Top 5 upcoming Wii U games this 2016

2016 signals in another year in gaming for today’s top platforms namely the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Wii U. The Nintendo Wii U had a rough launch years ago as it failed to reach the expectations of its predecessor, the Wii. The lack of third-party support from other developers may be attributed to the Wii U’s weak sales, but it seems that Nintendo began to regain its footing last year.

Back in 2015, several games boosted the Wii U’s sales up to an impressive amount. The titles leading the Wii U’s sudden success are “Mario Kart 8,” “Super Mario Maker,” “Xenoblade Chronicles X” and “Splatoon.” This year, Nintendo is looking to take advantage of the momentum as it is preparing to once again release several impressive titles for the Wii U.

The Legend of Zelda Wii U

Revealed a couple of years back, “The Legend of Zelda Wii U” is perhaps the most anticipated title on Nintendo’s current console. The game’s trailer was first revealed during E3 2014 and it showed off a completely different take on the series by straying away from the cartoonish style of “The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” and the realistic style of “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.”

Instead, the upcoming entry in the series will feature cel-shaded graphics which look amazing so far. Aside from that, “The Legend of Zelda Wii U” will sport the biggest explorable world in the series so it’s a must-play for die-hard “Legend of Zelda” fans.

No release date has been set for the game yet but it is believed to launch this year. Since this year marks the 30th anniversary of the series, a 2016 launch doesn’t seem so far off.

Star Fox Zero

“Star Fox Zero” for the Wii U will once again put players in control of Star Fox and his team as they engage in battles on land, sea and air. The game had a full reveal at E3 2015 and the game looks visually stunning as compared to its predecessors. Its gameplay, on the other hand, looks to feature the same formula used by the classics with the Wii U’s Gamepad smoothly integrated into core gameplay.

It was originally planned to release during the holiday season but it was held back by Nintendo because it requires a little more polishing. Now, Nintendo confirms that the game will launch on April 22.

Pokken Tournament

The upcoming fighting game, “Pokken Tournament,” is a very unique take on the “Pokemon” franchise. Co-developed by Bandai Namco, “Pokken Tournament” sees several beloved “Pokemon” battle it out in head-to-head combat like the “Tekken” series.

No exact release date has been set for the game in North America and Europe. However, it is scheduled to launch on March 18 for Japan so it could come soon to other regions after the Japanese release date.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

First made available on the Wii and GameCube, fans will once again have the chance to relive “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD” when it launches on March 4. It will feature better visuals as compared to the original games and it will also feature amiibo functionality with the Wolf Link amiibo.

Mario and Sonic at the Rio Olympics

The Mario and Sonic collaboration games have been a good hit with fans of both franchises. The game pits all the favourites from both franchises against each other as they battle it out in several sporting events. This time around, the game will feature new sports such as rugby, golf and soccer. No release date has been set for the title yet but it is expected to come this year.