Top Ten Third Party Wii U Games

If you know anything about Nintendo, you know its third party relations regarding its home consoles are... well, I don't want to say "total garbage", so I won't be that cruel. I also won't say "complete bullocks", "absolutely embarrassing", "insanely incompetent", or "beyond selfish" either, so don't think you'll see those phrases on this site. I think the nicest word to use would be "anemic."

Regardless, there are indeed plenty of third party games that are available on the Wii U that are worth playing. Of course, while most of them are available on other platforms, these Wii U versions are special for a number of reasons, as you'll see with this top ten list for tonight. These games are the ones that I deem the best of the Wii U third party bunch. Let's get started, shall we?

10) ZombiU

I kick off this top ten list with a title that I stated had the best use of the Wii U GamePad yet. I still find this true. Just don't come into Ubisoft's Wii U launch title ZombiU with the idea that it's a traditional shooter. Like many foolish professional review sites who will remain nameless but have a spot for games, you will find yourself disappointed by your own untrue expectations. ZombiU is a survival horror with an emphasis on both surviving and horror. You utilize the GamePad as your Bug-Out Bag, where all of your ammo and helpful items are stored. However, using this bag does not pause the game. This means that a zombie can attack you at any point. All it takes is one bite. For a truly scary game that is great to play in the dark (if you like to squeal like a girl when you're scared like I do), there is no better choice on Wii U than ZombiU, one of the freshest ideas in the genre in a long time.

9) Armillo

Something that tends to be overlooked when referring to third parties on the Wii U is the Nintendo eShop. There an abundance of clever yet nowhere near as triumphed games are released on a steady basis, though the storefront does not get as much action as the PlayStation's, truth be told. Fuzzy Wuzzy Games launched Armillo on the Nintendo eShop last summer, and it really does hearken back to the era of Nintendo 64 3D platformers. However, don't think it is a relic of the past and doesn't add its own spin to the genre. You control the titular character through spherical planets with hazardous aplenty to reunite Armillo with someone special to him. The level design alone shows the creativity that sparked in the developers, offering some clever platforming challenges and interesting mechanics to keep Armillo feeling fresh from beginning to end.

8) Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2

Speaking of overlooked games, you might laugh at Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 being on this list. You might say, "Wow. The Wii U really is struggling with third parties if you had to put a game based on a cartoon on it." Nevertheless, Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 is a really well made 3D platformer that has a lot of ingenious ideas in its level design and design in general. The game is a huge step up from what the original Ghostly Adventures offered, and while it doesn't innovate in any special way, this sequel is highly competent, a blast to play, and has really tight platforming action. For overlooked games, definitely check out Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2.

7) Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Released at launch for the Wii U, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed saw Sonic and his Sega cohorts speed onto destructible tracks that dynamically altered themselves throughout each race. The ability to shift between car, boat, and plane at specific points in each race opened up the possibilities of the track design immensely. Nonetheless, the track design being spectacular is just one great bullet point for this arcade racing game featuring familiar Sega mascots. The actual racing feels supremely tight, offering a terrific amount of speed and control. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed on Wii U has special features such as off TV play and exclusive mini-games. It is a fantastic racer that gives Mario Kart a run... er, race-- for its money!

6) Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones

Currently a timed exclusive for the Wii U eShop, Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones brings with it 2D puzzle platforming goodness and a level of challenge that makes each completed test chamber a serious accomplishment. With lots of content in the way you can beat the target times on each test chamber, collect special costume pieces for your robot, and build your own levels, sharing them with the Wii U Stealth Inc. 2 community if you deem your level appropriate, this is a downloadable game that will last players a long while.

5) Batman: Arkham City - Armored Edition

To get this out of the way, while it's not exactly the same content, it is very much the same game. Sorry, Reggie Fils-Amie! Anyway, I very much enjoyed the original Arkham City on the PlayStation 3, and this updated Wii U version, utilizing the Wii U GamePad in some very clever ways (i.e. gadget management, encrypting The Riddler's locked doors, and more), was a perfect excuse to return to the desolate and crime-ridden city streets. Batman: Arkham City - Armored Edition is very much a phenomenal port (albeit late) of the seventh generation original, and if you have never played any version of the game or want another excuse to do so like I did, Armored Edition is a fabulous game to sit down and be the bat with.

4) Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut

Another game that makes stellar use of the Wii U GamePad, Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut uses the GamePad as a radar, a means to loot enemies, accessing the player's inventory, a special window view for sniping, and a lot more. This action/stealth thriller was a splendid addition to the Wii U library, and it definitely needs more love from Wii U owners. Whether you're a casual player or someone more seasoned at shooters and stealth games, there is something for you in Human Revolution.

3) Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition

"Metroidvania" is a term that describes games that are similar in design and formula to the Metroid and later 2D Castlevania games. Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition is such a title, but it uses the many luchadore moves at our hero's disposal to not only fight off enemies in the game's combat rooms, but also to break through special doors, access new areas, and explore throughout the game world. Guacamelee is a game that doesn't take itself overly seriously, and it brings players a wide variety of nods to games both retro and modern. The added fun of co-op only sweetens the deal, offering the ability for two players to suplex and piledrive opponents simultaneously. Simply put, Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition is a must play for any fan of and anyone looking for an atypical type of Metroid.

2) Rayman Legends

If you followed Rayman Legends' rocky release, you know that the game was delayed to make ports for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. What was an exclusive for Wii U owners was held back for these reasons, understandably making many Nintendo fans irked, myself included. Regardless, the game finally released to critical acclaim but low sales unfortunately. Even with the other versions of Rayman Legends, the Wii U edition is what I consider the definitive version. The levels where you perform swipes, taps, holds, and touches to manipulate and maneuver platforms for a human or AI partner felt the greatest and most satisfying on the Wii U version. The other levels were platforming nirvana, too, especially those well done musical levels. While New Super Mario Bros. U is the king of 2D platformers level design wise, creativity-wise Rayman Legends has got the portly plumber's game handily beat.

1) Shovel Knight

Combining the gameplay of such NES classics as Mega Man, DuckTales, and more, Shovel Knight is a modern retro classic. Its design emanates high quality and even higher standards. Levels are intricately designed, offer plenty of well placed obstacles, and the entire game itself feels like such a cohesive and enjoyable package. The team at Yacht Club Games really know their stuff, and it is fully evident in every inch and pixel within this amazing 2D run-and-dig action platformer. I am absolutely thrilled that Sony platform owners will get the chance to try out this excellent game. The more players that get to experience Shovel Knight, the better!

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There are other third party games worth mentioning that didn't make it on this list: Trine 2: Director's Cut, Mighty Switch Force, Toki Tori 2+, Ittle Dew, DuckTales Remastered, Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and my controversial pick, Sonic: Lost World. The Wii U may indeed be any abyss for third party content, but it isn't a wholly horrible place for publishers other than Nintendo.

Better Late Than Never Reviews: ZombiU (Wii U) Review

To wrap up this month of SuperPhillip Central content is a Wii U exclusive that launched with the system two years ago. It's a horrifying survival horror game, ZombiU, a review perfect for this Halloween night. Enjoy.

Zombies Ate My London Neighbors

"How long will you survive?" That is the question that Wii U exclusive ZombiU asks players. That's when the game isn't kicking your ass left and right, causing your adrenaline and pulse to pump wildly in fear, having you throw you hands up in the air when an infected grabs onto you and chews on you like a doberman with a fresh piece of meat. ZombiU is a genuinely scary game where survival isn't just of the fittest, but also the smartest, the most strategic, and seldom the most foolhardy.

ZombiU thrusts you into the zombie apocalypse as a vanilla survivor, who has nothing on him or her than a cricket bat and a handgun with six bullets in it. That's it. Through careful searching of your surroundings, new gear, new weapons, new upgrades, helpful items to keep the undead at bay, and items for your health can be found. Your bug-out bag (or B.O.B.) is where you can store goods. However, this is just temporary for reasons you'll soon find out.

