Wii U Games To Be Ported To The Switch

[Atariboy]

The one downfall to Pikmin 3 being announced for Switch is that Nintendo has now delisted it from the Wii U eShop. The delisting even extends to the DLC packs, which could only be purchased in-game.

 

There aren't going to be very many Wii U owners rushing out to download Pikmin 3, making it rather an irrational fear that Nintendo apparently has. While $40 cheaper on Wii U, most interested Wii U buyers bought it back when it was still $50 or when it hit the Selects line for $20. There aren't hundred of thousands of Wii U fans that don't own Pikmin 3 but would be rushing out to get it now that it's again being talked about by videogame media outlets and forums.

 

Yet for a few that supported Nintendo the first time around, it could have a small negative impact. While I'm sure I don't have a lot of company, the Pikmin 3 DLC were some of the last items in my Wii U wish list. Hopefully they're quietly relisted, but I doubt it. 

[Asaki]

Well I guess I don't have to worry about clearing out storage space for the DLCs, then...

[adamchevy]

The one downfall to Pikmin 3 being announced for Switch is that Nintendo has now delisted it from the Wii U eShop. The delisting even extends to the DLC packs, which could only be purchased in-game.  

There aren't going to be very many Wii U owners rushing out to download Pikmin 3, making it rather an irrational fear that Nintendo apparently has. While $40 cheaper on Wii U, most interested Wii U buyers bought it back when it was still $50 or when it hit the Selects line for $20. There aren't hundred of thousands of Wii U fans that don't own Pikmin 3 but would be rushing out to get it now that it's again being talked about by videogame media outlets and forums.

 

Yet for a few that supported Nintendo the first time around, it could have a small negative impact. While I'm sure I don't have a lot of company, the Pikmin 3 DLC were some of the last items in my Wii U wish list. Hopefully they're quietly relisted, but I doubt it. 

 

 

The DLC isn’t in the Nintendo Select pack? That’s to bad and a slap in the face to those that still play Pikmin 3 on the Wii U. I understand wanting to use your IP for a wider audience. But burning the village to the ground after you take the gold is bad form.

 

[Atariboy]

Yeah, it's not in the Nintendo Selects version.

[roots.genoa]

4 hours ago, adamchevy said:

those that still play Pikmin 3 on the Wii U

How many people are we talking here?

[+wongojack]

I own a physical copy of Pikmin 3 for Wii U, and I don't own a Switch.  I've actually never played it, but I own it - LOL

[Tanooki]

I had the game for the WiiU right at the end, it was around the time their massive firmware update that took it from minutes into seconds to enter/exit the system tools/menu area bricked my entire system and they sent me back not my machine but a scraped up refurb beater.  Pikmin3 stayed sealed as I was so annoyed and put off, not long after sold it all in disgust.  For me, like MK8, and anything else post Pikmin would be new ground.

 

Sure it's bad you can't get the dlc for it on the WiiU, but I mean how few really do in the grand scheme care anymore, it's the WiiU.  Sure the FIRST party library for it was pretty amazing, but once and for all finally that lame system proved Nintendo can't carry shit to victory without both third party (even shaky at minimum) support and fan support are vital or you're screwed.  The Switch is like the anti-WiiU.  Takes the solid few good things it has (an off TV device and the games) and scrapped all the crap, made it super easy instead of a nightmare to code for/port to, and picked up the ease of use of most modern gaming engines so people will be happy to bring things to it.  Had the WiiU never wasted so much of its budget into the underpowered console due to the expensive handheld tethered to it, who knows where they would have gone as the industry was willing and Nintendo pulled the rug out.

