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[TheSadRanger]

So with Link's Awakening coming out next month for the Switch, I don't think we're gonna get Wind Waker or Twilight Princess HD ported to the Switch anytime soon. So Gamestop has a deal going on for refurbished Wii U's for $99 so I went ahead and got one and Wind Waker HD and bought Fire Emblem off the e-shop.

I completely skipped the Wii U so this is my first time going into it. Some impressions and questions.

Holy Crap GBA VC games actually look really good on the game pad. Also what's cool is they did a scan of the original instruction book that originally shipped with the gba game that you can browse on the gamepad at any time while playing.

DS games are on the VC shop....... I never knew this..... Is the Advance Wars Dual Strike port any good? Why the fuck weren't the DS igavania games on this?

Also if I buy the Wii-U e-shop version of Donkey Kong Country Returns do I need a wii-mote? It doesn't say anything in the description in the e-shop...... That would be awesome if I could play it with the gamepad.

Wind Waker HD is goddamn gorgeous for a damn near 7 year old game.

 

[Smasher89]

Get tropical freeze, its prob around 20 compared to the version on switch with physical dlc for 60, and its easily top 3 best platformer for anyone. Returns is wiimote and nunchuck iirc, where shaking is how you get to roll unless you mod the game for a button press.
That said I think(might have to look that up though) xenoblade chronicles was changed in the wii u version to work with the gamepad, so some games might work that way.

 

[Constant Flux]

Stop living in the past, bro.

 

[KàIRóS]

These are the games you need:

 

[TheSadRanger]

Get tropical freeze, its prob around 20 compared to the version on switch with physical dlc for 60, and its easily top 3 best platformer for anyone. Returns is wiimote and nunchuck iirc, where shaking is how you get to roll unless you mod the game for a button press.
That said I think(might have to look that up though) xenoblade chronicles was changed in the wii u version to work with the gamepad, so some games might work that way.

I have Tropical Freeze on Switch.

Ever get any of the VC ds games though? I'm curious if Advance Wars works well on the gamepad since GBA games actually look really good on it.

 

[cireza]

GBA VC is awesome because it was done by M2. They actually corrected the colors pretty well.

I have a DS VC game as well, it is not bad for 100% touch control games because you can hold the gamepad vertically. Personally, I stick to GBA games, they are by far the best (perfectly adapted for the gamepad resolution) from the bunch, and the best way to play GBA games. The original hardware did not age well at all.

You can get a lot of games for 15 €/$ and this is great.

 

[Shaqazooloo]

Also if I buy the Wii-U e-shop version of Donkey Kong Country Returns do I need a wii-mote? It doesn't say anything in the description in the e-shop...... That would be awesome if I could play it with the gamepad.

All the Wii games on the eShop us Wii mode, meaning that they use the original controls and are essentially just download versions of Wii retail games and not Wii U compatible.

Although you CAN play it on the gamepad, however, you still need the Wii controllers, so it's pretty pointless.

 

[cireza]

Although you CAN play it on the gamepad, however, you still need the Wii controllers, so it's pretty pointless.

There are a few games that can be played with the gamepad only, for example Xenoblade Chronicles. My guess is that the gamepad is replacing the Wii Pro Controller in these instances, and you could navigate the Wii menu with the Pro Controller (not forced to use the pointer).

Pretty sure that these few games have the gamepad specified on their eShop page as possible controllers.

 

[I Love Rock 'n' Roll]

It's the defenitive Nintendo experience. The ultimate Nintendo game console.

The Metroid gba games on vc are glllloooriioouuss.

But n64 vc games are shit... too dark and pledge wirh lags... on the other hand emulated n64 is so good. Be shure to get a pro controler on ebay and to intall Nintendont to play Game Cube.

Star Fox Zero is... loved by few and hate by most just like half of Nintendo games on WiiU (run away from the wiisports ports by Namco unless you're ok with recalibaration every 2 minutes). Oh, and I'm still waiting for the 3 Miyamoto games to show me why the game pad was mandatory... just like 3d with 3ds (wait, Sega has done it with outrun, space harrier and super thunderblade). If you see him, you know what to ask!

