Since its release in 2012, Nintendo's Wii U has contradicted itself. To this day, the touchscreen console has sold only 13.5 million units, making it Nintendo's worst-selling console yet. The Wii U reigned as the company's latest gaming device for only five years (with poor reviews) before it was essentially squashed by the Nintendo Switch in 2017. The Wii U ceased production shortly before the Switch came out, but not many gamers seemed to even notice its end.
Despite the failure of the console, the Wii U managed to house some of the best games of of its time. Here are the top 10 Wii U games ever made, according to Metacritic.
10 Skylanders Swap Force (Score: 89)
Activision released Skylanders: Swap Force for the Wii U was released in 2013 alongside the Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox 360. Fans of Activision's Spyro the Dragon series loved the Skylanders spin-off series, where Swap Force was the third installment. Players use a portal to transport real-life action figures into the games. In this sequel, a volcano eruption that blasts the Skylanders to Earth has given them a new ability to swap their tops and bottoms, creating all-never Skylander combinations.
Swap Force received critical acclaim for its ability to take elements from the previous Skylanders games and improve them in every way. Plus, the twist of swappable characters created a whole new, riveting storyline.
9 Axiom Verge (Score: 89)
Axiom Verge is another indie metroidvania that made its way into the Wii U in 2015. In this side-scrolling action adventure, a scientist named Trace wakes up from an explosion after an experiment gone wrong. Instead of his lab in New Mexico, though, Trace finds himself in an alien world known as Sudra. He must help a dying mechanical head by finding a special piece of equipment hidden in the world.
Many critics loved the setting of Axiom Verge, as well as its balance between challenging and frustrating. It was named in Entertainment Weekly's list of the best games in 2015.
8 Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (Score: 90)
This metroidvania action platformer with a really long title was released on the Wii U in 2014, joining 10 other platforms that housed Guacamelee! The game takes place in Mexico, where an agave farmer named Juan Aguacate comes back from the dead as a luchador in order to save his girlfriend from an evil skeleton.
Critics praised Guacamelee! STCE's extensive maps and not-too-hard-to-find secrets hidden throughout the game. Most complaints were only about its short length, although that isn't unusual for indie metroidvanias.
7 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (Score: 90)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD was an extra-special Wii U re-release of the classic 2002 GameCube game in 2013. The game certainly lived up to its HD name, as critics called its graphics some of the best in the entire Zelda franchise. The remastered version was also said to have improved every complaint about the original.
The Wind Waker HD was so special, in fact, that Nintendo released a limited edition, black The Legend Of Zelda-themed Wii U. A deluxe set included the rare console and a digital download of the remastered game. With all the hype surrounding the release, it's no surprise that The Wind Waker HD is in Metacritic's top 10.
6 Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 (Score: 90)
Mario Kart 8 itself may not be the highest on Metacritic's list in terms of reviews, but it was the Wii U's best-selling game of all time with more than 8 million copies sold worldwide. The game was initially released in 2014 and continued to make it even greater via downloadable content.
The second pack of content was released one year later and includes several new characters, vehicles, vehicle parts, Crossing Cup tracks, and Bell Cup tracks, according to Destructoid. Most notably, the pack includes a few nods to the hit Animal Crossing franchise. The final track takes place in the Animal Crossing realm, which critics said was captured beautifully.
5 Super Smash Bros. (Score: 92)
Super Smash Bros. will always be a timeless classic, no matter what console you play it on. The series dates back to 1999 with its Nintendo 64 release, and it has since been revamped four more times. The Wii U version was the fourth installment in the franchise and coincided with a Nintendo 3DS release in 2014.
This version of Smash brought back the fast-paced gameplay seen in 2001's Super Smash Bros.: Melee and introduced local multiplayer for eight people. Fans loved the wide variety in its character catalog, which was frequently updated with even more options.
4 Rayman Legends (Score: 92)
Ubisoft released Rayman Legends for the Wii U in 2013 alongside Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita. The game was fifth in the Rayman series, right behind Rayman Origins in 2011. Legends picks up one century after the events in Origins, as Rayman and co. set out to save 10 princesses from the Bubble Dreamer's nightmares.
Forbes praised the game's graphics on the Wii U, calling them "simply stunning" and "awash in color." In addition, gameplay coincided beautifully with the Wii U's controls. Rayman Legends likely worked so well on the console because it was originally intended to be a Wii U exclusive until Ubisoft decided on a cross-platform release. In the end, the Wii U version of the game did much better overall than its other platforms.
3 Bayonetta 2 (Score: 92)
Bayonetta fans were only lucky to get their hands on the full series if they had multiple platforms. While the original game was published by Sega and available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, a publishing deal with Nintendo limited Bayonetta 2 to a Wii U exclusive release. The sequel follows Bayonetta on a journey through the Gates of Hell to save her close friend, Jeanne.
Those who did get a chance to experience the series' second installment showered it with praise, with many critics complimenting its fine-tuned combat and stunning animations. For those who have yet to play, never fear — Bayonetta 2 was given a second chance on the Nintendo Switch.
2 Super Mario 3D Word (Score: 93)
Who doesn't love a good Mario game? This Wii U exclusive sold 5.83 million units worldwide and quickly became the console's second best-selling game ever, per Nintendo's report.
Super Mario 3D World was the sixth 3D platform game in a series and a follow-up to the Nintendo 3DS's Super Mario 3D Land. In this explorative adventure, Mario and friends must save a community known as Sprixie Kingdom from Bowser's evildoings. The game received praise for its lighthearted humor and extensive play time.
1 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Score: 96)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released simultaneously on the Nintendo Switch and the Wii U in March 2017, shortly after the Switch hit stores. Chronologically, the game is set at the end of the Zelda timeline, as Link wakes up from a hundred-year snooze to defeat Calamity Ganon.
This action-filled adventure received tons of praise for its explorative open world style and nostalgic graphics. Many critics have regarded Breath of the Wild as one of the greatest video games of all time. Because the Switch was still so new at the time of the game's release, it's no wonder that Breath of the Wild did just as well on the Wii U.