So beautiful.
Why hello there, and welcome to today’s special event.
My name is Joseph Ferris, and I’m what they call a “Wii U Historian.”
Yes, it is a real job, even if the IRS does not think so.
You see, I know everything there is to know about the Wii U. I know its release date,
I know its library of games, I even know the person who wrote the instruction manual.
His name is Phillip, and we have tea every Thursday.
Yes, it’s not easy filling this cranium with Wii U knowledge, so I’ve had to make
some space for it.
As a result, I don’t remember my wife’s birthday or name.
What I do know though are the amount of Wii U games that have not yet been released on
the Switch.
That number is 28, and I’m going to list them all in this video.
We’re keeping it down to first-party Nintendo titles because if we listed every Wii U game,
we’d be here all day.
So here are the 28 first-party Nintendo Wii U titles that haven’t made it to the Switch,
and we’re going to see if it’s plausible or not to put them on the Switch.
Let’s get started.
Starting with a personal favorite of mine, Yoshi’s Woolly World.
We don’t talk enough about this game, and while it doesn’t come close to the original
Yoshi’s Island, it’s still one of the best 2D Yoshi titles ever made.
It has an adorable yarn-based art style that’s incorporated cleverly into the game design,
with Yoshi able to unwind strands of yarn to reveal hidden secrets and make new platforms
by throwing balls of yarn.
Given that it’s not the most difficult game, the enjoyment comes from completing each level
100% by finding all the hidden collectibles.
And we can’t forget about the cute Yarn Yoshi amiibo made of actual yarn.
Why Yoshi’s Woolly World didn’t get a Switch port is beyond me, especially since
it did receive a 3DS port in 2017 with Yoshi & Poochy’s Wooly World, but…who’s playing
their 3DS anymore?
Oh, put your hand down, I know you still probably play it!
Also, that art style deserves to be on an HD display.
And while we did get Yoshi’s Crafted World on the Switch, it didn’t come close to the
charm and cuteness of Woolly World.
Given that the game doesn’t use a whole lot of Wii U GamePad features, which makes
a Switch port of this game plausible.
While we’re on the topic of games with adorable art styles, let’s talk about Kirby and the
Rainbow Curse.
Here Kirby is not controlled with a stick, but the touchscreen.
Well, I guess the stylus is a stick but you get my point.
Kirby rolls automatically, and players draw him rainbow pathways to roll on.
They can also block hazards so he doesn’t get hurt.
This is another casual experience on the Wii U, so is it likely to get a Switch port?
Well, even though the Switch has a touchscreen, it would make the game ONLY playable in handheld
mode, but it would certainly look better on Switch’s 720p display instead of the Wii
U’s 480p GamePad.
There could be a possible workaround by using the gyro feature on the Joy-Con and Pro Controllers,
though it’s hard to imagine it would offer the level of precision needed.
Not to mention you’d have to recalibrate it every 5 seconds…which sucks.
Like Kirby!
Plus with a new 3D Kirby on the way, Switch owners probably aren’t clamoring for a remaster
of a spin-off right now anyway.
It’s time for Kirby to look forward, not just left and right.
So even though a Switch port of Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is plaUsible, the chances
of it happening are unlikely simply due to the little demand for it.
Of course, you can’t talk about the Wii U without talking about Nintendo Land.
What a great pack-in game for Wii U Deluxe Set owners.
This was a collection chock-full of Nintendo-themed games that took full advantage of the Wii
U GamePad and the Wii Remote & Nunchuck controllers you already had laying around.
You could haunt other players in Luigi’s Ghost Mansion, battle Space Pirates in Metroid
Blast, and race against the clock in Captain Falcon’s Twister Race.
These games were fun to play alone and even better with a group of friends.
You might think this port is impossible to put on Switch, BUT we made a video just over
a year ago explaining how it could work.
To paraphrase, it would just require the use of two Switches, like how the multi-screen
Pac-Man Versus was adapted for Switch.
Sure, it isn’t a perfect workaround, which is probably why Nintendo wouldn’t bother
porting the game to Switch, but hey, they have some ideas from their pals at GameXplain.
Seriously, go watch the video, it makes the case for a Switch port of Nintendo Land entirely
plausible.
