While the overall lineup for the Wii U is thin when compared to the competition, the system does have a strong first-party offering that stands up against the likes of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. So which exclusives should you be buying during Black Friday, the rest of Christmas season and beyond? Find out in our rankings below.
5. Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric is the final installment of an exclusive three-game deal between Sega and Nintendo for the Wii U. The other two, Sonic Lost World and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, have been underwhelming. With that said, the upcoming release is more focused on combat and adventure as opposed to platforming. There are also four playable characters with Amy, Knuckles, Tails and, of course, Sonic. Since the videogame is leading into a new television series, we may be able to see a better effort than usual for a Sonic videogame.
4. Hyrule Warriors
For better or worse, Hyrule Warriors uses the Dynasty Warriors formula and puts it into The Legend of Zelda universe. While the hack-and-slash gameplay against large groups of enemies may sound repetitive, being able to play as characters other than Link is a strong selling point. Among the controllable participants are Ganondorf, Ghirahim, Sheik and Zelda. There is also an Adventure Mode where you get to complete certain tasks in the over world from the very first Legend of Zelda game.
3. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Remember the special puzzle-like levels from Super Mario 3D World where you can control Captain Toad. Well, Nintendo is expanded on the concept and turned it into a full game with Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. Of course, several changes were also added as the captain can now pick up and throw turnips at enemies in addition to using a pickaxe to attack similar to the original Donkey Kong arcade game. On the other hand, he still won’t be able to jump.
As evident by the abovementioned Super Mario 3D World and the critically-acclaimed Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, Nintendo is really good at making platformers. The Wii U exclusive Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker should be another excellent entry into the genre.
2. Bayonetta 2
The usually family-friendly Nintendo decided to step out of their comfort zone and fund a sequel to one of the best videogames on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Bayonetta. The second game has the same solid foundations as the original as gamers can stylishly attack and dodge. A new Umbran Climax element is added, which should lead to even more crazy attacks. Along with single-player, you can also play a two-player co-op mode where you and a friend can fight waves of bosses and enemies.
Nintendo is also sweetening the package by including the first Bayonetta release at no additional costs. With excellent two games for the price of one, there are really no excuse not to buy Bayonetta 2 if you are a Wii U owner.
1. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
There is no bigger Wii U exclusive coming out in 2014, or really any other year in the future, that will be as big as Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The fighting game contains the largest roster to date, featuring some of the biggest names from Nintendo (including Donkey Kong, Link, Mario and Zelda). The best news, however, is that the sequel is developed to cater more to the hardcore competitive scene after the missteps with Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS is already receiving a tremendous positive response; so the Wii U version is most likely going to end up being just as good, if not better.
Nintendo is already seeing the potential success as they are aligning the release of the videogame with complementary products like Super Smash Bros. Edition Gamecube Controller, GameCube Controller Adapter for Wii U and the first wave of Amiibo action figures. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U should not only be the best Wii U exclusive left in 2014, it should also end up being the best selling game on the system.