40. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (Wii U)

Another great addition to the roster of the console with 'no games', Tekken Tag Tournament 2 launched alongside Wii U and threw exclusive Nintendo costumes and power-ups into its quality fighting mix, plus DLC content from other platforms, too. This entry in Namco's franchise had already cemented itself as a quality participant contender in the genre, but add in the Wii U exclusive modes, bells, and whistles and you're left with perhaps the best console version of a fine fighter.

39. DuckTales: Remastered (Wii U eShop)

Don’t let the cartoony graphics and Disney branding fool you: DuckTales: Remastered is a challenging duck-blur of a platformer that’s absolutely brimming with charm. The campaign of this affectionate remake of the NES classic may be short, but WayForward updated it in a way that makes the experience feel fresh and guarantees you'll want to revisit it. This is essential gaming for fans of the original DuckTales or the animated series, and even if you're not in those camps, it's still worth a look for fans of Disney, platformers, and Disney platformers.

38. Batman: Arkham Origins (Wii U)

Batman: Arkham Origins isn’t innately bad, but it recycles so much from its predecessors and does absolutely nothing to evolve or improve them. The gameplay is uninspired, the graphics are a bit shaky, and the plot tries to do too much and ends up being too sloppy to make any real sense. The previous two Arkham games played like excellent stealth adventure titles in which you happened to take on the role of Batman; this one feels much more like a Batman game with stealth elements tacked on. It's far from awful — and taken in isolation it's rather enjoyable — but it's a shame that the Wii U received this lacklustre and unremarkable entry in the Arkham series over, say, the original Arkham Asylum.

37. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (Wii U)

With tight controls, a new visual style and the series' trademark writing, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a top class entry in WayForward's Shantae line of 2D platformers which began way back on Game Boy Color. It offered newcomers a great point to jump in, and remains a shining example of WayForward's talent with 2D action games. The Switch game added lovely portability, but Wii U is still a great place to play.

36. NES Remix 2 (Wii U eShop)

NES Remix 2 mostly played it safe, with a new set of games and challenges and a few small, yet welcome, additions to the formula of the original such as a replay feature. While the game selection the second time was undoubtedly stronger, there were fewer games and challenges overall, and they felt somewhat easier, too. Luckily, however, Super Luigi Bros. — which lets you play the entirety of Super Mario Bros. in reverse — and Championship Mode (if you own the first game) help fill these gaps, providing yet another enjoyable package of rapid-fire retro goodness.

35. Axiom Verge (Wii U eShop)

Axiom Verge is an excellent Metroidvania that combines creative gameplay, beautiful visuals, and a compelling story to create a fantastic game which pays tribute to classics while doing something wholly new with the established formula. It's made all the more impressive, too, by the fact that the entire thing is the product of one-man-team Tom Happ's dedication. If you have even the remotest interest in 2D action games, do yourself a favour and pick this game up pronto. It's available on Switch, too. You know, if your Wii U is packed away or something.

34. New Super Luigi U (Wii U eShop)

New Super Luigi U is a terrific title for capable platform gamers, with intense and exciting bursts of momentum to put those thumbs to the test. What that does do, however, is make multiplayer even more awkward than it was before in New Super Mario Bros. U, and arguably puts this beyond the reach of less experienced gamers, even using the indestructible Nabbit. The sense of the old you get from revisiting familiar stages here is thankfully tempered by a fresh feel and clever level design, however, and even if Luigi's adventure doesn't last long for those without completionist instincts, it's fun while it does last.

33. New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U)

If you loaded up New Super Mario Bros. U with the expectation of playing another genre-defying escapade like Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Galaxy, then you may have come away disappointed. Mario’s first game for the Wii U played it safe when it came to theme and concept; like previous titles in the ‘New’ series, this was essentially a colourful rehash of the same old blueprint. The mechanics remained the same, but gilded by decades of subtle refinements and enhancements, ultimately leading to one of the most accomplished 2D platformers ever created.

New Super Mario Bros. U may not have offered a cataclysmic genre shift, but it was a fine Wii U launch game and remains a 2D gem in the Mario canon (now more easily accessed on Switch in 'Deluxe' form).

32. The Wonderful 101 (Wii U)

The Wonderful 101 can be overwhelming, and the initial impression can be that it's simply bombarding the senses with too much information, confusing both the eyes and the thumbs. The key is to play at the right difficulty level and accept its insanity, work with its peculiar logic and remain open-minded to its mechanics. In return it delivers an exceptional experience in which no scenario is too outrageous, no enemy too exaggerated or no set-piece too excessive. It's not perfect, with some control quirks, fiddly moments and a multiplayer mode that feels tacked on, but so much about this title is thrilling.

Of course, the Remastered version is probably the one to go for these days, but at the time this was a must-have title for Wii U.

31. Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut (Wii U)

Two years old at the time of release on Wii U but certainly worthy of resurrection, Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut felt completely at home with the GamePad in 2013. No, not everything was fantastic, with some issues from the original remaining — combat felt like a 'lesser' play style, predictably dumb AI didn't do the game any favours, and some wonky voice acting could confuse the mood — but a few blemishes couldn't overshadow the sheer number of things that Human Revolution got so right.

Organic second-screen support, lovely additional features and some welcome, if subtle, tweaks to an already fantastic title put Human Revolution at the top of the Wii U food chain; one of several excellent third-party efforts on the console.