Feature | Nintendo Wii U Games for 2014 and Beyond - Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros and More Page 1

Feature | Nintendo Wii U Games for 2014 and Beyond - Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros and More

20.02.2014

Despite a tough first year or so for Nintendo's Wii U around the world, there are many titles still to look forward to that should ensure the Wii U will become an invaluable system to own. Whether it is already sitting comfortably under the TV, or if it has yet to be bought, here is a run down of some of the known best-looking titles due to come out on Wii U in 2014 and beyond.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - 21st February, 2014

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After a great revival of the series on Wii, Retro is bringing the Kongs back in Tropical Freeze, where old favourite Dixie makes her long-awaited return, and cheeky, old monkey Cranky is even playable for the first time. Also making a comeback are snow and water levels, animal buddies and original composer David Wise for a cracking soundtrack. Platform fans will not want to miss DK's next adventure.

NES Remix 2 - 25th April, 2014

Old-school gamers were able to sample their old favourites in completely new ways in NES Remix when it launched in the Wii U eShop almost out of the blue earlier in the year. Now a whole bunch more classics are getting the remix treatment to offer fresh new takes on these retro games, inlcuding Metroid, Kid Icarus and Zelda II, plus an entire mirrored version of the original Super Mario Bros. called Super Luigi Bros. is being added in, where Luigi must go through each stage from right to left.

Child of Light - 30th April, 2014

Ubisoft's Final Fantasy in many ways, Child of Light is being developed by the company's Montreal team, mixing platforming with role-playing, and allowing players to take the role of young Aurora in a coming-of-age story. Inspired by Studio Ghibli and Yoshitaka Amano, the visual style effectively turns the game into an interactive painting.

Mario Kart 8 - 30th May, 2014

Mario Kart enters the world of HD, with the eighth entry featuring a huge bump in visuals and bringing back the traditional gameplay of smacking opponents in the backside with turtle shells. As well as motorbikes and hangliding karts making a return, 12-man races both offline and online will be the norm, with the main new feature being anti-gravity stages which allow for crazy ceiling- and wall-based driving. Nintendo promises a solid 60 frames per second experience, and will even let players upload race clips through Miiverse.

Watch Dogs - Q2 2014

There is a strong lack of open world action games on Nintendo platforms, and Ubisoft is attempting to bridge that gap with what's already shaping up to be a stellar adventure. In Watch Dogs, players roam a fictional Chicago as vigilante Aiden Pearce, who can hack into all sorts of devices linked to the city. Hack phones, tinker with traffic lights and also receive data on various key citizens, whilst keeping undercover. The Wii U version is expected to use the GamePad as a virtual interface, allowing for real-time city tinkering whilst on the move.

Project CARS - Q3/Q4 2014

Through funding from the community and developers alike, Slightly Mad Studios' Project CARS allows players to contriubte to the development of the game and receive part of the profits generated after release. Targeting fans of the likes of Gran Turismo, the team has hired names that include Ben Collins and Nicolas Hamilton to create the most realistic racing experience. With over 60 licensed cars, more than 35 tracks with day and night cycles and dynamic weather, and tons of customisation, Project CARS looks to be a racing fan's dream.

Bayonetta 2 - 2014

Platinum Games is known for their unparalleled expertise in the action genre and much like The Wonderful 101, their second Wii U exclusive is looking to prove that once again by refining and taking the formula of the already critically acclaimed first instalment to the next level. Fans of intense action games and the glorious insanity of Platinum Games absolutely won't want to miss this one.

Hyrule Warriors - 2014

This game is one that caught everybody by surprise when it was revealed late last year. It's a collaborative spin-off title that's developed by Tecmo Koei and a crossover between The Legend of Zelda and Dynasty Warriors. Based on the early footage, it's looking to provide hordes of enemies, giant bosses and lots of flashy attacks to take them down with. The Dynasty Warriors franchise is also known for its huge selection of playable characters, so fans should keep their fingers crossed for other playable characters from the Zelda universe.