Get Xenoblade X, Batman begins, Need for Seed, Sonic all star, Sonic lost world, Tokyo Mirage Sessions, Deus ex and Splintercell.

Be shure to also get The last story, Pandaro's Tower on the wii. ❤

 

[Nicktendo_]

These are the games you need:

Seconded, that's a hell of a collection of exclusive games. Hours worth of content. Pikmin 3, XCX and Tokyo Mirage Sessions are three of the best games of the previous gen.

 

[Ulysses 31]

These are the games you need:

How can you leave out Super Mario 3D World?

Twilight Princess HD
Project Zero Maiden of Black Water
Splatoon (for the single-player and MP vs Asians )

 

[Quasicat]

Mine is still hooked up thanks to my tv only having HDMI and still wanting to play Wii and GameCube games. On top of that, I still play Mario 3D World, Pokemon 3, Wind Waker HD, and Spirit Tracks through the DS VC. The family loves to do Mario Maker on it over the Switch since we can watch the level being made on the TV.

 

[SpiceRacz]

Stop what you're doing and go buy this game.

 

[Ceadeus]

Congrats OP, it's an awesome system.

I really do miss miiverse :/

 

[EightBit Man]

How can you leave out Super Mario 3D World?

My favorite Wii U title by a large margin. Mario Kart 8 too. ZombiU was also pretty good.

 

[HE1NZ]

DS vc is not very good in my opinion. They offer a lot of options of how to play them, but none feel particularly great. I'd suggest just playing on 3DS XL.

 

[Rat Rage]

Congrats on the Wii U

You need the following games:

- Super Mario 3D World (and 2 or 3 more friends to play with). It's a fucking fantastic 3D Multiplayer Mario game.

- Nintendo Land (and up to 4 more friends). Don't skip on this one. It's full of amazing games. I wouldn't call them mini games, because they are actually full "small games". The Zelda game with motion controls is great, likewise the Metroid game (which happens to be a 3rd person motion control shooter. Sounds amazing? And it is!)

- Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is a must (if you haven't played its predecessor, Donkey Kong Country Retruns, then do that beforehand)

Enjoy!

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

So, if you're interested in Virtual Console stuff, I'd look into Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. The reason being that it has all of the e-reader levels included, which there's no way to play now unless you happen to have an e-reader and the necessary cards. What a dumb idea that whole thing was.

 

[Vandole]

Like a few others and said, definitely getting Nintendo Land. You should be able to find it for less than $5, and you will more than get your money's worth from it. The multiplayer games are some of the best ever made. plus the entire experience really is a great tribute to Nintendo itself.

And then, if you still think you might need more mini games in your life, consider Game and Wario. You should be able to find it for next to nothing. The quality of the games are a lot more hit-and-miss, but they were a few good ideas in there. Gamer in particular is amazing. You have to try to play on one screen, while keeping an eye on what's going on on the other stream. Creates some surprisingly intense moments.

 

[Nicktendo_]

This thread made me hook up my Wii U again today. Spent 3 hours on a new Pikmin 3 save file. Thanks OP

 

[EverythingsOverrated]

Like others have said, you gotta get 3D World dude. It's probably my third favorite 3D Mario game behind Galaxy 2 and Mario64. To me, it was the perfect mix of the old school A to B level design with enough exploration and secrets for people that want to find them

Definitely check out Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow on GBA VC. It's one of the best Igavanias ever - I think a lot of people skipped it after getting Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance pretty close together.

 

[Thurible]

It's a great, but sadly, unappreciated system . I think you will have fun with it!

Some games I recommend

-3d world
-splatoon
-pikmin 3
-Xenoblade X
-Tokyo Mirage Sessions
-Paper Mario Color Splash
-TP HD
-DK tropical freeze
-starfox zero

Here are some pictures of my game collection. All of the games I own I consider pretty fun (except maybe megaman and bass). I'm mostly a digital guy, but I got some good hauls from special deals from my local game store.

