Top Ten Multiplayer Wii U Games

With the focus of Nintendo and a lot of gamers on the NX, SuperPhillip Central would be remiss if it didn't look back on Nintendo's current system that is now in its twilight years. Despite lacking sales, Nintendo's Wii U certainly did not lack appealing games. However, as we've seen, appealing games isn't enough to sell a console nowadays.

Regardless, Nintendo's failed console was one of the last bastions for couch multiplayer gaming. The system was an embarrassment of riches in the multiplayer scene, both online and off. Today's top ten list delves into just some of these impressive multiplayer titles that are best played together than alone.

After you've read the SuperPhillip Central list, what multiplayer titles on the Wii U were your favorites?

10) Pokken Tournament

Our first game on this top ten list of the best multiplayer Wii U games gives us a concept that seemed like a no-brainer, yet we only got it this year in the west. I'm referring, of course, about a Pokemon fighting game. That is exactly what you get with Pokken Tournament, a fast and frenetic 3D fighter from the makers of Tekken. The game features a motley crew of Pokemon of various fighting styles, sizes, and Pokemon types to create a great roster of fighters. Other Pokemon are represented as assists, being able to be called in mid-match to help turn the tide of battle. Whether online (which performs really well with minimal lag, which is obviously important for a precision and timing-based fighter) or off, Pokken Tournament delivers engaging action and entertaining fights no matter your skill level.

9) Wii Party U

I wouldn't have guessed that the Mii-focused Wii Party U would out-party the Wii U version of a Mario Party, but it honestly did. With a myriad of modes like an island treasure hunt, a clothes-shopping adventure around the city, or a race to the goal across a multi-mile long highway where multiple dice are used, Wii Party U brought the party many a time at the Stortzum household. The mini-games used the Wii Remote well, whether it was trying to stay on a bucking bronco, trying to pop the balloons on the opposing players' helmets with a giant mallet, or trying to perform the perfect pole vault. The added GamePad-centric modes such as the table top games included, such as the marvelously fun baseball meant that two friends could have an intimate gameplay experience together. Wii Party U featured so many modes and mini-games that it was a fantastic party package all in all.

8) New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U

One of the two launch titles on the Wii U that are featured on this list, New Super Mario Bros. U and its downloadable content (also in retail form) New Super Luigi U brought the multiplayer mayhem that originated in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and added the ability for a player to use the Wii U GamePad to summon temporary platforms for the other players. This could be a blessing or a curse depending on how mischievous the player adding platforms was. Nothing like blocking a player's jump over a bottomless pit by putting a bunch of platforms in their way! Even without the GamePad player, up to four players running and jumping through the duo of games' masterfully designed levels was a blast and made for a much different experience than just playing either New Super Mario Bros. U or New Super Luigi U alone.

7) Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

While also releasing on the Nintendo 3DS, the Wii U version of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate was the only one with online multiplayer, allowing a crew of up to four players to hunt a monster together. However, if you owned both versions of the game, you could transport your hunter between versions, so essentially you could play on the go when needed and at home for some online monster hunting action. Being able to set up hunts with both friends and strangers, engage in battles with behemoth beasts, and team up to overcome the odds were all incredibly fun. It made each hunt take much less time as multiple people were taking on a monster at once, and made it so the odds were more in your favor. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate still has a dedicated community to it, even though both Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and now Monster Hunter Generations on the 3DS have taken many players away from this Wii U game.

6) Runbow

The sole indie game on this list of multiplayer Wii U titles (though don't get the impression that the Wii U was lacking in engaging multiplayer indie games), Runbow focused on multiplayer platforming which had a goal of having players be the first to reach and collect a trophy. This is all the while running, jumping, and defeating enemies while the level background constantly changed in a cavalcade of colors. This color-changing mechanic in levels meant that some obstacles and platforms in the foreground would appear and disappear based on the color of the background. Thus, careful attention and timing were necessary to win. Up to nine players could play at once, pending enough Wii Remotes and Wii Classic Controllers or Nunchuks were available. Runbow will be receiving a retail version this fall for both the Wii and the New Nintendo 3DS, so if you've slept on Runbow now, you should definitely wake up and jump on the retail version when it releases.

5) Super Mario 3D World

The New Super Mario Bros. series as of the Wii iteration introduced multiplayer to the 2D line of Mario games. Super Mario 3D World finally brought multiplayer to the 3D games with fantastic results. Of course, the game could be played solo, and it was a pleasure to play that way. However, the true fun came from having up to four friends in the same room assist one another through the obstacle and enemy-laden courses that Super Mario 3D World was positively packed with. The level design of Super Mario 3D World featured a start and goal, much like the 2D series of Super Mario games and Super Mario 3D Land on the Nintendo 3DS. The game remains one of the best gameplay experiences on the Wii U, and it's an absolute blast with multiple players, showing that not only Super Mario 3D World is aces alone, but also aces with friends.

