10 Games Every Nintendo Wii U Player Needs

The system with the best first-party exclusives of this console generation continues to delight with highly entertaining, original titles.
10 Games Every Nintendo Wii U Player Needs

Quick question: What's the only next-generation video game console with a ton of excellent exclusives that runs at 1080p/60 frames per second. PlayStation 4? Ha! Xbox One? I point and giggle in your general direction. Nintendo's Wii U carries that distinction with pride. Naysayers often state that the Wii's successor hasn't flown off the shells as quickly as its rivals, but true gamers recognize that Wii U is home to some of the most fun and creative games this console generation.

To be fair, Wii U lacks several high-profile third-party titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops III. As a result, Nintendo basically has no other choice than to market the Wii U with nothing more than its own internally developed games, or games that it helped fund. But Nintendo is one of the greatest game developers of all time, and its Wii U games represent some of the company's strongest work yet.

Wii U's unique control scheme also means it offers gameplay experiences you won't find anywhere else. While the GamePad tablet controller may not feature multi-touch like the iPad and most other contemporary touch-screen devices, its physical buttons and analog sticks make it much better for controlling video games. Using two screens in concert, the GamePad and your television, feels a lot like using Nintendo's other dual-screen device: the Nintendo 3DS. Some games also let you play exclusively on the GamePad, freeing up the TV for someone else to use.

Nintendo's next console, the mysterious NX, may be approaching faster than we think. But buying a Wii U right now will give you access to free online multiplayer, Wii backwards compatibility, and most importantly a slowly growing library of modern Nintendo classics like the 10 games featured on this list. From old favorites like Mario and Donkey Kong, to sexy witches, to trigger-happy squid kids, this console is full of pleasant surprises.

Are you a fellow Wii U believer who thinks we left out a great game? Let us know in the comment section.

(For more, check out the games every 3DS, PS4, and Xbox One player needs.)

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  • 1

    Bayonetta 2

    $59.99

    Bayonetta 2 , a Nintendo Wii U exclusive, polishes the original game's combat and gunplay to create an even better action title. And, if that's not enough, Nintendo and developer Platinum Games brought the original Bayonetta game along for the ride in this two-for-one game that offers pure combative joy and less of the blatant prurience the series seems to offer at first glance.
  • 2

    Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze

    $49.99
    Donkey Kong Country Returns , well, returns as one of the best platformers in recent years. In true Donkey Kong Country fashion, there are new items and moves to master, collectibles to plunder, maddening jumps and bosses, and wonderful retro-infused music from Rare's former house composer, David Wise. Inventive and fast-paced, it proves there's life in the 2D-style platforming genre yet.
  • 3

    Mario Kart 8

    $59.99

    The latest Mushroom Kingdom racer takes great HD graphics, high speed, the best tracks in series history (controversy, uh-oh!), and, well, a passable cast of characters (where's King Boo? Dry Bones?) and rolls them all up into the best Mario Kart since the one for Nintendo DS. Anti-gravity sections, drifting, and off-ramp tricks keep the speed high, while boomerangs, piranha plants, and super horns add new offensive and defensive options for racers to use. Mario Kart TV, the replay system that lets you edit your own race reel, is already the stuff of legend thanks to Death Stare Luigi. Local and online multiplayer are the main draw, but we wish the Battle Arenas from Mario Kart 64 would return.
  • 4

    Splatoon

    $59.99

    Nintendo's colorful, wacky design philosophy doesn't quite jell with the dirty, joyless carnage of most modern shooters. But Splatoon is not most shooters. In a funky, post-apocalyptic world where squids have evolved into kids, you'll battle against other players online, while spraying your ink all over the map. Despite the kid-friendly atmosphere, Splatoon's focus on territory control gives it a lot of strategic depth. Between the various weapons to choose from and your ability to transform into a nimble squid, there are plenty of techniques to master. When Splatoon first launched, its concept was fantastic, but its content was a little thin. However, months of free DLC have finally fleshed it out into a game worth recommending without reservations.
  • 5

    Super Smash Bros.

    $39.99

    Super Smash Bros. proved a huge hit on the Nintendo 3DS, and now it's back on a home console as a Wii U game. It's basically the same game, a fighter in which you pick one of a few dozen Nintendo characters and smash away until you win. On the Wii U, though, it offers 1080p graphics, many more background songs, and the welcome 8-Man and Special Smash modes. It also lets you use GameCube controllers, meaning it's the closest thing to Super Smash Bros. Melee available for a long time, even if it's not actually Melee.
  • 6

    The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD


    $49.99
    Once derided as "Celda" for its cartoony, cel-shaded graphics, it turns out The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker stands the test of time thanks to confident visual design that looks even better in this 1080p HD re-release. The charming story that grows darker as it goes holds up wonderfully, and the fluid, action-oriented combat still excites. An unlockable Hero Mode (harder difficulty) and a revamped Triforce Hunt improves what was already considered the best 3D Zelda game back in 2003. This HD upgrade puts it back on top.
  • 7

    Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate

    $59.99

    Capcom's addictive, hit series stalks its way onto Nintendo's latest home console (and 3DS, too). You play the role of a, well, monster hunter who slays massive beasts and collects equipment upgrades that give combat advantages. The Wii U's Gamepad gives touch-screen functionality that enables fast access to in-game books, weapons, field maps, and mini games—a series first. Even better, Wii U players are able to hunt with Nintendo 3DS players via a local wireless connection.
  • 8

    New Super Mario Bros. U

    Nintendo's six-year-old New Super Mario Bros. series makes its first appearance on the Wii U this fall, bringing with it the four-player flag-chasing action first seen in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. This family-friendly title features numerous power ups and assists, such as a Flying Squirrel suit and Baby Yoshi. New Super Mario Bros. U supports WiiMote and GamePad. New Super Mario Bros. U also supports Miiverse—Nintendo's social network—to let players leave comments regarding in-game accomplishments.
  • 9

    Super Mario 3D World

    $59.99

    The premiere game for the Wii U could be the best 3D Mario game since Super Mario 64. Yes, better than Super Mario Galaxy. A big reason why is because Mario in HD looks fantastic. Mario's whimsical, colorful visuals were born for high-def. The orchestrated music will make you wish all Mario games sound this way. The controls feel perfect. Each level is filled with new ideas to toy with like a stage where platforms vanish and reappear to the rhythm of the music. It's also a fantastic multiplayer game. You will argue, yell, and finally agree to work together to find every single last star, stamp, and secret (find all the hidden Luigis!) until you've conquered the game and either replay it all over again or await the inevitable sequel (we hope). A must-have for any Wii U owner.
  • 10

    Super Mario Maker

    $59.99

    Custom Mario games are nothing new, but for years they've only been possible through dubious means like game ROM hacking. That changes with Super Mario Maker, a game that lets you craft your own Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros. U levels and share them online. It isn't a deranged hacker's paradise that lets you create complex, genre-warping multimedia experiences like LittleBigPlanet, but it's an incredibly easy-to-use way to make your own Mario experiences that look and feel true to the series.