Feature: The Biggest Wii U Games of 2016 - Spring Edition

Star Fox, Zelda, and Color Splash. Yes, I'm hyped for the last one.

Zelda, Tokyo Mirage Sessions, and Shantae are the only ones I'm actively excited about.

Zelda, Zelda, and Zelda. Seriously, though, I also want Star Fox and Lego Star Wars; those look great!

ya know, that mighty no.9 anticipated 2016 release is kinda iffy. with possibly 3 new(ish) consoles coming this year, it might be released a half-generation behind.

What happened to hollow knight???

"Biggest Wii U Games of the Spring - 2016"

*a tumbleweed blows by

Star Fox, Zelda and Shantae are the only three here that currently excites me. I'm a backer for Mighty No 9, but I've lost interest in it.

Mini Mario & Friends Amiibo Challenge could be fun, but there's no word about it reaching Europe. Maybe it'll be like the Gold Mega Man, and Gold/Silver Mario amiibo and just never appear here.

@grumblebuzzz

If it was titled Biggest Wii U games of Spring, it would literally just be Star Fox. I have Zero expectations for Soul Reavers.

@RoomB31 I don't have any for Star Fox tbh. Never could get into that franchise. I'm glad those who like it are getting a new game though.

No pokemon?

Nm wii u lol

Patiently waiting for more Zelda news. I also voted for Star Fox (one more week!) and Tokyo Blah Blah Blah Fire Emblem.

"I like the direction paper Mario and metroid have headed...."
Said no one ever.

Slim pickings.

I went with Zelda, Starfox, and SteamWorld Heist but really I am looking forward to most on that list for one reason or another. Even if this is the last real year of the Wii U at least it isn't going out with a whimper!

Should Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge be on the list?

It released in March. Sure you had to buy an amiibo to get it before then but it still counts as a release, right?

Hmm not sure why Zelda is included. Almost no recent news and won't launch spring.

Although I enjoy the WiiU, it rarely gets used nowadays save for when my younger brother has his friends over - just endless fits of laughter & multiplayer mayhem for the next several hours then.

Out of that list, I'll pick up Tokyo Mirage Sessions day one & work through the backlog til Yooka Laylee releases later this year (hopefully).

I went for SF0/SFG, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE and Mario & Sonic. Color Splash looks too much like Sticker Star and Zelda U / Mighty No. 9 is a joke due to delays after delays.

In contrast, I'm getting increasingly hyped about Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard. Certain that once I get used to the controls then it'll be yet another fantastic Wii U game.

Star Fox, Zelda, Paper Mario, Tokyo Mirage Session I'll be definitely getting

Hopefully Zelda doesn't take forever, Mighty No.9 would be great, but will probably be delayed AGAIN. Mario and Sonic I might get, I never played a game in the series, will have to wait for reviews.

Paper Mario, Star Fox and Zelda.

Do you see my avatar? Then you know exactly what I want. I want me some STAR FOX. Zelda's a distant second right now, though. Wish I could be more excited about it.

Starfox, Zelda, Shantae, and I'll consider getting Meat Boy again.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is my clear number one and StarFox Zero is my second.

Let's be honest it's a pretty poor list. So let's not pretend otherwise.

Zelda is a NX title, so the NX will have been release before anyone gets to play Zelda on the Wii U.

Paper Mario is a Christmas release.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympics will be as good as the 3ds version.

Another Marvel Lego is one Marvel Lego to much.

The eshop games don't count.

Starfox maybe, if the demo controls work OK.

Minecraft disc version. No one is interested.

Slim list. I voted for Zelda U, Steamworld Heist (way more likely to get it on Wii U), and Mighty No. 9 (if it ever gets here).

I hope Zelda takes some notes from Witcher 3.

Zelda, Tokyo Mirage Sessions, Color Splash

Another drought for Wii U. There's Star Fox and... That's about it for the ENTIRETY of Spring.

What I look forward to the most is Zelda of course, and Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE! But that's not for another couple months.

Has anyone heard any more news about Kerbal Space Peogram's release date? Wasn't it supposed to come out in the Spring?

Oh Mighty Number 9, where art thou?

@whodatninja March counts as Spring so it's not that bare due to the already released Twilight Princess HD and Pokken Tournament.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions and Mekazoo. Can't bother to be hyped by a third game.

I can't even buy the new Zelda unless they say if its on Wii u and nx. If so I'll get the nx version which will be better. I was happy with a little anticipation for nx but the silence from Nintendo is starting to get annoying.