This shot to the head is gonna
be a wicked pissa'!

For those who enter ZombiU thinking it is simply a game where you run and gun, mowing down the undead with ease, you're going to get a very unwelcome brush with reality. ZombiU is not like that whatsoever. It is indeed one part survival and one part horror, with a huge emphasis on survival. Frankly, this change-up from what we're used to seeing with zombies in games is a breath of fresh air. I guess in the case of zombies and this game, it's more a breath of rotten air. ...I'll be here all night, folks.

ZombiU is harsh in its difficulty. Each encounter is incredibly intense. It's just the degree of intensity is higher when dealing with a whole horde of undead coming after you. When dealing with just one zombie, things can become very tense very quickly regardless. All it takes is one missed swing of your cricket bat, your lone melee weapon, or one poorly timed shove and a zombie can go in for the kill, biting and infecting you.

Well, this survivor's screwed.

One of the pieces of ZombiU's playbook that resonated with me so well is how many ways you can deal with a given encounter with a zombie or a pack of zombies. Do you stand firm with your back against a wall and hope for the best? Do you throw a flare, running to safety as the zombies are distracted? Do you hide in a hallway, using a doorway as a means to funnel zombies through, picking each one off one by one? By making noise or having your flashlight on, however, you risk getting zombies zeroed in on your location. Alternately, you can just run around like a chicken with its head cut off, hoping for the best. Just some advice-- don't bring a cricket bat to a horde of zombies fight. It won't end well for you. Nonetheless, the amount of scenarios with different tactics you can use is amazing, and it makes repeated play-throughs worthwhile.

Going in guns blazing like Rambo
is not usually the correct strategy.

When infected, your survivor is dead and done for. There's no bringing them back; there's no quitting the game to cheat your way out of your failure to stay alive. Instead, you get an entirely new survivor who comes with the starting gear of your previous survivor-- that cricket bat, that pistol, and those six bullets inside its cold chamber. All of the gear your deceased survivor had is lost.

There is a chance to regain these items, but it's just one chance only. Your survivor will take the form of a zombie at the place where he or she perished. You have to return to that area, kill the now-zombified survivor, and take back their goods. If you fail again, the goods are gone forever, and in a game that is punishing in its challenge, what, with so few consumables, health packets, and ammo lying around, this can mean the difference between being able to continue your missions unabated or being heavily inconvenienced by being forced to replenish your stock of goods out of necessity.

Hmm. I doubt that sign on the top
left has to do with zombies...

London holds a select few safe houses outside of your main home base inside the subway tunnels. Here, you can save your data, replenish your health without using any consumables, stock items within a metal container (these don't disappear when you die), and upgrade weapons using a variety of collectibles found with London's bleak setting. With a dozen or so unique weapons to find and use, such as shotguns, sniper rifles, crossbows, and more, one's armory can be plenty stocked.

Each survivor you control earns points for things like completing missions, killing infected, etc. When your survivor dies, a high score is shown. There's online leaderboards to compare your best survivor total with other players. It's also a means to play against yourself, trying to score high, keep your survivor alive and successfully get through as much of the campaign as possible.

Being a launch title, showing off what the Wii U GamePad, Nintendo's big innovation (you can put that last word in quotes if need be) for their latest home console, is a must. I would surmise that Ubisoft Montpelier has accomplished that goal not only as a launch title but ZombiU still remains one of the games that best uses the GamePad in general.

Pretty much every non-combat-related task within ZombiU is performed by interacting with the GamePad's screen. You can scan the area for hidden items, see which infected are worth troubling with by seeing if they are carrying any helpful items, and so much more. My favorite feature, and this is one that makes the terrifying nature of ZombiU so incredible, is using the GamePad to organize and select contents within your survivor's backpack. The game does not pause when you're checking the contents inside of your backpack, a task that is done on the GamePad screen. This means you're vulnerable when looking at the GamePad and fiddling with backpack organization. There's always the chance that a stray zombie can come in from behind or into the fray and infect you while you're in the middle of selecting items.