 

[Shifty]

Seconding Wonderful 101. That game is a true hidden gem if you can get your head around its 'character action pikmon' dealie.

 

[Rat Rage]

Like others have said, you gotta get 3D World dude. It's probably my third favorite 3D Mario game behind Galaxy 2 and Mario64.

No lies detected!

 

[EverydayBeast]

Very exciting OP, It's a Nintendo so it has exclusives.

 

[iconmaster]

Folks are recommending Star Fox Zero and Color Splash? Should those be qualified a bit?

$99 is justifiable for the Wii U. Honestly all the games I’d suggest for it either got sequels for or were ported to Switch, so I can’t remember anything really unique. Very nice to have a proper Virtual Console, though!

 

[Doom85]

Also going to add to those recommending Mario 3D World. Just a blast to play.

 

[Thurible]

I can't upload the rest of the pictures of my games for some reason :/

 

[jshackles]

Folks are recommending Star Fox Zero and Color Splash? Should those be qualified a bit?

Kinda what I was thinking. Personally I hated Star Fox Zero, the controls were downright dog do-do.

Color Splash was okay at best and I would really only personally recommend it to someone if I knew them to be a big Paper Mario fan or were a casual RPG fan looking for something slightly off-beat.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

Stop what you're doing and go buy this game.

The only game I actually enjoyed playing on the Wii U.

 

[Northeastmonk]

Now get a silicone case from eBay and the battery upgrade that Nintendo sold on their site. With DS game(s) you can switch views, top view on TV (or bottom), have the top be smaller or the bottom be bigger.

There’s so many awesome SNES, GBA, N64, etc. I wish it did one thing and that’s I wish it had scan lines.

I bought Spirit Tracks on the VC and it’s weird coming from playing it on the DS. It works especially with the stylus.

I second Arie of Sorrow because it’s fantastic. Same with Fire Emblem, Golden Sun, FFTA, etc. Earthbound, Legend of the Mystical Ninja, Super Metroid. I have Metroid Tripogy and Super Mario Galaxy 2. I keep my Wii remote ready for those. I’ve put a lot of time into Super Mario 3D World. That’s definitely worth getting.

I actually got a Super Mario 3D World bundle for Bayonetta 2. I made the choice to buy it just for Bayonetta. I ended up really liking it. I also finished Breath of the Wild on it. Plus OP is right, there’s a lot of Zelda game(s) on there. You could the Minish Cap and Link to the Past on there through VC.

 

[DigitalScrap]

These are the games you need:

I co-sign this with the exception of StarFox Zero.

 

[Zog]

So with Link's Awakening coming out next month for the Switch, I don't think we're gonna get Wind Waker or Twilight Princess HD ported to the Switch anytime soon. So Gamestop has a deal going on for refurbished Wii U's for $99 so I went ahead and got one and Wind Waker HD and bought Fire Emblem off the e-shop.

I completely skipped the Wii U so this is my first time going into it. Some impressions and questions.

Holy Crap GBA VC games actually look really good on the game pad. Also what's cool is they did a scan of the original instruction book that originally shipped with the gba game that you can browse on the gamepad at any time while playing.

DS games are on the VC shop....... I never knew this..... Is the Advance Wars Dual Strike port any good? Why the fuck weren't the DS igavania games on this?

Also if I buy the Wii-U e-shop version of Donkey Kong Country Returns do I need a wii-mote? It doesn't say anything in the description in the e-shop...... That would be awesome if I could play it with the gamepad.

Wind Waker HD is goddamn gorgeous for a damn near 7 year old game.

You should have been supporting the Wii U when it needed your support.

 

[DigitalScrap]

You should have been supporting the Wii U when it needed your support.

