BackgroundThe Wii U eShop will only be open for a limited time so it is worth looking at the games there while there is still time to buy them. I will be going through the list of eShop games chronologically by release date using
Nintendo's Game Store site. I will be skipping over Virtual Console releases for now, but I will cover them at the end. I am also skipping games that were released on disc, unless that disc is not available or prohibitively expensive.
The Games: Round 5 - 2015 - Part 1This fifth set of games encompasses the first six months of 2015. The following 34 titles are up for discussion with info in the following format:
Title (Developer/Publisher, price, availability on other consoles, Metacritic score (Metacritic Rank on Wii U), NWR review score [link to review])
- Maze (TreeFall Studios, $2.99, Wii U only, 29, 3 NWR review)
- Family Tennis SP (Arc System Works/Shin'en Multimedia, $4.99, Switch, 7 NWR Review)
- Rock 'N Racing Off Road (EnjoyUp $5.99, Wii U only, 39, 4 NWR Review)
- Breezeblox (Brennan Maddox/Pugsley, $2.99, App Store, 8 NWR Review)
- Midnight (Vilmos Gyokeres/Petite Games, $1.99, PC, 60, 7 NWR Review)
- Blek (Kunabi Brother/Broken Rules, $5.99, App Store, 75, 8 NWR Review)
- GravBlocks+ (From Nothing Games, $1.00, PC)
- OlliOlli (Carbon/Roll 7/Curve Digital, $9.99, 3DS/Vita/PS4/XB1, 80, 8.5 NWR Review)
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong Tipping Stars (Nintendo $19.99, 3DS, 70, 7 )
- Trine Enchanted Edition (Frozenbyte, $14.99, Switch/PS4, 80, 7.5 NWR Review)
- My Style Studio: Notebook (Cypronia, $2.99, Wii U only, 40)
- Super Destronaut (Vilmos Gyokeres/Petite Games, $1.99, 3DS, 8 NWR Review)
- Elliot Quest (Ansimuz Games/PlayEveryWare Games, $12.99, Switch/3DSPS4/XB1, 76, 9 NWR Review)
- Pentapuzzle (RCMADIAX, $4.49, App Store)
- Bubble Gum Popper (Justin Sargent/Skunk Software, $18.98, App Store)
- Mon Premier Karaoke (RingZero, $9.99, Wii U only)
- Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures (FreakZone Games/Screw Attack Games, $9.99, 3DS, 78, 8 NWR Review)
- Affordable Space Adventures (Nifflas'/KnapNok Games, $19.99, Wii U only, 81 (55th), 8 NWR Review)
- Word Search by POWGI (Lightwood Games, $7.99, Switch/3DS/Vita/PS4, 7 NWR Review)
- Suspension Railroad Simulator (Joindots, $7.99, Wii U only, 1.5 NWR Review)
- amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Hits (Nintendo, Free, Wii U only, NWR Review)
- Nihilumbra (Beautifun Games, $9.99, Switch/Vita, 76, 8 NWR Review)
- Funk of Titans (EnjoyUp, $8.99, Vita/PS4/XB1, 44, 4.5 NWR Review)
- Ultratron (Carbon/Puppygames/Curve Digital, $9.99, Vita/PS4/XB1, 73, 8 NWR Review)
- Stone Shire (Finger Fun Games, $7.99, Wii U only)
- Swords & Soldiers II (Ronimo Games, $19.99, Switch/PS4, 75, 8.5 NWR Review)
- Journey of a Special Average Balloon (TreeFall Studios, $0.99, Wii U only)
- Don't Starve: Giant Edition (Klei Enterainment, $14.99, Vita/PS4/XB1, 75, 8 NWR Review)
- Adventures of Pip (TicToc Games, $9.99, Switch/PS4/XB1, 78, 8 NWR Review)
- The Stonecutter (Brave Rock Games $1.20, Wii U only)
- Fat City (Heavy Iron Studios, $9.99, Switch/Vita/PS4/XB1)
- Life of Pixel (Super Icon Limited, $9.99, Vita, 64)
- Art Academy: Home Studios (Headstrong Games/Nintendo, $29.99, Wii U only, 82 (47th), 8.5 NWR Review)
- Never Alone (Kisima Initchuna) (Upper One Games/E-Line Media, $14.99, PS4/XB1, 66, 7 NWR Review)
HighlightsThe first half of 2015 starts with a steady stream of decent titles. Again the full list was rather long, so I only included the better reviewed games in the poll. If you recommend any of the games not in the poll, just post a comment. The cheapest option this round is amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Hits, which teaches you how to name and register your amiibo in exchange for extended demos of NES games. If you are looking to spend a lot more, then you might check out Art Academy: Home Studio for $30. If you are not already a starving artist, then this purchase will get you a little closer to being one. This is also the best reviewed game of the bunch, 47th best Wii U game according to Metacritic, unless you ask Neal, who would argue that Elliot Quest is the masterpiece of the list. The lowest reviewed game is Suspension Railroad Simulator, which earned the loser score of 1.5 from NWR. If you interested in demos, there are two options this round: Trine and Word Search. In 2015 we see the first cross-buy offers as both OlliOlli and Mario vs. Donkey Kong give you a 3DS download with your Wii U purchase.
Mr. Bungle's pick of the week is Affordable Space Adventures. The 55th best game on Wii U makes great use of the game-pad and offers some of the best coop game play on the system.
CommentsI welcome any corrections to the information I found when compiling the list. The information here is for the US so let me know about differences in other regions. Not sure what to comment, consider questions like:
- Did you ever pay full price for Skunk software?
- How can a balloon be special and average?
- How many amiibo did you tap?