The Wii U GamePad is put to excellent use.

While there is no online multiplayer to be found in ZombiU, what is offered locally is clever enough. It has two sides, one using the Wii U GamePad to deploy infected on an enclosed map, and the other using an alternate controller to complete some kind of mission, whether that be capturing flags or simply trying to stay alive as long as possible. It's a fun excursion from the main story campaign, but it's by no means a selling point at the end of the day.

ZombiU captures the feeling of hopelessness, and part of that is due to its abundance of amazing imagery and visual design. Post-apocalyptic London feels like the real deal with such a natural design that nothing really feels too out of place or game-y. The disheveled streets, littered with garbage, messages on walls, huge attention to detail-- all of this makes London a character with a personality of its own, helping to lend itself to the absolute bleakness players will find themselves in.

Hello sunshine!

While plenty of other games of its kind go for an all-guns blazing-type approach, ZombiU sticks with tried and true survival horror. The game is an endurance challenge for even the most skillful of gamers, and there are legitimately spooky moments, sometimes even giving you fits of pure panic and fear. Hell, ZombiU is a textbook definition of survival horror, and it's one of the few games that does both "survival" and "horror" exceptionally well. It's a darn shame that most Wii U owners and gamers in general turned away from ZombiU, as it's a game that will infect players and keep them addicted from beginning to glorious end.

[SPC Says: 9.0/10]

Despite Being the "Uncool" Platforms, I'm Proud to Own a Wii U and Vita.

If systems were children in middle school, Nintendo's Wii U and Sony's PlayStation Vita would be the ones that were bullied all the time. Of course, there's really no emotional scarring when video game hardware is considered, unless you are VERY emotionally involved in gaming, but my analogy still holds some weight. The point here is that these two platforms are sort of like the fish floating at the top of the bowl, while the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo 3DS swim around happily below. ...I don't know why I felt the need to do yet another analogy.

ANYWAY... the Wii U and PlayStation Vita are on life support with poor hardware sales, worse software sales, and little hope of gaining any traction in the market. With the Wii U, many are doubting Nintendo's relevance in the industry, something that would have been shocking to think about a generation ago. It simply shows how quickly success comes and goes. We've learned that with Sony's transition between the ultra-successful PS2 and the once floundering PS3.

Regardless, even if these platforms are seen as "uncool" by gamers, I can't help but love and find both platforms severely underrated. Excuse me while I stand up and admit this to the group as if this were an A.A. meeting-- "I'm Phil Stortzum. I'm a gamer... and I'm proud to own a Wii U and PlayStation Vita."

I remember the feeling I had walking into Best Buy a cold December night, picking up a deluxe Wii U, paying for it, wrapping it up when I got home, and sitting it under the Christmas tree. It's always been somewhat of a tradition for my family to get Nintendo platforms close to each of their launches.

However, I didn't really think Nintendo would blow their momentum from the Wii in such an astronomical and historic way. Software sales are not impressive by any means, and that resulted in third-parties cancelling projects or straight out abandoning the platform. Even knowing that I won't be getting games in series like Batman, Need for Speed, Final Fantasy, and Kingdom Hearts, for starters, doesn't really do much to annoy me. With a collection of 24 retail Wii U games, 13 of which are from third-parties, I'm more than satisfied with my purchase, even if the system takes an early retirement.

I've already got to revisit one of the more beloved Legend of Zelda games with The Wind Waker HD, was able to conquer one of the greatest 2D platformers ever in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, had a blast playing co-op with my brother in the fantastic Super Mario 3D World, explored the streets of LEGO City with the best LEGO game yet in LEGO City Undercover, survived the terror and fright of the game that probably makes the best use of the Wii U GamePad in ZombiU, smiled more than I gritted my teeth in frustration with Sonic: Lost World, had fun gatherings with friends and family thanks to both Nintendo Land and Wii Party U, and took down mighty behemoths in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate online with friends across the world. It would be an apt statement to say that I've more than made my Wii U purchase worth it.