Super Smash Bros. - 2014

Nintendo never expected a side-concept to take off when launching Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64, yet many moons later, the series has a dedicated following, and the games have even been included in numerous fighting tournaments. The Wii U edition will see the return of classic and new characters, promising crisp HD graphics, balanced battles and the potential for hugely competitive online matches. Both the Wii U and 3DS versions are on track for release later this year.

X - 2014

After Xenoblade Chronicles delighted JRPG fans around the world with its massive scope, in-depth combat and legendary soundtrack all on the humble Nintendo Wii, it's no surprise that expectations are sky-high for Monolith Soft's upcoming Wii U game which looks to raise the bar even further. Few concrete details are known so far but fans have been speculating about connections to Xenoblade Chronicles and potential online co-operative play based on the currently released trailers.

The Legend of Zelda - TBA

Very little is known about the next entry in Nintendo's beloved Legend of Zelda franchise, but some hints in a past Nintendo Direct from series producer Eiji Aonuma suggest big changes are on the way. The team is apparently "re-thinking the conventions of Zelda", nodding towards the idea of a non-linear game that doesn't force players to play by themselves. Getting "back to basics" to create a "newborn Zelda" seems to be a key focus. The next installment of The Legend of Zelda will be revealed at E3 this year.

Yarn Yoshi - TBA

It isn't often that Mario's green dino buddy gets his own game, but two in such a short space of time is very surprising! As well as Yoshi's New Island on 3DS, Yarn Yoshi is taking notes from both Yoshi's Story on N64 and the Wii's Kirby's Epic Yarn to create a lovely-looking side-scrolling platformer that uses all sorts of different materials to deliver its unique graphical art style.

Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem - TBA

Announced over a year ago, this is one upcoming game that's still a complete mystery despite the fact that it was confirmed to be an RPG. Both franchises have very deep and challenging mechanics that provide a massive amount of potential for a crossover. Even without much information at all, it's safe to be excited for this game considering the high quality of both series and the talent of Atlus and Intelligent Systems.

Sonic Boom - TBA

Prepare to enter a brand-new Sonic the Hedgehog universe, as SEGA's prickly mascot steps into a new world courtesy to ex-Naughty Dog developers, Big Red Button. The Blue Blur isn't alone this time, either, with buddy Tails no longer relegated to NPC, and is joined by Knuckles and Amy. Tradition has also been shaken up, with more free-roaming elements, close-range combat, but still as fast and nippy as ever. Throw in four-player modes and co-operative play, and the "Sonic Cycle" may just have a chance of being broken this year.

The upcoming wave of Wii U games is clearly very first-party-heavy, but that is hardly anything new when it comes to Nintendo home consoles. What is apparent is that there are plenty of strong entries in key franchises on the way that cover many genres, so for anyone who already happily games on their Wii U, or is waiting to pick one up as the perfect companion console to their preferred platform of choice, there is a lot to be very enthusiastic about this year and onwards.

Which games on Wii U are you most looking forward to? Share your thoughts below.

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cafc4eva 20.02.2014#1

After purchasing my wii u yesterday i am waiting for it to arrive tomorrow. i cant wait to get going and this list...wow.

gfhfjjfgf (guest) 21.02.2014#2

Wii u is the king.....

excitedfan (guest) 21.02.2014#3

I have personally chosen a Wii U as my console of choice since I believe that my PC is powerful enough, and plays many games that the other two next gen consoles offer.
I am looking at this list and I am super excited!

BaBa (guest) 21.02.2014#4

Heck yes. All we need is a Metroid and we are well on our way here.