I’m gonna cheat a little bit here and condense two games into one section, being: Wii Fit
U and Wii Party U–mostly because they both have “U” in the name.
And not only does the Wii U branding present a conflict, but the Switch already has better
versions of these games.
Why play Wii Party U, when you have Mario Party Superstars?
Heck, I’d even take Super Mario Party.
And why even touch Wii Fit U, when Ring Fit Adventure is so much better and packs a real
workout.
Seriously, I’ve been playing it for the past week and I don’t know how I’m going
to make it out alive.
Plus, Ring Fit Adventure even subtly calls out Wii Fit’s outdated reliance on BMI as
a measurement device.
So yeah, we don’t need the Wii _ U series of games on Switch simply because we have
better games to play.
Therefore, they are unlikely.
While we’re on the subject of Wii branded games, there’s Wii Sports Club.
This was an interesting experience because players could download the game for free and
buy individual sports separately.
Excessive no doubt, but they were still the same great sports games available on Wii ported
to Wii U with HD graphics.
There’s just no replacing Wii Sports, which is why it would be awesome if Nintendo bundled
these games into a reasonably-priced package and put them on Switch. 1-2 Switch might’ve
been fun for 10 minutes, but the fun of Wii Sports is timeless, and thankfully the motion
controls on Switch would be serviceable for these games.
Making them entirely plausible for Switch.
Now here is a shining example of the phrase “just because you can, doesn’t mean you
should.”
Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival was met with a ton of praise when it was released on Wii
U in 2015.
Not only was it a fun party game, but it was EXACTLY what the Animal Crossing fans have
been waiting for - *scoff* I’m sorry, I couldn’t keep going with a straight face.
This game sucks, it’s a boring version of Mario Party without the fun minigames and
it was just a ploy to sell more Animal Crossing amiibo.
Could it work on the Switch?
Sure…but why?
Fans want to forget this game ever happened, and Nintendo knows it.
Therefore, it is unlikely.
Oh yeah, who doesn’t love karaoke?
Definitely not the people who bought Sing Party on Wii U. They love it.
This was a relatively simple game where players could just belch out lyrics without worrying
about their skill, or they could try and sing well with the skill-based modes.
The GamePad integration was surprisingly in-depth, being a personal lyric display for the singer,
while everyone else at the party can watch the dancer on the TV screen to try and mimic
them.
Either that, or someone else could hold the GamePad to mix the sound or create a karaoke
playlist while someone else is singing.
While the singing part of Sing Party could easily be replicated on the Switch with the
simple use of a USB microphone, the GamePad features would be lost.
Or they could just be put on a phone, kind of like the new Just Dance games or JackBox
party.
I doubt many people would CARE if Sing Party came to Switch, but it’s totally plausible.
The Mario vs. Donkey Kong series was an important staple in dual-screen games, starting with
March of the Minis on DS.
It then made its way to Wii U and 3DS with Tipping Stars, and later a free game called
Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge.
It was free because it required amiibo to unlock levels.
These games rely heavily on touch controls, but on Switch, those can easily be remapped
to buttons if players prefer docked mode.
It could also use a gyro pointer to get the speed increased.
Though I’m sure there aren’t many praying for these games to come to Switch, they still
could make fun little additions to the Switch eShop.
This is why I deem these two games completely plausible on Switch.
Did you know that people actually like Star Fox Zero?
I was shocked when I heard that, and apparently, they REALLY want it on Switch.
Alright, as you can tell, I have some personal qualms with this game, but there is definitely
the making of a good Star Fox title here.
Somewhere.
It goes back to basics with the traditional ship-based gameplay, bringing back Star Fox
64’s voice actors, and including branching paths.
So yes, a Switch port of Star Fox Zero would be plausible, but there would need to be significant
changes made.
For one, motion controls should not be required at all.
That should be up to the players to decide.
However, that still presents a problem, as the levels are designed around these motion
controls, like doing a bomb run while flying straight ahead and using gyro to aim downward.
Elements of the game would have to be redesigned in order to accommodate those who won’t
or CAN’T play with motion controls.
Even if this was implemented, the game is still DRY on content, with hardly any branching
paths in the story.
