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The Wii U Drought is Over

Nintendo is an interesting beast when it comes to releasing new consoles. They tend to roll out completely revolutionary hardware but with the smallest library you could possibly imagine. The launch of the Wii U was a primary example of this dilemma: awesome hardware with an all new way to play games but barely any games to play. Thankfully, this year’s E3 finally resolved Nintendo’s persisting problem in this department with a ton of first party titles that will certainly rock the shelves of your local GameStop or Best Buy.

Wii U: The Games Are Back!

After months of waiting for new games to play on my Wii U, Nintendo released a slew of first party titles. It took a while, but this may be one of the strongest lineups I’ve seen from the Big N and a long, long time.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

I do love me some Donkey Kong Country. I don’t think I could wrap into words how perfect the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy is on the SNES. Retro Studios has been on the ball lately with reviving old franchises. Donkey Kong Country Returns was a wonderful call back to those SNES days. The game has wonderful music, pleasant graphics, and a brutally difficult level of game play. Tropical Freeze reintroduces Dixie Kong to the mix alongside Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. Monkeys jumping on birds in HD? I’ll take it. I’ll take it, gladly.

 Mario Kart 8

Nintendo sure likes to play it safe. But who cares?! It’s MARIO KART. This franchise is legendary. Although some of the more recent installments have definitely not been able to stand up to the likes of Mario Kart 64 or Double Dash, I welcome Mario Kart 8 with open arms. This time around, we’ll be adding anti-gravity to the mix alongside the return of Waluigi. Where was he in Mario Kart 7, again? Being replaced by the Honey Queen. I think this series speaks rather well for Nintendo. I mean, this is the eighth installment and that really says something about the power of Nintendo’s first party titles.

 Super Mario 3D World

I’m almost a little scared about this game. Not because I think it’ll be bad or anything, mind you. I’m just afraid of what PETA will do. Complete with a new ability to turn into a cat, Super Mario 3D World is the latest in the 3D Mario platformers on home consoles. The game harkens back to Super Mario Bros. 2 on the NES with the ability to play as Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad. Peach is once again able to float as she once did and Toad is able to run faster than anyone else. I love when games call back to their roots. This game has so much potential for laughs and good times with the inclusion of four person multi-player. Nothing was quite like nearly busting a gut the first time I sat down and played New Super Mario Bros. Wii with three other people. There are good times to come!

 Pikmin 3

Just when you thought the Wii U had hit its apex with vibrant color and charming atmosphere comes a closer look at the previously announced Pikmin 3. The Pikmin franchise has always held a special place in my heart as the only strategy came I could ever really love. Every time Nintendo seems to bring up Pikmin at an E3 event, they always seem so proud. It’s as if you can’t help but become a fan. Pikmin 3 puts a new twist on what you’ve been used to in the previous installments. You’ll be playing as three completely new astronauts that all seem to have some sort of tie to Olimar, the original protagonist. There are also new Pikmin ranging such as the Winged Pikmin, capable of flying and lifting objects off of the ground, and the Rock Pikmin that can break glass and carapices. It will be a welcome addition to the Wii U and it’s capabilities.

 

Nintendo certainly came out with a bang. While we may have to continue to wait a bit to add any first party titles to our Wii U collections, it’s certain that Nintendo fans have something to look forward to.