The Top 10 Wii U Games

The Wii U probably won’t feature among the pantheon of Nintendo’s revered consoles, but this weird, middle step between console and handheld still has a collection of wonderful games.

While many games have been already ported to Switch, there are still at least 10 very good reasons for picking up a Wii U today, including these games that either haven’t made it to other Nintendo systems or were wonderful enough to still be worth playing now. Here is our list of the Top 10 Wii U Games.

A quick note: in addition to games already ported to the Switch, we won’t be covering Wii games or Virtual Console games in this list, too, as those would be separate lists entirely. Only games made for the Wii U meet the criteria. Now let’s jump in!

10. Affordable Space Adventures

Affordable Space Adventures would deserve its place on this list solely for using the Wii U GamePad (and Miiverse) better than Nintendo ever did. Wonderfully, this oft-forgotten sidescrolling action-puzzler, which places you inside the worst-performing spacecraft you've ever seen, would be a delight even without those hardware innovations.

The brilliance at the heart of all this is that you don't need to just act as a pilot for your ship but as an engineer too, using your GamePad cockpit controls to micromanage which engines you're using, how much sound you're emitting, and much, much more – capturing the energy of those scenes in Star Trek where the Captain screams down to the engine room for more power. Couple that with a brilliant, dark ending, and you have a true hidden gem.

9. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is an oft-overlooked Wii U gem that follows in the tradition started by Canvas Curse. It made fantastic use of the Wii U's touchpad, letting the player draw a track for Kirby to roll along through levels, resulting in a number of interesting and unique puzzles and traversal tactics.

And its gorgeous claymation artstyle immediately stands out and give it a unique look and feel. The worst thing you can say about Rainbow Curse is that its story is too short – only a couple of hours long and begging for more time, space, and levels to really stretch its rainbow-colored wings.

8. Splatoon

Prior to 2015, no one would have ever expected a tentpole Nintendo franchise to be an online multiplayer focused, team-based third person shooter. But then Splatoon came along and dumped paint buckets on the notion that Nintendo couldn’t be a player in the competitive multiplayer shooter space. Splatoon pits two teams of up to four players against each other in a race to see who can paint more of the stage their team’s color by any means necessary.

Scoring kills isn’t necessarily the goal, though it does serve the important purpose of taking an opposing player out of the action for a few precious seconds, giving you opportunity to paint over their territory. It’s an easy to understand premise, but there’s a staggering amount of depth to it. . On top of all that, there’s an unforgettably weird, yet infectiously catchy soundtrack, stellar art direction, and excellent controls. It’s easy to see why Splatoon was the beginning of something special for Nintendo.

7. NES Remix 1+2

NES Remix 1+2 offers a glimpse of a timeline where Nintendo takes far more care of its history. A collection of 28 vintage NES games, NES Remix and its sequel feature close to 400 retro challenges. Apart from being handsomely presented, they offer players a chance to learn about the various 8-bit games in Nintendo's back catalog, from familiar favorites like Punch-Out!! to more esoteric releases like Wario's Woods and Clu Clu Land.

NES Remix patiently educates players through a series of rapid-fire challenges, which provide a fun and digestible way to appreciate the broad sweep of Nintendo's history. Even more fun is the way that these challenges will be remixed by cramming properties like Mario and Zelda together into one game, which is hilarious as it is challenging.

6. Xenoblade Chronicles X

Xenoblade Chronicles X is still one of the most massive games seen on a Nintendo console. It took the already giant open world, myriad side quests, and team-based combat of its predecessor, and added giant robot suits called Skells. Skells change the feel of the game dramatically, both in traversal and combat, but somehow don't wreck the difficulty curve. It was a change not replicated by Xenoblade Chronicles 2, so X remains a game worth picking a Wii U up for if you enjoyed the rest of the series.

5. Yoshi’s Woolly World

Though playable on the 3DS as well, the biggest tragedy of Woolly World never getting ported to Switch is the loss of its supremely soft look and feel. Woolly World is a superb Nintendo platformer in the same tradition as games like Yoshi's Story and the newer Crafted World, but painted over with a strikingly comfy fabric filter.

That squishiness lends itself to all kinds of cute takes on traditional Yoshi puzzles, and its co-op mode and difficulty settings are extremely friendly to Nintendo fans playing with those less experienced with platforming games. Woolly World is arguably an even better platformer than its Crafted World successor, certainly a much more aesthetically pleasing one, and also: it had Poochy made out of yarn. Come on.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD is the best way to play one of the most beloved Zelda games ever made. While it doesn’t make nearly as many changes as Wind Waker HD did, Twilight Princess HD cleans up the original's muddy, SD visuals and gives us a better idea than ever of just how dark and atmospheric it was always meant to be.

Mix in a highly useful touchscreen menu and the new Cave of Shadows wave-fighting dungeon, and you have a fantastic remaster of a must-play game.

3. Nintendo Land

Any video game fan knows that there's nothing quite like a party game that can get even non-gaming members of the family to gather around the console, and Nintendo Land is exactly that. Stuffed full of memorable, asymmetrical minigames like Mario Chase, Luigi's Ghost Mansion, and Animal Crossing: Sweet Day, Nintendo Land never stopped being a delightful carnival to revisit throughout the entirety of the Wii U's lifecycle, and makes unique use of the separate GamePad screen.

Its solo attractions are fascinating in their own way, hinting at Nintendo-y experiments that never manifested. It's a shame Nintendo whiffed the same ideas that made Nintendo Land a lasting console staple with its Switch follow-up, 1-2-Switch. Nintendo Land deserved better.

2. Super Mario Maker

While much of the Wii U's physical design seems misguided in hindsight, Super Mario Maker is the perfect marriage of software and hardware. The Wii U Gamepad is perfect for creating levels using the touchscreen, and switching back and forth between play and create mode fulfills the promise of the console's potential. While Super Mario Maker 2 added a story mode and more advanced creation tools, the first game is a concept that once seemed unfathomable for a company so strict about its IP, yet manages to stick the landing in almost every way.

1. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD takes the original GameCube classic and improves upon it in almost every feasible way. The graphical updates to Wind Waker HD makes the original's timeless artstyle look bigger and brighter than ever. Nintendo also improves upon the original's weakest elements: the often tediously slow sailing is mitigated with the Swift Sail, and the late-game Triforce hunting quest is thankfully streamlined. Wind Waker HD effectively takes one of the best Zelda games and makes it even better, and for that, Wind Waker HD is legendary.

And that concludes our list of the Top 10 Wii U Games. What games do you think belong on this list? Make sure to drop them down in the comments below, and while you’re here, make sure to check out our list of the Top 10 Nintendo 3DS games of all time.