Not that that matters, because the levels are mostly boring, with supposedly epic battles
having few enemies on screen and some stealth missions that are the definition of slow.
Seriously, Star Fox Zero makes Star Fox Assault look like a next-gen game, even though the
latter came out eleven years prior.
It would be a herculean effort to fix the problems of Star Fox Zero’s theoretical
Switch port, but it still is plausible.
Even then, why not just make a new and BETTER Star Fox game?
Due to its shaky reputation and the amount of work it would take to get it on Switch,
I think a Switch port of Star Fox Zero is unlikely.
While we’re on the subject, let’s discuss Star Fox Guard, the neat little game packaged
in with Zero.
Set on a planetary fortress, here the player looks at a map of the base on the GamePad
screen, while the cameras set in the base are viewed on the TV.
Here the GamePad player frantically switches between cameras shooting at invaders.
It’s a tough game to play alone, so having a group of friends with you to yell which
camera to switch to is helpful.
As fun as this game is, it would be tougher to bring to Switch than even Star Fox Zero,
as you NEED that second screen in order to get the full experience.
A Switch port could work around this by requiring two Switches, one docked to the TV and the
other handheld.
However, would it be worth selling a game that would require two Switches to play?
Most likely not.
So while Star Fox Guard is plausible for the Switch, Nintendo might look at the financials
and deem it unlikely.
I’m going to cheat once again and talk this time about FIVE games at once: Super Mario
Maker, Splatoon, Mario Party 10, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, and Super Smash Bros. for Wii
U. What do these five have in common?
They’re on the Wii U, but not on the Switch, unlike their sequels that do almost everything
the originals do and then some.
Mario Tennis Aces in particular does a LOT more than Ultra Smash could’ve hoped to
achieve, Mario Party 10 was also the last game to include the car so it won’t be missed,
Smash for Wii U has a few stages Ultimate doesn’t, but Ultimate also has every character
in Smash Bros history, no contest there.
Honestly, there’s no point in returning to these games on Switch.
Although I do prefer the first Super Mario Maker over 2 only because the Wii U GamePad’s
control scheme is just way better than the Switch’s, but porting it over to the Switch
wouldn’t really help with that.
So These games coming to Switch are simply unlikely.
Now it’s time to talk about one of my absolute FAVORITE Wii U games, Xenoblade Chronicles
X.
This is somewhat of a spin-off entry in the critically-acclaimed series, following some
of the last humans on planet Mira after Earth was destroyed.
It’s a completely different story than the mainline series, but it still includes the
franchise staples: the unique combat system, the Nopon, and sprawling open-worlds.
Or in this case, singular open-world.
Oh yes, Xenoblade Chronicles X has one of the largest worlds in gaming history, bigger
than GTA V and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, filled with tons of quests and alien creatures
to battle.
The best part?
You don’t take fall damage.
Why can’t the other Xenoblade games be like that?
Anyway, as much as I love Xenoblade Chronicles X, I haven’t beaten it yet, and I would
love to do that on Switch, and frankly, I’m BAFFLED that it still isn’t on there.
The Xenoblade franchise has gained a TON of popularity these past few years, and a Switch
port of X would put more money in Nintendo’s pocket.
And because the game doesn’t take full advantage of the Wii U gamepad aside from having the
map display at all times, this makes a Switch port of Xenoblade Chronicles X totally plausible.
Next, we have Game & Wario, which is quite a different game from other WarioWare entries.
Here players take on a collection of mini-games that utilize the Wii U GamePad’s unique
features, like playing a game on the GamePad past your bedtime and having to hide it once
mom enters the room.
Because all of these games require the use of a second screen, bringing them to Switch
would be a humongous challenge.
Theoretically, these could be playable with the use of two Switches, but given that Game
& Wario is a mostly single-player experience, it would be too much of a hassle for one person
to track down a second Switch to play it.
Game & Wario on Switch is very unlikely.
Pushmo deserved better.
First starting on the 3DS and then making its way to Wii U with Pushmo World, these
games had a lot of depth to them.
I mean that in the most literal way possible, as players would push platforms back and forth
to reach the end of levels.
It was fun and creative, but this was the last Pushmo game we got on a home console.