Any word on when RIVE is due?

I picked RIVE and Mighty No. 9 but I'm not hyped for either of them. Hopefully E3 will reignite that flame for me.

Really scraping the bottom of the barrel with that list. For me there's only 3 big games. Zelda U, Paper Mario: Colour Splash and Star Fox Zero. And it's debatable about SFZ with the amount of content, rehash, no online multiplayer, dodgy controls, paywalled amiibo content, etc. Let's see what the reviews have to say. And Zelda U is the big one but you may not even need a Wii U to play it. I am looking forward to some indie games but they're not a huge deal.

@zool Why don't EShop games count? They're often good and still something to be excited about.

Psn/Xbox live get at least one solid indie a week, Nintendo is lucky if they get one a month. I hope they increase their efforts for the NX as their output game wise has been hindered by the complete lack of games on the Wii U. It's easier to wait two years for an epic 3d Mario if we have the newest call of duty (say what you want, those games sell), sports titles, and other high profile multiplats

cmd + f terraria Not found ((sad face))

Sooo... I guess everyone forgot about Yooka-Laylee? Sure, we don't know when it'll be out or much about it at all, but it's still slated for this year. That's one of my most anticipated right there...

Paper Mario, Mario & Sonic and Super Meat Boy. Honorable mention goes to amiibo Challenge, only because there's been no info from Nintendo of Europe on the game at all.

I would have said Hyper Light Drifter for sure. But now the possibility for a Wii U release is slim...

Sorry to be a bandwagoner this time, but I went with Zelda, Star Fox, and in third, Paper Mario.

@Indielink most of the time they are overpriced for what they are and to many start off ok but get very repetitive. These sort of games are not what most gamers bought the Wii U for. One in maybe every 50 do deserve a Wii U release. Others belong on a handheld console and most would be happier on a tablet.

@Philo I was just about to say the same thing. Yooka-Laylee is definitely one of my most anticipated games, probably 2nd only to Zelda. Other than that the only other games I'm planning on getting from this list are Star Fox and Paper Mario, and I'm not super excited for either one of those.

Zelda, Star Fox, and Shantae.

Zelda is a given, so I picked shantae, smt#fe and the book of unfinished tales. The latter is an awesome-looking Fantasy point-and-click adventure that got great reviews. Day one for me, and I'd never even heard of it before seeing it on this list!

Zelda isn't going to release until holiday season. It will release along side the nx most likely.
Of the others, there 7-10 I'll be getting to go with the 7-10 on my 3ds too. I know I'll be getting dark souls 3 for my ps4 but nothing else in the same time as the above games. (When does uc4 come out?)
I'm looking forward to star fox more then dark souls 3 too.

Zelda U
Star Fox Zero
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE

Hype hype hype!

I cannot wait for Shantae.

Book of unwritten tales will be neat on Wii U. I would love to see how they utilize the gamepad.

...can't wait for RIVE! (release date yet?)..a shame it will be Two Tribes last game...at least they're going out with a BANG..

Rio, Shantae, and Zelda for me. I'm also looking forward to Color Splash.

Wow I'm seriously glad that I'm starting to lose interest in gaming. This list looks booooring! I have little free time and, aside from Zelda, I wouldn't spend it on any of these games.

No love for Terraria disc version?

What about Soul Axiom? It's one game I've personally been very excited for.

1. Zelda NX/U
2. Star Fox LE
3. RIVE, Really nice indie.

@SH007ME @msvt

September 2016.

@Philo "Yooka-Laylee"

That's what I want to know.They announced forever ago that it's due out Oct 2016 but then go silent. I doubt very much it's out this year but I'd like to hear something. They're probably planning on dropping Wii U for NX and therefore don't want to talk about it until NX gets officially announced.

Hard to really care about anything on a list titled
"most anticipated Wii U games of 2016"
w/ NX coming and my expecting Zelda on NX.
Good year to finish up the backlog while I wait.

Excited for Zelda Wii U, Star Fox Zero (please be good), and Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (the first Shantae game that...I actually want to buy). I would've voted for Paper Mario: Color Splash since I'm a huge Paper Mario fan, but seeing as how very little it was shown out of that reveal trailer, I went in and replaced it with one of the three titles I truly voted for. Still have it on Preorder, though.

