10 Best Wii U Games With High Replay Value

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The Wii was a huge success for Nintendo, but the Wii U didn’t fare nearly as well. Several factors contributed to its struggles. People who played games casually didn’t think the expensive gamepad was worth the cost, while dedicated gamers felt Nintendo had focused too much on family-friendly games with the Wii. Plus, some consumers weren’t even aware the Wii U was a new console, mistakenly thinking it was just an add-on for their existing Wii.

The Wii U unfortunately wasn’t very successful, which is disappointing considering it had some genuinely good games. Being a Nintendo console, it naturally had some strengths. Even though it didn’t have a huge number of blockbuster titles, it offered enough quality games with lasting appeal to make it worth playing regularly. You wanted to get your money’s worth out of it, after all!

10. NES Remix

Play Fast, Play Weird

Nintendo understands the importance of honoring its history, even if it doesn’t always make it obvious. The company’s success wouldn’t be possible without its beloved classic NES games. A great example of this respect was NES Remix, a unique and enjoyable game released exclusively for the Wii U eShop.

NES Remix reimagines classic NES games like Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, Wrecking Crew, and The Legend of Zelda as fast-paced, time-limited challenges. You might be asked to collect a certain number of coins in a Super Mario level within just 15 seconds. Successfully completing challenges quickly earns high scores and unlocks even more unusual and difficult levels.

NES Remix feels a lot like practice for competitive gamers, pushing you to master every detail of a game or level to play as quickly and efficiently as possible. The quick challenges are addictive – you’ll always feel like you can improve, and you’ll want to keep trying for a better score.

9. Splatoon

Our First Kid/Squid Adventure

While the Wii was incredibly successful, Nintendo didn’t focus much on creating new game franchises. They didn’t need to, as the Wii was making a lot of money. However, to generate excitement for the Wii U, Nintendo developed a completely new game called Splatoon, which quickly became very popular. Its catchy theme song, “you’re a kid, you’re a squid,” instantly grabbed people’s attention.

The first Splatoon, like the games that followed, was a fast-paced, team-based shooter. But instead of focusing on eliminating opponents, the main objective was to cover the level with your team’s ink. Winning wasn’t about getting the most splats – it was about having the most ink on the stage when the timer ran out. This simple idea made experienced shooter players think about the game in a whole new way.

Beyond the big Splatfests, the game offered a variety of other competitive modes that changed regularly. With new weapons and outfits released frequently, it was a game designed to keep players engaged and returning, even during intense online battles.

8. Game & Wario

There’s Always Time For Some WarioWare

I think every Nintendo console, particularly those with unique features, should include a WarioWare game. These games are a fun way to highlight what makes the console special, and they’re enjoyable whether you’re playing alone or with others. In the case of the Wii U, the WarioWare game was released as Game & Wario, a nod to the classic Game & Watch handhelds.

Unlike typical collections of quick, simple games, Game & Wario offers 16 more developed minigames. Each one is specifically designed to show off a unique way to use the Wii U GamePad. For example, you might launch arrows in Wario’s game, take photos while exploring a town in Mona’s, or draw on the touchscreen in Dr. Crygor’s.

9-Volt’s minigame is definitely the most popular and enjoyable. It involves playing quick, retro-style games on the GamePad while trying to avoid his mom and acting like you’re asleep! All the minigames are fun to play again and again, and because they’re designed for the GamePad, you can easily play them solo without needing a group.

7. Hyrule Warriors

Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together

By 2014, the Dynasty Warriors games were well-known for teaming up with popular franchises like One Piece and Gundam. These crossovers usually involved anime series. However, things shifted with the release of Hyrule Warriors for the Wii U. This was the first time a Warriors game collaborated with a Nintendo property, and it was with one of Nintendo’s biggest names – The Legend of Zelda.

Hyrule Warriors is essentially a Dynasty Warriors game reskinned with elements from The Legend of Zelda. Players choose from a roster of characters – including both new takes on familiar Zelda faces and characters like Midna and Darunia brought in directly from their original games – to fight waves of enemies. It’s enjoyable to see these characters in a faster-paced, action-focused game, which was a change from the more deliberate pace of traditional Zelda titles at the time.

Beyond the main story, which is enjoyable, this game offers adventure and challenge modes where you can strengthen your characters and defeat countless enemies. That’s the core of the Dynasty Warriors experience – and it’s just as satisfying in this installment.

6. Mario Party 10

Gimmicky, But Still Mario Party

The Mario Party series had a rough patch in the mid-2010s. Starting with Mario Party 9, the games moved away from the traditional board game style and instead had all four players moving around together. It was a unique change, and while it didn’t fully click with Mario Party 9, it improved somewhat with Mario Party 10 on the Wii U.

Similar to previous games, Mario Party 10 has all four players driving around the board together, trying to collect Mini Stars and sabotage each other. This installment introduces Bowser Party, where one player uses the GamePad to control Bowser and tries to stop the others. It’s a chaotic and surprisingly enjoyable addition that speeds up the gameplay.

