
At the start of the year we published a list of our biggest Wii U games of 2013; despite the beginning of a software drought on the system, we felt that the list showed the promise of the software lineup to come. There were eight exclusives at that point, either with fixed release dates or windows that we're confident will fall within this year.
Of course, that list was published before Nintendo brought us its Wii U Direct broadcast. After a slightly lackluster video in December, the big N took the opportunity to generate a lot of hype, highlighting a significant number of upcoming releases. Some had release windows, others will be playable at E3 and a few of the new entries were little more than un-dated teasers; nevertheless, Nintendo reeled out some big-time first-party franchises and gave us a far clearer picture of the Wii U software landscape for the rest of the year.
With that context, and with the over-long Wii U 'launch window' slamming shut at the end of March, we decided to update our list with the biggest Wii U games of 2013 - Spring edition. Four titles dropped off the list due to their release in stores, and another was pushed out as a result of the expanding and increasingly promising line-up of titles on the way. Once again we chose to ensure the inclusion of two download-only releases — including the Kickstarter-funded Shovel Knight that'll also arrive on the 3DS eShop — and we saw the number of exclusives drop from eight to six, for various reasons.
In both of these articles we set up polls for the community to choose its most anticipated release, or to alternatively say that their choice wasn't in the list. Both sets of results reflect some inevitable differences due to the evolving lineups, while also showing surprising consistency in other areas. The most recent list attracted more votes, so some titles across the two polls have seen an increase in votes despite retaining a similar percentage. Both are below, with results taken at 3pm on 5th April.

One notable addition, in terms of hogging a large percentage of the votes, is The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD, which is unsurprising considering the excitement at the announcement that it'll arrive this Fall; there's perhaps a fresh debate to be had about whether it's entirely healthy for a HD remake to be such a priority. Aside from this new entry Pikmin 3 still performed very well, despite losing some of its percentage; in pure numbers, its votes went up a little. In fact, some other titles on both lists maintained their percentage (and therefore increased the number of votes) — Bayonetta 2 maintained at 8%, The Wonderful 101 went up by one point to 8%, while Game & Wario's small share dropped a little to 3%.
There's one notable loser in this comparison due to The Wind Waker's vote grab, however, and that's Ubisoft's Rayman Legends. Its percentage has dropped 8%, going from being the joint second most anticipated game in January to only finishing above Shovel Knight and Game & Wario in April. Despite the increased number of voters in the most recent poll, the lower percentage also leads to a lower number of votes as well. The reasons for this are varied, but perhaps ultimately comes down to Ubisoft's much-criticised decision to delay the Wii U release to coincide with PS3 and Xbox 360 versions in September. It caused quite a storm when that decision was taken in early February, especially as it became clear that the Wii U version was comfortably on course to be ready for its original March release date.
In January, then, Rayman Legends was one of only a few high-profile releases due before the end of March, arriving before Pikmin 3 and in a similar window to Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and LEGO City Undercover. While the Wii U userbase is inevitably smaller now than it will be in September, it would have hit the system after a software drought and been a distinct offering from those entries from TT Fusion and Capcom. That's not to mention the fact that an enthusiastic base of Nintendo gamers were clearly extremely hyped about the game, with its delay from the console's launch day being difficult enough for some to handle.
As we and others pointed out at the time, Ubisoft no doubt made the decision based on projections and expert opinion that the game will make more money across all three platforms with a simultaneous release. That's hard to deny, yet that's also a truth that should have been known right from the start — even though Wii U momentum has deteriorated, a game released on three systems always has a larger base to target than one new console. Alarm at Wii U's struggles may have prompted the move, but its timing and the manner with which it was handled caused a lot of ill-will.

Of course, these polls are far from substantial or definitive proof of much beyond the feelings of the Nintendo Life community. But when you factor disgruntlement at the delay — heard loudly around the web during the controversy — and the loss of Wii U exclusivity with an expanding prospective software lineup, the fate of the title on Wii U is distinctly less rosy. At the very least it'll be coming into stores at a similar time to Wind Waker HD, and there's only one winner in that battle.
