@josehJose
Writer and member of the gaming fellowship. Loves games, movies and comics. Also loves talking in the third person
The Nintendo Wii wasn’t just a successful Nintendo console, it was one of the best-selling and most successful consoles of all time. Nintendo’s next console, the Nintendo Wii U, would never reach the height of its predecessor.
It’s one of the company’s worst-selling consoles. However, the Wii U still had a ton of great games. Even though they weren’t played by tens of millions, plenty of people still enjoyed the console and the games it had to offer. So, here are the best Wii U games of all time ranked by sales.
The Best Selling Wii U Games
- 10. Mario Party 10
- 9. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
- 8. New Super Luigi U
- 7. Super Mario Maker
- 6. Splatoon
- 5. Nintendo Land
- 4. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
- 3. New Super Mario Bros. U
- 2. Super Mario 3D World
- 1. Mario Kart 8
10. Mario Party 10 – 2.2 Million Copies Sold
Mario Party is a staple for Nintendo consoles, the majority of their consoles have a Mario Party game to go along with it, and there’s a reason for that.
The Mario Party games are a blast, and even though things can get quickly heated, that adds to the experience of the game. Mario Party 10 is no exception and is another fun installment in the series.
Released in 2015, this Wii U game sees players competing on a board game to get as many stars as possible. You do this by traversing through the map and playing minigames to collect enough coins to buy stars.
Some of the minigames include Cheep Cheep Leap, Bobsled Battle, and Paintball Battle.
The Mario Party series is massively popular, and Mario Party 10 proved it once again. The game would go on to sell 2.2 million copies.
9. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD – 2.3 Million Copies Sold
A remaster of the GameCube game, Wind Waker HD takes players back to the world of Zelda. In this adventure, Link must once again stop Ganon except this game puts a heavy emphasis on sailing, as Wind Waker takes place on the sea.
To sail, Link must use the Wind Waker baton to control the wind. Equipped with this baton and being surrounded by his new friends, Link takes the fight to Ganon.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker sold well on the GameCube, and it’s able to say the same on the Wii U.
The game managed to sell 2.3 million copies, outselling other Zelda games such as Hyrule Warriors and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. It’s the best-selling Wii U game in the Zelda franchise.
8. New Super Luigi U – 3 Million Copies Sold
The often-overlooked brother of Mario, Luigi would get his time to shine in 2013. Officially titled the “Year of Luigi” by Nintendo, numerous Luigi-centered titles were released by the company. One of these games was New Super Luigi U, an expansion to the New Super Mario Bros. U game.
A big change in the game is the difficulty. New Super Luigi U is harder than the original game, with each level having a 100-second timer. Luigi fans everywhere jumped at the chance to play this challenging game, and it went on to sell 3 million copies.
New Super Luigi U is one of the best-selling Wii U games of all time, and we think it’s an indication that Luigi deserves to star in more games.
7. Super Mario Maker – 4 Million Copies Sold
For fans of platformer Mario games, Super Mario Maker is a must-have. This 2015 game allows players to not only create and upload their platform levels but also allows them to play levels from players all over the world.
The levels can be inspired by games such as Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros. U.
Super Mario Maker gave players an outlet to create the levels of their dreams. If they wanted to add 10 Bowsers, or if they wanted to make the hardest level possible they could. This creative game would go on to sell 4 million copies, and would eventually get a sequel on the Nintendo Switch.
6. Splatoon – 4.9 Million Copies Sold
Another Wii U game with a heavy emphasis on online play is Splatoon. This 2015 game was the first entry in the new third-person shooter franchise from Nintendo.
Shooter and Nintendo in the same sentence may seem off, but the game is kid-friendly and on-brand for the company. Opposing teams shoot colorful ink at each other in various game modes. Some of these modes include Turf War, Splat Zones, and Tower Control.
Even though Splatoon is a newer series, it still sold well on the Wii U. It sold 4.9 million copies. Its success would lead to a sequel being made for the Nintendo Switch.
Splatoon characters were included in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe rosters. Splatoon 3 is set to release sometime in the future.
5. Nintendo Land – 5.2 Million Copies Sold
Nintendo consoles are home to fun games to play with the whole family, and Nintendo Land was another game in that category. The game is packed with 13 minigames that are based on Nintendo franchises.
Some of the franchises represented include The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Animal Crossing, and Super Mario Bros. The minigames can also be played by different-sized groups. It can be played by one person, or by a group of 5.
Nintendo Land would go on to sell 5.2 million copies. Although no official sequel was released, another minigame title was released for the Nintendo Switch. 1-2-Switch was also a launch title for the console, similar to how Nintendo Land was the launch title for the Wii U.
4. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U – 5.3 Million Copies Sold
The Super Smash Bros. franchise has been popular since its first installment in the Nintendo 64.
Since then, it has grown exponentially, both in success and its gameplay. What started as a small roster of Nintendo characters fighting each other evolved to a roster of 58 that includes guest characters such as Mega Man and Ryu.
Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U sold an incredible 5.3 million copies. A 3DS version of the game was released at the same time and sold 9.6 million copies.
Super Smash Bros. is one of the best Wii U games not only in terms of sales but also because it’s one of the most fun games the console has to offer.
3. New Super Mario Bros. U – 5.8 Million Copies Sold
Mario and his friends go back to their roots in this platforming game. Released in 2012, New Super Mario Bros. U is another installment in the New Super Mario Bros.
The game can be played by one person, or they can be joined by three other friends. The plot is a simple but classic story, Princess Peach is captured by Bowser. It’s up to Mario and Luigi to rescue her and save the day.
New Super Mario Bros. U was a success for the franchise and sold 5.8 million copies. The game’s success wasn’t just contained to the base game, New Super Luigi U also sold well. The game would eventually get ported over to the Nintendo Switch, and it would include the Luigi expansion.
2. Super Mario 3D World – 5.87 Million Copies Sold
Another Mario platformer, Super Mario 3D World came out a year later after New Super Mario Bros. U. As the title states, this game is a 3D platformer as opposed to the usual 2D Mario platformer games.
The game can be played by up to four people, and has a heavy emphasis on a new power-up. A cat upgrade transforms the player into a cat that can climb up walls, scratch enemies, and do an air dive.
The second best-selling Wii U game of all time, Super Mario 3D World sold 5.87 million copies. The game’s success didn’t just end with the Wii U. Like other Wii U games, Super Mario 3D World made its way to the Nintendo Switch and was successful there too.
1. Mario Kart 8 – 8.4 Million Copies Sold
To the surprise of nobody, Mario Kart 8 sits at the top of the best Wii U games of all time. Every Mario Kart is a fun game that can be played with a group of friends, and this game is no exception. The game has a mix of new and returning race tracks for a combined total of 48.
Mario Kart 8 also features new items such as the boomerang item and the super horn. The latter item is used to destroy any incoming items such as the infamous blue shell. Besides the new items, the game also features new characters that include Link, Isabelle, and the Villager.
Mario Kart 8 sold 8.4 million copies, almost 3 million more than second place. Although this is a massive number, it gets even higher.
Nintendo released Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch; it included the base game and all additional content. It would go on to sell 37 million copies, making it the best-selling Switch game of all time.
Mario Kart 8 reigns supreme as the best-selling game on two Nintendo consoles. It’s definitively one of the best Wii U games of all time.
However, the other games on this list are great as well, and there are other good games that didn’t make the top 10. Although the Nintendo Wii U didn’t sell well, the games were incredible nonetheless.
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