With the Wii U launch now upon us one of the most important decisions you'll make once you get the console is which games to purchase first. Luckily, you've got us to help you if you're pondering what to pick up.ZombieU:
Quite possibly the most hotly debated game in the Wii U launch lineup. Some reviewers saying it's a tired, boring and barely functional game while others praise it as a savior to a genre that has focused too much on action in recent years.
In the hours I've put in I'd say it's somewhere in the middle. If you're someone who prefers Resident Evil 6's pacing to earlier entries in the series then ZombiU is probably not a good fit for you. The pacing here is far slower than what has become the standard for survival horror and in this reviews opinion, that's a fantastic thing. ZombiU is quite possibly the most intense and atmospheric game I've played this console generation outside of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. There's a constant feeling of dread that ZombiU maintains the entire time you're in the infested undead city of London.
Assassin's Creed 3:
“But it's a port!” Yes, yes it is. It is a impeccable example of how to do a port to a new system correctly. You keep what made the game worth playing the first time around, add in a few new features to take advantage of the new hardware and ship it. It's a simple process that Ubisoft executes perfectly in their port of Assassin's Creed 3.
Everything you've grown to love in the other console versions has made its way over to the Wii U. All the Redcoat killing, rooftop running and tree climbing that enthralled so many last month feels perfectly at home on the Gamepad controller. If you've yet to experience AC3 do yourself a favor and make sure to get this one into your collection as soon as possible.
New Super Mario Bros. U:
It's Mario.
It's a Mario game to launch a Nintendo system.
Okay, fine. It's a Mario game to launch a Nintendo system and, as they all have in the past it's probably the best day one purchase you can make. NSMBU provides all the difficult yet fair platforming action we've come to expect from Mario with cooperative action that will have you in tears from laughter one moment and considering terminating a friendship the next.
Add in a mode where someone can use the Gamepad to place life saving platforms for the other four people playing and you've got a frantic experience that will keep you busy for weeks. Even if you're playing by yourself this is one Mario you need to experience.
Darksiders 2:
Look, I'm as disappointed as you are that we don't have a Zelda game to play at launch for the Wii U. However, not all hope is lost! All we need to do is look for death. Yes death, as in the horseman of the apocalypse. Drawing heavily from the Zelda and God of War franchises Darksiders 2 serves up some of the best action and dungeon crawling this side of well.. God of War and Zelda.
The Wii U edition comes with all previously released Downloadable Content as well as a few nifty Wii U exclusive features. My personal favorite is the ability to equip items on the fly by simply touching them on the Gamepad.
If you've got an itch for Zelda or God of War that needs scratching do yourself a favor and give Darksiders 2 a whirl. Help death issue some de... you get the idea.
Nintendoland:
I'll be honest with you, I popped this game in expecting a half-baked tech demo for what the Wii U could do. Man, was I wrong.
Nintendoland is the quintessential example of why Nintendo is so successful at what they do, they create an experience that anyone can get involved in while giving enough depth to keep a hardcore gamer interested.
The premise is quite simple, your Mii is a patron at a Nintendo themed amusement park with 12 attractions inspired by classic Nintendo characters. There's a style of game for everyone, anything from F-Zero ship racing to Zelda's archery quest.
As you gather coins from the minigames you can exchange them for new items for your personal park. Some are rather basic such as a bush that explodes into a green Rupee and some as quite spectacular changing the entire feel of your park. I don't want to spoil some of the cooler ones you'll find but I will say it's worth the time commitment to rack up some of the more serious rewards.
There you have it, a rundown of a few can't miss titles sure to satisfy any new Wii U owner regardless of their age or taste in games. Further down the road we can look forward to Nintendo first party titles such as Zelda HD, Super Smash Bros. U, Monster Hunter and much more. It's an exciting time in gaming with the launch of a new console. And here's to a successful launch for the Wii U!