The test for Rayman Legends will be whether enough enthusiastic Wii U gamers — which surely make up the bulk of the audience on Nintendo's system, rather than more casual gamers (please forgive the term) — still pick it up, and whether it's able to gain traction on rival systems. Perhaps it will, as the not-always-precise VGChartz does have the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Rayman Origins outselling the Wii version; it must be said that the Wii's momentum had lost a lot of steam by late 2011. The overall sales may ultimately justify Ubisoft's decision, especially as the goldfish-like memory of the internet may forget the stink of the Wii U situation by the time it arrives. We suspect that a combination of ongoing unhappiness with the decision and an expanding library will, however, reduce its impact on Wii U.
We'll see, and in truth it would be a shame if Rayman Legends was enjoyed by less Wii U gamers as a result of its troubled route to the system. While its arrival has been delayed, that does nothing to change the fact that, for a number of months until early February, it was right at the top of a lot of wishlists, and for very good reasons. The demo on Wii U is perfect proof of the potentially exceptional standard of this game, and no actions of its publisher do anything to make the work of its development team any less enticing. As our little poll shows, however, good will and timing can be a benefit in the excitement a game generates; Rayman Legends is in danger of falling foul on both counts.
Comments 61
If I had the money, I would get it.
That was me earlier in the year.
Meh, waiting for Wind Waker (Wii U).
This is me now.
You can't beat Zelda. And I think that it actually is good that the remake is a priority, because some of us haven't played the game, and might never have if they hadn't remade it.
I would have bought rayman in february, but i wont in september. Too many games are coming out this fall. Wind Waker, Pokemon X and Y, Watch Dogs, Assassin's Creed IV, and probably more that hasnt been announced yet like possibly Mario U, Mario Kart U, and more. I wont have the $ to afford all of them, and unfortunately rayman lands pretty low on that list. I'm not mad at ubisoft anymore, but i still wish it had come out in Feb.
Reopening a wound here... Ubisoft is lucky, considering I enjoyed rayman origins so much. I'm goin to buy it, but still ticks me off
I'm still getting Rayman if I can. I wasn't going to get it in February, but I'm sure it will be just as much fun in September as it would have been. It's not my top choice, but I'm still considering it.
There's alot to play in the games we have now. I seriously doubt anyone has completed Lego City, and I'm pretty sure everyone is still on the basically infinite hunt in Monster Hunter.
They delay these games so that it spreads out the software releases to let players play the games they have. Plus, Ubisoft may have taken a signal from Nintendo to hold off so they can use NFC first, and Ubisoft figured they'd spread the game in the meantime.
It's really no big deal IMO, there's already alot of gaming to be had.
Still got it preordered, but probably wouldn't have if I was getting WW: HD or any or all of the other September titles.
What was the "point" of this talking point? (Not sarcasm, just clueless)
I think the delay of 1st party and much E3 hyped Pikmin 3 is a much bigger deal than the delay of 3rd party Rayman, yet Pikmin 3 only got 1 sentence and Rayman got 5 paragraphs (as if it's tale of woe hasn't received enough coverage yet). And at least Rayman has a release month of Sept., all Pikmin 3 has is Q2, and I don't even believe that. Pikmin 3 also went down 5%, not as much as Rayman's 8%, but it still went down and obviously more people want Pikmin 3 than Rayman in both polls.
Guess I just don't see the point in talking about "releases", plural, when you focus on Ubisoft but are giving Nintendo what I see as a big free pass on Pikmin 3.
Well at least you did say - "over-long Wii U 'launch window'" - I appreciated that bit.
I voted for Rayman in Jan, but not in March
I would have bought it, if it was available now, but I'm not so sure that I will buy it, come September, because of the competition on the shelves.
That's why I couldn't vote for it this time. But hey, maybe the promised challange mode freebie, will change my mind....
(it'll need to come before September though, if it arrives the same time as the retail release, I'll probably just download challenge mode and forget about the full game)
I really am excited for a lot of games this year. WWHD, Shovel Knight, Yarn Yoshi, all look great.
I would have definitely bought Rayman Legends in February.
I might buy it in September.
Nice Article, Mr. Whitehead.
I'm definitely still getting RL. I'm not letting prejudice towards a company over one decision keep me from enjoying a game that looks that good! I'll also get WWHD and Pikmin 3 I hope. I'm interested in Yarn Yoshi too, and, if Shovel Knight turns out to be good enough, I might get the Wii U and 3DS versions!