Mario Party 10 isn’t the strongest entry in the series, but it still delivers what you expect from a Mario Party game: a good time with friends – though those friendships might be tested by the end of the night!

5. Super Smash Bros. For Wii U

Really Should’ve Workshopped That Title

Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii was popular, but its simpler style frustrated many dedicated fans of the older game, Melee. For the next installment, Masahiro Sakurai and his team aimed to find a balance between the competitive depth of Melee and the more accessible gameplay of Brawl. That game, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, was a success, even if its title wasn’t the greatest.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U built upon the core gameplay of knocking opponents off the stage, but it heavily emphasized how the game looked and felt, and how easy it was to pick up and play. Online matches were better than in previous games, offering separate modes for casual and competitive players. The developers also put a lot of effort into making each character more visually appealing, with improved sounds and more dynamic moves.

The Wii U version was especially fun because it let up to eight players battle it out at once on huge maps, creating some really wild and chaotic moments with friends. Plus, with the classic single-player mode and a special setting to adjust the challenge, it’s a game you can always enjoy whether you’re playing alone or with others.

4. New Super Mario Bros. U

Four-Player Madness

New Super Mario Bros. Wii was incredibly popular on the Wii, and Nintendo wanted to recreate that success with New Super Mario Bros. U on the Wii U. While it wasn’t quite as big of a hit as the original, New Super Mario Bros. U was still a very successful game.

New Super Mario Bros. U played much like the previous game, keeping popular features like four-player multiplayer and familiar power-ups. It also introduced the Super Acorn, which let Mario fly and climb walls. Players select levels from a large world map. Overall, the game retained everything that made the last one enjoyable, making it fun to play through multiple times.

The game included some fun extra features using the GamePad and Miiverse. With the GamePad, a player could tap the screen to assist others in the game. And through Miiverse, players could share messages and build a small, friendly community when the game was popular.

3. Super Mario 3D World

Four-Player Madness In 3D

As Nintendo dominated the 2D platformer scene with New Super Mario Bros. U, they also wanted to strengthen their offerings in 3D platforming. They achieved this by creating a sequel to Super Mario 3D Land for the 3DS, called Super Mario 3D World. This new game combined the fun of playing with friends – a feature from New Super Mario Bros. – with bigger, more expansive levels.

By this time, Nintendo was already skilled at creating fun side-scrolling multiplayer games, but Super Mario 3D World was the first 3D Mario title to let players easily join and leave the game together – and it worked remarkably well. It built upon the level-based structure of 3D Land, but with much bigger levels, improved graphics, and more power-ups to create exciting multiplayer moments. The GamePad added a few extra features, like using the microphone to find hidden items or tapping the screen, but the game was perfectly enjoyable even without them.

Super Mario 3D World is enjoyable whether you play by yourself or with friends, just like the classic 2D Mario games, and it’s highly replayable simply for the fun of it. For an extra challenge, you can aim to complete levels flawlessly and create a ghost replay that other players online can race against.

2. Mario Kart 8

The Bedrock Of Modern Mario Kart

No discussion of Nintendo is complete without mentioning Mario Kart. These games are incredibly popular and consistently drive console sales. While Mario Kart 8 didn’t save the Wii U, its huge success on the Switch proves the game itself wasn’t the problem.

After a six-year gap since Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 8 brought the series back with a familiar and fun formula. Players choose a character from the Mario universe, race karts to the finish line, and use items to playfully disrupt their opponents – just like in classic Mario Kart games.

What makes Mario Kart 8 so popular, and keeps it a top kart racer even now, is simple: it’s incredibly fun to play and has a ton of content. With 48 tracks including downloadable extras, it also introduced characters from other Nintendo games like Link and an Animal Crossing resident. Ultimately, it was just a really well-made Mario Kart game, and people always enjoy a great Mario Kart experience.

1. Super Mario Maker

Mario Into Infinity

For years, people have been creating their own levels and modifications – known as ‘ROM hacks’ – for Mario games. I fondly remember the incredibly challenging Super Mario World hacks that were popular in the early 2000s. These modifications were usually done without Nintendo’s knowledge or approval. Nintendo officially acknowledged and supported this creative community for the first time with the release of Super Mario Maker.

Super Mario Maker lets you design, play, and share your own Mario levels. Using familiar elements from classic Mario games and the GamePad controls, you can easily build environments, add enemies and power-ups, and create tricky obstacles. You can build almost anything you can imagine, as long as it’s actually possible to complete the level yourself!

After creating a level, you can share it online so others can play it. You can also download and play levels made by other players. Although the original Wii U servers are no longer active, Super Mario Maker was a hugely popular and endlessly replayable game on the Wii U, and it was fantastic for creating videos.

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2025-12-03 22:42