The Wii U started with a fantastic launch line-up, but Nintendo has pushed several releases out of the launch window including Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101 and Game & Wario. We’re still eager to see those games when they’re ready, but there’s tons of other third-party games we’d love to see have a home on the Wii U platform. These are our top five picks for third-party games that should come to the Wii U. If you agree, let us know in the comments or let us know what games you’d like to see.
5. Mass Effect Trilogy
Mass Effect 3 was a launch title for the Wii U, exposing many Nintendo fans who may not have played the previous two games to the wonder that is a BioWare RPG experience. It only makes sense now that an official trilogy pack has been released that it eventually makes its way to the Wii U. It would allow fans of Mass Effect 3 to play the entire series on their Wii U console and it would definitely bring more hope for a new game in the series to launch on Wii U.
Why we want it: Who doesn’t love Mass Effect? The epic world created by BioWare has been loved by gamers since its inception and it makes sense to experience the games on Wii U where inventory management could be off-loaded to the screen at the bottom.
4. Watch Dogs
The trailer for Watch Dogs blew me away at E3 last year because it wasn’t something anyone was expecting. The open world Grand Theft Auto style game puts a new spin on hacking and stealth, as nearly everything in the game can be manipulated by the player, from Subway systems to lights and stereos at a party. The Wii U GamePad could be invaluable in assisting the player in their hacking endeavors as well. We can’t imagine a better experience for Watch Dogs than playing it on the Wii U.
Will it happen? That’s up in the air. The Wii U was announced at last year’s E3 along with Watch Dogs, so it could be early enough in the game’s development cycle that publisher Ubisoft will consider adding a Wii U version. Ubisoft has been one of the better third-party publishers working to support the Wii U, with both exclusive titles (ZombiU) and big budget IPs (Assassin’s Creed III).
3. Battlefield Wii U
We’ve already got Call of Duty: Black Ops II on Wii U which is great if you’re a fan of mindless shooters, but what if you like a little bit more teamwork with your online experience? The Battlefield series has always provided a nice balance between requiring teamwork to win and letting you do some of the crazy vehicle stunts you see in YouTube videos. It’s a superior experience to CoDBLOPS in my mind, which is why I’d love to see a Wii U version. Even John Riccitiello agrees. In regards to his thoughts on usage of the controller in a Battlefield game, Riccitiello said, “playing the game from a commander mode” or “being able to drive from a different position while in a vehicle” could all be possible. While that’s no confirmation from EA or DICE that such a thing could happen, it’s still reassuring.
2. Fez
Developer Phil Fish was adamant throughout the six year development cycle of Fez that it would remain a console release. He received support from Microsoft for its platform exclusivity, but that’s ending soon. In a recent post on Polytron’s blog, Fish stated that Fez would come to multiple platforms. Many people are angry at him for calling PCs spreadsheet machines since they assume Fez will be available on Steam soon, but what if Fish went for another console release? The Wii U would be perfect for Fez, even if there’s no exclusive use made of the touchscreen GamePad. Nintendo has been great to indies so far and Fez would absolutely bolster the eShop ranks.
Why we want it: Fez was one of the most intricate games released last year but not many people were able to experience it due to limited release on the 360. If Fez is to be released on PC and an additional console, the Wii U is the perfect fit for the game since it captures the child-like wonderment many of us had when we played games when we were young. It’s something you can share with a child of your own, or simply sit on the couch and scratch your head at trying to figure out the puzzles.
1. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Ni No Kuni will be released on January 22 for North America exclusively on PS3, but it’s one title we’d dearly like to see on the Wii U. Studio Ghibli has done a wonderful job on bringing the world that Level 5 created to life, so much so that we can’t imagine why this game is PS3 exclusive when there is a 3DS companion game available in Japan. It seems like a no-brainer that Ni No Kuni would find its way to Wii U soon.