Those who harass Wii U owners and the system they possess always seem like so very bitter individuals. It wouldn't surprise me if most of them had never touched the system or its unique controller. If they had, perhaps they would see exactly what they're missing. I know that I no longer take for granted being able to peek at a map in an open world game without needing to pause my progress, or decide between playing a console game or watching TV because now I can do both via off-TV play for most titles. The Wii U started off with me hesitant and unsure of whether I felt screwed out of money, but now I can't imagine my gaming life without it.

Shifting gears (or rather systems), I recently received a PlayStation Vita from a trade on a gaming site (GameTZ). It came with a 16 GB memory card and a charger. Already I own nine games for the system, with a tenth coming in the mail next week sometime. Like the Wii U, it absolutely bewilders me how anyone can say that the system is lacking in games. The great thing about owning a platform that isn't selling well (as weird as that is to say) is that one can find terrific deals for software, even in brand-new and sealed form. The most I've spent on a game so far is $30.00 exactly, and that was for a more niche and rarer game, Ys: Memories of Celceta.

I'm looking through my collection of nine PlayStation Vita games, and I'm still realizing how much I'm missing from my library. I still have Person 4 Golden, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Final Fantasy X/X-2, and Ragnarok Odyssey Ace to acquire. There's too many worthwhile titles available, and that's not even counting all of the digital software already on the PlayStation Store with more content coming in week after week. Sony has established the PlayStation line of hardware as the go-to place for indies. The company makes no attempts to hide this fact, even championing it frequently. I have to be stingy on my PS Store purchases, however, because I have but 16 GB of data on my memory card.

That reveals itself to be my main problem with the PlayStation Vita, and it's no secret to any owner or potential owner of the sexy device. The Vita uses Sony's proprietary memory cards, seen in storage amounts of 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB. However, even the 8 GB card, which hardly holds enough content as is, is rather expensive. When you're looking at upwards of nearly $100 to upgrade to the 64 GB card, you know that your memory cards are too pricey!

Not the actual size.
(It's actually MUCH smaller!)

Still, I can't stay mad at my Vita. Its features and technology just amaze me. As a kid of the early 90's, I would have never believed you if you said that games so complex and full of technical detail could be possible on a machine that fits in the palms of my hands. We've come a long way since the Game & Watch and Game Boy, that's for sure!

The following wasn't supposed to come off as me trying to rationalize my purchases as a way to say "Hey, Phil. You DIDN'T waste your money." No, it was more to show that both platforms have a wide variety and amount of software and features that make them worth getting, and to show how a typical owner like myself can find great enjoyment from both platforms. The negative press doesn't affect me as an owner of both, but it obviously affects those on the fence about getting either the Wii U or Vita. Who wants a system that is constantly called doomed or a failure?

My approach with this editorial was to show that both the Wii U and PlayStation Vita are worthwhile choices for anyone who has the spare time and money to fully invest themselves in the platforms. By simply giving them a chance, one will find that each offers an abundance of software and features that cannot be found anywhere else. Even if this approach doesn't work, my happiness derived from both Wii U and the Vita will most likely ignore any negativity surrounding either.

Top Five Wii U Games That Best Use the GamePad

It's no secret that many developers, including those within Nintendo, have been clueless as to how to incorporate the Wii U GamePad successfully into their games. It doesn't say much for the controller when the recently released Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze only used it for off TV play. Otherwise it simply showed a black screen. Still, there are a selection of titles that do make fine and even highly creative uses of the Wii U's special controller. These five games are what SuperPhillip Central's staff deems the ones that implement the GamePad best and in a variety of ways.

5) Rayman Legends

We start our top five countdown with a game that was originally scheduled to be a Wii U exclusive. Rayman Legends was set to release in the February following the Wii U's launch in November 2012. Unfortunately, Ubisoft's launch offerings failed to reach their sales expectations and resulted in Legends being delayed in order to be ported to other systems. Despite all this, we proclaim that the Wii U version of Rayman Legends is still the one to get. It was built for the Wii U GamePad, and it works remarkably well.

