13. NES Remix (Wii U eShop)

It would be simple to write off NES Remix as something only die-hard retro gamers would enjoy, but developer indieszero was really on to something here. The 200+ challenges are short enough to be interesting and fun to replay, but not long enough to outstay their welcome. The developer even managed to make challenges based on games like Urban Champion and Baseball fun, which is an achievement in itself.

If you're the type who likes to relentlessly collect stuff, the stars and stamps will also keep you entertained. Pairs well with its sequel, too. Who wouldn't want to play Super Mario Bros. backwards?

You can also find indiezero's similar (yet slightly inferior, if you ask us) Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition on Switch.

12. 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, although that does make multiplayer even more awkward than 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.

11. 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).

10. Nintendo Land (Wii U)

Nintendo Land might not have been the Wii U killer app in the vein of Wii Sports, but it's still a wonderful celebration of Nintendo's past and an exciting glimpse of a future that might have been had developers been a little more adventurous with the GamePad (and had players responded, of course).

When it works and while the magic lasts, Nintendo Land delivers riotous fun and is one of the best local multiplayer experiences ever crafted. There's also a surprising amount of depth to the single-player offerings, too, and Miiverse integration meant you were never really on your own.

For nostalgic Nintendo fans, it was simultaneously comforting and exciting (we'll take any drop of F-Zero-adjacent content we can!), and in its best moments it managed to make you feel like a kid again.

9. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Wii U)

At the time, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker seemed like a rare case of a game that felt truly designed — from the ground up — with the Wii U in mind.

An expansion of the Toad puzzle stages in Super Mario 3D World, the GamePad was utilised just enough to be worthwhile without being a nuisance, and the only misstep was that the difficulty later in the game can't be eased by assistance from a friend, parent, or game-savvy offspring. Of course, the game got an unlikely 3DS port and Nintendo eventually added full co-op to the game with an update to the Switch version which first released in 2018.

Ultimately, Captain Toad's relentless charm and precious nature lost little in its transition to other systems, but the original is still a delightful nugget of 3D puzzle platforming, and the only version of the game that comes on a disc with deliciously curved edges, too. That's gotta count for something!

8. Super Mario Maker (Wii U)

The original Wii U Super Mario Maker, with its multiple updates, additions, and tweaks over time, was a game which arguably justified the Wii U GamePad on its own.

Enabling you to craft levels in the style of the original game, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and the New series, the elegant user interface and overall polish made this an exceptional Mario experience, one that was tailored perfectly to the second screen of the Wii U GamePad. It was the system's true 'killer app', but it arrived too late in the lifecycle to make a difference.

Its Switch sequel might have added slopes and other fun doohickeys, but the sequel stands on the shoulders of the original, and the basic course creation experience is arguably still at its most intuitive on a Wii U GamePad.

You can't share your creations online via Nintendo's bafflingly backward course-sharing system anymore, but if you've ever enjoyed a 2D Mario game and have a creative, playful spirit (and a Wii U), then the original Mario Maker still deserves your attention.

7. Pikmin 3 (Wii U)

Beautifully crafted and filled to the brim with exciting gameplay features, Pikmin 3 is a worthy instalment in Nintendo's quirky strategy series.

The core gameplay mechanics remain true to the GameCube originals, but were further enhanced by the unique features of the Wii U GamePad, although you could still use your Wii Remote and Nunchuk (honestly, the 'Deluxe' Switch port offers further proof that the GamePad really was a peripheral option here).

A few minor issues here and there arguably prevented it from reaching the heights of its predecessors, but the Wii U's HD sheen made the fruit hauled by your little plant-based helpers look more delicious than ever.

6. Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)

Boasting perhaps the most colourful box art ever created, Super Mario 3D World is bursting at the seams with cuteness, creativity and catsuits. While it might lack the unbridled freedom of Mario's other 3D adventures, it provides a terrifically enjoyable, tight and impeccably structured adventure.

With a focus on bringing fans of the 2D games into the realm of 3D Marios, it recalls the mascot’s 3D heritage while providing the perfect starting point for novices. It's also the only 3D Mario to offer four-player co-op.

Super Mario 3D World is simply unmissable and prior to its reappearance on Switch, we'd have said it was worth hunting down a Wii U to play. The additional Bowser's Fury content of the newer version — plus various gameplay tweaks and the addition of online and local wireless play — arguably gives the Switch edition the edge in a head-to-head battle.

Still, the original Wii U experience remains one of the console's highlights, so why not grab yourself a copy and just sit with it on your lap as you admire the box art and run your forefinger around the curved edge of the disc? The Switch cart doesn't have that, does it? Meow!

5. Splatoon (Wii U)

In a sea of rock-solid single-player Nintendo experiences, Splatoon stood out as being an utterly sublime multiplayer endeavour. Everything is knitted beautifully and seamlessly together to create what is quite simply some of the most fun you can have online.

The single-player elements and the local multiplayer also presented a way to enjoy the game when you're not geared up for the chaos that comes from fighting others online, and provided a useful reprieve if your internet cut out.

Indeed, the formula was potent enough for Nintendo to repeat it more or less verbatim in its Switch sequel, but Splatoon got away with it by being easily the freshest shooter we'd played in years.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)

Twilight Princess was simultaneously Zelda's swansong on the GameCube and its introduction on the Wii. It's an excellent action adventure, but not without flaws.

Perhaps its biggest problem is that it did little to shake up the Zelda formula, which was feeling a little tired at this point; it plays a bit too similarly to Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker.

The HD version on Wii U restored the GameCube's orientation — putting Kakariko Village back on the side of the map it should be — while retaining the Wii version's 16:9 aspect ratio and adding a host of minor improvements along with high-definition visuals; TP HD is inarguably the best version of Twilight Princess.

Midna is an all-time great companion, and the game hits some brilliant highs, though perhaps not as consistently as other entries.