pirate booty!). There was something soothing and mesmerizing and being able to play it on the WiiU in HD made the purchase of a ‘doomed’ console somehow the best choice ever.
Mario Kart 8:
Another game that got me burning hours was Mario Kart 8! Keeping what was good from the previous entries in the series and expanding by adding the vertigo enticing loopings, it was just another bullseye for the Wii U. I even played more online matches on the Wii U than I did back on the Wii… and believe me, I spent a lot of hours on the Wii version! Being able to play it on the toilet was amazing and with the Deluxe version coming to the Switch I can now go further than the bathroom toilet!! The Wii U was a great system but it lacked proper support… just look at how much 1st party games top this list! Let’s hope the Switch succeeds in bringing 3rd party to Nintie again! The system itself will not be the problem this time!
Anton:
The Wii U is the most underappreciated Nintendo console. I never saw the Wii U as a failed console by design. Ok you could call some of the choices they made in their designs interesting. But overall I always enjoyed playing it, I never regretted buying this console and never did I have some technical difficulties with it. Every game that I have on the Wii U is a decent game. The reason for all the good games is that most of them were made by Nintendo themselves.
The biggest problem with it was the lack of third-party support, so most triple A games were developed by Nintendo and a few indie games were made by small studios. This resulted in a small but very good game collection. If Nintendo keeps developing great games for the Switch and third-party developers remain interested in this console, the Switch could potentially be one of the best consoles Nintendo ever made and be a competitor for Playstation and Xbox.
Splatoon and Mario Kart 8: the Wii U’s ‘greatest hits’ are confirmed to come to the new console but I hope Nintendo has plans to release more games that were released on the Wii U but did not get the attention they deserved due the lack of interest in the Wii U in general. Below are my two favorite games on the Wii U and really hope they get a remake on the Nintendo Switch.
Super Smash Brothers for Wii U:
Super Smash Brothers is easily my favorite game ever. It mixes platform elements into the most crazy fighting game ever and if that wasn’t enough, it features all my favorite Nintendo characters. What more could you wish for?! This installment of the successful fighting game franchise has no less than 58 characters to choose from so it’s almost guaranteed your favorite Nintendo characters is in it. Some say that Smash Melee is the true competitive Smash but in my opinion, I think Nintendo did a very good job making this game competitive. Balance patches, online multiplayer, counterpicks… No matter you want to play this casually or competitive, this is definitely a must-own for a Wii U owner and I really hope they soon will release a Super Smash Bros for Switch!
Pokken Tournament:
As a big Pokemon fan, the release of Pokken Tournament was a dream coming true for me. Being able to fight with Pokemon, as in actual fighting, is just such an awesome game concept. And this being created by the developers of the Tekken franchise resulted in, in my opinion, the best game for the Wii U. The basic concept is quite simple and it surprisingly it took them 20 years to come up with the idea. It is not only the gameplay that makes this game amazing but the looks surprise me every time. So this is a game they definitely have to make a port for the Switch. Pokemon Company if you hear me, make this come true!!!
Yordi:
Like most people here, you won’t ever see me saying the Wii U was a success. It’s a console that was mainly suffering due to a lack of third party support because the console wasn’t as powerful as its competitors. But unlike most people here, I’m not convinced that the Switch will do much better. It’s going to do better than Wii U, that’s for sure but then again, that’s not really a crazy feat. It speaks volumes that our last hurrah for Nintendo’s console is us saying the console wasn’t that great. So with that said, let’s just get to my two picks.
Xenoblade Chronicles X:
Xenoblade Chronicles on the Wii was one of the best RPGs of that generation and one of my favorite games on the Wii. The next installment did a lot of different things. The narrative wasn’t anything special which is lamentable but the world itself was filled with things to do and it was incredibly engaging exploring it. While I prefer the previous installment, X is an amazing game if you are looking for an incredible RPG.
Splatoon:
As soon as Splatoon was announced it took the world by storm. The only gripe I have is the map rotation system but other than that almost everything about it is amazing. The mechanics and controls are pretty unique and with a solid single player, amazing multiplayer and charming characters designs the game was destined to get the following it has. It’s a great game with great mechanics and a colorful world and cast. It’s certainly worth checking out.
Sam:
While I certainly had fun with my WiiU, I do think that it’s the worst console Nintendo has ever released. It has shunned many third-party developers with its dual screen system and simply wasn’t powerful enough to keep up with its competition. However, there are some great games to be played on it. Here are my two picks.
Bayonetta 2:
The sequel to one of Platinum studios most famous titles was made exclusively for the WiiU. Many fans of the original Bayonetta were upset with this and didn’t want to buy a Wii U for one game. This resulted in Bayonetta 2 selling poorly (less than 1 million copies total). Which is a shame because Bayonetta 2 is a fantastic sequel to the first Bayonetta. It improves on almost everything from the first game, with the exception of the story. While the story of Bayonetta 2 is not that bad, it felt like a downgrade compared to the story of the first one. The gameplay, however, is where the game shines the most, and my god does it shine. The combat in Bayonetta 2 is fast, fluid, deep and will keep you engaged during your entire playthrough. Add to that the beautiful visuals and character designs and you’re in for a wild ride.
Wonderful 101:
There are many mysteries in the world, one of them is why Wonderful 101 wasn’t received that well by critics. Granted, the controls and combat come over as over-complicated at the beginning of the game but after playing an hour or so you’ll see the pattern of the combat mechanics and pull off some great combos. Be warned though, W101 is not an easy game. It requires you to know your combos and when to use them. But this is exactly why W101 is my favorite Wii U game and one of my favorite games ever. Mastering the combat in W101 is incredibly rewarding and keeps you stuck to your screen. Add to that the colorful visuals, the great sense of humor and the over-the-top action sequences that make you think of shows like Power Rangers or Kamen Rider and you get a fantastic action game that should be regarded as an example of great game design. I hope that the Switch will eventually receive a sequel, or at least a port of the original so that more gamers can witness the beauty of Wonderful 101.
Lander:
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD:
The Wii U is one of those Nintendo consoles that didn’t receive a Zelda game until the very end. Breath of the Wild is Wii U’ first new Zelda game, but let’s be honest for a moment here. Breath of the Wild runs better on Nintendo Switch so Wii U owners are stuck with two remakes. One of the Wind Waker and one of Twilight Princess, both released on Gamecube (TP on Wii as well) originally. I played the original on GameCube but forgot a lot of details that made this such a good game. I’m not going to lie here, but originally I like Wind Waker a bit more. After replaying Twilight Princess in HD on my Wii U, I’m not so sure which I like most. Twilight Princess is one of my most played Wii U games and I enjoyed every second of it. It has an interesting, darker story and really nails the dungeons and bosses. It’s a great entry in the franchise and one of the games you simply need to play if you own a Wii U.
Captain Toad Treasure Tracker:
If you’re making a list of the ten games you need to play on Wii U, Captain Toad has to be on it, period. This game released after Captain Toad made his first appearance in Super Mario 3D World as an addictive mini-game. In Treasure Tracker, Nintendo created tons of creative levels where Toad has to find all the hidden stars in order to advance. This is by far one of the more innovative Wii U games and offered new ways of playing. Flipping the world upside down while controlling a character who can’t jump, proved to be rather challenging. It still is one of my favorite Wii U games and I do hope a Nintendo Switch version is on its way!
And there you go. Ten Wii U games for you all to check out and enjoy. Are there any games we missed? do you agree? Let us know in the comments!
