Summary
- The launch lineup for Wii U included diverse genres to cater to player preferences.
- Games like Ninja Gaiden 3 and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 enriched the system with mature content and exclusive features.
- Fan-favorite titles like Assassin's Creed 3 and New Super Mario Bros. U continued to showcase Nintendo's diverse offerings.
Nintendo's Wii U was released more than a decade ago, and while it's often seen as one of Nintendo's more divisive systems, many fans have still come to warm up to this quirky and rather creative system over the years. Thankfully, the Wii spinoff would actually have a pretty healthy launch line-up, which was made up of a handful of new first-party games, alongside some pretty big blockbusters which had only rarely been seen on previous Nintendo consoles.
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This ensured the Wii U got off to a good start, giving players a decent variety of genres to dive into while they waited for some of Nintendo's bigger releases to drop over the course of the next few years. Still, these launch games differ quite a bit in how enjoyable they actually are to play, so it's time to see how they stack up in hindsight when looking at their overall quality and fun factor.
8 Ninja Gaiden 3
An All-Time Classic Franchise Finally Showed Up On A Nintendo System
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge
- Released
- November 18, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Team Ninja
- Platform(s)
- PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
The Wii U seemed to mark a turning point in the games that Nintendo allowed on its system. More specifically, it seems like they were becoming more lenient about allowing games which were a little more bloody and mature to be available, and while many people will point to Bayonetta 2 as proof of this, another big example is Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, which was a launch title.
In classic Ninja Gaiden fashion, players are able to slice and dice their enemies with only a few button presses as they jump and dash around the environment as Ryu Hayabusa. Thanks to the touchpad, switching between Ryu's blades and using Ninpo techniques is easier than ever, and the developers even made sure to balance out the AI and add in a co-op to ensure the game felt fresh and different for Wii U players.
7 Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Wii U Players Can Enjoy Extra Tekken Content, Including A Classic Mode, On The Wii U
Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition
- Released
- November 18, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- teen
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Fighting, Action
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U
Considering the slow and gradual revival of fighting games that took place in the 2010s, it made sense that Nintendo would capitalize by bringing a popular fighter onto their latest system. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is a spin-off from the main series where players are able to control not one, but two characters in a fight by manually switching them out. While this does make the game a little more technical and harder to get used to than previous installments, it also adds a ton of creativity in terms of combo potential and team-up attacks.
The Wii U version also comes with a plethora of exclusive content, including not only familiar outfits from the Mario series, but also brings back the fan-favorite Tekken Ball mode from Tekken 3. While the game's accessibility might be an issue for some, it is still an absolute blast to play such a fast-paced fighting game on a Nintendo system, especially when also considering the sheer amount of added features that are baked into the game.
6 Darksiders 2
A Heart-Racing Hack And Slash Title To Get The Blood Pumping
Darksiders 2
- Released
- August 14, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Vigil Games
While Nintendo is known for its very joyful and uplifting first-party titles, Darksiders 2 provided something a little more gory and gritty for fans of more mature games. The game itself is a chaotic hack-and-slash title where players assume control of an absurdly powerful warrior known as Death, who is able to acquire an entire arsenal of dangerous weapons during his travels across the gorgeous world of???
What really makes Darksiders 2 so enjoyable to play is how much variation there is in terms of the gameplay. Every few levels, there will be something new to unlock, which can expand how players interact with the world, such as the Death Grip, for example, which can fling Death up to certain areas with the click of a button, thanks to his brand-new grappling hook. The controls can definitely take some getting used to, but it's well worth it to get the most out of this iconic hack-and-slash classic, which was released day one for the Wii U.
5 Assassin's Creed 3
Explore Revolutionary America Alongside A Brand New Assassin
Assassin's Creed III
- Released
- October 30, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Genre(s)
- Action, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Stadia
After the incredible success of the Ezio trilogy of games, many fans of the Assassin's Creed series wondered how Ubisoft could top these installments, considering how popular they became. What came as a result of this was Assassin's Creed 3, a game set in Revolutionary America which follows a brand-new assassin by the name of Connor. While the third mainline game contains some truly breathtaking environments, especially the wide and open snowy Frontier, the combat has also been greatly refined to feel a little more satisfying and responsive.
