The Wii U is struggling. Big time. To the point where Satoru Iwata is openly admitting that work needs to be done. But surprisingly, despite the lack of Wii Us in the wild, the games themselves seem to be shifting at a decent rate.
This NeoGAF thread encouraged me to check out the numbers and I was surprised to see just how well certain Wii U titles are selling.
Super Mario 3D World — 1.94 million
New Super Mario Bros. U — 3.89 million
New Super Luigi U — 1.51 million
Wii Party U — 1.24 million
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD — 1.15 million
Super Mario 3D World has only been out for a couple of months. Those are some pretty big numbers. And Wind Waker? Did anyone really expect a HD remake of a decade old game released on a console that’s basically bombing to shift over a million? Those are some insane numbers.
It all but confirms that the vast majority of Wii U owners are early adopting Nintendo fans, as opposed to the broader market Nintendo roped in with the original Wii. But it also suggests that (relatively) cheaply produced HD remakes might be a good way to go in the future for the Wii U. Wind Waker in HD is, for my money, the best looking game I’ve ever played. I’d kill for a Metroid Prime remake. I’d kill for a Mario Sunshine remake. If the Wii U is going to be the GameCube of this generation, might as well go the full hog.
Comments
25 responses to “Interestingly, Nintendo Is Still Selling A Buttload Of Wii U Games”
Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis HD remake
There’s no way of finding out how those games sold in this country to date is there?
I know the NPD (?) charts magically re-appeared just before the ‘next-gen big two’ released so I was curious as to how Wii U software was doing, locally.
HD remakes are good for the Wii U? Well, luckily there’s a new Mario Kart and Smash Bros coming out this year then!
No but seriously, this year will have a lot of hugely anticipated Wii U games being released. After a terrible 2013, hopefully 2014 turns things around for the console.
Waiting desperately for X
Don’t forget DK Tropical Freeze.
That’s nice for Nintendo but it still seems grim for 3rd parties. I’m wondering if the wiiu will get watch dogs or ac5.
According the EB Games, Watch_Dogs is coming to Wii U.
Rumored to be cancelled.
The official Watch_Dogs Ubisoft website still has it available for pre-order. The rumours stem from the fact that it’s not on Nintendo’s release schedule, which is completely normal considering Watch_Dogs’ release date is “Spring 2014” (too vague for Nintendo) according to Ubisoft.
Those rumours are nothing.
And yet even with all that info, many media outlets go for the “Watchdogs cancelled” headline.
Kind of sad that some people might consider that a deal breaker without even getting the full story
I’d like a HD remake of Mario 64 with controls as tight as Mario Sunshine / Galaxy and with the extra characters / content of Mario 64 DS
Lifetime sales for the console are 5.86 million. It’s insane that there’s a 66% attach rate like that for New Super Mario Bros. U. I guess the bundle certainly helped.
That must make me part of the one in three Wii U owners that don’t own the game…
We’re never ever going to get the TV stuff are we 🙁
3rd party sales on the 3ds are pretty bad as well. A lot of games are published by nintendo
HD remakes are certainly welcome, extra content even better. The DS version of Mario64 felt like a much more complete version of the game to me.
It’s been said before, but they really should release a game pad that takes DS/3DS cartridges, the WiiU couldn’t be a more appropriately designed console, it’s a no brainer. The NDS has been such a successful platform for Nintendo, announcing that you could now play your entire DS library on the WiiU would be a massive draw card surely.
They have announced DS downloads for wiiU. Why allow you to play games you physically own – when they can charge you again?
I’d pay good money for a Metroid Prime trilogy remake for Wii U, and with the pro controller and the option to use the gamepad for scanning things they could actually improve the games a lot. I’d be happy to pay full retail price if they released them individually, but I’d love if they came together in an awesome collectors set.
Although at this point I’d love to see Nintendo do pretty much anything with the Metroid series, just to show that they still care about it after Other M.
An older style game like Super Metroid or Fusion on 3DS would be great.
I’ve never played the metroid prime series, but really want to. Unfortunately, my only option is shelling out an insane amount for a preowned version of the trilogy on wii. A HD remake would be rad.
I missed out on Wind Waker back in the day didn’t have GC so I got it on Wii U was a brilliant game would play again.
F-Zero GX remake
make it happen
A new F-zero would be better.
F-Zero UX, make it happen.
Is buttload an imperial measurement? Never could understand those pints, feet and yards crap.
Just got a Wii U a couple of weeks ago. I haven’t gotten many 1st party games though. I plumped down for WW HD, but apart from the Mario Bros U and Luigi U double pack I got with the bundle, I’m not that into them. Mario World 3D doesn’t interest me, as I hated Mario Land 3D. Monster Hunter 3U has taken up most of my time, as has Sonic & Allstars Transformed.
I agree that Nintendo has to somehow incorporate the 3DS into the Wii U. The library would quadruple overnight, and this is the direction Nintendo need to go.
All in all, as a system though, I’m loving the Wii U.
Maybe if they had an agent which made the 3DS emulate the gamepad, except that the top screen shows what would normally be on the TV…
To be honest, the first time I read this suggestion my initial thought was of the Gameby Advance plugin for the Gamecube. I have one of those somewhere.