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Jan 18, 2013 By Will Dixon

The current state of the Wii U library is dismal;

the lack of new and interesting material is fueling my apprehension of the new Nintendo Console. When it comes to buying a new system you should know at least three solid titles that are either currently released or upcoming when making your decision. The Wii U launch hasn’t exactly painted a wonderful first impression on me. The New Super Mario Bros U and Scribblenauts Unlimited don’t exactly inspire enough motivation, and neither does ZombiU.

 

Simply put, Wii U’s library is not brimming with new exclusives; instead it’s catching up with reiterations and special editions of previously released material such as Arkham City and Mass Effect 3. These will most likely still feel like the same game, only with the added gimmicks the Wii U provides. It is these gimmicks that I hope are used in discretion, and when added to games like Batman and Mass Effect, they aren’t forced or overbearing. During the Wii days, I felt that a lot of developer’s borderline abused the Wii’s motion controls to include as many motions as possible, leading to generous amounts of shovel ware. While games using them constructively, such as Metroid Prime 3 and No More Heroes, lent to a much more engaging experience, and felt few and far between.

Nintendo does hold the key to shinning success though, and that is through the stunning library on the DS, such hot titles like Trauma Center and Phoenix Wright which popped up and became instant classics. The DS library was filled with variety and ingenuity. The way the developers utilized the DS’s dual screens allowed for the player to access more information, and the Wii U is basically a home console version of the DS. That’s why we should be seeing continuations of those awesome games coming to Wii U. We want to be able to pick up where the story left off, and we want to do it on our big screen HD TVs.

 

Trauma Center is a given for coming to the Wii U because it would be a perfect way to capitalize on the touch screen gamepad and not to mention co-op would be a cinch too. Trauma Center has captivated so many people from either the DS or Wii entries. The surgical game is known for its difficulty and its requirement of lightning quick reflexes. Gameplay could be just as fast as or even faster than its DS counterpart with the advantage of having both a touch screen and an analog stick for swapping tools on the fly. In addition the TV would be able to display your assistant while you operate on the touch screen. Everyone is looking forward to the next Trauma Center game, and hopefully it will come to the Wii U.

After being in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, facing off against Professor Layton in Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney, and with the upcoming Ace Attorney 5, Phoenix Wright has certainly been dancing in the spotlight. With all this attention I would hope that Capcom and Level 5 would move him onto our big screens.

Gameplay would feel close to what we’ve been getting for years, we could use the gamepad for our court record while cross examining, to check for fingerprints while investigating, and any new investigation tricks Ema is packing these days. Wonderful 3D models of our favourite lawyer and his faithful assistants would look brilliant up on the big screen.

It has been long time since we saw a sequel to the Starfox games, the last extension of the story being Starfox Command back in 2006. The Wii presented enough opportunities for a great Starfox game, but alas we never got the chance to jump back in the cockpit. The Wii U offers even more opportunities to expand on the franchise and to focus on some of the elements that Command introduced to the series.

We would have a wide variety of levels if we were able to incorporate the Landmaster and submarine along with strategically piloting our comrades around the battlefield. The game would be able to show a first person view on the gamepad, and the third person view on the TV. With Wii U’s stronger online capabilities, multiplayer is now a much bigger possibility. Starfox fans have been waiting for another game besides a 3D remake of Starfox 64.

Hopefully these three titles and the ideas I have for them are just simple examples of how well games previously exclusive to the DS can be produced for the new Nintendo home console. Not just simple ports, but brand new experiences that can carry on franchises with more engaging titles.

 

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