In regards to Ubisoft's infamous decision due possibly to poor sales figures, if they had just gone ahead and released RL as planned, those figures might have picked up quite a bit. It's kind of a vicious cycle. I think their sales would have been much better if they had released the Wii U version now and the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions later.
It's also worth noting that Nintendo fans tend to hold a bit of a grudge when burned on "exclusives" and this is shown in sales data for a lot of games. You can blame Nintendo for the higher standard of their software but Nintendo fans have come to expect more from 3rd publishers and when those companies piss on or show contempt for those fans, they fight back by not buying their games. In contrast, those same companies can do whatever they want on the other consoles and their audience tends to take it and keep on buying. Capcom's on disc DLC is a good example where fans of the Big N would have given them the finger for pulling that crap and sales would have bombed where PS3/360 fans shrugged and whined a little yet still bought the games. This is not meant to come off as elitist, it's simply a matter of what fans of a particular company have been "groomed" to expect. 360 fans were taught that the Red Ring of Death should be expected and so they were accustomed to the idea which resulted in them being generally ok with buying multiple systems. Just a thought for when UbiSoft eventually complains about the Wii U version of Rayman not selling to their "expectations".
You can't read anything from these results. You asked which game people were looking forward to most... most people are going to go for something more exciting than Rayman as their 'no 1 choice', but that doesn't mean they're not going to buy anything else.
It's a really flawed system if you intended to judge what was going to sell most. For example, you have 100 voters, and they all intend to buy 2 games, but you ask them which one they're most excited for. 50% say they're most excited for choice A, and 25% each say they're most excited for Choice B and C. When it's time to buy the games, 50 copies of game A is sold, 25 each for B and C... but 100 copies of game D is sold, it just wasn't the most exciting choice for anyone.
Just saying...
Rayman was a sure thing in February for me but come September it will all depend on other titles released at the time. There is no doubt my excitement has waned somewhat but I will likely pick it up sooner or later.
"Of course, these polls are far from substantial or definitive proof of much beyond the feelings of the Nintendo Life community."
You don't say?
The aggravating thing about it is this: When sales for the Wii U version of Rayman Legends are in the crapper, Ubisoft won't place the blame where it should be, on themselves for the lousy treatment of Wii U owners. They'll place the blame on Nintendo, for not moving enough Wii U systems; and gamers because, after all, Nintendo fans only buy first-party titles. Then, they'll say "we told you so", and there'll be another third-party giving token support to Nintendo, if any.
You don't even need a crystal ball to see how this all plays out. Just knowledge of the dynamic between Nintendo and third-parties.
Oh, I may've gotten Legends before the delay, but now I'm saving my limited gaming dollars for Zelda Oracles, and Wind Waker HD. Guess Nintendo gamers do only get first-party titles (eye roll).
@gefflt Yeah, I agree with you on that.
Thanks for sharing the results. I agree wholeheartedly with rjejr and Peach64's comments though.
As for Rayman. I would have bought it if it came out in February - the Demo had me excited. In September, who knows? I'll probably wait for reviews and see what else is out. I'm not remotely excited for Wind Waker either though and I didn't vote for Rayman in either poll.
I have to say I'm surprised Pikmin 3 got that many votes.
No matter what system, past, present or future games have been and will be delayed Sometimes with good reason and sometimes not.
wether delayed or not, if its a game I'm interested in I get it when its released.
The biggest Wii U release is already launched, for me. That is Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. The only games that could get me hyped now are games that dont exist/need to be announced:
Monster Hunter 4
F-Zero Wii U
Tatsunoko vs Capcom 2
Wave Race Wii U
Silent Hill Wii U (or any good horror game)
House of the Dead Wii U
King of Fighters Wii U
There are other games coming out that look interesting to me (wonderful 101, Bayonetta 2, DuckTales, D&D: CoM) but nothing super hype-worthy.
Ubisoft should have released Rayman: Legends for the Wii U on schedule and followed it up with PS360 versions in the fall. Plain and simple.