While a Switch sequel would be appreciated, a simple port of Pushmo World would do, as
didn’t take full advantage of the Wii U GamePad, aside from making custom levels easier
to create with the touchscreen, something that could be easily replicated on the Switch’s
touchscreen.
So yeah, Pushmo World coming to Switch is highly plausible.
Oh, Paper Mario, you used to be so iconic, but games like Color Splash certainly didn’t
help your legacy did they?
Luckily, Paper Mario seems to be heading down the right path with the much better received
Origami King.
This raises the question: do we need to revisit Color Splash?
Do we?
There were some pretty cool moments, like parts of the story, but the reputation of
this game was more or less tarnished by its battle system, which was similar to the not-so-fan-favorite
Sticker Star on 3DS.
It was also tied to the Wii U GamePad, which would make playthroughs in docked mode more
difficult, but not impossible as it could be adapted to a TV.
It’s not like Game & Wario where the second screen is required.
Even if the game wasn’t that hard to bring to Switch, would Nintendo really want to do
that?
Paper Mario: Color Splash has a ROCKY reputation and is largely frowned upon by the fanbase.
So while it is plausible, the tarnished legacy of Color Splash will make a Switch port releasing
in the future unlikely.
The Wii U saw two entries in the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series, those being the
Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
In short, these are fun party games that make use of simple motion controls, and they didn’t
take advantage of the Wii U GamePad.
So they are plaUsible on Switch, but the Switch already has the Tokyo 2020 Olympics game on
there and will probably get the next entry as well.
Also worth noting that the Wii U games have the years 2014 and 2016 on them.
So probably for that reason alone, these Mario & Sonic games are unlikely on Switch.
The Year of Luigi was a simpler time.
One where Mario’s green brother got the recognition he deserved.
He even got his medical license with Dr. Luigi on Wii U.
This was a solid Dr. Mario game good for both single and multiplayer.
Since it didn’t have any wild GamePad features, it could totally be ported to Switch.
Would Nintendo do it though?
All I know is that they owe us for KILLING DR.
MARIO WORLD IN NOVEMBER!
Make it right, Nintendo.
Give us Dr. Luigi on Switch, or give us Dr. Luigi (feat.
Dr. Mario) on Switch!
I’ll take anything!
Anyway, Dr. Luigi on Switch is plausible.
Here’s a no-brainer: NES Remix 1 & 2.
These games contain bite-sized challenges based on NES classics, like defeating ten
enemies in Super Mario Bros. 3 before the time runs out, or defeating Whispy Woods in
Kirby’s Adventure.
These micro-games are fun and they celebrate the history of the NES.
Given that these games don’t really take advantage of the Wii U GamePad, they could
easily be ported to the Nintendo Switch.
It’s honestly surprising they’re not already on the Switch as they’d be perfect to play
in docked or handheld mode.
Or better yet, make them bonus games for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers!
That service already has NES games, so why not sweeten the deal by including their remixes
as well?
So yeah, the NES Remix games on Switch are more than plausible.
Do you know what really grinds my gears?
The fact that I can’t play The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess
HD on my Nintendo Switch.
I love these games, and so do a lot of other people, and while Skyward Sword HD was a wonderful
remaster, we still want more 3D Zelda goodness on Switch.
Theoretically, not much work would be required to port Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess
HD.
The games already look and run great, though a framerate boost of 60fps like with Skyward
Sword HD would be appreciated.
However, if they were to come to Switch, we would greatly miss the easy-to-access inventory
system that was only possible on the Wii U GamePad.
Thankfully we would still have gyro-aiming.
No question, Switch ports of Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD would be totally
plausible.
But I know what you’re thinking….what about Devil’s Third?
(maniacal laughter) No.
So those are the 28 first-party Wii U titles that haven’t been released on the Switch.
Some of them might make it to the Switch, some of them might not.
All that matters is that Nintendo puts Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Switch.
PLEASE!
Why haven’t you done that yet, Nintendo?
But let me ask you, are there any Wii U games you want to see ported to the Switch that
I didn’t talk about?
Or heck, are there any games, in general, you want to see ported over to Switch?
Let me know in the comments below and check out the videos on the right for more topics
you might be interested in.
Until next time, goodbye.