Top 10 Wii U Games

Everyone on the Internet has been speculating about Nintendo’s new console, currently codenamed the NX, since it was hinted at by Nintendo years ago and they finally gave a release window for the console to come out, in March 2017. However, until then, Nintendo fans who own the company’s current system, the Wii U, have a long, harsh wait ahead of them. Not many new games will be coming out for the system in 2016, as has been the case for the system’s entire run, and even Nintendo themselves seem to consider it a dead console at this point, which is very disappointing for the fans who have supported it for so long, only to have it dropped like this.

However, until the NX comes out, this could at least be a chance for Wii U owners to clean through their backlog to prepare for Nintendo’s new console. While there are not many new games coming out to get excited about, this could be the time to clear through the games they already have or visit the ones they might have missed. So, we will be looking at some of the best games the Wii U has to offer.

For this list, we will be looking only at Wii U exclusives or timed exclusives. We won’t be counting ports or HD re-releases of games from other consoles, Virtual Console games, or multiplatform releases for the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. That means, as good as those games may be, no Twilight Princess, no Wind Waker, no EarthBound, no EarthBound Beginnings, and no Skylanders featuring Bowser and Donkey Kong.

Also, keep in mind that, few they may be, there are still some Wii U games to be released in the future like Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, Paper Mario: Color Splash, and Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, so keep an eye on those to see if they’re worth your time.

10. Pokken Tournament

Pokemon fans have been asking for an official Pokemon fighting game for a long time and they finally got their wish with Pokken Tournament. Developed by Namco Bandai, the studio behind the Tekken series, this game works in a way that combines 2D and 3D fighting mechanics, switching between them to create a different kind of fighting game experience. Strategies need to change up as the battles shift between the two phases during a match and those that can easily adapt are more likely to win.

There are 16 playable characters in the game and while the roster does include fan favorites like Charizard, Lucario, and Mewtwo, it also had a few puzzling choices like the inclusion of Pikachu Libre alongside normal Pikachu and Chandelure as the only playable Gen 5 pokemon. The game also includes support Pokemon that players can call on during a match and Burst Modes that can activate each of the characters’ super moves. Overall, this is a good first entry in what hopefully becomes a continuing fighting game series for Nintendo.

9. ZombiU

Released around the launch of the Wii U, ZombiU is one of the few quality third-party games on the system as well as one of its few quality M-rated titles. Developed by Ubisoft before they pulled their support for the system, players control a survivor of a zombie outbreak in London, England. As they try to survive the outbreak, they are guided by a character known as The Prepper to accomplish objectives in order to reveal what happened to start the outbreak and, hopefully, get out of the city alive.

ZombiU makes use of the Wii U GamePad to manage the character’s inventory, as a scanner to check the surroundings, and for other actions like barricading doors or picking locks. The game also has a unique death mechanic in that if a character gets bitten once by a zombie, they are permanently dead and replaced by a randomly generated new player character, so it is possible that a player could go through a lot of characters before they finish the game. It was later released on other consoles and on PC as Zombi, but it was first released as a Wii U exclusive, which gives it a spot on this list.

8. Pikmin 3

One of the first big releases for the Wii U, Pikmin 3 is a fresh new look at Nintendo’s action RTS series. Instead of Olimar from the previous games, players now control three new characters, Alph, Brittany, and Charlie as they explore a distant planet to find fruit to bring back to their planet, which is experiencing a food shortage. Along the way, they meet the Pikmin, of which there are new varieties to use, and work with them to achieve their mission.

The cute, cartoonish visuals are aided by the contrast of the realistic world around them, displayed in HD thanks to the Wii U’s graphical output, and the gameplay is still as challenging as previous entries in the series. Players need to be observant and quick-thinking to avoid losing their Pikmin. The series quirky charm and challenging gameplay are on full display in this new entry to the series.

7. Hyrule Warriors

If you don’t have a problem with spin-off titles, this game could technically count as the Wii U’s exclusive Legend of Zelda title.

Developed by Koei Tecmo, developers of the Dynasty Warriors series, Hyrule Warriors applies the Dynasty Warriors gameplay formula to the Legend of Zelda universe, giving a new way to experience this classic series. Along with series staples Link and Zelda, several fan favorite characters appear as playable warriors, coming from past Zelda titles like Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword. All of the characters are given flashy combos and powerful finishing moves as they team up to defeat the evil sorceress Cia and familiar nemesis Ganondorf after their dark magic causes the various Hyrule timelines to merge together.

It doesn’t play like a traditional Zelda title, but for some open-minded gamers, Hyrule Warriors is a new take on an old classic.

6. Xenoblade Chronicles X

One of the latest offerings from Monolith Soft, Xenoblade Chronicles X is a spiritual sequel to the similarly named Wii title. In this game, after the Earth is destroyed, large ships that managed to escape the destruction search the depths of space to find a new planet for humanity to call home. One of these ships, the White Whale, which launched from Los Angeles, crash lands on a planet called Mira and now, its inhabitants try to adapt to their new home while finding other survivors.

The game offers an expansive open world to explore with colorful and detailed environments and the battle system, while complex, favors strategic thinking. Compared to the crazy story of the earlier Xenoblade title, the story of this game is a bit easier to follow while also allowing for complex characters, though some have complained that the wide open world features too little to do inside it between objectives. Overall, fans of JRPGs will more than likely find something to like in this title.