Rayman Legends has particular levels where the GamePad player controls a flying insect named Murfy. Either with the AI controlling the character doing all of the platforming or a human doing that work, the GamePad player uses their finger or stylus to interact with the environment. From sliding platforms for the player to climb aboard or moving obstructions out of the way, the Wii U GamePad is utilized in creative ways that make for an innovative gaming experience. A subgroup of Rayman Legends fans prefer to simply press a button to make Murfy do things (this is only possible in the ports, apart from the Vita version), but for the freshest and most fun take (obviously subjective) on this excellent platformer, the GamePad is the way to go.

4) Wii Party U

Nintendo has really struggled to show compelling reasons for the Wii U GamePad's existence in its own games. However, Wii Party U is a title that showcases many ingenious uses for the tablet-like controller. While the majority of mini-games are played simply with the Wii Remote, the 1 vs 3 mini-games have the sole player using the GamePad while the others use the Wii Remotes. This asymmetrical gameplay isn't just limited to the mini-games of Wii Party U.

Alternative modes that aren't board game related present great examples of how the Wii U GamePad can be utilized in many different ways. Name That Face has the GamePad user snapping a photo of their face that matches the clue given to them. Then the other players have to solve what the GamePad user's expression actually means. Lost-and-Found Square has three Wii Remote players scrambling to find the GamePad player, who assists the others in finding them by describing landmarks and places of interest around them. Sketchy Situation involves passing around the GamePad. Each player draws the item listed on the screen. However, one player has a slightly different item to draw than everyone else. The players that identify which player's item is different from the others earn points.

Alongside fun games for group sessions, there are an admirable amount of tabletop games. These games are played solely on the Wii U GamePad, having two players share it. One player is on one side, another player is on the other. Such simple to pick-up-and-play games include foosball and baseball. The point is that Wii Party U shows an incredible amount of inventive ways to use the Wii U GamePad.

3) Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut

It's easy to implement a wide range of uses for the Wii U GamePad into many short, independent mini-games, but what about a single full-length, narrative-based, action/stealth game? One is more limited in the ways they can apply the controller to this type of game without it feeling shoehorned in. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut is such a game that uses the GamePad and uses it well.

There's of course a convenient means to play the entire game on the GamePad's screen exclusively, but there are several in-game applications that are more original in concept. Such things include using the screen as a radar, map, and infolog; looting downed enemies as well as hacking with a touch of the screen,; accessing inventory; sniping enemies; and much more. These applications perfectly show the Wii U GamePad as an enhancement of the gameplay of Human Revolution. It exhibits how the controller can be implemented into things other than mini-games, off-TV play, and a screen for the game's map.

2) Nintendo Land

Many will scoff and turn their noses up to Nintendo Land, believing it is just another mini-game collection. However, Nintendo Land is made up of twelve unique attractions, each with an impressive amount of content, stages, and challenges to them. Some more than others. Regardless, the majority of games create enough novel practices for the Wii U GamePad that makes us confused why Nintendo didn't just further experiment with these applications in fuller games.

Take Mario Chase, for instance. That game has a Mii dressed up as Mario being chased by several Miis in Toad costumes. The Mario Mii is controlled by the GamePad player, who gets to use the map on the screen to show where his Toad pursuers are at. This allows the Mario Mii to plan out the appropriate path to avoid the other players. The chasers do not get the luxury of a map. Instead, they must find the GamePad player, call out where that player is, and tag him before time runs out.

Then there's Yoshi's Fruit Cart. The TV screen shows where all of the fruit the player driving a Yoshi-shaped vehicle must devour, the goal that the player must drive through once all of the fruit in a stage has been eaten, as well as the holes and other obstacles they must avoid. With the Wii U GamePad, the player must draw a path to get all of the fruit, avoid any hazards, and reach the goal before their amount of juice runs out. The catch is that the GamePad screen only shows the playing field and not any fruit, goals, or obstacles. Through carefully examining the patterns of the ground, the player can deduce where different objects are located to either get or avoid them in order to draw an appropriate path.

