The Wii U in 2015: What games to look forward to the most

The big difference between the 3DS and the Wii U is that for the Wii U we know almost everything we’ll be getting this year. We can’t imagine Nintendo have too much more up their sleeves for 2015 and after seeing this list you might just agree we don’t need anything.

You will note that essentially every game on the list is from Nintendo themselves; we all know the third party situation here and this year is going to be no more different in that regard. We as Nintendo fans might not need third parties to have some fun, hoever, Nintendo do need them to sell consoles.

Never-the-less, this is the hand we’ve been dealt, and what a hand.

What can be said about this one that hasn’t already been said. A completely open world and gorgeous Zelda title to bring the franchise kicking and screaming (officially) into the world of HD. We put this game on the list knowing full well that yes, it might slip into 2016, but we hope it doesn’t – we need it. You need it.

More open world fun from the team at Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles X is the spiritual successor to Xenoblade Chronicles, and while we’ll be enjoying that on the New Nintendo 3DS soon, we also can’t wait to dig into this one.

A sequel to the brilliant Kirby Canvas Curse on the Nintendo DS? Brilliant! It’s out really soon in Japan and not much furhter away in the US, also brilliant. Having to wait until the second half of the year for it here in Australia?

Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, and dumb.

You have to play Splatoon to understand just how much fun being a squid can be. We got to go hands on with this one at PAX and we couldn’t stop talking about it. This team based multiplayer game is sure to be the big ‘online’ game for Nintendo this year. If Nintendo can follow up this impressive demo with more stages, more modes, weapons and tricks and deck out the online component like Mario Kart 8 was last year – then oh boy.

Not only that, there’s a whole single player story to work through as well.

Let’s be a little honest here, Yoshi games have been a little hit and miss for a while now – even if you can’t agree with that you can agree that the music in Yoshi’s New Island was freaking terrible. Terrible.

Moving on now, it would appear from early footage that Yoshi’s Woolly World is shaping up to be a return to form. Not only that, it’s entirely cute as a button. Get it, because there’s buttons…

This one has sleeper hit all over it! For years fans have used ROM hacks and third party tools to create their own Mario games, now Nintendo are giving you to the tools to make your own levels, and it’s pretty in-depth stuff too. There should be something for everyone here too, the creatives and designers among us will love creating levels, and we hope there will be plenty of content for those who aren’t so gifted in the creative department. Online sharing will make this possibly one of the best games of the year.

If it’s not Metroid and it’s not F-Zero, then Star Fox would have to be the most requested franchise fans wish Nintendo to return to. So they are! Miyamoto is working currently on the new Star Fox game for the Wii U, and it’ll be one of the first games Nintendo says will truly make use of the Wii U GamePad. The GamePad screen is said to be the in-cockpit view of the player and this will allow the game to stream from gameplay to cinematic seamlessly, say Nintendo. Hopefully none of this gets in the way of some hot Arwing action though.

Wii Party U did a better job of being a Mario Party than the last two games have. That and Mario Party 8 was still in 4:3 when it released on the Wii back toward the launch. The game will come with the standard Party Mode we all know and love but also take advantage of the Wii U GamePad. In this mode one player will control browser on the GamePad and everyone else is the Wii Remotes. Mini Stars are back and there is also amiibo support.

Steamworld Dig was great, Steamworld Heist should be even better. This one is on the Nintendo 3DS as well but the games Image & Form look so amazing in HD we just had to put it here. Plus every other game on the list is from Nintendo themselves, we had to include one indie title.

We put this one on the list simply because its one of those games that Nintendo made happen. Originally a victim of the downfall of THQ, Devil’s Third doesn’t look overly exciting to us and in fact looks decidedly drab and sleazy in only a way Tomonobu Itagaki can pull off. But who are we to judge? We’ll be lucky to see this one here in Australia, Nintendo don’t like releasing R18+ games at retail… and on time.

Edit: Turns out Devil’s Third is MA15+ rated. Nevermind.