Feature: Potential Switch Port Round-Up - The Wii U Games That Haven't Come To Switch
Rounding up the stragglers
by Gavin Lane
Back in January we asked you in a poll which games you'd most like to see return from Nintendo's previous console generation for an encore on Switch. Since then, we've seen just one game from that selection make the generation jump: The Wonderful 101: Remastered.
It's easy to believe that Switch has already picked Wii U's carcass clean, but that isn't the case. If you're like us and eager for more people to get their hands on treasures from the Wii U years - or you missed out on them yourself and want to sample them on Switch - there are several juicy morsels waiting to be devoured and we've rounded them up for you
Below you will find the big name Wii U games that haven’t made their way to Switch along with a score based on 'Switch Port Probability'. Some have been rumoured, others remain pipe dreams, and others are probably best left alone.
So, let's take a look at the last Wii U games standing, and consider which ones are most likely to come to Switch.
Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 22nd Nov 2013 (USA) / 29th Nov 2013 (UK/EU)
One of the biggies. For this writer Super Mario 3D World was a game that didn't really 'click' until it was finished. It wasn't until the end that we really appreciated 3D World's achievements and accepted it for what it was, rather than wishing it were a more open Odyssey-style 3D Mario game.
Consequently, we'd love the chance to go through this again, and Switch's facility with local multiplayer makes it surprising we haven't seen it already.
Switch Port Probability: 8.5/10 - The GamePad features could be removed without losing much at all, and this game would really sparkle on Switch. We wouldn't be surprised if this were to get a surprise announcement in the run-up to holiday season, with the idea that it might emulate some of the success of Nintendo’s other Mario platforming port, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe.
Pikmin 3 (Wii U)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 4th Aug 2013 (USA) / 26th Jul 2013 (UK/EU)
There have been rumours floating about regarding Pikmin 3 on Switch, and it would certainly make sense. It's a gorgeous-looking game, and with optional GamePad functionality which added little to the Pikmin experience (for the most part we played through the game using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk anyway), it would seem like an easy win for players who want to play a full-blown Pikmin game on-the-go.
It's not Pikmin 4, but it'll do.
Switch Port Probability: 8/10 - It makes a lot of sense to put this out for series fans who skipped the Wii U. It won’t sell Mario or Animal Crossing-style numbers, but it would plug a gap in the release schedule and offer up another quality, colourful series for Switch owners.
Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Monolith Soft
Release Date: 4th Dec 2015 (USA) / 4th Dec 2015 (UK/EU)
With Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition hitting Switch imminently, there's a call from fans to bring the Wii U entry in the series to the console, too. It's a sentiment we can get behind, although developer Monolith Soft has stated that it all comes down to the money needed to being the "massive" game to Switch successfully. In our January poll this was the third favourite game you'd like to see make the jump.
Switch Port Probability: 6/10 - We would love to see this come to Switch. Love to. But unless Xenoblade Chonicles: Definitive Edition is a colossal hit and Nintendo is desperate for another huge RPG, it seems less likely than others on this list. Plus, Monolith Soft is busy helping out with the new Zelda game, too, so we'd imagine it's already all-hands-on-deck for that.
Star Fox Zero (Wii U)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: PlatinumGames
Release Date: 22nd Apr 2016 (USA) / 22nd Apr 2016 (UK/EU)
A fun, if flawed, game on the Wii U, we wouldn't mind seeing a streamlined Deluxe port of this. It would be a different game on Switch thanks to its use of the GamePad and controls which, for some, proved tricky to master. Still, Switch is lacking in the Star Fox department, and if there's a first-party game on this list that could really benefit from a second pass, it's probably this one.
Switch Port Probability: 4.9/10 - From Nintendo's perspective, we're not convinced the company sees sufficient appetite for another Star Fox game, and heavy hitters from the Mario and Zelda series on this list would surely be ahead of Star Fox Zero in the Switch port queue. Not impossible, certainly, but improbable.
NES Remix Pack (Wii U)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: indies zero
Release Date: 5th Dec 2014 (USA)
This combo of Wii U eShop titles NES Remix and NES Remix 2 might not have set the world alight, but it was a fun little retro-flavoured package that we wouldn't mind seeing resurrected. With a large selection of NES games available to play on the console via the Nintendo Switch Online subscription, it seems less likely we'll see the likes of NES Remix Pack again, but stranger things have happened.
Switch Port Probability: 3/10 - Unlikely.
Paper Mario: Color Splash (Wii U)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Intelligent Systems
Release Date: 7th Oct 2016 (USA) / 7th Oct 2016 (UK/EU)
Color Splash wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but it was a good-looking, workmanlike entry in a beloved series and an encore on Switch might have made more sense were it not for a certain recent announcement...
Switch Port Probability: 3.62/10 - At the start of May we might have said 50/50, but given the brand new entry in the Paper Mario series that's coming soon to Switch, it's less likely we'll be seeing the Wii U entry return.
Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Good-Feel
Release Date: 16th Oct 2015 (USA) / 26th Jun 2015 (UK/EU)
Mario's dinosaur pal has already charmed Switch owners with Yoshi's Crafted World, and although it's arguable that these material platformers are starting to lose their sheen, dyed-in-the-wool fans surely wouldn't be opposed to having a Yoshi's Woolly World Switch port, if only for another opportunity to crack out those adorable Yarn Yoshi amiibo again.
Switch Port Probability: 5/10 - It would be most pleasant to see Yarn Yoshi again on Switch, although Nintendo isn’t exactly lacking in the cute platformer department. Personally speaking, we'd rather see an HD remaster of the incomparable Kirby's Epic Yarn.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 4th Mar 2016 (USA) / 4th Mar 2016 (UK/EU)
One of two HD remakes in the Zelda franchise, Twilight Princess HD was an excellent version of a very solid Zelda adventure in the traditional mould. For Wii U owners who played it back in 2016, there's little reason to return so soon, but it would be a shame if this HD update wasn't made more widely available, no?
Switch Port Probability: 6/10 - We're not gagging for this, but it would be a welcome addition to Switch's library and we're all for making Zelda games available on as many platforms as possible. Speaking of which...
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (Wii U)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 4th Oct 2013 (USA) / 4th Oct 2013 (UK/EU)
We'd love to see this Wii U remaster come to Switch in Deluxe form, and bonus points if it arrived with an optional toggle to switch between the lovely, vibrant bloom lighting of the HD version and the 'flatter' but equally lovely visuals of the GameCube original. We like both, and the ability to swap between each style would be grand.
Switch Port Probability: 6/10 - Same as above, really. The more people who can access this, the better.