4) Nintendo Land

Another launch title for the Wii U, but this one better exuded the promise and potential of the Wii U GamePad and the system itself that unfortunately was left unfulfilled. Nintendo Land brought asymmetrical gameplay to the forefront, having a multitude of multiplayer attractions based on various Nintendo IP, such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid, for starters. Having one player use the GamePad screen while other players used Wii Remotes and a television screen meant that players could take on different roles with the gameplay. For instance, in Mario Chase, players with Wii Remotes pursued the GamePad player, who had the luxury of their own screen as well as a map to determine the best route to escape his or her pursuers. The promise of asymmetrical gameplay might not have been expanded as much in later years with the Wii U, but for a moment, Nintendo Land gave a somewhat bright future for this type of gameplay.

3) Splatoon

Many of us ate crow when Splatoon, Nintendo's new franchise for the Wii U, sold amazingly and became an immediate hit on the system. Many thought the game would be DOA since it was a new IP on a failing system. However, Splatoon is one of the big success stories on the Wii U, and that is thanks in part to its astonishingly funky and (to borrow a word from the actual game) fresh gameplay mechanics. Shooting paint at the floors and walls of maps meant your squid kid could swim through the paint, reaching new areas of the map that would otherwise be inaccessible to them. The goal of covering the most map with your team's paint is a highly original concept that quickly made Splatoon stand out with the other third-person shooting competition. Splatoon is one of the only games on this list whose multiplayer is best experienced online. While the Splatfest competitions are officially over, Splatoon is still very much worth hopping online and playing, as the player base is as strong as ever.

2) Mario Kart 8

What I consider the best and most complete Mario Kart package yet, Mario Kart 8 was a great game already with its standard 32 tracks, 16 new and 16 remixed from past Mario Kart games. Then, two DLC packages released, containing 8 courses each. Now, Mario Kart 8 is packed with tracks that added to the game's already massive amount of entertaining gameplay. The tracks themselves feature some of the best design the series has ever seen, and this is thanks in part to the F-Zero-like twists and turns that the anti-gravity mechanic of tracks have incorporated. Even the retro tracks from past Mario Kart games have been remixed with anti-gravity portions, making them wild rides from beginning to end. Up to four players locally can engage in Grand Prix races, VS. mode, or Battle mode. Up to 12 players can race online with lag-free racing goodness. Mario Kart 8 remains a fixture in many a Wii U players' rotation, and it's amazingly easy to see why.

1) Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

The all-star brawl is on, even two years after its initial release. Masahiro Sakurai and the rest of the team behind Super Smash Bros. for Wii U continued a fine and constant stream of quality content to players, whether it was new characters, stages, Mii costumes, or modes. The game itself can be played as both a party fighter (where I find it is the most fun with up to eight friends in a specific mode, while up to four players elsewhere) and a competitive fighter, as seen at EVO and other events. The roster of characters allows players to pick the Nintendo or third-party all-star that best suits their play style, or if you're like me, you just play as everyone as you're a casual player. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U has a plethora of modes to choose from, and the gameplay is so engaging that many players will be seeing themselves keeping the game close by to play for years to come. It's all these reasons why SuperPhillip Central has selected Super Smash Bros. for Wii U as the top multiplayer game for the Wii U.

Honorable Mentions:

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Hyrule Warriors
Mario Party 10
Pikmin 3
Rayman Legends
Yoshi's Woolly World

Multiplayer Madness 2: More of My Favorite Multiplayer Games

The latest highly anticipated and talked about multiplayer game Splatoon was released last week, and the popularity of the game seems to be quite tangible. It seems like a perfect time to bring out Multiplayer Madness for a second edition with Splatoon as the leading game to start us off. These games I have selected are some of the ones I've had the most fun playing with other people, whether online or off. If you missed the first installment of Multiplayer Madness, get yourself caught up to speed with this link. Once you're caught up, you can start reading the next eight games added to my list of multiplayer faves.

Splatoon (Wii U)

The latest game that has consumed part of my life, Splatoon is Nintendo putting its own take on a popular genre, the third-person shooter. Matches don't revolve around defeating other players. Instead, the goal is to have your team use their weapons to unleash paint on more of the surface than the other team before time runs out. The terrific thing here is that as long as you are painting the ground, it doesn't really matter how many times you're splatted (i.e. K.O.'d). Matches are short enough at three minutes, and the tide of battle can change in an instance. Splatoon is wonderfully chaotic, brilliantly executed shooter that has already had me spend more hours on the game's multiplayer than I care to admit in less than a week since its launch!

Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)

Most of my time with Animal Crossing: New Leaf was spent alone, fixing up my village as the mayor through public works projects, buying new furniture, wallpaper, flooring, clothing, and home renovations, and doing my best to make my villagers happy. However, there was a whole other piece to New Leaf, and that was the multiplayer portion. It was a lot of fun to invite friends over to my town, hang out with them, trade items, head over to the island to play some of Tortimeter's mini-games, and just have a very relaxing go of things. It was a pace that was leisurely, and for once, I was content with that.

Rayman Legends (Multi)

Rayman Legends on Wii U is what I consider to be the definitive version of the game, offering the most intuitive experience around. This 2D platformer shines brightest during the Murfy stages, where one player controls the character Murfy via the GamePad touch screen. You move platforms, tickle enemies, and arrange obstacles to assist the player or players going through the levels. Of course, not all of the game is devised up by Murfy levels. Traditional platforming challenges for up to four players are also available and as entertaining in Rayman Legends as they were in Rayman Origins, the game's predecessor. It's a platforming package that is worth its weight in lums.

LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3)

We leap into another platformer with a game with less tight controls than Rayman Legends, but it's still an amusing game to play, LittleBigPlanet 2. One of my first experiences with playing online with the PlayStation 3 was hopping online and playing through the game's story levels with total strangers. In the game there are locations that require multiple players to get the Prize Bubbles within. For instance, one player holds a switch to keep a door open while the other players enter to salvage their Prize Bubble bounty. It was also fabulously fun to play user created levels in a party, randomly selecting and checking out creations from the community. While the jumping may be floaty, the fun is most definitely grounded in greatness.

Star Wars: Battlefront (PS2, XBX, PC)

To prep for the upcoming DICE-developed Star Wars: Battlefront, I reviewed the original game. I had played it and its sequel when both came out, but the impending release of the new entry gave me an excuse to return to the games. Even after all of this time, Star Wars: Battlefront for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC is still as fun to play as ever. There is nothing like being a part of a full-scale, highly contested battle, fighting alongside a massive squad of troops, and pushing the enemy back, all the while capturing their command posts. Playing the game cooperatively with my brother was like shooting a phaser-- it was a blast. We'd divvy up tasks and chokepoints to try to control, sharing impromptu strategies during battle. There's nothing else like splitscreen gaming!

Perfect Dark Zero (360)

My first Xbox 360 game and probably the one that I've spent the most hours playing, Perfect Dark Zero may not have been the great successor to the original Perfect Dark that fans or me, for that matter, wanted, but overall the game wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination. The grandest part of the game was the multiplayer, offering multiple expansive maps for over 32 players to play in Killcount, Team Killcount, Capture the Flag, Territorial Gains, and more. Vehicles like the hovercraft and jet-pack allowed for fast traversal over the great scale maps housing little hiding spots and a multitude of pathways. It might not have been "perfect", but this Xbox 360 launch title was a blast from the opening seconds of a round to the final kill.

Diddy Kong Racing (N64)

From one Rareware game to another, Diddy Kong Racing is my favorite kart racer of all time. Part of what makes it so great beyond the awesome track design, innovative adventure mode, and three vehicle types to play as was the multiplayer, offering traditional races against up to three other players, a grand prix mode, and a battle mode. However, the best option available came within using the "JOINTVENTURE" code on the password screen. This would allow you and a friend (or in my case, my older brother) to tackle the adventure mode together. Diddy Kong Racing was just the gift that kept on giving long after you beat Wizpig all by your lonesome.

Mario Party 2 (N64)

My favorite in the Mario Party series, Mario Party 2 did away with the palm and thumb-destroying mini-games that its predecessor possessed. It did receive plenty of returning mini-games with new twists to each, plus a wide amount of brand-new ones as well. While the game was enjoyable enough solo, Mario Party 2 truly shun when you had four players in the room to tackle one of the game's six boards, battling over Power Stars, screwing over your friends and family members, and just having a great old time. More modern Mario Party games don't have the same level of craziness of earlier Mario Party games, and that is a shame, as Mario Party 2's brand of party game is definitely one of my personal faves.

Multiplayer Madness: My Favorite Multiplayer Games

To cap off SuperPhillip Central's month of multiplayer madness, I have the first in a new series of articles based on my favorite multiplayer games, whether online or off (mostly off since that's what I'm accustomed to). Whether nailing an opponent with a red shell to make that last second come-from-behind victory in Mario Kart or making an opposing player eat lead in an arena shooter, these are my most beloved multiplayer experiences. After you've seen my picks, let me know what games you personally enjoy the multiplayer modes of most!