The Wii U was definitely a terribly underrated console. I still think the branding is what killed it. If they had simply given it a different name, I really think things would have turned out differently. It wouldn't have likely sold gangbusters, but it would have done much better IMO.

 

[Zog]

The Wii U was definitely a terribly underrated console. I still think the branding is what killed it. If they had simply given it a different name, I really think things would have turned out differently. It wouldn't have likely sold gangbusters, but it would have done much better IMO.

The people talking about how great the Wii U is now that they FINALLY bought one were probably the same people who were badmouthing it when it was current.

 

[Kittehkraken]

Also if I buy the Wii-U e-shop version of Donkey Kong Country Returns do I need a wii-mote? It doesn't say anything in the description in the e-shop...... That would be awesome if I could play it with the gamepad.

On the Wii U Eshop (using the gamepad) look for "Compatible Features/Accessories" on the games eshop page. Underneath that you fill find a little button that says "View", click View with the stylus. That will give you a list of what is support or required.

For the Donkey Kong Country Returns the Wii Remote with Plus is required. So either an old Wii Remote with the MotionPlus expansion or one of the newer Wii Remotes with Plus already integrated is required.

Its usually cheaper to buy Wii games on Ebay because the Wii U can play any Wii Disc natively. I think Xenoblade is the only Wii game that can be played without a Wii Remote if bought from the Eshop (I could be wrong) .

 

[Golgo 13]

Putting my seal of Approval on Super Mario 3D World. Such an amazing slice of digital happiness.

 

[iconmaster]

You should have been supporting the Wii U when it needed your support.

IMO, it was never really worth Nintendo’s asking price. The controller never became comfortable and its design was only justified by Mario Maker at the end of the generation.

 

[Danjin44]

I want Switch port for these two games so badly.

 

[Potato Chip PRO]

Bought the Mario Kart 8 Wii U bundle.. Plus 2 other games like Bayonetta 1 & 2 and Mass Effect 3.

 

[PhilipDoesMatter]

Hack the shit out of it and make it the ultimate machine for Nintendo's past consoles.

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

Besides the games that most people will already have mentioned, I recommend:

NES Remix 1 & 2 - Fun distraction for those who grew up with or enjoy Nintendo's 8-bit stuff. Bite-sized challenges that add a new spin on games that would normally have not aged well, or would be way too hard or obtuse by themselves.

Devil's Third - Made by Itagaki of Ninja Gaiden/Dead or Alive fame, this is a pretty rough, but ultimately fun PS3/360-era style romp. It's a 3rd-person shooter/action hybrid with a crazy story, entertaining mechanics and memorable boss fights. Multiplayer was amazing too, but servers are shut down.

ZombiU - Best version of the Zombi game that Ubisoft later brought to pretty much every platform. Heavy use of gamepad, but in a way that adds to the tension.

Splatoon - Worth it for the campaign alone. One of the best single-player campaigns of its time.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water - Really good use of the gamepad as the camera. Very creepy and effective as you swing the gamepad around, trying to to not get ambushed by ghosts. I'm pretty immune to scary games, but the gamepad use heightens the tension and I was legitimately freaked out on several occasions.

Bayonetta 2 - One of my favorite action games. Also on Switch, so get that version if you have the newer console.

 

[EverythingsOverrated]

NES Remix 1 & 2 - Fun distraction for those who grew up with or enjoy Nintendo's 8-bit stuff. Bite-sized challenges that add a new spin on games that would normally have not aged well, or would be way too hard or obtuse by themselves

I don't know how I forgot about these two gems. I co sign fully - I would jizz in my pants if SNES Remix was announced

 

[Davey Cakes]

Wii U is oddly one if the best legacy systems out there.

Is the Wii Shop Channel still up? The Wii U being able to transform into a Wii made it a beast of a system. Nintendo was mostly aces during the Wii and Wii U eras. They just sucked at garnering attention after Wii Sports.

 

[Otterz4Life]

I agree with many of the suggestions listed.

Of course you need the Metroid Prime Trilogy. Not sure when, if ever, they’ll get around to porting that to Switch.