[adamchevy]

I had the game for the WiiU right at the end, it was around the time their massive firmware update that took it from minutes into seconds to enter/exit the system tools/menu area bricked my entire system and they sent me back not my machine but a scraped up refurb beater.  Pikmin3 stayed sealed as I was so annoyed and put off, not long after sold it all in disgust.  For me, like MK8, and anything else post Pikmin would be new ground.   Sure it's bad you can't get the dlc for it on the WiiU, but I mean how few really do in the grand scheme care anymore, it's the WiiU.  Sure the FIRST party library for it was pretty amazing, but once and for all finally that lame system proved Nintendo can't carry shit to victory without both third party (even shaky at minimum) support and fan support are vital or you're screwed.  The Switch is like the anti-WiiU.  Takes the solid few good things it has (an off TV device and the games) and scrapped all the crap, made it super easy instead of a nightmare to code for/port to, and picked up the ease of use of most modern gaming engines so people will be happy to bring things to it.  Had the WiiU never wasted so much of its budget into the underpowered console due to the expensive handheld tethered to it, who knows where they would have gone as the industry was willing and Nintendo pulled the rug out.

 

 

 It really only served the most die hard Nintendo fans. Even Die hard Nintendo fans like a lot of third party games. I was excited to see Skyrim come to the Switch, and dark souls. It’s to bad these games never made it to the Wii U. It was capable, but not enough to warrant the effort without console sales. I think 3rd parties were initially excited after listening to their 2013 E3 presentation. I think they’re initial idea was a great one, but they needed to use x86 architecture and ditch the old power pc tech from the late 90s. Not that it’s all bad ofcourse. The arm processors of today are Risc based and are in many ways the next step in power pc tech. I’m excited to see what Apple goes to next now that they are ditching Intel. Ofcourse that’s another discussion. I really would have liked to see dual gamepad support on the Wii U, but I don’t see how that was possible with the weak cpu it had and with 2gb of Ram. Nintendo shouldn’t have cheaped out on the Wii U system specs and maybe it would have gone somewhere. Especially because it would have been easy to port from the PS4 and Xbox One. I know Nintendo cannibalized their 3DS fans to also bolster the sales of the Switch, and that’s partly why it’s so successful. I really hope they can get some real power in their next iteration.

 

 

[Steven Pendleton]

2 hours ago, adamchevy said:

I know Nintendo cannibalized their 3DS fans to also bolster the sales of the Switch, and that’s partly why it’s so successful.

Yeah, but at the same time, the 3DS was already starting to run out of big titles like a year before the Switch was released. Shin Megami Tensei IV FINAL, Pokemon (always very important titles, of course), and Samus Returns (which is basically crap and worse than the original Metroid II, but let's not get into the specifics of this particular game) were really all that it had that I can remember for all of 2016 and 2017. I don't remember when Deep Strange Journey came out since I didn't buy it because I hate regular Strange Journey, but that got released around this time late in the system's life, as well.

 

An edit for clarity: not saying that the 3DS is bad or anything like that, just that it really didn't have a whole lot going for it after 2015 or so for me personally. There were still decent games released for it after that, but nothing that particularly stood out, I think, aside from the 4 I mentioned above, and even then, I found all of those to be disappointing, especially Metroid and SMT IV FINAL, which ended up being a mediocre, bland, and extremely poorly written sequel to my favourite game of the past decade.

 

Anyway, the Wii U... exists. As I mentioned before, I definitely want to hack mine so I can play Gamecube games natively with its HDMI output, which will be very nice, I think. The Wii U is probably a much better system than most people think, but its weak specs compared to the other 8th gen consoles probably made developers not want to do anything for it, which meant that nobody wanted to buy the system, which meant that devs wouldn't want to bother making games for it because they wouldn't sell well, which caused less people to buy it...

 

Still, I'd say that what once was the Wii U's exclusive library before the majority of it got ported to Switch is pretty decent overall, and there are still a handful of games that have not gotten Switch ports (Fatal Frame/(Project) Zero being the most important one that I can remember along with that Star Fox game that I never played and I guess everyone hated). I wonder if any of these will make it to the Switch. Overall, if I had none of the 8th gen consoles and could only get one, I'd probably buy a Wii U over a PS4, though; at least there are a very small amount of games on the Wii U that I care about that are not on Switch, PS3, or PC.