Finally, we have The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest, an attraction that has the GamePad player donning the familiar Zelda staple the bow, shooting arrows at incoming enemies as they go along an on-rails adventure. Through using the gyro controls and accelerometer of the GamePad, players can get a 360 degree view of impending danger, upcoming enemies, and vantage points to pick off foes from. Certain boss battles have the GamePad player needing to turn the GamePad on its side to dodge an enemy's attack.

That's just a fourth of the amount of activities in Nintendo Land that utilize the Wii U GamePad in an innovative way. We've just scratched the surface. When you factor in that the majority of attractions show off the capabilities of the controller in unique ways, and that most attractions have a healthy heaping of content to them, it's shocking that Nintendo Land didn't take off better than it did. It truly is a special game, and one that puts the Wii U GamePad to terrific use.

1) ZombiU

Still, in our collective opinion, the single most spectacular use of the Wii U's GamePad comes from Ubisoft's poor selling launch title ZombiU. Many shrugged off this game as a throwaway first-person shooter, but ZombiU is much more than just a first-person experience. It's true survival horror with an emphasis on surviving. Every time the player loses a survivor of the zombie apocalypse to a member of the undead, that survivor becomes a zombie. That character is no longer available for the player, nor is what they had in their backpack. The player assumes another survivor's body, with the ability to pick up their lost loot. Of course they have to deal with the zombie that is their last survivor.

ZombiU's intense gameplay is something that could only be done on the Wii U, and it would only be effective with the Wii U GamePad. You see, in order to manage the limited space of each survivor's backpack, the player needs to have the survivor set the backpack down and rummage through it. However, unlike most other games, the gameplay does not pause. The player's character is still vulnerable to becoming infected by a zombie that can show up on a moment's notice. It's this level of uncertainty and fright that wouldn't be anywhere near as executed as well as it is on the Wii U and its unique controller.

Outside of this major gameplay element and GamePad use, the controller's touch screen serves the purpose of a mini-map, as well as being employed for hacking and inputting passwords into computers. What ZombiU does with the Wii U GamePad is astounding, and what is even more amazing is that the game that best showcases the possibilities and potential of the Wii U GamePad is a title not even from Nintendo, the creator of this device in the first place! Bravo, Ubisoft. Bravo.

Sequels, Please! - New Installments We'd Love to See

Similar to other segments such as Localizations, Please! and Remakes, Please!, Sequels, Please! is another segment at SuperPhillip Central where we more often than not fruitlessly beg for games that we desire. Although we do not get what we want most of the time, we've gotten what we begged for several times, such as a new Donkey Kong Country or localization of games like Bravely Default, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, and Tales of Xillia. Obviously we had nothing to do with these games being released, but we'll take what we can get.

Sequels, Please! delves into individual games or franchises that we would absolutely love to see new installments for. From a Smash Bros. inspired fighting game to an intense stroll through the zombie apocalypse, these games are ones we'd greatly enjoy seeing sequels for. After you've read our picks (we have plenty more in mind, but we gotta make this a series of segments somehow!), please let us know what sequels you've always been dreaming of. The wilder, the better!

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

We start off with a game that we cannot believe didn't do as well as we (and Sony) were hoping. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was without any question the PlayStation brand's answer to Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series. While the games did have their obvious similarities, PlayStation All-Stars altered how points were made. We realize that this caused much criticism, but we can't help but be thankful that SuperBot Entertainment tried something different to distinguish this party fighter from its point of inspiration. With some fine-tuning of the formula and better roster choices, we'd love to see Sony return to this series with a title and cast that definitely are worthy of the PlayStation name.

