The Wii U by all accounts is one of Nintendo’s biggest failures, but it was also home to some of the best games the company has ever produced. Many high-quality Wii U titles like Bayonetta 2 and New Super Mario Bros. U have found new success through Nintendo Switch ports, while Mario Kart 8 is still the best selling game on both consoles. With the recent announcement of Pikmin 3 Deluxe, Nintendo is on a path to making their previous console completely obsolete by bringing a majority of its catalog to Nintendo Switch.
Until Nintendo decides to add full Virtual Console support to the Switch, the Wii U will continue to be the best place to play retro Nintendo games. Other than the selection of much older console games to choose from though, the Wii U is starting to run out of ways to convince users to stay plugged in. More copies of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for Switch have been sold than the total number of Wii U consoles in existence.
Now that a majority of the Wii U’s best games have been ported to Switch, Nintendo may as well finish the job by bringing the remaining titles fans have been asking for. 2020 has been one of the Switch’s lightest in terms of output, with several gamers worried if the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed their schedule of releases. Porting a few extra forgotten Wii-U games could help ease the current drought.
Xenoblade Chronicles X On Nintendo Switch
Nintendo recently announced that Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition surpassed one million game sales. This new interest provides a perfect opportunity to reintroduce Xenoblade Chronicles X to the masses and expand the number of open-world RPGs on the Switch. Because of the Wii U's lack of sales, Xenoblade Chronicles X is one of the worst-performing games in the series. Luckily, Wii U ports have proven time and time again that they sell much better on the Switch.
While the original Xenoblade Chronicles has a beautiful world and heavy emphasis on exploration, Xenoblade Chronicles X’s map is about five times the size and traversal is more interactive through the use of Skells. Bringing such a massive game to the Switch is guaranteed to keep players busy for a long time, and could get everyone up to speed in case Monolith decides to produce a sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles X. JRPG games also are a perfect fit for handhelds and being able to the world of Mira in bite-sized sessions feels like a perfect fit.
Super Mario 3D World On Nintendo Switch
It’s actually baffling how Super Mario 3D World hasn’t made it’s way to Nintendo Switch yet. One of the best implementations of couch co-op, Super Mario 3D World not only perfectly matches the ideology of the Switch, but it’s also one of the best 3D platformers ever made. The game’s mix of 2D level design with 3D movement is unique compared to most other Mario games, and the fact that four players can play at once means it would be a perfect holiday family title.
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe sold over 2 million more copies on the Switch than it did on the Wii U, meaning that there are a plethora of players ready to experience 3D World for the first time. Nintendo would greatly benefit from developing a Deluxe version of 3D World, adding new characters like Wario or Toadette, and even implementing new powerups or creating additional secret levels for experienced players to unlock once they’ve finished the game. Of course, adding an online mode and leaderboards to the mix would immensely increase the value of the already incredible game.
Star Fox Zero On Nintendo Switch
While the series hasn’t seen the same success since Star Fox 64, the Wii U's Star Fox Zero was the closest Nintendo has gotten to emulating the incredible gameplay Star Fox is known for. Developed by Platinum Games, Star Fox Zero had the potential to be one of the best the series has seen, but it was plagued by shoddy motion controls and unnecessary use of the Gamepad. The game did its best to copy Star Fox 64’s design, incorporating cheesy dialouge and large-scale boss battles in between the excellently paced on-rails missions designed to be beaten over and over again to find secrets and unlock medals.
The biggest issue was dividing players’ attention between the TV and Gamepad, and forcing them to adjust to unnatural feeling motion controls. With a Switch port, Nintendo can undo all of the problems that plagued Star Fox Zero on release, and give it a fresh coat of paint. Motion controls could still be possible through the Joy-Cons and could be further enhanced by emulating Splatoon 2’s style of controls instead. Of course, giving players the option to fly through the Lylat System with traditional controls would be even better.
The Legend of Zelda HD Remasters
Both Legend of Zelda HD remasters on Wii U would be guaranteed hits on Nintendo Switch. Although some of the best additions to those titles were the implementation of a second screen (unlike Star Fox Zero), being able to play two incredible 3D Zelda games on the go is something that interests any Nintendo enthusiast.
Both games implemented some great quality-of-life features that could be transferred over to the Switch port, like the extra-quick sail in Wind Waker HD and amiibo support in Twilight Princess HD. Wind Waker HD, in particular, is one of the best looking games on the Wii U because of its art direction. With Breath of the Wild beating Twilight Princess as the best-selling Zelda game, it could introduce newer fans to some of the titles that inspired the series' biggest hit.
NES Remix Pack
One of the zaniest games on the Wii U, NES Remix puts a new twist on classic Nintendo games by providing challenges and situations unable to be done in the original titles. The first NES Remix had gamers play through original Donkey Kong levels as Link instead of Mario, while NES Remix 2 introduced a new mode inspired by the 1990 Nintendo World Championship event. A Switch collection of all the NES Remix mini-games could add a ton more value to the NES & SNES Online portfolios, and adding multi-player support to the remixes would further increase the Nintendo Switch’s options for couch co-op and online play.
While the Wii U had some amazing titles and incredibly novel ideas, the poor marketing and lacking hardware ultimately left it behind. However, the enormous amount of excellent exclusives should not be forgotten. Porting the rest of the Wii U catalog over to the Nintendo Switch will not only help reinvigorate interest in series that have been left behind but will also help fans in their wait for massive adventures like Metroid Prime 4 and Breath of the Wild 2.