The Highlight Reel: Nintendo Wii U
The Switch is over a year old, now, more than surpassing its predecessor, the Wii U, in every way commercially and critically. However, while the Wii U had a small userbase, that userbase is also incredibly loyal. Especially on GBAtemp, where the homebrew community has kept the Wii U relevant, even after official support has ended. In fact, the Wii U is beloved as an emulation box, offering virtual console, backwards compatibility, and emulation for many of Nintendo’s past consoles’ and handhelds’ games.
Just like the previous entry of this series, today, we’ll be taking a look at the Wii U has to offer, and putting a spotlight on the greatest the console has in terms of games. Are you interested in grabbing a Wii U to try some exclusive games, or have you owned one for a while now and have been thinking about revisiting it for some titles you might have missed? You’re in luck, because this is a highlight reel of sorts, listing out games you should definitely give a try.
Seeing as pure objectivity can’t be reached, everyone will of course have differing opinions, but I hope to make a list that’ll make for a great starting point for anyone interested in the Wii U. Each category will have its own unique entries, so there won’t be any duplicate mentions.
Best Indie Games
With Nintendo finally having a modern online storefront for its home console, and Nintendo pushing for independent developers via the Nindies program, many indie games found major initial success on the Wii U. Here are some of the best available:
- Shovel Knight
- Freedom Planet
- Axiom Verge (Official GBAtemp Review)
- Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition (Official GBAtemp Review)
- Binding of Isaac
- Severed (Official GBAtemp Review)
- Steamworld Heist
- Affordable Space Adventures
- Don’t Starve: Giant Edition
- Fast Racing NEO
After a Kickstarter campaign that fulfilled its promise, Shovel Knight released onto Nintendo platforms to rave reviews from critics and players alike. The gameplay was simple, and hearkened back to the days of NES platformers that often had a challenging difficulty. Yacht Club Games outdid themselves with Shovel Knight, creating a brand new experience, yet also one tinged with nostalgia. To this day, the company is still releasing free content updates for the game.
Best Ports
Whenever a new console launches, it tends to lead to lots of ports from the previous generation being brought over, either in order to give them a new lease on life, or to add new features and content. Though far more limited in regards to other systems, the Wii U still had a handful of great new-old games.
- Bayonetta (Official GBAtemp Review)
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
- Resident Evil: Revelations
- Need for Speed: Most Wanted U
- Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition
- Deus Ex: Human Revolution
When SEGA couldn't find anyone willing to sign on to make a sequel to Bayonetta, Nintendo ended up stepping to up to the plate, bringing both Bayonetta 1 and 2 to the Wii U. The Wii U version of the game was by far the best way to play Bayonetta, at least, until the PC version released. It felt like a weird match for Nintendo, but it was a mix that worked incredibly well.
Best Action/Adventure
The Wii U was home to quite a good amount of action and adventure games. From long world-spanning adventures, to octane-fueled action romps, these are the best of the best.
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD / The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
- Rayman Legends
- Lego City: Undercover
- The Wonderful 101
- Star Fox Zero (Official GBAtemp Review)
And of course, what else could possibly take the #1 spot here for this genre, other than the beloved Zelda franchise? We not only got one, but two HD remasters, for Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. If you want to play either of these games, you better have a Wii U, because this is the definitive way to experience them.
Best Online
While the Wii was the first home console that really had online multiplayer, it was an abysmal feature. Nintendo took note, and although the Wii U's online is still flawed, it was leagues better than the previous attempt.
- Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
- Pokken Tournament
- Minecraft
- Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing: Transformed
- Wii Sports Club
Finally, we have Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate, a game that really brought life into the series, as dedicated fans helped keep the online portion of the game alive and well, even with a small playerbase. While far clunkier than newer entries, it still brought people together, and likely helped boost the series, even if a little bit, to where it is now.
Best Local Modes
Nintendo tends to never disappoint, at least, in terms of games that offer local multiplayer.
- Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
- Mario Kart 8
- Mario Party 10 (Official GBAtempp Review)
- New Super Mario Bros. U + Luigi U
- Nintendo Land
Salad Mix
The salad mix is what I like to call all the games that couldn't really make a category of their own, but still deserve some attention. These games might not be for everyone, but if you're a fan of a respective series, there might be something here for you to try out.
- Bayonetta 2 (Official GBAtemp Review)
- Yoshi’s Wooly World
- ZombiU
- Warriors Orochi 3: Hyper
- Child of Light
- Kirby And The Rainbow Curse (Official GBAtemp Review)
- Scribblenauts: Unlimited
- Sonic: Lost World
- Game & Wario
- Paper Mario: Color Splash
This list-topper might just be the most unexpected game to be announced, especially for a Nintendo console...at least, until the third game was revealed for the Switch. Our best of the assorted here is Bayonetta 2, a sequel that takes everything from the first game, and cranks it up to eleven. PlatinumGames once again creates a chaotically fun game with just absolutely lovely combat. Thanks to the Wii U, the Bayonetta franchise is here to stay.
Best eShop Titles
Sometimes, publishers just can't afford to release a physical copy of a game. That's what makes the eShop such a great thing, as there's loads of fun digital-only games to choose from.
- NES Remix
- Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse
- Trine 2
- Little Inferno
- Star Fox: Guard
NES Remix is an odd game. It was announced during a Nintendo Direct, leaving watchers skeptical of what was to come. Luckily, NES Remix turned out to be enjoyable, taking classic Nintendo Entertainment System games and changing them up so the games felt fresh, even decades after release.
Best First-Party
Ah, and this is where Nintendo shines brightest, with games made by their first party studios. These were what people bought a Wii U for in the first place. Here's the best of what we got:
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Official GBAtemp Review)
- Splatoon (Official GBAtemp Review)
- Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze
- Hyrule Warriors (Official GBAtemp Review)
- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
...Did you expect anything else, other than Breath of the Wild? Though it was far more popular and optimized for the Wii U's replacement--the Switch--BOTW had been teased for years for Wii U owners, and Nintendo finally delivered. We got a fairly competent version of one of the biggest Zelda titles ever, cementing itself as one of the best games bar none on the console.
Best Exclusives
With the Wii U being over 5 years old, now, it was expected that some of the best games from this neglected console would find their way onto the Switch. However, these ones are games that you can't fully experience anywhere else. At the time of writing, there's five solid games that are Wii U only.
- Super Mario Maker (Official GBAtemp Review)
- Super Mario 3D World
- Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
- Xenoblade Chronicles X
- Pikmin 3
That's a wrap!
That’s 56 titles for the Wii U that are at least worth checking out, if you’re a fan of the console. Though the Wii U’s time in the spotlight is over now, there were still many fantastic games for the system, some of which are now part of its successor’s library, containing the Wii U’s legacy. So get going, pick up that GamePad, and go play some Wii U games!
What are your thoughts? Are there any games not listed here that you think deserve to be on this list? Did you enjoy this article? If so, be sure to leave a comment down below!