5. Super Mario Maker

Nintendo chose a notable way to celebrate Mario’s 30^th anniversary.

As the name implies, Super Mario Maker is a creative maker game that allows players to create their own Super Mario levels. With the graphical styles of the classic Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros. U, players can choose what platforms to put where, what enemies to place, what power-ups to put in, and more. Players can then share their creations online for anyone to play. Even if you don’t want to create levels yourself, players can still open up the levels that other people have created. While the creative tools can be expanded upon in future releases, Super Mario Maker has a lot to offer fans of the Super Mario series.

4. Mario Kart 8

One of Nintendo’s biggest franchises, the eighth installment in the Mario Kart series is the biggest entry yet. In this game, Mario and company race through several different tracks, rendered for the first time in high definition and with many tracks having the detail to make use of it. Races can also include underwater sections, mid-air sections requiring the use of a glider or parachute, and anti-gravity sections where the track turns sideways or upside-down.

This game shows one of the best uses of Nintendo’s online system for multiplayer play with players from all around the world able to race against each other in the game’s tracks. Mario Kart 8 also shows one of the best uses of DLC in recent memory by adding substantial new content to an already full and complete game. It increases the speed with the new 200cc mode and adds new characters, tracks, and carts to race with, including some that crossover with other Nintendo games like F-Zero, Excitebike, Animal Crossing, and The Legend of Zelda.

3. Splatoon

While Nintendo has released different IPs over the years, Nintendo’s EAD internal development studio hasn’t worked on a new IP in a long time. That changed with Wii U the release of Splatoon. In this off-beat third-person shooter, players control an Inkling, a humanoid squid character, that uses ink-based weaponry team competitions. The Inklings can also turn into squids to swim around in their color of ink to get around the map faster. The game also has a single-player mode that delves into the lore about the world of the game, monthly events called Splatfests, and special challenge modes that can be unlocked with Amiibo figures.

This game is the largest leap Nintendo has made in terms of online gameplay as the game’s main focus is the online multiplayer mode, which has teams of four playing against each other in different modes like Turf Wars, Splat Zones, Rainmaker, and more. Since launch, the game has also received regular free updates, giving players new stages, weapons, and clothing items, all things that would have a price tag attached to it in most other shooters. While some common features of online shooters are missing from this game, overall, it’s a worthwhile game for those looking for something different.

2. Bayonetta 2

If it weren’t for Nintendo, this game may not have even seen the light of day.

When Sega and Platinum Games faced difficulties working on the game Bayonetta 2, it almost got canceled until Nintendo volunteered to publish the game, acquiring it as an exclusive for the Wii U. As such, Nintendo managed to get a gem of a third-party game for the console. This game follows the Umbra Witch Bayonetta as she goes on a quest to save her friend Jeanne from the realm of Inferno, while both angels and demons are out to kill her.

As with other Platinum Games titles, this game features detailed and colorful visuals, quirky and stylish characters, an engaging narrative, and lots of action. Bayonetta has access to several weapons and abilities that she can use to dispatch enemies and, because of the game’s Nintendo exclusivity, she can even wear several Nintendo themed costumes which give her even more abilities. The game also comes bundled with the first Bayonetta, so those that missed out on the series’ previous entry can catch up.

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Before revealing the number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

-Star Fox Zero – The controls may take some getting used to and it is a retelling of the first Star Fox game, but the game itself is still fun and action-packed.

-Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze – The latest entry in the Donkey Kong Country series keeps up the challenging but rewarding gameplay of its previous entry.

-The Wonderful 101 – This Platinum Games developed title is filled with stylish and quirky action gameplay reminiscent of Viewtiful Joe.

-Fast Racing Neo – With F-Zero still absent from Nintendo’s current franchise queue, this indie game will satisfy those looking for a fast-paced sci-fi racer.

-Super Mario 3D World – While not the kind of 3D Mario game everyone was waiting for, this is still a good title for pick-up-and-play fun.

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1. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

While a version of this game did come out for the 3DS, the Wii U version is seen as the superior of the two and as a must-have game for the console.

Perhaps the most highly anticipated game for the Wii U, Super Smash Brothers for Wii U is an engaging and action-packed title. The latest in the game series that defined the platform fighter sub-genre, the game strikes a mid-point between the complex, competitive gameplay of Melee and the more casual-friendly and random mechanics of Brawl. This game’s roster has the most characters out of any entry in the series, which has only increased after the game started receiving downloadable content. While the usual suspects are present, like Mario, Link and Pikachu, new and returning characters come in from Nintendo games both old and new as well as third-party characters like Namco-Bandai’s Pac-Man, Ryu and Mega Man from Capcom, Sega and Platinum Games’ Bayonetta, and Cloud Strife from Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy VII.

Also included are several new modes including a re-done Classic mode, the Trophy Rush mini-game, and the new 8-Player Smash mode, which, as the name implies, allows eight players on the stage at once. This game also features a new updated system for online battling, more effective than the system from Brawl, it currently features the best use for Nintendo’s Amiibo figures, creating virtual fighters in the game, and it includes Miis as customizable characters with a wide variety of moves and costume options, meaning that if they wanted to, players could have their favorite celebrities, movie characters they like, their friends, or even themselves fighting with or against these gaming all-stars.

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That was the list for the top 10 games for the Wii U. What games for this system do you think are worth playing? What are you hoping for from the NX? Share your thoughts in the comments below and thanks for coming.