Earlier this Summer we brought you two top 10 Wii U and 3DS game lists for the season, one for retail titles and another for eShop releases. We also promised to take your suggestions from the comments in those articles for a community list; so here we are.

Naturally we've only picked 10, five for Wii U and five for 3DS, so not all of your suggestions have made it. We hope you'll agree that the three lists combined — plus our list of games perfect for kids this summer — provide plenty of excellent options.

Without further delay, let's get to it.

Wii U

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD

A bright and colourful game in its original guise, throw in a HD resolution and enough bloom effects to blind any gamers that aren't suitably prepared, and you have an ideal title for the summer months. We featured a Zelda adventure on 3DS last time out, though we're agreed that this is a terrific title to play through during the current holiday / vacation time on Wii U.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

The title alone potentially makes this platformer a strange pick, yet logically — and as pointed out to us — it could have a nice cooling effect on your mindset, if nothing else, as your body melts in the hot weather. Seems fair enough to us, and this is a game that deserves a lot of love from Wii U owners.

Wii Fit U
Wii Fit U

A game perhaps associated more typically with shifting excess weight as a result of festive gluttony in the winter, the Fit Meter that can be used with this latest entry certainly opens up its relevance to daily exercise. When out visiting the sites on holiday or near home, keeping the Meter clipped on to then sync with the software is a good way to track exercise, while you can also do some routines with the Balance Board if the summer rains come in.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

This got multiple mentions — also for the 3DS version — which surprised us slightly, but perhaps when hiding from the deadly flaming ball in the sky (as this writer often has to) a bit of immersive monster hunting could be just the trick. Some of the hunting locations are quite well suited to the season, too, and the Tundra could give a similarly cooling psychological effect to Tropical Freeze. You asked, so it's here.

Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight

We almost didn't include this due to the fact that it's yet to arrive on Wii U or 3DS outside of North America, but it's exceptional and plenty of you kept yelling at us about it. A retro style with modern standards of design and physics, this is an outstanding début from Yacht Club Games, and perfect for those little gaps in time between trips out in the sun; also excellent on Nintendo's portable, if you want to take it with you on the road.

3DS

Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Edged out by Tomodachi Life in our last list simply due to the Mii-sim being a little fresher, it's only fair to bring the brilliant New Leaf back into the sunlight. Effortlessly charming and compulsive despite the basic premise that you have to graft and work for simple luxuries such as furniture, it remains integral to the daily gaming routine of many 3DS owners.

Fire Emblem: Awakening
Fire Emblem: Awakening

A gem in the 3DS library, this turn-based strategy's success reportedly did much to save the franchise from fading to irrelevance. A lengthy, challenging adventure, it does also have seasonal DLC such as Summer Scramble — in which you can gawk at male and female characters in their beach-wear — to get you in the mood for that trip to the seaside.

Bravely Default
Bravely Default

These lists have included fairly lengthy RPGs, suitable for travelling or lazy days lolling around at home, so this deserves an entry on those grounds alone. Critically acclaimed and having enjoyed commercial success, it's immersive and cleverly designed; well worth your time, in that case, and ideal for a portable adventure over the long season.

Siesta Fiesta
Siesta Fiesta

Now that more players are hopefully aware of this title, it's a perfect candidate for summer gaming on the 3DS — as was pointed out to us. Crisp, colourful visuals accompany excellent gameplay, in which block breaking is evolved with various environments, power-ups, scrolling levels and more. Lots of fun, and a typical level takes just a couple of minutes, so it's perfect for quick pick-up-and-play sessions.

SteamWorld Dig
SteamWorld Dig

Based in the Wild West and its underground mining area, in which a shortage of water is a regular problem for your steam-driven moves, this one certainly fits in — thematically — with any excessively hot days we may encounter. The setting does at least give a nice sense of shade, and this is an excellent game that encourages careful exploration and curiosity. Arrives on Wii U very soon, too.

So there you go, some titles that you suggested as perfect gaming for the summer season, though plenty of rather cool 3DS eShop games missed out due to the sheer volume of options available. We're not short of gaming choices right now, that's for sure.

Which Wii U game from this selection is best for summer gaming? (356 votes)

  1. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD44%
  2. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze27%
  3. Wii Fit U4%
  4. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate12%
  5. Shovel Knight12%

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Which 3DS game from this selection is best for summer gaming? (347 votes)

  1. Animal Crossing: New Leaf48%
  2. Fire Emblem: Awakening28%
  3. Bravely Default10%
  4. Siesta Fiesta7%
  5. SteamWorld Dig8%

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