by mento
With the recent announcement of a The Wonderful 101 Kickstarter campaign to get it ported to more systems, and rumors that Super Mario 3D World will be the next first-party Nintendo game to be rescued from the Wii U exclusivity curse, I figured I'd put together a list of notable Wii U exclusives both current and former to see what, if anything, has happened to them since their debut.
Showing 1-10 of 29 items
A side-scrolling spaceship exploration Indie game similar to Insane Twisted Shadow Planet where you had to constantly tweak your ship's systems in order to survive environmental hazards and other mishaps. Status: Wii U Exclusive. The separate ship controls display and "in-game" display makes it a game ideally suited to the Wii U, or possibly the 3DS, so I'm not sure how likely a port will be.
A board game variant of Animal Crossing that played like the Game of Life, where you'd weather good and bad fortune alike as you tried to conceal your 5.9 inch pale chub. Status: Wii U Exclusive. Even with everyone thirsting for new Animal Crossing content, I don't think anyone was writing letters via their local pelican delivery service asking Nintendo to port this over.
The Umbran witch sports a trendy new bob in her latest battle against the Lumen Sages and their angelic hordes. Status: Ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2018. The sequel is still Nintendo-only for the time being, as will be the next one.
Mario's diminutive friend takes off on his first solo adventure across some delightfully dainty diorama-style puzzle levels. Status: An enhanced remaster was released for Switch and 3DS in 2018. It eventually saw some free and paid DLC.
The first sequel to the Donkey Kong Country resurrection combines ice and fire for its platforming and boss fights, and features Cranky Kong as a playable character for the first time. Status: Ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2018.
Wario and "friends" attempt another money-making scheme with the tools available on the Wii U, including touchpad controls and Miiverse integration. Status: Wii U Exclusive. Considered a lesser entry in the WarioWare franchise, its greatest strength - an online Pictionary game - is no longer accessible. The Switch, as expected, is getting its own WarioWare - Get It Together!
The fifth and currently final Fatal Frame continues to put photogenic spooks to celluloid in another tense survival horror experience. Status: Wii U Exclusive. Marrying the camera-based franchise to a system with a gyro-enhanced touchscreen controller was a flash of brilliance, but purportedly that was about as imaginative as the game ever got. If there's ever a Switch Fatal Frame, it'll probably be a whole new entry. EDIT: Against all odds, Fatal Frame 5 saw an October 2021 remaster for Switch.
The Musou formula meets Hyrule as Link and co. slash through throngs of familiar Zelda monsters as they run around defending gates and forts. Status: Rereleased on 3DS in 2016 and again on Switch in 2018, followed by a Switch exclusive sequel set in the Breath of the Wild timeline. Might be the last time Omega Force is allowed near a Nintendo property, or it might not.
Kirby's magic paintbrush is back as players chart a colorful course for the courageous cotton candy character. Status: Wii U Exclusive. Kirby's gonna Kirby, with Nintendo and HAL Lab usually dragging the little guy out a half-dozen times per generation to put each new console through its paces. A remaster of Rainbow Curse might be possible, given the Switch's own touchscreen tools, but it's more likely they'll move onto something else. (I'm hoping for a Dream Course sequel. That's the golf one.)
Traveller's Tales goes off-script with one of the first original Lego adventures to come along in a while, following dashing cop Chase McCain and his struggles to catch criminal mastermind Rex Fury. Status: A remaster was brought to every current-gen console (PS4, XB1, PC, and Switch) in 2017. Despite being made with the Wii U pad in mind, it works just as well without it.