Edited August 8, 2020 by Steven Pendleton

[adamchevy]

Yeah, but at the same time, the 3DS was already starting to run out of big titles like a year before the Switch was released. Shin Megami Tensei IV FINAL, Pokemon (always very important titles, of course), and Samus Returns (which is basically crap and worse than the original Metroid II, but let's not get into the specifics of this particular game) were really all that it had that I can remember for all of 2016 and 2017. I don't remember when Deep Strange Journey came out since I didn't buy it because I hate regular Strange Journey, but that got released around this time late in the system's life, as well.

 

An edit for clarity: not saying that the 3DS is bad or anything like that, just that it really didn't have a whole lot going for it after 2015 or so for me personally. There were still decent games released for it after that, but nothing that particularly stood out, I think, aside from the 4 I mentioned above, and even then, I found all of those to be disappointing, especially Metroid and SMT IV FINAL, which ended up being a mediocre, bland, and extremely poorly written sequel to my favourite game of the past decade.

 

Anyway, the Wii U... exists. As I mentioned before, I definitely want to hack mine so I can play Gamecube games natively with its HDMI output, which will be very nice, I think. The Wii U is probably a much better system than most people think, but its weak specs compared to the other 8th gen consoles probably made developers not want to do anything for it, which meant that nobody wanted to buy the system, which meant that devs wouldn't want to bother making games for it because they wouldn't sell well, which caused less people to buy it...

 

Still, I'd say that what once was the Wii U's exclusive library before the majority of it got ported to Switch is pretty decent overall, and there are still a handful of games that have not gotten Switch ports (Fatal Frame/(Project) Zero being the most important one that I can remember along with that Star Fox game that I never played and I guess everyone hated). I wonder if any of these will make it to the Switch. Overall, if I had none of the 8th gen consoles and could only get one, I'd probably buy a Wii U over a PS4, though; at least there are a very small amount of games on the Wii U that I care about that are not on Switch, PS3, or PC.

 

 

I agree the 3DS was dead when the Switch arrived and that the Wii U has been pillaged to serve the Switch. I agree completely with you on the fact that developers would have paid more credence to the Wii U if it hadn’t been so underpowered. I also think they would have ported more games to it and worked harder to make new ones if it had sold like the Switch has. I still think that it has the superior controller over the Switch. I like both the Pro controller and the gamepad controls much better. The Switch is understandably smaller and compact so that it can do its part as a portable. But that’s also where I take issue with the Switch. It’s not truly a home console, and I think the release of the Switch lite without TV support shows that more clearly. I don’t believe Nintendo are really interested in the home market, but not because it’s a fight they couldn’t win. But because they don’t need to. The World has gone more mobile, and there games have cartoonish graphics that don’t need the power of a PS4 or Xbox One. Speaking of Microsoft they certainly have noticed that they need to compete somehow in this space with their new Xcloud service that allows you to play on phones with a controller. I actually really like the idea.

The Wii U truly needed GameCube games to be brought in full force to the console. It’s sad that modders have turned the Wii U into the machine that it could have been. Nintendo I’m sure hates the piracy end of it, but surely they need to take notice and try to give their fans what they really want. They need to look closely at Xbox’s backwards compatibility and emulate that in their online service somehow. If not I will just keep playing my Nintendo games on the Wii U and forget future iterations of the Switch. Unless they can really bring some power to the table and BotW 2 is to good to be ignored. Nintendo has largely forgotten that their core fans are not little boys and girls for the most part. They are in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, and they don’t see there games as retro. They are retro to the younger kids, but to me they are just NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, and Switch games. They are just different generations, but I’ve been there for them all and I think most of their loyal fans would like to pay for them once and for all and have access to them when and where they choose. Instead Nintendo forces their fans to own every console and have a wall of their favorite games that will eventually wear out. We need a solid backwards compatibility solution like Xbox is creating.

[Asaki]

On 8/7/2020 at 10:12 AM, Tanooki said:

The Switch is like the anti-WiiU.  Takes the solid few good things it has (an off TV device and the games) and scrapped all the crap...