LEGO City Undercover

Here comes a game that we had no problems declaring it as the best LEGO game yet. It's not even a close race. LEGO City Undercover introduced Wii U owners to a sprawling city with myriad activities to take part in, things to collect, and tasks to complete. While the Nintendo 3DS saw a prequel to its Wii U bigger brother, that game was a technological mess and did not possess even half the charm and wit of the Wii U game. We would absolutely love to see Tt Games return to Chase McCain's world and deliver yet another hilarious and addicting LEGO City game for Wii U. Heck, it doesn't even have to take place in LEGO City!

The Wonderful 101

Give thanks to Nintendo's horrible handling of this game commercially, which funnily enough is a prime reason why the Wii U is a sales disgrace, as to why The Wonderful 101 did not do gangbusters at stores. Quite the opposite actually. The demo, with its lack of a real tutorial, infuriated and turned off many players. However, those of us who have played the final version of the game experienced an increasingly escalating game that continued to dial up the crazy from start to finish. Oh, that ending sequence! On his Twitter (if you don't know the handle, ask your mom), Hideki Kamiya has expressed interest in a possible Wonderful 102, but that's up to Nintendo. Seeing how risk-adverse and safe they have been with their game announcements lately, we're less than hopeful. Still, we'd love for our pessimism to be unfounded.

3D Dot Game Heroes

For a series that is so popular, The Legend of Zelda series has seen very few imitators, much less ones that can hold a candle to any installment. However, the PlayStation 3's 3D Dot Game Heroes is an homage to the classic game, The Legend of Zelda proper, offering an abundance of NES-related game references and a nostalgic take on the action/adventure genre. The game used blocks for characters, enemies, and settings, delivering a world that was as fun to look at as it was to explore. While 3D Dot Game Heroes sold poorly in Japan (less than 20,000 its first week), U.S. sales were more than admirable, exceeding Atlus USA's (the publisher) expectations by six times. We'd be grateful for another trip down memory lane in an adventure that blends old and new with another 3D Dot Game Heroes.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles

In our review yesterday, we gave a relatively glowing review of the GameCube's Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. Since the original 2003 release, the Crystal Chronicles sub-series has spawned new iterations, two similar dungeons crawlers on the Nintendo DS, a duo of city-building games on Nintendo's WiiWare service, and a completely different take on the series with the Wii's Crystal Bearers. However, we'd be most interested in seeing Square Enix return the Crystal Chronicles line of games back to basics with the enjoyable dungeon crawling, treasure finding, monster defeating, boss beating, multiplayer action that games like the original GameCube Crystal Chronicles and the DS games contained. We don't care if it's on Wii U or Nintendo 3DS-- we just want our dungeon crawling thirst quenched! Plus, it would take the bad taste out of our mouths from the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy. Couldn't hurt, right?

ZombiU

The Wii U launch title, ZombiU, sold poorly. As a result, Ubisoft opted to delay Rayman Legends and port it to multiple platforms. That's a shame, not just the Rayman game being sent to die in September, but because ZombiU is still one of those Wii U games that makes the greatest use of the GamePad, something that Nintendo can hardly design creative ideas for. It's safe to say that without the GamePad ZombiU wouldn't be the same, wouldn't be as scary, and wouldn't be as much of an experience. Using the GamePad in real time to check your backpack's inventory while making you vulnerable to zombie attacks made things all the tenser. Solving puzzles with the controller and doing so much more made ZombiU more than just another shooter. Add in permanent death, and you have an original and criminally overlooked Wii U exclusive that should have gotten more attention. The hope of a followup is pretty low, but even if Ubisoft needs to make a sequel multiplatform, we'll take it. We need our zombie fix!

Puppeteer

Severely overlooked by PlayStation 3 audiences, the insanely charming and whimsical platforming adventure known as Puppeteer was a game that released to no pomp, no circumstance, not even a little "hey!" Instead, Puppeteer was relegated to bargain bin status quite quickly. We are of the minds that Kutaro and the rest of the gang deserve another chance; this time for redemption. Whether it be on PlayStation 4 or PlayStation Vita as a retail or downloadable title, we don't want to see the immensely interesting world of Puppeteer vanish when there's so much potential to it.