So with the Switch almost taking over from the Wii U's console sales after just 9 months, now feels like the best time to put the Wii U to bed and list MY personal favourite top ten games!
As i have said above, this is MY personal top ten games and only includes games that i own and played on the Wii U!
10. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate was a port of the Wii's Monster Hunter Tri that came to the Wii U and 3ds with enhanced graphics and more content, in the early stages of the Wii U's short life. The game tasks you, unsurprisingly, with hunting monsters to save a small fishing village and ultimately to collect parts to improve your own gear and skills. The game features a very robust online suite that is still relatively strong today and in my opinion was by far the most hardcore community on the system. This was also the only MH game that made it to the west on the Wii U, with Japan getting a few more!
I personally really enjoyed the community aspect of the game and found myself playing regularly with a group of people. It was a ton of fun and hopefully the Switch will soon receive an English port of XX!
9. The Wonderful 101
The first time we are seeing Platinum Games on this list and what a great game to start with! In W101 you control 100 heroes of various powers and costumes to defeat a flamboyant invading force, using Platinum's signature action and tongue in cheek humour to beat the games 10+ hours of story content.
W101 is one of the games i covered a lot during the first few years of Wii U and was one of the first games that i used to bring up when defending the Wii U. It is still exclusive to the console (i doubt for long) and if you still have a Wii U its one of the best action games you can get.... once you get used to the controls....
8. Hyrule Warriors
One of the four Zelda games released on the console, Hyrule warriors is by far the most unique. What essentially started as a Dynasty Warriors game with a Zelda paint of coat transformed into a massive love letter to fans of the series wrapped into an accessible and fun hack and slash game that doesnt take itself too seriously. Still one of the best Co Op experiences on a console full of great Co Op games, Hyrule Warriors deserves its place at number Eight on this list!
7. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker
Arguably the biggest hidden gem on this list. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is a 3D puzzle game where you lead Toad/Toadette through a variety of levels and bosses by manipulating the world and camera with the Gamepad. The twist is that the toads heavy bags prevent them from jumping, so the game is a far slower experience than other titles set in the Mario Universe.
Captain Toad was a massive surprise to me when my other half picked it up on release. It was a cheaper title based on a few side levels from Super Mario 3D world so our expectations were very low but that was quickly converted to joy when we started playing. It is just a joyous experience on the Wii U that anyone can enjoy and has arguably stuck with me more than most other Mario titles on the system.
6. Bayonetta 2
The Bayonetta series looked to be lost to cult status before Nintendo stepped in and published the second (and now third) title in Platinum's acclaimed action series. A genuine surprise announcement early in the Wii U's life due to its mature nature Bayonetta 2 has quickly turned into THE mature game for the system.
You play as Bayonetta, a sexy witch who fights demons with a variety of crazy weapons and super moves through heaven and hell. Its a crazy game. Its also a fantastic game, one of the first times i started a game on Wii U and beat it in 3 straight days and i cant wait for Bayonetta 3 on the Nintendo Switch!
5. Super Mario 3D World
Back on my 2014 list this game was top of list, having just beaten it and being truly in love with art style and gameplay. Four years on and rightly the game has dropped to number 5. Whilst it is a true Mario experience with exquisite level design, sound design and art direction, it does lack a tiny bit of the cohesion found in the other tentpole 3D Mario titles. Its sadly one of the few titles on this list where i was really "one and done" and haven't found myself returning to the game at all.
With that being said i really enjoyed the playthrough i had, the later levels in particular were challenging and really tested my skill as a platform gamer. It is a shame that Mario Odyssey has now eclipsed this game in every conceivable way!
4. Super Smash Bros. For Wii U
Since the Gamecube, Super Smash Bros. has long been one of the most important Nintendo franchises for me. Over the past 15 years friendships have been formulated and strengthened by the constant challenge of its simple but secretly deep fighting system. Hundreds of hours worth of content have gone into local multiplayer and Smash 4 is no different.
Arguably the finest example of franchise progress, Smash 4 does everything you expect it to do but on a level above what you expect. It looks great, sounds great and the sheer amount of multiplayer content is crazy impressive. The DLC is also great, adding classic characters like Ryu and Cloud to more modern stars like Bayonetta. Its only blip is the lack of a real story mode but its not really the reason to pick up Smash in the first place.
And until it comes to Switch, Smash 4 is still in my machine.
3. Splatoon
We are into the final 3! Splatoon was Nintendo's first new IP in a long while when it was released and after initial unsureness about it, it has quickly become one of the big N's hottest properties. The premise of the game was very simple, its a 3rd person shooter where the emphasis is more on Teamwork and Map control than it was about Kill Death Ratio's. All wrapped in Nintendo's signature art style and family friendliness.
It has been a revelation since release, thanks in part to the fantastic free content support Nintendo has given to both games, the excellent Splatfests and burgeoning ESports community.
Personally i played a good chunk of the multiplayer and actually thoroughly enjoyed the short single player campaign on offer, but my other half took it to the next level with well over a 120 Hours of gameplay clocked before Splatoon 2 came to Switch.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Now this may seem like a cheap move, but strangely it isn't! When Zelda (and the Switch) first released in March my partner bought it for Switch. We tried sharing the game (and console) for about month before realising that wasn't going to work so i went out and picked the game up for my Wii U and i am very glad i did.
The game is almost identical to the Switch version, with only slight frame rate spikes being the difference. Its still a great version of 2017's game of the year and when using the Wii U pro controller i doubt most people could tell the versions apart.
As for the game itself, its a beautiful re-imaging of the Zelda formula into massive open world adventure that you can play however you like to! Each of the game systems are deep and masterfully realised, with the revamped combat a particular highlight for me.
The game was built from the ground up for the Wii U and it felt like the perfect swansong for a console that already had a wealth of great Zelda content (for example i haven't even mentioned the excellent Wind Waker and Twilight Princess ports in this list!)
Its only really lacking the classic dungeons for me but other than that Breath of the Wild is a game that you should play, and the Wii U version is a fine way to play!
1. Mario Kart 8
Despite the game being ported to Switch, Nothing could stop me from putting MK8 on the top of this list. In what feels like the accumulation of 20 years of Mario Kart development, MK8 is a near perfect karting experience.
Each track is wonderfully designed to feel different and memorable, the vast array of vehicle parts and characters gives each person the opportunity to tailor there play to there own likes and the Online multiplayer is arguably the best on the system.
All that before talking about the amazing DLC that added 16 tracks, tons of vehicles and characters (Including Link, Animal crossing characters and F Zero Tracks) for an unbelievable £8.
Much like smash this game provided hundreds of hours of multiplayer fun and despite that i STILL play it on Switch, such is quality of the game!
So that is my top ten Wii U games in 2018, this was a very hard list to make. The Wii U, despite its low sales, had a really strong library overall and has a very special place in my heart!