I know you're just being bitter, but Switch has:

no dual-screen

no Miiverse

no backwards compatibility (software or hardware)

capacitive touch screen, no stylus

joystick drift

no Web browser

no free online

no built-in TV remote

only Hulu and YouTube for video streaming (AFAIK?)

eShop is terrible to navigate and FLOODED with shovelware

no folders

very few exclusive games

hardly any Virtual Console

only one USB port

no Miiverse

and the cartridges taste awful

 

I feel like Nintendo took a lot of steps backwards for no good reason. Not to mention, they're trying to advertise it as a portable (especially the Lite), but it's missing half of the features that made the 3DS so great.

[roots.genoa]

I think you (voluntarily) exaggerated, but I would highlight a few points I particularly agree with:

4 hours ago, Asaki said:

no dual-screen

Most people don't understand that, but not only it was really convenient in some big games in which the pause menus were slow (Darksiders 2 for instance), but games like Nintendo Land and Game & Wario that my nephew and my niece loved can't be replicated on the Switch.

4 hours ago, Asaki said:

no Miiverse

Once again, most people won't care but Miiverse was sometimes used in a very clever way I think, esp. in New Super Mario Bros where it was almost like having an integrated FAQ.

4 hours ago, Asaki said:

capacitive touch screen, no stylus

I also tend to prefer resistive screens which are more precise with a stylus, but capacitive has its advantages (multi touch).

4 hours ago, Asaki said:

only Hulu and YouTube for video streaming (AFAIK?)

We don't even have Hulu in France and it sucks, because I still have to 'switch' to my PS4 to watch Netflix and Amazon Prime (even though I would need it for Blu-rays anyway). Plus being able to continue watching while going to the bathroom would be great (I don't own a tablet).

4 hours ago, Asaki said:

no folders

Indeed... ?

 

However

4 hours ago, Asaki said:

very few exclusive games

Every game is more convenient on Switch, so it's not a problem to me!

4 hours ago, Asaki said:

only one USB port

There are two USB ports on the dock.

[Asaki]

11 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

Once again, most people won't care but Miiverse was sometimes used in a very clever way I think, esp. in New Super Mario Bros where it was almost like having an integrated FAQ.

Miiverse was AMAZING (on the WiiU at least). I was so bummed when they got rid of it, I loved seeing all of the fan art people came up with, and the stupid comments people had about certain parts of games, etc.

 

It also made it a lot easier to collect figures in Wind Waker.

  

11 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

I also tend to prefer resistive screens which are more precise with a stylus, but capacitive has its advantages (multi touch).

I feel like having precision, a good stylus, and pressure sensitivity are more important than whatever benefits multi-touch would bring.

 

But I was upset for maybe ten seconds, before I realized that most games/apps aren't going to use the touch screen anyway, since you can't use it while it's docked. Which might've been part of the reason they didn't bring the Miiverse to Switch.

  

11 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

We don't even have Hulu in France and it sucks, because I still have to 'switch' to my PS4 to watch Netflix and Amazon Prime (even though I would need it for Blu-rays anyway). Plus being able to continue watching while going to the bathroom would be great (I don't own a tablet).

I've gotten used to using other devices for streaming (half of our TVs are Roku smart TVs anyway), but before that, I always preferred them on the WiiU...it was especially nice being able to use the touch screen to search for stuff (IIRC, Hulu didn't let you use the touch screen at all, though, but other apps did).

YouTube via the Web browser was awesome for having friends over, because you could close the curtains, search for something on the Gamepad, do the drumroll, and then TADAAAAA! everyone is very upset over what you're making them watch. You can't surprise people when they're watching you type slowly into the search box with a d-pad.

  

11 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

Every game is more convenient on Switch, so it's not a problem to me!

Idunno, having the games portable isn't that big a deal for me. I have tons of other handhelds for that, which have games that fit a lot better into tiny time slots (and said handhelds fit a lot better into tiny pockets).

 

11 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

There are two USB ports on the dock.

I checked mine before I posted and I only saw one USB. I'll have to double-check...