@rjejr

In other words, pulling a TP, right? It is strange how many similarities YL is sharing with Zelda U, though; announce it, show some footage, and then nothing for a year or so. The only reason I'd say it's not possible for YL to go the TP route is that I doubt anyone but the biggest devs have been trusted with NX kits. That, and I have an admittedly overlarge amount of trust in the Playtonic team. They're a good bunch of guys, right? They wouldn't pull that on us, right??

@rjejr I'll be really surprised if Yooka-Laylee hits this year on any platform. I see it slipping into 2017 easily.

@zool Do you have to be so insufferably negative? Nobody is saying this lineup is good, people are trying to find what scraps of enjoyable games they can and you make it your mission to be a dark cloud on almost every article NLife posts. Do you gain some perverse pleasure out of that?

Btw, Zelda is still a Wii U title and your claim that it will release for NX first is entirely unsubstantiated.

You have no idea when Paper Mario comes out. Will probably be later in the year, but how does that in any way diminish what it actually is?

Traditionally the console Mario & Sonic games are superior to the handheld release, so why'll it probably won't be stellar, it'll likely be an improvement on the 3DS one.

While now both owned by Disney, Star Wars is patently not Marvel. LEGO Star Wars being one of the best series of LEGO games, this could reignite the stale franchise somewhat. Hopes aren't super high though.

"eShop games don't count" what a horrible, inaccurate, dismissive sweeping statement to make. I don't even think I need to explain why that's kind of moronic. It's 2016, you think all download releases are null and void? That they don't matter? Have you been living in a cave for the past decade? What about Nintendo's own eShop-only titles, do they not count? The quality of a title does not depend on the platform it is released on. You are completely misguided to say that don't count.

No idea what you mean by 'demo' controls, but SF0's controls do work. How much they're liked does vary from person to person, but enough people have said they're good that I think we can safely say they work.

Loads of people will be interested in disc Minecraft. It's Minecraft. You're a fool to think otherwise. Everybody thought the digital download was doomed. It came out way too late and was half-baked, and yet it's still the best-selling eShop game in Japan (or close to it). It won't end up doing much for the Wii U, but people will be interested in it.

Please get an attitude adjustment. I think just then I was able to be realistic without being all doom and gloom. Call a spade a spade, the Wii U lineup is threadbare, that much is obvious. What's the point in attacking it like that though? Using inane, arbitrary logic and arguments which either don't make much sense or are just wrong just to further your agenda.

@Philo Well I guess it depends on when YL is done. If it is done in 2016 then yes on Wii U, if it's delayed like every Kickstarter game ever then maybe NX? I'm still waiting on Rainbow Skies which was supposed to release on PS3 in 2014, that's worse than Zelda U.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/08/02/rainbow-skies-new-worlds-new-quests/

Edit - oops, sorry Zool, that was supposed to be @Mr_Zurkon

@rjejr

Ouch, that is pretty bad... still, could be worse. Could be Mighty no. 9. Good thing I didn't back that one. If Playtonic pulls an Inafune on me, we're done. Don't care how many great DK and Banjo memories they gave me...

Even worse than those, though, is the horrible possibility of a direct sequel with story continuation getting shelved or outright canned. Thank the gods of gaming ZE3 finally saw the light of day...

The only one of those that even counts as a big game is Zelda U, and that's not even guaranteed to come out this year.

This is a sad line up.

I will get The Nathan Drake Collection for the PS4 then Uncharted 4 , and currently playing The Division. All better than pretty much anything the Wii U has to offer.

I think the NX will be the definitive version of Zelda.

Mighty No. 9 will never actually come out, mark my words. Inafune has swindled you out of your money.
@Al_Godoy I'll bite the bait. The Division is mediocre, and isn't likely to be any better than a lot of the games on this list. Or if you just mean it's better than anything on the Wii U completely, I have to ask whether or not you have actually played a Wii U game before.

I'm pretty pumped for RIVE and Hive Jump, both of which should come out soon. Super Meat Boy is a game I've wanted to play with a wiimote for years so I hope they offer that as an option.

I voted for Star Fox Zero over Zelda because I know it will actually be a spring release and Zelda doesn't even have an official title yet.

Also as I'm one of the few people with a Wii U and no 3DS. I can't wait for Steam World Heist and its HD visuals!

I voted for Zelda Wii U, but I'll be getting the NX version, so does my vote still count? haha

SF Guard and TMS are my following votes.

Nothing other than Star Fox and Toyko Mirage Sessions for me.

