It seemed like it was just yesterday; that snowy November day back in 2012. The day I picked up my Wii U, brought it home, opened it, and hooked it up with anticipation and excitement. The Wii brought my family countless hours of joy, so I was expecting this system to get the same type of love. I started with Nintendo Land and then downloaded Little Inferno. Little did I know, Little Inferno would be a fairly accurate representation of what the Wii U would produce. That is; a cold, empty fireplace with short but powerful bursts of fire. Just beyond 4 years later, and while I write this, I hate to say the system was overall a disappointment for me. That being said, some of my favorite games of all time were released on this system, albeit they were few and far between. Here is my top 5 favorite game list for the Wii U:
Honorable Mentions: Splatoon; Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker; The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker HD; Super Mario Maker
- Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
The number 5 spot was a pretty even tie between Kirby and the honorable mentions. Any game could have gotten it. The reason I chose Kirby was because I fell in love with the clay style visuals and controls the second I started playing. Not to mention, this game really took advantage of the unique gamepad the Wii U had to offer. Not too many games took advantage of it, which is a shame.
- Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
The Donkey Kong Country series is one of my all-time favorites, and I like this entry just as much as any of the games in the original trilogy for the Super Nintendo. The visuals are astonishing, and the soundtrack is beautifully composed by original Donkey Kong Country Composer David Wise. These two things come together to make an extremely atmospheric adventure that I still go back to on occasion.
- Super Smash Bros. Wii U
Well, it’s Super Smash Bros. I have spent countless hours playing this game with friends, and it has brought me plenty of fun times and memories. The control scheme was tweaked and tightened from the Wii version, and this, in my opinion, makes it easier to pick up and play.
- Mario Kart 8
Mario Kart 8 takes everything that makes the series great and amplifies it with great tracks, an assortment of new characters, a brand new physics mechanic, and DLC. My only gripe with this one is the lack of battle tracks, but it looks like the Switch is going to pick up the slack in that department with a set of battle maps, old and new alike with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
- Pikmin 3
My all-time favorite game for the Wii U. As I was playing this game, I felt as though I was a part of the world. It may not be the longest game out there, but as a self-proclaimed completionist, I found myself constantly coming back for more. Even the bingo battle multiplayer is a blast, and there are a number of ways to win, which only adds to the strategy. If you own a Wii U and have not played this game, please do yourself a favor.
Well, those are my favorites of the Wii U. I would love to hear what yours are. In the meantime, let’s raise a glass to the Wii U. Cheers.
Now bring on the Switch!