Thomas I love how you've been inserting Shovel Knight into your articles only 8 days to go! Let's go playable boss knight stretch goal! lol
@gojiguy I know it doesn't fit under the category of doesn't already exist/needs to be announced, but RE Revelations will probably be a very good horror game for the Wii U.
I'm still getting Legends as I thoroughly enjoyed Origins. As a Nintendo gamer since the N64, I'm used to receiving late versions of multiplatform games or never receiving them at all.
I don't think there an upside...
I may be completely wrong (and probably am) but Rayman is awful close to when the PS4 is going to be released so... could they... possibly.... be making Rayman Legends a launch title for it?
The reason why it had to be delayed was because Microsoft has a clause that states that any multi platform game must either be released first 360 or at the same time as the 360. But the Wii U version is definitive enough, in my mind, that it could be considered an entirely different game. I dunno why the suits at Ubisoft didn't try and work a way around this clause, but I think that if they did, we would be playing Rayman Legends right now.
It's also got bad timing on the PS3 with GTA V coming out around the same time, not only that for me GTA V is the last game i'll be getting for the PS3. As i'll be getting a PS4 and so will a lot of other people, but i might get for the Wii U sometime in 2014.
It just occurred to me that there are a lot of people on this website who comment about graphics not mattering and the Wii was better than the Xbox360 and PS3 b/c it had better games even if they were in SD yet...
the 2 biggest most wanted games on the WiiU are an HD remake of MHTri and and HD remake of Windwaker. Guess graphics do matter after all
At this point graphics suddenly do matter if the biggest N exclusive games are remakes. Pikmin sounds great but I played it at a pre-launch event and though it was great it's still a sequel to a game last seen on gamecube and like new super mario U it looks like just a HD rendering of previous games. Even Windwaker, which is a favorite of mine, might have swayed me to get a WiiU if it was a launch game or something but it's a little late now since there still aren't any proper new, HD sequels to the big N franchises that have kept me so loyal. I guess I mostly sound like a troll now cause I'm so upset that the WiiU was such a let down. I haven't seen anything that wouldn't have been just as satisfying on the regular Wii. Sure you can say it's too early to say it's 'failing' because the die-hard fans like myself are holding on to hope but it looks pretty bleak with all the strikes against it and new powerhouses coming soon.
@SanderEvers That only lowers sales and encourages them to make fewer games for the respective console which lowers interest in the console and in turn causes fewer games. Sheesh, I don't get the whole boycott madness. I'm still getting that great looking game regardless.
@Five-seveN I know, childish behavior Gears Of War 3 was delayed over6 months because Miscrosoft believed it would sell better later in the year... Never saw anybody screaming they were not going to it, or any other microsoft or epic game again.
also the title of this article: the downside? That assumes that theres an upside.
I don't get the whole fan and publisher argument that "it was in service of a making a better game so it's good". that's ridiculous. These big games are made by companies that have been doing this for years so you can't tell me there's no project manager or producer working on it. Don't publicize a release date until you know it can absolutely be done with a built in buffer for delays at least a few months. Little things can even be patched now, but late games just look bad. Nintendo is the worst at this. Learn your own dang process and document it, then manage the process with a proper schedule or get into another business.
Your poll is very inaccurate because of the adding of titles like Wind Waker HD in the April poll. You can not compare the two polls and get accurate information..
Although the lack of games available/high number that have been delayed had wound me up quite a lot, I actually looked back on the first 4 months of owning a Wii U. In December, through most of January I found most of my play time was taken up by Arkham City (70 hours +). I also played a fair bit of Nintendoland and an odd game of Tekken Tag 2 with my Nephew, and as a change of pace played NSMBU. Mario continued to fill in the holes (30 hours) well into February when my main game was Darksiders 2, which lasted me almost to the end of March (50 hours or so). I tried Assassins Creed 3 but found it a bit dull- will try to get into it later after the superb Lego City which I expect to last me into May. Also picked up Sonic Racing today on the cheap as another change of pace. Plan to re-delve into Nintendoland and Tekken again as well.
4 months, 8 games- 2 a month. Completed 3 of them, will finish a 4th with Lego City. Barely played my 3ds at all, don't own another home console. The truth is I have grumbled about the lack of games but I wouldn't have had any time to play anything else if it was available. Apart from Assassins Creed I haven't been disappointed with any game. Could've bought Mass Effect 3, Monster Hunter and Need For Speed but decided against it, at least for the moment. Will buy Injustice in April.
