Mario Kart 8
Mario Kart is one of those games that is just always fun. While other companies were busy trying to create their own mascot-powered karting experience, Nintendo was smooth sailing with Mario and friends. They could have easily just put out a prettier version of the last game with a couple of more characters and nobody would have batted an eyelash. But this is Nintendo we’re dealing with, so there is no way that would suffice.
Instead, we got what is hands down the best Mario Kart to ever grace our screens. Tons of drivers, customizable vehicles, and the best tracks to ever appear in the series make for one seriously fun game. There’s nothing better than piling a bunch of your friends into the same room to duke it out on the track. Plus, the addition of non-Mario related characters, such as Link, make it even better.
Nintendo Land
Nintendo Land is a game that doesn’t seem like it should be as good as it is. The Mario crew has been placed in a lot of scenarios and, to be completely honest, they tend to look like cash-grabs. When Nintendo Land was announced as a launch title for the soon to be released Wii U, nobody knew what to expect.
Sure, it was clear that it would be a sort of party game and also a demonstration of how to use the new Gamepad. But outside of being a glorified, packed-in tech demo, what else was there to expect? It turns out that the answer is a lot.
Nintendo Land ended up being a themepark mixed with Mario Party with a dash of WarioWare thrown in for good measure. The game is incredibly fun and with tons of different activities ranging from 1-5 players, you can’t possibly go wrong.
New Super Mario Bros. U
Mario is one of those characters that just never seems to go out of style. This Nintendo mascot has been in more games than you could count. For some time, the franchise shifted to full 3D worlds, and while it was amazing, some time away from the more classic nature made fans miss it. New Super Mario Bros. U brought that side-scrolling action back into the fold.
It was more than just making Mario and co. move to the side again. New power-ups, amazing visuals, wonderful music, and the added functionality of the Wii U Gamepad made for an interesting new addition to the beloved series. New Super Mario Bros. U showed that Nintendo knew how to keep it simple yet still give fans an absolutely amazing experience.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Captain Toad’s puzzle-like gameplay first appeared as a mini-game in Super Mario 3D World. You played as the titular Captain Toad as you navigated small, obstacle-filled levels in order to collect stars. The catch was that you couldn’t jump. Your only way of being successful was moving around the camera to figure out how to get around everything and uncover secrets.
Like almost everything Nintendo puts out, it was simple but highly engaging. As you progressed, the levels grew to be more complex and included new obstacles as well as threats for Captain Toad to contend with. The best part was that the game wasn’t treated like an afterthought. It was a full-fledged game with power-ups and put Captain Toad at the forefront, no longer was he just going to sit in the background. The amount of creativity that went in was befitting of Nintendo and at less than full price (the game was released at $40), it was certainly a steal.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Nintendo was missing that big game. One with endless expanses and tons of activities to get lost in as you inevitably tried to save some world. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were receiving large open experiences such as MGS V, Fallout 4, and The Witcher 3, but the Wii U was biding its time as Monolith Soft worked on what would easily be one of the year’s best RPGs.
Xenoblade Chronicles X, a spiritual successor to Xenoblade Chronicles, places players on the planet Mira where the last survivors of humanity have crash landed. It is up to the player to not only protect humanity, but to also recover the stasis pods of those ejected from the White Whale (humanity’s ship). The large, open expanse offers tons of variation in design and scope and utilizes the full potential of the Wii U. Combat is fun and engaging, and the multiple upgrade paths available in this ARPG are nothing less than great. And once you find a Skell (mech) you’ll never want to play another game again.
Nintendo managed to put out one of the biggest worlds in 2015 and they did it on the Wii U. That alone would be impressive, but the fact that it is also a magnificent experience means this is not a game you want to miss.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
The Wind Waker was one of the best games available on the GameCube. Although its art style left many wondering if this was a lighter, more childish version of The Legend of Zelda fans had come to know and love, it proved to be just as immersive and deep as anything else in the franchise, if not more. While the PS3 and Xbox 360 were busy remastering everything under the sun, Nintendo took the time to give a game that not everyone gave a chance a life on their new hardware.
