Best First-Party Wii U Games

3. Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)

Mario Kart 8 took a while to arrive, but was worth the wait. The vehicles and racers have never handled better, the collection of courses is possibly the best ever, while replayability through Ghost Races or — primarily — online races and Tournaments is almost endless. While the Deluxe version on Switch would include all the DLC, add the missing Battle Mode and polish everything until it glistened, the brilliant base game is largely unchanged. Mario Kart 8 was an accomplished effort that pushed the franchise forward in thrilling ways, and regardless of the version you play, you're guaranteed a great time.

2. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (Wii U)

In this HD remaster, Nintendo did a valiant job of breathing new life into what was already an exceptional Legend of Zelda title. It took the game’s timeless art style and gave it a glorious new HD sheen, while also making an extensive amount of worthwhile improvements to previously flawed aspects of the gameplay. Sailing across the Great Sea, discovering new islands, and exploring exciting dungeons — the designs of which still shine even today – has simply never been as much fun as it is on Wii U.

It’s fair to say that Nintendo could have done more in certain areas (there really isn’t anything substantial in the way of new content), and the updated lighting, though lovely in its own right, is not necessarily 'better'; it's heavy on the bloom compared to the sublime original. Still, The Wind Waker was never in need of a drastic overhaul; this refinement made welcome tweaks that brought it more in line with modern standards. A great game made (for the most part) even greater, then.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U)

Some will say, not unreasonably, that as the Wii U iteration of Breath of the Wild can't fully match the Switch version in visuals and performance it should be considered inferior. We understand and appreciate that perspective, but this is nevertheless a fully functional and still entrancing iteration of one of Nintendo's greatest ever games. Across dozens of hours it blends innovative ideas with established tropes, and unfolds in a manner different for everyone. The 'best' version of the game is on Nintendo Switch, but the freedom, the spontaneity, and the outstanding charm and craft of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild isn't lost on Wii U.