Wii U Underrated Games / Hidden Gems / Overlooked

[RoytheRobot]

So, as you may know, the Wii U hasn't sold very good when compared to the other consoles. As a result, many good quality games have gone under the radar. That's why I'm making this thread. I want to know what games y'all think are good (or at least worth giving a try), that nobody mentions when talking about this console. It can be either eShop or retail games. 

I'll start with these 2:

The Wonderful 101: From the developers of Bayonetta (Platinum Games), this hilarious, action packed game is a tremendous experience in which you control 100 wonderful citizens. Collectively, you can take down big robot-like enemies and weird creatures. The controls take some time to get use to, but its worth sticking with it 'till the end. The game is becoming difficult to find physically so pick your copy now, before prices go UP dramatically.

Lego City Undercover: At first, I wasn't going to include this one. It's a LEGO game, which is a well established brand. But then I remembered a lot of people on forums saying that LEGO Marvel is the best LEGO game, which I think isn't true. City Undercover, a Wii U exclusive, is the BEST  LEGO game. Period. It's basically GTA with LEGO and without the M rating (if you know what I mean). Over 30 hours of gameplay, big city to explore, with hundreds of characters, vehicles and challenges to clear, I have to say this is in my top 5 best Wii U games that I've played. Super fun and a must have. Prices haven't dropped on this one, since again, like W101, has become hard to find.

NOTE: Sorry if my descriptions aren't the best for each game, I'm just a nerd robot that enjoys his Wii U.

 

[cero5]

i think almost everything exclusive to wii u is worth playing.i was going to mention zombie u but its coming to other systems.

 

[defpally]

Lego City Undercover is definitely a gem - probably the best Lego game to date.  It is basically Lego GTA, it does open world better than Lego Marvel.  The story is funny and entertaining and the world is really big and detailed.  The only issue is the load times entering a mission or loading the open world are pretty long, but those are not frequent.  My son has a bunch of the Lego games, but that's the only one he has done to 100% (and four times over at that).

 

[soonersfan60]

The list is huge actually. I can't think of many terrible games (if any) and WiiU didn't get much if any shovelware. All of the Nintendo games are A+ on the system, and then things like Bayonetta 2 and the real Rayman version make it a must have. (Yes, Bayonetta was financed by Nintendo, but I don't think they actually developed it, and Rayman came out for other systems but didn't have the WiiU functionality with the gamepad.) And more games are on the way, like Xenoblade X, that I'm looking forward to.

 

[FatherChesz]

I would say Game & Wario is mostly overlooked.  It released with fair to middling reviews but just about always makes it into the party rotation when friends are over.  The Pictionary like game is always a hoot but the real crowd pleaser is the "Fronk" launching game.  I really tried to make a good analogy but I think a youtube video is probably your best bet to understand it.

 

[RoytheRobot]

The list is huge actually. I can't think of many terrible games (if any) and WiiU didn't get much if any shovelware. All of the Nintendo games are A+ on the system, and then things like Bayonetta 2 and the real Rayman version make it a must have. (Yes, Bayonetta was financed by Nintendo, but I don't think they actually developed it, and Rayman came out for other systems but didn't have the WiiU functionality with the gamepad.) And more games are on the way, like Xenoblade X, that I'm looking forward to.

Bayonetta 2 was published by Nintendo and developed by Platinum games. Don't remember if Nintendo helped in the development of the game though.

Rayman Legends was originally a Wii U exclusive. Then Ubisoft changed their minds (because of low Wii U sales) and decided to go multiplatform. Haven't played that one, but looks to be a fantastic 2d platformer.

Another overlooked game (I think) is NintendoLand. I haven't played it a lot but my brother seems to enjoy it. I really like the Mario Chase, Pikmin and Metroid mini games.

 

[wacekar7]

IMO Rayman Legends is still the game that made best use of the gamepad. Kind of frustrating that it wasn't even made by Nintendo, and Nintendo's first party games haven't even come close to it yet in terms of gamepad functionality. That is until Super Mario Maker..