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)

These first two games on my list of favorite multiplayer games will most likely be mentioned during April 1st's (no April Fools there-- honest!) Nintendo Direct. The first is Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, which is set to get a new Miiverse stage and new Mewtwo character soon. Even without that, the content for mulitplayer gamers is astronomical. Maybe that's hyperbole, but not by much! There is just so much to do with friends and family, hopping online to take someone from across the country down a notch, playing together in Classic or All-Star modes-- once unheard of in the series, and battling across one of around 30 stages with over 40 fighters! There is no question why my family's Wii U still regularly houses our Smash Bros. disc, and it's not because the system lacks good games-- that much is for sure!

Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)

There are but three absolutes in this life: death, taxes, and an increase in people playing online in Mario Kart 8 when downloadable content is made live. The second batch of DLC for Mario Kart 8 is due out next month, so I wouldn't be surprised to hear some words about it at tomorrow's Nintendo Direct. If you don't ever bother to download the new tracks and characters, you're still getting your money's worth, online or off. For the first time in a Mario Kart game since Double Dash!! on the GameCube, multiple players can vie for the top spot in a Grand Prix. Versus and online modes offer even more Mario Kart madness. No wonder Mario Kart 8 continues to be played in the SuperPhillip household to this day. It's just plain crazy fun!

New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U)

One of two big launch titles from Nintendo for the Wii U was New Super Mario Bros. U. While a game like that with a modest presentation doesn't scream "the new generation", the gameplay remains as accessible and well designed as 2D Mario games of the past. Yes, I even mean beloved (and rightfully so) classics like Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World. Although four players is absolute mayhem-- and depending on your mood and game desires, that can be a good or bad thing-- playing through New Super Mario Bros. U with my brother made it that two skilled players were having fun helping one another out and having a sensational platforming adventure together. And oh, what an adventure it was!

Perfect Dark (N64, XBLA)

The quintessential first-person shooter in my book, Perfect Dark is indeed forever, as the ending credits do say. The game's multiplayer mode offers SO much customization, from the multitude of bot types and personalities (e.g. ones that go after the player in first place, suicidal bots, bots that only attack with their fists, etc.) to the myriad of expansive maps with plenty of choke points, hidden nooks and crannies, and places to battle it out. You can choose what weapons spawn on maps, what music is played, and so much more, and you can save your favorite scenarios for future multiplayer sessions. Literally hundreds of hours have been spent with Perfect Dark's multiplayer, and I haven't even touched the Xbox Live Arcade version.

TimeSplitters 2 (PS2, GCN, XBX)

The successor to Perfect Dark's throne, TimeSplitters 2 was made by Free Radical Design, made up of many team members who designed GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark. It only makes sense, then, that TimeSplitters 2 made me, an migrant from Perfect Dark, feel right at home. Through completing missions in the Arcade League, you can unlock new characters, modes (of which there any many), and arenas in the full multiplayer piece of TimeSplitters 2. My brother and I found a lot of joy in blowing and blasting bots away in the multiplayer, and then hopping into the cooperative campaign to save each others' hides-- or at least having one of us (usually my brother) being bullet bait. While not exactly as near the magnificence of Perfect Dark's multiplayer, TimeSplitters 2 delivers plenty of similar feelings to that game.

Unreal Tournament (Multi)

While the gaming world knew of Unreal Tournament's excellence over a decade and a half ago, I am relatively new to the world of frags and bags. Containing four wonderful multiplayer modes that each possess their own set of well crafted maps and arenas, Unreal Tournament is a blast to play even to this day. There are a plethora of reasons players keep coming back to UT, and just a sample of those include fast and frenetic action, great guns that give highly satisfying kills, and insanely smart AI to help train newbies like myself to be good enough to battle it out online against human intelligence (or in my case, lack thereof).

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Wii U, 3DS)

This next game may be old news thanks to the release of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on the Nintendo 3DS, but some of my favorite online multiplayer memories (Wii U version owner here) come from playing with a group of three other hunters and attempting to take down some ferocious beast. It is still fun to lose and suffer defeat, but it's even more delicious to pull out an unexpected victory. The stress and excitement levels are intensified thanks to a lack of a health meter for monsters. All you are helped notified by are different stances by the killer creatures and possibly broken off pieces from said behemoths. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is the type of a game where the multiplayer is so good that you don't mind fighting against the same foes dozens of times just to get that last desired material to complete your armor set.

Resistance 2 (PS3)

Before the servers were taken offline (RIP), Resistance 2's multiplayer received a lot of playtime by yours truly. While the massive multiplayer deathmatch and team deathmatch modes allowed for a multitude of players to rush across maps, fragging others, the real enjoyment from Resistance 2's multiplayer was in its cooperative modes, spread out across multiple maps. Each had several objectives for players to take care of and complete together, three different character archetypes like offensive and medic, and insane open-ended missions to play through. Sadly, Sony doesn't have infinite money, so the servers were taken offline, an unfortunate casualty of the online multiplayer machine.