I, for one, LOVE Star Fox Zero. I think it’s the best game in the franchise and love the controls. You will, however, be spending a lot of time looking at the gamepad. It’s an old school arcade experience right in your living room. Part of the strategy of the game is learning when to look at the gamepad and when to look at the TV. The gyrocoper missions did suck, though.

Pikmin 3 is the best Pikmin game and my favorite Wii U game. It’s a must buy.

Super Mario 3D World is pure platforming perfection. Polar opposite of Odyssey imo. Much more replay able.

All the Castlevania, Zelda, Metroid, and Advance Wars GBA games.

Honestly, if I could play Salmon Run on the Wii U, I wouldn’t need a Switch at all.

 

[EverythingsOverrated]

I, for one, LOVE Star Fox Zero. I think it’s the best game in the franchise and love the controls. You will, however, be spending a lot of time looking at the gamepad. It’s an old school arcade experience right in your living room. Part of the strategy of the game is learning when to look at the gamepad and when to look at the TV. The gyrocoper missions did suck, though

I think the main problem with the game wasn't necessarily the controls, but the fact that they went with the traditional star Fox design of having different short paths to the end.

I didn't get used to the controls until the end of my first run. I bet most people probably quit after that considering the learning curve.

I think they should've either went with a longer overall main run with less branches, or at least twice as many stages than what it had with many branching paths.

Definitely a fun game that is understandably polarizing

 

[Lionel Richie]

Since the Wii U is dead anyway, you might want to look into some homebrew stuff in the future. It unlocks glorious Wii and Gamecube native compatibility for the whole library. It's ridiculous and thanks to the GC controller adapter, damn close to being 100% the legit experience in the most convenient way possible.

Personally I don't like the darker filter the put on the GBA VC, it's not egregious like the bullshit N64 dark filter (which you can disable with homebrew and even inject stuff like Mystical Ninja and Mischief Makers), I know it's probably the correct way to display the games but it feels a bit lifeless and I've grown to love the super saturated GBA colors. My favorite way to play GBA is currently the 3DS (also with homebrew) running in perfect pixel mode. It's beautiful and it runs on native hardware as there's basically a GBA inside of the 3DS.

Having said all of that, there's A LOT of great games on the Wii U. A lot of them have been ported to the Switch, like Bayo 1 and 2, Captain Toad and Expand Dong Tropical Freeze. There's still a lot of cool exclusive stuff, like Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, Star Fox Zero (yes I'm going there, this game is underrated), Paper Mario Color Splash (I'm going there to but just barely, I'm a homer for the series and this one kind of tested my faith. I still enjoyed it somehow), Wonderful 101 (ESSENTIAL stuff, might be the best combat system of all time), Yoshi's Woolly World (forget the 3DS version), the OG Mario Maker, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, that extremely weeb FE game (which I played briefly but looked fun) and Xenoblade X (which I haven't played but why the heck not). A bit of a random suggestion would be to go for Deus Ex Human Revolution. It comes in a beautiful black box and it's my favorite way to play the game because it streamline inventory management.

Great console and I say that unironically. I played some 1080 Avalanche earlier today and it was still awesome.

 

[SonGoku]

These are the games you need:

No SM3DW or NSMBU
Im disappoint son

 

[Yoshi]

Super Mario 3D World, New Super Mario Bros. U (If you haven't got it on Switch) and Pikmin 3 are absolutely mandatory. I also recommend Yoshi's Woolly World (unless you have it on 3DS) and Star Fox Zero (unless you have your head up your arse in terms of motion controls). Wii U is a fantastic system.

 

[Stiflers Mom]

I hated the Wii U for its first few years, but have grown to really really like it.

It's an amazing system if you have a 6 year old at home, and want to watch tv.
I use it as my netflix and youtube box. You have an amazing amount of VC titles.
You can homebrew it to death.
And if you buy games 2nd hand, they are dirt cheap these days compared to the switch ones.