 

[EroticMan]

I just got Lego City Undercover and am enjoying it more than I thought I would.  I liked Wonderful 101.  While not really hidden, I think Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is probably my fav game so far, probably until Xenoblade

 

[ohnoitschris]

There was a version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut that used the gamepad in some fun ways, it ran really well, and got absolutely dead zero press.  I know it's on everything else, but the Wii U version is definitely worthy, and might even be the best way to play the game.

Pikmin 3's pretty good too, but I don't know how obscure it actually is.  I got it for free on some promo a couple of years ago, and I was pleasantly surprised.  It's a serious must-buy for just about anyone when it drops below $15.

 

[Billytwoshoes]

I don't think I've played enough games on my Wii U (which I'm working on that), but here are my thoughts on some games I've been playing alot of that aren't really on anyone's radar:

Lucadian Chronicles

I initially got this because of the free CN coins, but man did this suck away alot of my time over the past 6 months or so (and I never even upgraded to the full version either).  What seems like a toss away eCCG of sorts (which most people think of Hearthstone nowadays in that regard), it becomes clear there is a deep layer of strategy behind the simple interface.  With daily activities even with the free version (and an expanded campaign in the paid version), I kept finding myself booting it up when I had a free 5-10 minutes here and there, improving my ranks and outcomes in the automated leagues as I progressed.

It's really hard to describe fully, but I would recommend checking it out and getting a feel for it on the eShop.  It's currently on Kongregate (and potentially Steam in the future, on Greenlight for now), though the off-TV touchpad gameplay is perfect for this sort of genre, not really much else like it on Wii U.

Game & Wario

I'll also recommend this one again, as the review scores really don't do this one justice.  Initially I only downloaded this because of the free CN offering, focusing more on the MSRP value and not really on its longevity.  Out of the 12 single player games (two of which can be two player as well), only about 3-6 of them are worth coming back to on a regular basis, though 3 out of 4 of the multiplayer games really do shine in utilizing the gamepad, and are consistent crowd pleasers for mixed company.

Though what I found surprisingly enjoyable in G&W were the Cluck-a-pop toys you earn, some of them are really unique and make for showcase pieces on their own.  Gave me a good incentive for the time I was spending, and my kids love them.

Cabela's Big Game Hunter Pro Hunts

I know that hunting games get alot of flak (and mostly for good reason), however I would strongly recommend this one out of all the current offerings, which have mostly devolved into shooting gallery style abominations, or extremely linear story line progression styles.  This game gives you enormous hunting grounds (albeit only four of them though) for you to freely stalk and hunt whatever large and small game you can find, with equipment and calls that actually work as they are supposed to.

I've never hunted in real life, but I personally can appreciate the first person hunter style of gameplay that is nearly perfected (aside for some bugs here and there, this is Activision after all).  While it is also available on X360 and PS3, the GPS touch screen map and ease of using headphones via the gamepad (and the obligatory off-TV play) make the Wii U version have some comparative advantages to consider.

 

[Monsta Mack]

i think almost everything exclusive to wii u is worth playing.i was going to mention zombie u but its coming to other systems.

Well AFAIK the Wii U is still going to have a few exclusive features namingly the local multiplayer. Also haven't heard if the next gen versions are going to have leader boards or the names of your friends/other people that died and they roam around in your game as a zombie. At 77% on gamerankings the game is definitely underrated.

The first Bayonetta is sitting at 84% on Gamerankings, that's a bit low IMHO and is a great game right next to the GOAT contender Bayonetta 2. All Bayonetta 2 copies come with Bayonetta 1 (unless you by them used). Everyone should own that game if they have the slightest interest in the genre.

Splatoon is at 80% and basing from what I heard from the MP community that seems a bit low as well.

Wonderful 101 78% another Platinum game that the gaming press doesn't seem to care for.

 

[Hellraiservtx]

Honestly I thought ZombiU was amazing, and the PC and other console releases just can't match the Wii U controller experience. Yes it's a bit bulky, but you can do so much with it!

 

[Rig]

Another vote for Game & Wario.  Whenever friends come over to play games, we eventually pop G&W in to play the Pictionary-esque game.  It's a huge hit with everyone; all the wives and girlfriends will sit and play that one.  They like that find the thief game, too.