 

Well dang, we're both wrong. I only knew of the one on the inside, but there's two more on the outside. Still one less than the WiiU, though.

[Austin]

6 hours ago, Asaki said:

Miiverse was AMAZING (on the WiiU at least). I was so bummed when they got rid of it, I loved seeing all of the fan art people came up with, and the stupid comments people had about certain parts of games, etc.

Miiverse was really cool and I was sad when they shut it down too. I guess Nintendo's moderators just got tired of cleaning up what seemed like an endless sea of dick pics. I don't blame them.

[Asaki]

3 hours ago, Austin said:

I guess Nintendo's moderators just got tired of cleaning up what seemed like an endless sea of dick pics. I don't blame them.

Yeah, maybe

I know that's why they nerfed that 3DS program.

[adamchevy]

For me it really comes down to portability(the Switch) not being necessary for me at this point in my life, and the controls(I love the gamepad/Pro controller buttons and analog layout). . I also am sad that Mii Verse was shutdown. I thought it was one of the best things Nintendo ever created.

 

 

[Asaki]

I bought a Mayflash adapter so I could use my WiiU Pro Controller with the Switch It was a lot cheaper than buying a new controller, and it lets you adjust the deadzone on the fly, to combat joystick drift.

 

I've been playing ACNH a little bit, but I'm still waiting for BotW2. I'll definitely have to pick up Mario Odyssey at some point. And Virtua Racing.

[Tanooki]

On 8/9/2020 at 3:04 AM, Asaki said:

I know you're just being bitter, but Switch has:

no dual-screen

no Miiverse

no backwards compatibility (software or hardware)

capacitive touch screen, no stylus

joystick drift

no Web browser

no free online

no built-in TV remote

only Hulu and YouTube for video streaming (AFAIK?)

eShop is terrible to navigate and FLOODED with shovelware

no folders

very few exclusive games

hardly any Virtual Console

only one USB port

no Miiverse

and the cartridges taste awful

 

I feel like Nintendo took a lot of steps backwards for no good reason. Not to mention, they're trying to advertise it as a portable (especially the Lite), but it's missing half of the features that made the 3DS so great.

Ahh not at all bitter, just a realist that they fouled up and I accept it.  Knowing they had the offer on the table to me-too the hardware to get proper support and they instead budget capped themselves into an underpowered system due to tablet was a gloriously stupid mistake.  Sure the Switch doesn't have dual screens, not a big deal and never has been, never would have been had the DS not been a thing.  Miiverse had its base but it wasn't all that large the ing grand scheme, they really just moved on.  I do agree the lack of a stylus was dumb as it would be a solid option, my original Shield tablet was one that included it (shame the replacement they sent due to the battery recall removed it.)  The browser, tv remote etc that's just gimmicks.  Dead on about the eshop that's a hot mess they could easily fix.

 

In the big picture of most impactful stuff, there's no real logical step backwards the Switch fixed so much against the WiiU.  I do dislike the lack of free online, but at least it's a pittance compared in ways to the other guys and it has some nice benefit from it.  The Switch basically compared to another thing, the MMORPG, is like how you can see the WiiU like WoW, and Switch is like Guild Wars 2, it was designed looking at the damning flaws of the older and designed something to make sense in the newer that mostly but not perfectly does it better where the positives far outweigh negatives.

[adamchevy]

Ahh not at all bitter, just a realist that they fouled up and I accept it.  Knowing they had the offer on the table to me-too the hardware to get proper support and they instead budget capped themselves into an underpowered system due to tablet was a gloriously stupid mistake.  Sure the Switch doesn't have dual screens, not a big deal and never has been, never would have been had the DS not been a thing.  Miiverse had its base but it wasn't all that large the ing grand scheme, they really just moved on.  I do agree the lack of a stylus was dumb as it would be a solid option, my original Shield tablet was one that included it (shame the replacement they sent due to the battery recall removed it.)  The browser, tv remote etc that's just gimmicks.  Dead on about the eshop that's a hot mess they could easily fix.