The game also contains one of the most emotional and compelling stories in the franchise, digging deep into Connor's tragic backstory and his relationship with his father. While it may not have reached the heights of Black Flag a few years later, Assassin's Creed 3 is still a great entry that plays very well on the Wii U, where players can switch their weapons and take a look at the map by using their very own gamepad.
4 Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two
Double The Players, Double The Fun
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
- Released
- November 18, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E for Everyone
- Developer(s)
- Junction Point Studios, Blitz Games Studios, Heavy Iron Studios
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii U
The first Epic Mickey game turned out to be somewhat of a surprise hit when it released on the Nintendo Wii, so much so that it earned itself a sequel, which only builds upon everything that made the original so great. While Mickey is still able to use his magical brush to fend off enemies, this time around, he's joined by Oswald, a quirky little companion who uses a remote control to solve puzzles and manipulate robots in a few unique ways.
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This allows us some pretty fun and creative levels where players must think outside the box and use their abilities together in order to move from A to B. Speaking of the levels, they are still just as vibrant and outlandish as they were before, with plenty of them being direct references to Disney's history. The game definitely isn't as much fun on single-player, but when jumping in with a friend, it's a fantastic experience.
3 ZombiU
ZombiU Puts A Fresh Spin On The Classic Survival-Horror Formula
ZombiU
- Released
- November 18, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Montpellier
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U
While survival horror games were obviously nothing new by the time Zombi U dropped, Ubisoft clearly made a big attempt to make this specific title feel like something unique, and the way they did this was by honing in on immersion. The first-person view mixed with the gritty visuals and reliance on the gamepad makes players feel as if they are really there, stranded in a zombie-infested London fighting for their lives.
However, if players do end up getting surrounded by a bunch of crazy zombies, they will then respawn as a different survivor. This creates an interesting dilemma where they must decide whether to go and find their corpse to retrieve all the supplies they gathered, or to instead rebuild from scratch to prevent being hounded by a swarm again. All of this results in an extremely fun gameplay loop which, even today, is still worth diving into for fans of the horror genre.
2 Nintendo Land
Nintendo Land Gives Players The Chance To Test Out The Wii U's Controls And Features Through Fun Minigames
Nintendo Land
- Released
- November 18, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Shooter
The marketing for the Wii U was honestly a little baffling, as the developers didn't exactly make it clear what made this system so unique and different. Thankfully, Nintendo Land acted as a great introduction to the Wii U as it featured a ton of mini-games which make full use of the system's properties and capabilities. For example, one minigame involves one player using the gamepad to control Samus' airship, while the others use traditional Wii remotes and nunchucks to try and shoot them down from the TV screen.
On the other hand, there are also a few solo attractions that are an absolute blast to play through, such as Donkey Kong's Crash Course, where players must rely on the gyroscope to bob and weave their way through each destination. Considering the staggering amount of content that is packed in here, it made Nintendo Land was a must-buy when it released alongside the system back in 2012.
1 New Super Mario Bros. U
Fun, Joyful, And Easy To Pick Up And Play, New Super Mario Bros U Is Still One Of The System's Best Games
New Super Mario Bros. U
- Released
- November 18, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone due to Comic Mischief
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U, Switch
As the years have gone by. Nintendo has only gotten better at creating long and enjoyable 2D Super Mario games for their systems, and this one, which released alongside the Wii U in 2012, is no exception. While the classic four-player mode makes a grand return, there have also been a few extra items thrown in to spice up the gameplay, such as the Flying Squirrel, which can be used to traverse long environments, and even Baby Yoshis, which all have their own unique abilities.
It doesn't stop there, though, as there are even some challenging gameplay modes which can be switched on to grant a new experience too. For example, on Boost Rush, the screen will start moving faster the more coins players collect, making for a much more fast-paced and intense style of gameplay than what some may be used to. There's even the Boost Mode, where a fifth player can jump in on the action and use the gamepad to place down blocks and items for players to use during their adventure. Simply put, there's a ton to do in this game, no matter whether players are riding solo or with a group of friends, making it the perfect tie-in that all Nintendo fans were eager to get their hands on when it first released.
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