Two years ago today, on March 27, 2023, both the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShop shut down permanently. And as luck would have it, only just last week, we received a game that many are claiming is the last great Wii U game that had yet to be ported to the Nintendo Switch, Xenoblade Chronicles X.

But… is it the last great Wii U game stuck on the Wii U? Is it possible that other Wii U games still make it off that platform and onto modern consoles, or even the Nintendo Switch or the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, the latter of which is set to have its big reveal next week? What’s even left on the Wii U that’s worth going back to?

Two years ago, I created a list of 81 games on the Wii U eShop Worth Getting before its eShop shut down. In the time since, we’ve seen multiple games actually get ported in some form or another. And while that list was eShop-focused and didn’t include games still readily available in physical form, I still feel like it’s worth looking back two years later and seeing what’s left, what remains that’s still not available on modern platforms, and ask whether it’s likely that we could still see it re-released.

Note: I am not including on this list games that are available on PC, or via backwards-compatibility on non-Nintendo platforms – if people want to play those games, they already have an easy way to do so.

I am also not including games I gave a low review grade to, because who cares about those?

This is a list to look at good games that are “stuck on” Wii U and other older platforms, and how likely they might become “unstuck”.

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Disc-Based Games

Of all the games in this list, these are the only ones that you can still actually buy for the Wii U, since they don’t require the eShop to play. Let’s have a look:

Game & Wario – While others didn’t care for this one, I thought it was delightful. However, it is also very closely tied to the Wii U’s unique features. Zero Chance.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse – This is an excellent game, but it’s also one that really depends on the touchscreen, a feature that does still exist on the Nintendo Switch (and presumably also the Switch 2), but one they’ve de-emphasized. Nintendo could potentially make this work with gyroscopic motion controls, or perhaps even the implied mouse controls of the Nintendo Switch 2. But the former would be sloppy, and I’m not sure Nintendo wants to reach back into their past for their new game console. As such, I’m saying Maybe.

Mario Party 10 – While I enjoyed this game, it is generally not looked back on fondly by most players, and Nintendo has already far surpassed this in the eyes of both myself and the rest of the gaming world with Super Mario Party Jamboree. Zero Chance.

Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash – I prefer this game over its Nintendo Switch successor, but I seem to be in the minority here. It hardly matters, as Nintendo rarely brings back its older sports games. Zero Chance.

NES Remix Pack – This pair of minigame challenges based on old Nintendo games would be easy enough to port to new platforms, though Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition seems to be the latest evolution of the series and it’s not clear if Nintendo would even want to go backwards in this franchise at this point. Maybe.

Nintendoland – A truly great Wii U game, but also one that is so firmly tied to the unique features of that console that I cannot see it ever being ported to another platform. Zero Chance.

Skylanders: Giants – The days of “toys-to-life” are truly dead and gone (Amiibo notwithstanding). Zero Chance.

Splatoon – For many, Splatoon 2 and 3 have made this game obsolete, even though its stages, music, and single-player campaign remain unique. I can see a remote possibility that Nintendo might one day revisit this game’s content for a quick and easy nostalgia play, especially given the series’ popularity in Japan. However, I think this is Unlikely.

Super Mario Maker – I include this here because it’s technically a great game on Wii U, but come on. Super Mario Maker 2 pretty much made this game obsolete. Zero Chance.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U – Much as with Super Mario Maker, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate pretty much made this game obsolete. Zero Chance.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD – There are still even now rumors that we may get a port of this game to Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2, and even rumors that a port already exists and Nintendo is just biding their time until they’re ready to release it. Given this, I’d say the chance it sees a modern re-release is Very Likely.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD – This is in the same boat as Wind Waker HD. It’s highly rumored to be just sitting in Nintendo’s vault, waiting for them to decide its time is right. Very Likely.

Wii Fit U – If Nintendo ever really wants to revisit the “Wii Fit” game line, balance board or no, I expect they’ll do it with an entirely new game, rather than revisit a game few people will have any distinct memories of. Zero Chance.