 

In the big picture of most impactful stuff, there's no real logical step backwards the Switch fixed so much against the WiiU.  I do dislike the lack of free online, but at least it's a pittance compared in ways to the other guys and it has some nice benefit from it.  The Switch basically compared to another thing, the MMORPG, is like how you can see the WiiU like WoW, and Switch is like Guild Wars 2, it was designed looking at the damning flaws of the older and designed something to make sense in the newer that mostly but not perfectly does it better where the positives far outweigh negatives.

 

 

I’ve never played Guild Wars 2. I’ve played a lot of WoW over the years so I’m sure I’d like it. Thanks for the great comparison. I’ve owned a few switches. They always end up getting sold when the prices go up on eBay. I’m a capitalist at heart I guess. Life comes first when it comes to money.

 

I hope the next iteration of the switch is even more powerful to allow great future ports of currentl gen games. I really enjoyed Skyrim on the Switch. It was the Yang to Breath of the Wilds Yin for me.

[Tanooki]

I had Skyrim, sold it a month or two ago after sitting a long time.  I know I put many hours into it, not realistic to a real fan that would easily do 100+, but still a lot.  It got where I got tired of roaming around and slowly cracking deeper into it as it's just wider than I'd care to singularly dig into a game, but it was done quite nicely.  I agree with the BotW comparison as being kind of opposites but not, a light to shadow side of a thing, and BotW I did finish that one, easily 50+hours and then that still didn't unlock all the land by any means, not much of the armors, etc.  Hell of a ride either way and that's what mattered.

[Steven Pendleton]

I thought this thread was in the Wii U section for some reason, but here it is in the Switch section. Did it get moved or was it always here?

[Atariboy]

On 8/6/2020 at 11:55 AM, Atariboy said:

The one downfall to Pikmin 3 being announced for Switch is that Nintendo has now delisted it from the Wii U eShop. The delisting even extends to the DLC packs, which could only be purchased in-game.

Sounds like it's again available on the Wii U.

 

https://gonintendo.com/stories/368163-pikmin-3-has-been-relisted-on-the-wii-u-eshop-available-again-fo

 

Unsure if it applies to the DLC packs, but hopefully it does.

[Asaki]

Yeah, they said the same thing happened with DK Tropical Freeze.

[Atariboy]

With the release date of Super Mario 3D World fast approaching, the list of exclusive 1st party retail Wii U releases has grown much smaller than when I first posted this list in this thread.

 

Key:

Bolded = Has been ported to the Switch.

Italicized = Has been ported to the 3DS.

Underlined = Has been superseded by an enhanced and expanded sequel on the Switch, making a port possibly unlikely (Super Mario Maker being a prime example)

• Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival
• Bayonetta + Bayonetta 2
• Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
• Devil's Third
• Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze
• Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water
• Game & Wario
• Hyrule Warriors
• Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
• Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
• Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
• LEGO City Undercover
• Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
• Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
• Mario Kart 8
• Mario Party 10
• Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
• NES Remix Pack
• Nintendo Land
• New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U
• Paper Mario: Color Splash
• Pikmin 3
• SiNG Party
• Splatoon
• Star Fox Zero/Star Fox Guard
• Super Mario 3D World
• Super Mario Maker
• Super Smash Bros.
• Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
• Wii Fit U
• Wii Sports Club
• Wonderful 101
• Xenoblade Chronicles X
• Yoshi's Woolly World

I sadly don't hold out much hope for most of what remains like Nintendo Land, but I bet we're not finished just yet with the Wii U ports. Xenoblade Chronicles X is an obvious candidate for one. 

Edited January 14, 2021 by Atariboy

[Steven Pendleton]

2 hours ago, Atariboy said:

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water

Literally the reason that I still have my Wii U, even though I got it upon launch and still have never finished it. Eventually I'll hack it and then it will be used for more things, but I'm super lazy, so until then...

 

I don't expect this game will ever get ported because of the way the gamepad works in this game, but they did port ZombiU, which I have never played, but apparently it uses the gamepad, so I suppose it's possible.

Edited January 14, 2021 by Steven Pendleton