JaxonH (guest) 23.02.2014#5

Yeah, Wii U has the best games, easily. DKC Tropical Freeze is so good, it's just SO good... one of the best games I've ever played! Ever! And that's following Super Mario 3D World, another masterpiece in its' own right! Whenever I hear people talk about the Wii U as if it's not a good console, I just laugh and shake my head, because those people are just being ignorant. Where else can you play Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate in HD and free online? Where else can you play Wii Sports Club Golf, THE best golf game ever invented? Where else can you play Pikmin 3, New Super Mario Bros U, and Zelda Windwaker HD?

cafc4eva 23.02.2014#6

I've only been playing Rayman Legends. There's so many more great things to come from this console.

Mush 23.02.2014#7

JaxonH (guest) said:
Yeah, Wii U has the best games, easily. DKC Tropical Freeze is so good, it's just SO good... one of the best games I've ever played! Ever! And that's following Super Mario 3D World, another masterpiece in its' own right! Whenever I hear people talk about the Wii U as if it's not a good console, I just laugh and shake my head, because those people are just being ignorant. Where else can you play Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate in HD and free online? Where else can you play Wii Sports Club Golf, THE best golf game ever invented? Where else can you play Pikmin 3, New Super Mario Bros U, and Zelda Windwaker HD?
And with this list of games for 2014, it's gonna be a blowout. The majority of gamers will never admit to that- they'll just continue finding ways to bash the console and minimize it's entertainment value, but that's ok. If they can't see the appeal of games like DKC Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, X, Bayonetta 2 and Zelda U, then honestly, they don't DESERVE to play these games. I'm glad the people who mock the Wii U are missing out on it... Cheers to you guys though- we know what's up!

I would totally give you a star for this post, if you were registered. I couldn't agree more. I'm not even bothered about the other next gen consoles, purely because they haven't shown off anything which looks remotely interesting to me. Kingdom Hearts 3 will be great, but it's not going to make me buy a PS4/Xbone right now. I know the Wii U's been out for longer, but PS4/One owners wrongfully complain about the lack of games on Wii U, when in my opinion there is no lack of games.

Does everyone seriously have that much time to kill that they need like 50+ games released every few months?

Another thing which is quite funny to me is that all the upcoming Wii U games (first/second party titles) look absolutely amazing. Bayonetta 2, X, Smash, Mario Kart 8, Yarn Yoshi etc. So it's not even like Wii U is getting a few good games, it's getting a few AMAZING games. Coupled with the fact that it seems to be the next best system for indies, following after PC. Times are great for the Wii U, not from a sales standpoint which is a shame, but I'm sure Nintendo will manage to shift more units when these games finally release!

Edit this post:

[quote][b]JaxonH (guest) said:[/b]<br/>Yeah, Wii U has the best games, easily. DKC Tropical Freeze is so good, it's just SO good... one of the best games I've ever played! Ever! And that's following Super Mario 3D World, another masterpiece in its' own right! Whenever I hear people talk about the Wii U as if it's not a good console, I just laugh and shake my head, because those people are just being ignorant. Where else can you play Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate in HD and free online? Where else can you play Wii Sports Club Golf, THE best golf game ever invented? Where else can you play Pikmin 3, New Super Mario Bros U, and Zelda Windwaker HD?

And with this list of games for 2014, it's gonna be a blowout. The majority of gamers will never admit to that- they'll just continue finding ways to bash the console and minimize it's entertainment value, but that's ok. If they can't see the appeal of games like DKC Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, X, Bayonetta 2 and Zelda U, then honestly, they don't DESERVE to play these games. I'm glad the people who mock the Wii U are missing out on it... Cheers to you guys though- we know what's up![/quote]I would totally give you a star for this post, if you were registered. I couldn't agree more. I'm not even bothered about the other next gen consoles, purely because they haven't shown off anything which looks remotely interesting to me. Kingdom Hearts 3 will be great, but it's not going to make me buy a PS4/Xbone right now. I know the Wii U's been out for longer, but PS4/One owners wrongfully complain about the lack of games on Wii U, when in my opinion there is no lack of games.

Does everyone seriously have that much time to kill that they need like 50+ games released every few months?