Majestic Twelve: Twelve WiiU Game Recommendations

As you all know, my preferred platform for gaming is a PC. But of the actual "consoles" of the current generation, right now the only one that really seems worth owning is a WiiU. I can maybe think of two or three games on the competition that I might want. But on a WiiU? Here are twelve titles (plus more) that, if you owned a WiiU, you could play RIGHT NOW (mostly). Enjoy the top twelve games to give you a reason to own a WiiU. 

#12 – Earthbound – This Virtual Console title is a WiiU exclusive, meaning you can’t get it on the Wii or 3DS virtual console. It’s also one of the rarest games in the west which, for a hardcopy of the game, could run you to nearly $1000. That being said, it’s a classic SNES-era RPG that is considered to be the same level of greatness as Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, or Phantasy Star. Featuring Ness, made more famous by his appearances in Smash Bros, you go with him on a journey to save the world from a dark force from another world. All the while, the world you explore is a parody of what our world is basically like with adults acting like monstrous children and children all having the responsibility on their shoulders to keep the world in order. It’s bizarre, but fun. And this is one game that shows the value of the Virtual Console and being able to relive classic games.

#11 – No More Heroes 1 & 2 – While Suda51 has gone on to other projects on other consoles, his biggest claims to fame after Killer7 were his original No More Heroes titles. Again, more bizarre and quirky action-heavy gameplay, but using the Wii-Mote as intended (a lightsaber) and featuring a hero-character that really isn’t even that heroic makes for a fun game everyone should try at least once. Yes, these games are actually on the Wii. But since the WiiU is the ONLY current gen system with backwards compatibility, what other games show this feature off better than No More Heroes? Oh… wait! I know!

#10 – Wii-Only JRPGs – If you want JRPGs, the PC is slowly getting a larger library of those via Steam. Xbox has never really had those. And the PS4 has so many, it’s rather hard to tell the good ones from the ones that are just ripping off the good ones and doing it poorly. Unless it has the “Atlus” logo on it, it becomes difficult to tell. But there are at least THREE solid Wii-Only RPGs that you can play on your WiiU. Xenoblade Chronicles (featuring newcoming smash fighter, Shulk), Last Story (made by some of the same devs behind classic Final Fantasy games), and Pandora’s Tower all are worth a look and continue to show the value of backwards compatibility, considering they all released VERY late in the Wii’s life cycle. But there’s one other game showcasing the value of the Wii-Backwards-Compatibility.

#09 – Metroid Prime Trilogy – This trilogy bundle contains in it one of the best Nintendo games I’ve ever played, one of the best Metroid games ever, and certainly the BEST Gamecube game. All three games in the bundle bring something different to the table and are all many hours of space-exploring fun. If you already own all three games and a means to play them on their old systems, great for you. But if you need another reason to get a WiiU, this Metroid series entry is one of the best excuses to own a Wii or WiiU. But with that out of the way, let’s focus on games exclusively for the WiiU.

#08 – ZombiU – One of the best launch titles we’ve ever seen and one of the best horror games on a console you could ask for (that isn’t available on PC). ZombiU shows a lot of the true potential of the Gamepad without going too far into being simply a tech-demo. The game also has a Dark Souls style death-system where you lose your gear when you die, requiring you to recollect it as your new character. The catch is you have to fight the previous character’s zombie, which can be difficult depending on how many zombies are still around. It’s easy to dismiss this as another zombie game, but until Fatal Frame for WiiU comes to the west, this will be the WiiU’s main horror-game entry. (Seriously, Reggie, localize Fatal Frame WiiU).

#07 – Super Mario 3D World – This is probably the best Mario title in years. It’s the most colorful. Introduces the most new concepts, items, and enemies. It has some of the most unique levels ever shown in a Mario game and I figured that’d be hard to top after Mario Galaxy. Super Mario 3D World was one of my favorite games of 2013 simply for making Mario fun again, which is something that didn’t seem possible for a while. But why isn’t it ranked higher? Because the WiiU offers more than just more Mario!

#06 – Wonderful 101 – Platinum Games are some of the best developers in gaming and so it would make sense they get TWO titles on this list. The first of which is their first WiiU title, Wonderful 101. It takes a while to get into and it certainly feels different from your normal Platinum Game, but as you progress the story and action get more intense and fun and the game is totally worth a look. For those who say Nintendo never does anything new, here’s an example of something new you more than likely overlooked because you were too busy playing Call of Duty 14: Again with the Warfare.

#05 – Shovel Knight – Really, there are a lot of worthwhile titles in the Indie Circuit to check out and Nintendo has certainly been pushing indies on the WiiU to help diversify their game selection. But one title that obviously stands out most and really needs no introduction is Shovel Knight. It’s also on 3DS, but why get it on a handheld when you can get it on a WiiU?

#04 – Mario Kart 8 – I wanted to keep Mario out of the top half of this list. But I absolutely HATED Mario Kart Wii for not feeling anything like other Mario Kart games, having horrid internet connection, and just looking kind of bland. People hate on Mario Kart Double Dash¸ but the Wii game felt like a downgrade of everything the Gamecube game had to offer. Mario Kart 8 was released and EVERYTHING I hated has been fixed. The visuals are the best in the series and among the best of the current generation of games. The gameplay feels really smooth, fast, and makes racing all the more enjoyable. And with a good number of racers and tracks with more on the way as DLC, you’ll have seemingly endless hours of content to enjoy.

#03 – Smash Bros 4 – While the game released on the 3DS, there’s no denying the “definitive” version of the game will be the WiiU edition. It’ll come with more game modes to play. It’ll have the ability to support more players at once. It’ll have the best visuals in the series to date. It’ll have more ways to optimize your fights. It’ll have better controls (nothing against the 3DS, but that circle pad is not great for a fighting game). And I love the 3DS version of the game, considering it the best of the series (yes, better than Melee). I can only imagine the WiiU version will just be that but better. With it’s release less than a month away, there’s really no time to waste. Also, if you want Mewtwo for free, buying this game is really the only way to do that.

#02 – Bayonetta – Sure, you can play Bayonetta on the PS3 or Xbox360. But the WiiU version is likely to be considered the “definitive edition”. How? It’ll feature more content, a graphical upgrade, and reduced loading times… Oh… and it’s free with the exclusive copy of BAYONETTA 2. Bayonetta 2 is the real entry here, being a WiiU exclusive sequel to one of the best action games in gaming history and certainly the best of the past generation of games. Platinum Games returns with their over-sexualized action heroine, Bayonetta as she journeys into Hell to fight both angels and demons in a quest to save her friend. There are few games I could recommend more than this and you would be a fool to not give these games a try.

#01 – The 2015 Line-Up – Selling you on future potential seems silly, but E3 of 2014 is when Nintendo showed the best stuff it’s had in years and basically stole the entire show at E3. What games of 2015 are we looking forward too? Splatoon, StarFox, Zelda, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Metroid, Devil’s Third, and many other titles along with DLC for games like Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart looking to add more characters, stages, and other great content to games already packed with things to do. And I don’t see anything nearly that interesting on the horizon for other platforms (least not stuff I can’t get on PC). Right now, if I were to want any console, it’d definitely be a WiiU. 

Maybe soon I'll do a top twelve games to play on PC... but that might be tougher considering how big a library PC has compared to basically anything else. I'll consider it. Until then, see ya next time!