It's true to say there hasn't been that much choice for the U recently, but I'm actually wondering if that is a bad thing? I actually feel a little silly moaning about the lack of games when those I have had kept me very entertained. Have I really missed Scribblenauts and Rayman? And will I appreciate Pikmin 3,Bayonetta 2 and Wonderful 101 more when they have a little breathing space in my schedule?
I think I know the answers to those questions.
I would have bought Rayman Legends in February but I doubt that I will in September. I'll just pick it up when it drops to $20 or $30 (new or used).
While I've been aware of the game drought, it hasn't really effected me. Over November/December I bought ZombiU, NSMBU, COD Black Ops 2, Mass Effect 3 and Ninja Gaiden 3 (plus the bundled NintendoLand). They've kept me pretty busy (I still need to complete a couple of them) and I just bought Monster Hunter 3, NFS Most Wanted and Lego City too. With Injustice also a possibility this month I should have enough games to last me until The Wonderful 101, Windwaker HD etc hit. So I've had a great gaming experience during the drought, so when we're properly out of it I should have an incredible one.
I wonder if Nintendo could have shelled out some cash to keep this one released on time....i think its good business to do that sort of thing. but they are probably too proud.
The Rayman Legends delay was the biggest slap in the face I've ever felt as a gamer, and usually i let things slide. Won't buy the game new, even though I'd love to play it. Will play it on Wii U at some point, but they aren't going to get my money directly.
@Ren
gamers like you are kind of pitiful. the system has been out a few months...it takes lots of time to get moving with amazing AAA games. It is pitiful that people are so clueless nowadays and don't understand these cycles.
the 3DS is just now hitting a great stride and its been TWO YEARS. Have patience, and there will be cool stuff. there always is.
I think you participation trophy ADHD kids are fatalistic and unconsolable.
I'll still by it but I think it hurt the game more than wiiu! That was a great launch title later this year its going to be an expensive sides roller.
Ubisoft still has my full support, unlike Capcom, who's only worthwhile releases are just published by them and nothing more.
Pikmin 3 and Wind Waker HD are REQUIRED buys for me! Wind Waker especially, as I never owned the original and no longer own a console that plays Gamecube games anyway.
Rayman's not a series I'm into much (At least in 2D) but the demo was pretty good. Good enough that I don't see why the delay deserves a boycott, especially since the developers (You know, the guys that made the game...) are just as annoyed as Rayman's fans.
ah, I see. I guess it makes perfect sense to be in a business for over 20 years that consistently has long development cycles, and to miss your projected development times over and over, even knowing it takes 2 years or more to develop each AAA title.
It makes perfect sense to take time in development, but is just bad management to promise releases long before your product is ready.
big high tech films have a similar development time cycle but it's common practice as in any business to leave a large buffer for delays. Taking time is fine, but prematurely announcing finish times is clumsy.
How is this ADHD or childlike? Ive been buying these things since Atari was new on the shelf and the project management has definitely gotten worse with all the competition there is now. I'm hardly an impatient teen.
@Ren I think people occasionally have a hiccup with their comprehension and bravely jump into the pit of misguided conclusion. You're the first gamer I've ever read who mentions the term 'project management' so you can be sure that I knew what you meant. My first gaming platform was the VIC20, btw
Also, I'd like to reiterate @gefflt's comment #18 about skewed poll-results. First-past-the-post single-choice voting is great for easy tallying but as may be judged from the posts of respondents to most NL polls, a lot of thought goes into making that choice.
The time taken is likely not much less than if the poll was set up to be ranked 1 to x, where 1 gets the heaviest weighting of points.
There are times when one choice only matters i.e. when a situations exists where only one choice is possible, but for forthcoming games spread across various release dates, there's too many variables to make a single-choice poll relevant enough to draw too many conclusions from... this is why there's lies, more damned lies, and poll statistics!
@nocode this!!!!! "I would have definitely bought Rayman Legends in February.