There isn't any eye grabbing games here for me. Zelda Wii U may not even be a Spring Title, Mighty No.9 is just begging for a delay, never cared about Shantae, Paper Mario isn't looking to good, Lego games are nothing to me, and Mario & Sonic is just a walking olympic advertisment.

This lineup is poor as heck. -_-

Zelda, Star Fox, Heist and possibly Terreria

Zelda, M&S @ Rio, and LEGO! Also Lost Reavers.

Mario & Sonic will be much better than the 3DS release. Like already mentioned, the console ones have always been better than the handheld ones. I've loved all of the console ones, so theres no way I'm skipping this one. Sticks being playable is also a huge plus for me.

Ugh, I hate being a debbie downer on Nintendo, but nothing in this list interests me in the slightest. MAYBE the new StarFox, maybe. And just looking at that hideous game tablet controller makes me realize what it was I disliked so much about the Wii U. I find it ugly, uncomfortable to hold (not uncomfortable, perhaps just awkward is the right word), and cheap feeling. I do LOVE the Pro controllers though, one of my favorite controllers for sure. For some reason I purchased a black and a white one... I wish I hadn't wasted the money on a second controller for obvious reasons...

The Wii U is essentially my Mario Kart 8 machine, and that's sad.
What a let down, and I glided into the PS3 about a year and a half ago, then purchased a PS4 last October (which I sorta kinda regret now too with the possibility of the PS4.5 coming out).

Oh I wonder which will win the vote? Hmmmmm.

We need an update on Shantae. Haven't heard a peep for quite a while.

Glad to see RIVE getting some mention in the comments even if not many votes.
Also looking forward to Hollow Knight which isn't mentioned.

It is a bit sad to think that if Zelda lands on NX, Star Fox may be one of the last retail purchases we make for the Wii U.

Paper Mario would have to get some stellar reviews for me to pay attention. They haven't done much for me in the past, not that I've given them much of a chance.

Never understood that pop-star-rpg-with-FE-characters-but-not-really game and I like generally like games that think outside the box. That's about as far from Western sensibilities as I can imagine, however. Obviously some people are into it though as it is rating far higher than RIVE.

I think Festival of Magic is probably coming out this year too!

Well Zelda has been on here many, many times. It'll be on here for the summer list and the fall one as well.

Really not much going on. I'm sure NL could have gotten by without posting the list, as I'm sure everyone can remember all 3-4 big games "coming soon."

I chose Zelda (duh!) and Paper Mario (please don't be boring)
and despite not being completely confirmed, and not in the list, one of the most anticipated games is most def Yooka-Laylee!

Scraping the bottom of the barrel are we?

I'm not so much concerned about the current lineup of Wii U games (I think they're fine); more so the lineup for the future. If the NX is announced at E3, clearly the company would shift their interests towards marketing (ahem, yes, MARKETING) the console and ensuring the games are of a high quality. What happens to Wii U then?

@Philo "is the horrible possibility of a direct sequel with story continuation getting shelved or outright canned. "

Like when Lego put out Lego Hobbit w/ the first 2 of 3 movies, said they would make the 3rd movie as DLC, and then about a year after the game came out said no DLC. I'm not sure how more useless a game can get than the first 2 of 3 movies, 2/3 of a book. Had I bought Lego Hobbit I would never have bought another Lego game, ever.

I don't want Zelda to be dual system - other than the Virtual Boy wouldn't that make the Wii U the only Nintendo console not to have its own dedicated Zelda exclusive?

Looks like my WiiU system is going to start collecting dust.

Wonder if this will be the first system I ever sell seeing how the best games are potentially being remade for the NX.

For me it's the disc version of Minecraft: Wii U Edition, along with Star Fox Zero/Guard - my first Star Fox game. And I think it's gonna be great!

I also voted for Book of Unwritten Tales 2, though it's been a while since I played a game like this the last time. What I don't understand is why they don't include the first game of the series. That would be a great package and I haven't played both of them yet. Feels a little strange to start with the second one.

I would really like to try a game such as Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE if female characters would not constantly look like 15 year old half naked porn stars.... Kind of bad to play that in a family friendly environment.

Is there really much point in doing these when there is barely anything coming out?

I'm can't wait for Binding of Isaac:Afterbirth. This month apparently. Not technically a game, more DLC but still....

Couldn't vote Zelda 3 times. Went for Zelda, Star Fox and Lost Reavers.