Wii Party U – Another game that’s closely tied to the Wii U’s unique features. Zero Chance.

Wii Sports Club – Both closely tied to the Wii U’s features, and also received a new sequel on Nintendo Switch. Zero Chance.

Yoshi’s Woolly World – Now that Xenoblade Chronicles X is on Nintendo Switch, I believe that this is the best game created specifically for the Wii U that still has a decent chance of seeing a port to Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2. It’s not super-likely – Nintendo has already ported the game once to Nintendo 3DS and released a sequel, but the same was true for Donkey Kong Country Returns, and that got a Nintendo Switch port, so I’m saying this is, at some point, Likely.

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Digital-Only Games

You can’t get these games now. But will you be able to in the future? let’s see:

Affordable Space Adventures – A truly excellent game, but one that was directly tied to the Wii U’s features, and developer NapNok Games hasn’t done anything since 2018. As such, I’m gonna’ have to say Zero Chance.

Blek – This was a mobile phone game, but is no longer available on that platform. It’s very touchscreen-based, and its developer, Kunabi Brother, hasn’t updated their website since 2020. I’m gonna’ have to say this is Very Unlikely.

Dr. Luigi – I thought this was a great take on Dr. Mario, but in later Dr. Mario games this was just added as an extra mode, so I think re-releasing just this game is Very Unlikely.

Fast Racing Neo – Another “included due to technicality” game. We basically got an upgraded version of this game on Nintendo Switch in the form of Fast RMX. As such, this one has Zero Chance.

GetClose: A Game for Rivals – Developer Wombat Source lists three games on their website – two for Wii U, and one listed only as TBA. I’m going to say that expecting anything further from them is Very Unlikely.

Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars – Not especially fondly-remembered even in its own series, and making use of some experimental features I’m not sure Nintendo will want to mess with again, like its signature “tipping” system. I think this one is Very Unlikely.

Pushmo World – It’s honestly surprising to me that we haven’t seen either a port of this game or a sequel on Nintendo Switch. It would be such an easy game to port, too. It’s just a question of how much Nintendo wants to continue this series. Maybe.

Spellcaster’s Assistant – Developer Ultra Dolphin Revolution hasn’t updated their website since 2018. Very Unlikely.

Spin the Bottle: Bumpie’s Party – Once again, this one was directly tied to the Wii U’s features, and developer NapNok Games hasn’t done anything since 2018. As such, I’m gonna’ have to say Zero Chance.

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Virtual Console

A lot of Virtual Console games have been released on Nintendo Switch since 2023 on the Nintendo Switch Online retro console apps. Here’s the worthwhile stuff that hasn’t yet.

One note in regards to Nintendo DS games – most of these aren’t likely to be re-released unless the Nintendo Switch 2 adds one of the longshot features that some people are speculating about, like screencasting or a second screen attachment. For most, this is going to drop their likelihood way down. To designate these, I’ll simply say “Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect” to save time.

Advance Wars: Dual Strike – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very Unlikely.

Animal Crossing: Wild World – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very Unlikely.

Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very unlikely.

Devil’s Crush – If Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 ever adds a Turbografx-16 app, this has a good chance. Otherwise it’s extremely unlikely. I’ll cut the difference and say Unlikely.

DK: King of Swing – It seems like it’s just a matter of time before this gets released on the Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy Advance app. Very Likely.

DK: Jungle Climber – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very Unlikely.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance – Square Enix has been stingy with allowing its games to release on Nintendo Switch Online’s retro apps, and they don’t seem especially interested in re-releasing their Game Boy Advance titles. Unlikely.

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones – It seems like it’s just a matter of time before this gets released on the Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy Advance app. Very Likely.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very Unlikely.

Game & Watch Gallery 4 – It seems like it’s just a matter of time before this gets released on the Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy Advance app. Very Likely.