I might buy it in September." EXACTLY (i'll prolly snag it on the cheap, used)
Ubisoft was extremely vocal about their support for the WiiU, but they haven't really fulfilled their promises. They missed a great chance to capitalize on the WiiU launch and the following launch window. Releasing the demo so early was probably a mistake. I'm bored now, and my excitement over Rayman Legends has gone stale. Now I'm looking for other games to spend my money on. I suppose Ubisoft is fortunate, considering there are so few WiiU games to be purchased. Maybe the delay won't hurt them after all. Sigh. What a sorry situation.
It was a for sure buy for me. Now its a pass. This is honest!
Rayman was a must buy for me, when no new games were around for that drought period. But fall is bringing a much better game selection so not likely going to bother with the game now. The ONLY thing that bugs me about the delay decision is the fact they would NEVER delay a game for 360/PS3 to port it to the Wii/WiiU. We'd just have to wait months after 360/PS3 gamers got the game.
Nintendo are the worst offenders imo. Wheres Pikmin 3?! Not even a release date, and we're in April here...
Launch window my butt.......grumble grumble.....
The problems with frequent delays are that the developers eventually tend to say "**** it!" and cancel it.
@MeowGravy As I always say, it takes time to turn out good software. You know the longer they hold onto it, the better it will be.
@Five-seveN Nintendo had plenty of time to develop software and organize third parties to develop software before the system launch. If for some reason there wasn't enough time, then it would seem the WiiU was launched prematurely.
like Colonial Marines? Took a long time and that turned out great!
This isn't about how long it takes to develop, we know it's a long process. It's about proper planning and marketing your products. No one has said they think it should be done fast overall. Timing and planning is not a small part of this business, it takes more than good programmers to release a great game. Many of us loved Retro Rampage but it never had a chance on WiiWare where it was made for. timing.
Decided to still get Rayman Legends. This spring has had so many excellent 3DS games (Castlevania, Luigi's Mansion, Monster Hunter, HarmoKnight, next week's Dillon) that I still haven't got a chance to play them all. Glad for some delays on the wallet, actually.
Actually I do wonder one thing: if very few people are going to buy Rayman brand new, and only a small percentage of people will sell it on, how will there be enough 2nd hand copies for all the people determined not to give UB Isoft there money?
Just thinkin'.
This game excited me most about the wii u last E3. I thought it was going to be a nice launch game but it was delayed until February. But playing the demo hyped me up. Then instead of getting ready to play it in two weeks or so it gets delayed just so it can be launched in September with a 360 and ps3 port. That sure takes a lot of hype away. And by the time it launches E3 would have happened and more games that really show off the wii u will get us hyped. And if any of those games come out in September besides the games that are already announced this game may just bomb on all platforms. Maybe if that challege thing for the eshop comes out I may still get it at launch but I doubt that.
I hated what Ubisoft did, but I'm not stubborn enough to deny myself from a great game or supporting Ancel and his talented team, so I've still got Rayman Legends preordered on Wii U and I'm still very much looking forward to it I still think Ubisoft were idiotic to delay the Wii U release though as it'll have much stronger competition when it finally launches such as Zelda: Wind Waker HD on Wii U and GTA 5 on PS3/Xbox 360. It may end up in bargain bins pretty soon because of that, just like when they released Rayman Origins and it was up against the likes of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Skyrim.
But of course if it doesn't sell as well as they expect, they'll blame the customers rather than themselves....
Are we still on that Rayman?? Aren't we already on to bigger and better things such as Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag and Watch_Dogs?? And possibly also Splinter Cell Blacklist??
For me? WW hd ftw! My wife n son? They're still amped about Rayman, delay or not.
@MeowGravy Man ,give them time to do their part it takes time for pikmin3,
all you do is sit on your ass and whine pretty much , they are doing the hard part lol
@DkFluttershyGuy I'm so sick of everyone basing Nintendo's whole history off of the Wii alone. The Wii was underpowered so Nintendo has always made weak hardware. Nintendo's first parties are a little more casual based so Nintendo has always made kiddy consoles. The Wii wasn't capable of running third parties because the harware was limited.
This left the console with only games by Nintendo. The Wii U will have strong third party support. People will buy this console for third parties as well as first parties. You don't only buy an Xbox to play Halo and Gears. You don't buy a PlayStation to only play LBP or Infamous.
You don't buy a Wii U only for Nintendo games. Period.
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