@tjhiphop you are like many others, you see an opinion that differs from yours as negitive.

Maybe the games on the list are all the games you want to play, in which case you will have a good year.

Take Starfox. There has been mixed opinions about the controls, you are going with the more positive comments, whereas I am not so sure, so unless Nintendo release a demo so I can judge for myself I won't part with £40.

On the vote list above Minecraft had no votes, so at the time I wrote my previous comments, there was no voting interest.

We all know about Zelda, absolutely nothing, but the game is now expected to be an NX title. So for anyone getting the NX I doubt they will buy it for their Wii U.

Take a look at the voting, apart from the first three or four games there seems little interest in the others.

Steamworld Heist although high scoring is priced to high for what it is. Eshop games are mostly not very good or over priced.

Starfox! Pikmin 4 and Zelda NX launch titles. Those are my most anticipated titles. Not much else

What is The Book of Unwritten Tales 2?

Just looking forward to Star Fox other than that just waiting on the NX. If the recent rumors about it are true than hurry up and take my money Nintendo.

Odd list. Most of those games are summer...and beyond. After Star Fox there is nothing left for Nintendo to promote on Wii U that a. Has a release date or b. Is a big title. I dont see them making a big deal over Tokyo Mirage Sessions. It bombed in Japan. Im excited for Zelda simply because it is Zelda as we know nothing about it. But il probably be playing it on NX anyway. Star Fox might very well be my last wii u purchase. Nothing else there takes my fancy. Il get lego star wars on ps4 as the wii u lego ports are a bit below par. Like everyone im just excited for NX news

When Does hive jump come out?

Zelda really is a legend at this point.
But that's not to say I'm not excited for it

I am pretty much looking forward too most if not all but the 3 picks for me was obviously Zelda n Star Fox bundle but I also picked Lost Reaver cuz I am intrigued too see what it's all about n if its any good.

pretty meh....

I visit this site pretty much every day, so how haven't I heard about Mekazoo if NL has been beating its drum so much?

FWIW I went Zelda, SFZ and Rio Olympics, but I'm undoubtedly also interested in Force Awakens, Colour Splash and Tokyo Mirage Sessions - could have voted for any of them.

Biggest games of 2016, where several on the list don't even have confirmed 2016 release dates.

Dagnabbit. Where's my beloved Hollow Knight on this list!? As of now Wii U is the only console getting the game. And it will be AWESOMETACULAR!!!

You guys also forgot about Axiom Verge. That game is amazing.

@Yellowkoopa I'll bet we get a surprise at e3 and then something like Pokken Tournament announced in the fall to be released in the spring

@RobNYC1977 it's ny Mk8 and Smash machine....and pinball But much of that is just my fault. I play other games, then get busy, forget about the others and go back to my standbys....

@BlueNitrous I mean for the rest of the year, I have a lot of love for plenty of games in the Wii U library, especially Xenoblade Chronicles X, Splatoon, DKC Tropical Freeze and Smash Bros. (I also love playing Mario Maker levels, although I suck at building them). Plus I have a lot of love for several indie titles from the eShop.

But The Division is not mediocre, it scores 81 in Metacritic with a 7.2 User score (just to show that is not my opinion alone). And I have serious reservations that anything on the Wii U's 2016 line-up will score better than that.

I also don't like that Nintendo is going for a double release for Zelda U. I know it's not confirmed, but if it is true, it makes me sad to end up owning the lesser version, since I am pretty sure that I won't buy Nintendo's next console. I have now joined the ranks of those who think that Nintendo should start making games as third party for other Hardware.

It sucks to be pessimistic, but Nintendo has gone out of its way to beat my high expectations out of me.

It feels like Nintendo Life wants the Wii U to die, there's WAY BETTER Wii U eShop titles coming this year than the ones you guys mentioned.

You have Freedom Planet 2, Yooka And Laylee, Soul Saga, Earthlock Festival of Magic, YIIK, Chromophore Two Brothers Director's Cut, Hex Heroes, and much, much more...

Q) What are your most anticipated Wii U games of 2016?

A) My three votes went to Star Fox Zero / Star Fox Guard, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, and Lost Reavers. Of them, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is my most anticipated; helps with it being my most anticipated game of 2016.

I was also going to vote for Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, but of course, we only had three votes each. I decided to not vote for it as, unlike the other games I voted for, I don't know when Shantae: Half-Genie Hero will be coming out.