Update: And another one bites the dust! Well, sort of — Nintendo Switch Sports is bringing the Wii Sports series back on Switch on 29th April, which means Wii Sports Club comes off this list.
Back in 2020 we asked you in a poll which games you’d most like to see return from Nintendo’s previous console generation for an encore on Switch. Since then, we’ve seen a good handful of games from that selection make the generation jump, including The Wonderful 101: Remastered and Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water.
It’s easy to believe that Switch has already picked Wii U’s carcass clean, but that isn’t quite the case. If you’re like us and eager for more people to get their hands on treasures from the Wii U years — or you missed out on them yourself and want to sample them on Switch — there are several juicy morsels waiting to be devoured and we’ve rounded them up for you
Below you will find the big name Wii U games that haven’t made their way to Switch along with a score based on ‘Switch Port Probability’. Some have been rumoured, others remain pipe dreams, and others are probably best left alone.
So, let’s take a look at the last Wii U games standing, and consider which ones are most likely to come to Switch.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Monolith Soft
With Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition already part of the Switch library, it would make a certain amount of sense to complete the set by bringing this over, too. In our January 2020 poll this was the third most voted-for game you’d like to see make the jump.
Switch Port Probability: 5/10 – We would love to see this come to Switch. Love to. But unless Nintendo is desperate for another huge RPG, it seems less likely than others on this list. Plus, Monolith Soft is busy helping out with the new Zelda game, and there’s also the matter of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, as well, so we’d imagine it’s already all-hands-on-deck for that.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: PlatinumGames
A fun, if flawed, game on the Wii U, we wouldn’t mind seeing a streamlined Deluxe port of this. It would be a different game on Switch thanks to its use of the GamePad and controls which, for some, proved tricky to master. Still, Switch is lacking in the Star Fox department, and if there’s a first-party game on this list that could really benefit from a second pass, it’s probably this one.
Switch Port Probability: 4.9/10 – From Nintendo’s perspective, we’re not convinced the company sees sufficient appetite for another Star Fox game, and heavy hitters from the Mario and Zelda series on this list would surely be ahead of Star Fox Zero in the Switch port queue. Not impossible, certainly, but improbable.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: indies zero
This combo of Wii U eShop titles NES Remix and NES Remix 2 might not have set the world alight, but it was a fun little retro-flavoured package that we wouldn’t mind seeing resurrected. With a large selection of NES games available to play on the console via the Nintendo Switch Online subscription, it seems less likely we’ll see the likes of NES Remix Pack again, but stranger things have happened.
Switch Port Probability: 3/10 – Unlikely.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Intelligent Systems
Color Splash wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it was a good-looking, workmanlike entry in a beloved series and an encore on Switch might have made more sense were it not for an Origami invasion…
Switch Port Probability: 2.62/10 – Before the announcement and quick arrival of Paper Mario: The Origami King, we might have given this a 50/50 chance. Now, though, it’s far less likely we’ll be seeing the Wii U entry return.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Good-Feel
Mario’s dinosaur pal has already charmed Switch owners with Yoshi’s Crafted World, and although it’s arguable that these material platformers are starting to lose their sheen, dyed-in-the-wool fans surely wouldn’t be opposed to having a Yoshi’s Woolly World Switch port, if only for another opportunity to crack out those adorable Yarn Yoshi amiibo again.
Switch Port Probability: 5/10 – It would be most pleasant to see Yarn Yoshi again on Switch, although Nintendo isn’t exactly lacking in the cute platformer department. Personally speaking, we’d rather see an HD remaster of the incomparable Kirby’s Epic Yarn.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
One of two HD remakes in the Zelda franchise, Twilight Princess HD was an excellent version of a very solid Zelda adventure in the traditional mould. For Wii U owners who played it back in 2016, there’s little reason to return so soon — and with Skyward Sword HD on Switch, there might be less chance of seeing this. Still, it would be a shame if this HD update wasn’t made more widely available, right?
Switch Port Probability: 6/10 – TPHD would be a welcome addition to Switch’s library and we’re all for making Zelda games available on as many platforms as possible. Speaking of which…
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
We’d love to see this Wii U remaster come to Switch in Deluxe form, and bonus points if it arrived with an optional toggle to switch between the lovely, vibrant bloom lighting of the HD version and the ‘flatter’ but equally lovely visuals of the GameCube original. We like both, and the ability to swap between each style would be grand.
Switch Port Probability: 6/10 – Same as above, really. The more people who can access this, the better.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
With the success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons no doubt prompting sales of this bargain bin favourite to skyrocket (due to the Isabelle amiibo and cards it came bundled with), this is one first-party title we’re not desperate to see again. It’s dull as dishwater and the Wii U deserved better.
Switch Port Probability: 1/10 – Maybe as a free download? We might get it then… if it didn’t take up too much space on our Micro SD card.
Publisher: Ubisoft / Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Ubisoft’s launch game was a pleasant surprise, and one of the few games to genuinely make use of the Wii U GamePad in innovative and interesting ways that affected gameplay.
Switch Port Probability: 2/10 – ZombiU has already been ported to other non-second-screen-toting platforms, although it failed to generate much interest from gamers the second time around. Frankly, Ubisoft has more important things to be doing on Switch than reviving a sales disappointment from 2012 for the second time. Nah.
Publisher: SEGA / Developer: SEGA
While it’s nowhere near the top of the ‘classic Sonic games’ list, Sonic Lost World is also nowhere near the bottom – quite an achievement when you consider the blue blur’s back catalogue of 3D games. We like Sonic, we quite liked this… It’s not impossible!
Switch Port Probability: 3/10 – If Sonic Lost World had been a worldwide hit, we’d have seen the Switch port already. As it is, we’ve had Sonic Colors: Ultimate and SEGA has plans for him in Sonic Frontiers, so we’d be very surprised if they revisited Lost World.