What resulted was one of the most beautiful games on the Wii U. The Wind Waker HD brought the game to full 1080p with some added graphical effects. But that’s not all it did. It also added Wii U Gamepad support to help remove the need for intrusive menus while exploring the beautiful world. Other gameplay additions were included to remove some of the padding found in the original release, shifting the focus to a much more enjoyable overall experience.
If you’ve never given The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker a chance, there is no better opportunity than right now on the Wii U.
Super Mario 3D World
So Nintendo proved that they still have what it takes to make an amazing side-scrolling video game. But what about a game in the 3D space again? After Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS in 2011, fans wanted a bigger taste and that’s exactly what they got with Super Mario 3D world on the Wii U in 2013.
Super Mario 3D World takes the freedom we’ve come to expect from the more traditional 3D Mario games and throws in the 2D mechanics to make a unique, engaging experience that includes some of the best set pieces in the series. Four players can dash around each of the colorful worlds, climbing trees, dodging obstacles, and dishing out the hurt to goombas and other enemies. The classic Mario staple of challenging yet fun platforming is available in all its glory, and it has honestly never looked better.
If there was one game that justified a purchase of the Wii U, this is most certainly it.
Splatoon
Nintendo has done a lot of bold things in its over 30 year history. This year added to the list when they decided to release a third-person shooter in a sea of shooters. Splatoon wasn’t your typical shooter. Instead, you played as Inklings, these kids who can turn into full-on squids to quickly travel through the ink puddles you create.
The game involves players dousing the world and their enemies in ink in order to rack up points. The premise is simple, but it is insanely addictive and makes all of the game modes even more fun. Rainmaker (think capture-the-flag) alters the mechanics for the player carrying the totem forcing them to use ink in interesting ways, Turf Wars is a free for all that sees the ink flying as teams go absolutely insane covering everything.
There’s even a full campaign with hidden lore and enemies known as the Octarians. It’s not as mayhem-filled as the multiplayer but it’s plenty of fun and the unlockables alone are worth going for. Plus who doesn’t want to fight in a war fought with ink?
Nintendo managed to take one of the biggest genres and create something that was both family friendly and able to compete with the bigger titles. Splatoon is definitely something great.
Super Mario Maker
Everybody knows that making things is fun. Minecraft, LEGO, and plenty of other games have proven this. There’s just something about building things and sharing them with the world that is irresistible. On a whole other hand is the rush you can get from speed running a game or level. Just the motions of racing through an environment with perfect timing and execution has its own special feeling tied to it.
Nintendo decided to combine the two by giving everyone the ability to create unique Super Mario levels and share them with the world. And you know what? It’s absolutely amazing. Mixing and matching elements from across the different Super Mario generations, creating music, offering beautiful scenes or nail-biting courses, and just being able to make more of a game you love is great. Controls are intuitive, and browsing through the creations from those who dedicate a lot of time is nothing short of inspiring.
What is just a simple tool has proved to be one of the best ways to enjoy Mario out there. Who knew?
Bayonetta 2
Bayonetta 2 should not exist and the fact that it does is a miracle created by Nintendo. The creator of the game, Hideki Kamiya, was unable to make a sequel due to it not selling as well as hoped.
Nintendo heard the outcry of fans desperate for a follow-up and decided to help fund the game to take what was believed to be dead and breathe life into it once more. Of course, Nintendo being nice and making this happen isn’t enough of a reason for Bayonetta 2 to be part of this list. The reason it’s here is because it managed to take everything from the first game and make it even better.
The over-the-top combat remains, but this time with new weapons, attacks, enemies, and animation to bring the game properly into the current generation. On top of that, a co-operative mode was thrown in leaving two players to commence with the stylized mayhem that makes the game so great. It’s also a nice touch that the story continues not too far after where the first one left off, leaving no huge dark gap between the games so fans can continue the adventure.
Words honestly can’t do the artistic rampage that is Bayonetta 2’s gameplay any justice, so get out there and see for yourself.
Are there any Wii U Exclusives that you feel deserve a bit of extra recognition? How do you feel about those on this list? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
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