The Colossal Wii U Launch Game Roundup
On top of the games already mentioned, Ubisoft are bringing an exclusive survival horror title, Zombi U, to the console. The game seems like an attempt to freshen up the oversaturated field of zombie-themed games by adding in some “roguelike” elements to make your enemies appear more (un)deadly. A lot of people seem to be cautiously optimistic about the game – myself included. There will also be a Wii U version of the recently released Assassin’s Creed III. While you probably won’t be able to follow the dumb overarching storyline about “boring future guy’s adventures in memory land”, Assassin’s Creed III’s new American Revolution setting seems like a decent enough place to jump into the series. The Wii U will be compatible with Ubisoft’s Uplay service and presumably any DLC that comes down the line. ESPN Sports Connection includes six sports (soccer, football, baseball, golf, tennis, and karting), some of which use the GamePad while others are controlled through Wii MotionPlus. It’s nothing like Wii Sports because Wii Sports had bowling. And for those who just can’t wait for Wii Fit U, there’s also Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013.
If you’re totally fine with spending $300+ dollars on a new console, then maybe you’ll also be fine with spending ridiculous amounts of money on Skylanders Giants figures. It looks like the game plays almost identically to the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, especially considering that it doesn’t utilize the Wii U’s “Near Field Communication”. Instead, the Skylanders figures interact with the “portal of power” that comes bundled with the game’s starter pack. Transformers Prime features “brawler-style combat”, which I’d imagine doesn’t work particularly well when you’re playing as a giant clunky robot. Did you know that the makers of the Mario baseball games are handling development of Transformers Prime? I just thought that was more interesting than the game itself. Activision are also publishing Wipeout 3, which is apparently based on the awful TV show and not a remake of the PS1 racing game of the same name. Lastly, there’s Call of Duty Black Ops II, the Wii U version of some indie game I’ve never heard of.
Scribblenauts: Unlimited has been out on the 3DS for a while now, but this Wii U version promises to be the “definitive” interpretation of the creative puzzle game. Complementing the series’ usual gameplay of writing words to make different objects appear, players can create their own objects to use and share with friends online. It’s coming to PC too, but only the Wii U version will contain Nintendo icons like Mario and Link. WB Games are also publishing Game Party Champions, a ridiculously bland game that contains eight games you’ve totally never played before in any mini-game collection such as ping-pong and air hockey.
If Austin’s review of the Wii version is any indication, Epic Mickey 2 should be a solid platformer with some interesting moral dilemmas (and hopefully none of the technical issues). In terms of sports games, the Wii U will launch with versions of 2K’s NBA2K13, EA’s Fifa Soccer 13 and Madden NFL 13. 505 Games’ Funky Barn is still listed as “launch window” but apparently it’s already available. So if you were just dying to play “the ultimate (only) farm game for Wii U”, now you can. It seems to be heavily based on the 3DS version because it still looks like a 3DS game.
With the launch of the console also comes the launch of the Wii U eShop. One of the first of these eShop releases is Chasing Aurora ($14.99), a very pretty 2D game that’s all about flight. Unlike developer Broken Rules’ previous game, And Yet It Moves, Chasing Aurora’s focus is on its multiplayer modes that use the GamePad for asymmetrical gameplay. Another interesting indie game on the eShop is Little Inferno ($14.99), which comes from the designers of World of Goo. It’s a weird combination of a physics-based puzzle game and real-time strategy game that’s difficult to describe. All you really need to know is that it involves setting plenty of things on fire. Also available on launch-day are twin-stick shooter, Nano Assault NEO and puzzle-platformer Mighty Switch Force: Hyper Drive Edition (both $9.99) two high definition versions of excellent 3DS games. Rounding out the eShop games is Trine 2: Director’s Cut ($19.99), a port of a game that’s far too gorgeous to run properly on my Macbook. This Lost Vikings-eque game’s big draw was adding co-op, which I’d imagine works well with the addition of the GamePad. Retail games will also be available on the eShop.
Alright, it looks like that’s finally it for all the Wii U launch titles. It seems like an excellent launch lineup with plenty of games to choose from (I’d say too many games, personally). To all those considering picking up the Wii U at launch, what games are you going to go with?