Gargoyle’s Quest II – Capcom has provided some games for Nintendo’s retro apps, but mostly just their earlier stuff for the consoles in question. This is a possibility, but I don’t feel like it’s a strong possibility. Maybe.

Kirby Canvas Curse – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very Unlikely.

Kirby Mass Attack – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very Unlikely.

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land – It seems like it’s just a matter of time before this gets released on the Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy Advance app. Very Likely.

Kirby: Squeak Squad – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very Unlikely.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn – Will Nintendo Switch 2 add GameCube and Wii games via some sort of retro app? It’s hard to say, but if they do this is a likely inclusion. I’ll say Maybe.

Klonoa: Empire of Dreams and Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament – Namco doesn’t seem to value its Klonoa franchise too highly, and it might see these two as games that won’t really fit its own retro collections. I’ll say Maybe.

Lords of Thunder – If Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 ever adds a Turbografx-16 app, this has a chance. Otherwise it’s extremely unlikely. I’ll cut the difference and say Unlikely.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very unlikely.

Mario Golf: Advance Tour – It seems like it’s just a matter of time before this gets released on the Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy Advance app. Very Likely.

Mario Kart DS – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very unlikely.

Mario Party DS – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very unlikely.

Mario Sports Mix – Once again, this one depends on whether Nintendo adds some sort of Wii retro app to the Nintendo Switch 2. Even so, this isn’t likely to be one of the first games they’d pick for it. Very unlikely.

Mario Strikers Charged – Yet another “if they add Wii games” pick. Unlikely.

Metroid Prime Trilogy – Even if they add Wii games, this is pretty much a non-starter as they’ve already sold a full remake of the first game on Nintendo Switch for full-price. Zero Chance.

Metroid: Other M – Once again, this one depends on whether Nintendo adds some sort of Wii retro app to the Nintendo Switch 2. Even so, this isn’t likely to be one of the first games they’d pick for it. Very Unlikely.

New Super Mario Bros. – While most Nintendo DS games are a longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect, I could absolutely see Nintendo making a remastered New Super Mario Bros. collection at some point. So I’ll bump this up to Maybe.

Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom – It’s kinda’ odd that only the first NES Ninja Gaiden game made it to the NES app on Nintendo Switch Online. It’s a well-loved series, and Tecmo doesn’t seem in a rush to re-release them themselves. I’ll say this is still a Maybe.

Pandora’s Tower – Nintendo went back and remade Trace Memory on Nintendo Switch, of all things, so oddball games like Pandora’s Tower are at least a Maybe.

Picross 3D – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect, and if they really want to revisit this series I expect they’d do it in a new sequel. Very Unlikely.

Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very Unlikely.

Punch-Out!! (Wii) – This is a beloved game from the Wii era, and it’s unknown what developer Next Level Games is currently working on. A sequel? A remaster? In any case, I think we’ll see this game get a remaster or remake someday. Likely.

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition – They had their chance when they released Resident Evil 4 on Nintendo Switch. That version didn’t include motion controls. Now? Zero Chance.

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles – You point me to a Nintendo Switch light gun game that’s actually good, and I’ll point you to a liar. Zero Chance.

Sin & Punishment: Star Successor – This is a prime candidate for a modern remaster, except that developer Treasure is basically a skeleton crew at this point, so it’s anyone’s guess whether that complicates things. I’ll say Maybe.

Soldier Blade – If Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 ever adds a Turbografx-16 app, this has a chance. Otherwise it’s extremely unlikely. I’ll cut the difference and say Unlikely.

Super Mario 64 DS – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. I suppose it’s possible this could get added to a Super Mario 3D All-Stars 2 collection with Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Mario 3D Land, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that. Unlikely.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 – Well, speak o’ the devil. This game’s omission from Super Mario 3D All-Stars was often remarked on, but I’m not sure this game is so universally loved that Nintendo would feel it warrants a remaster treatment, when its predecessor just got a straight port in a quick compilation package. I dunno, but I’m going to say Unlikely.

The Legend of the Mystical Ninja – An underrated game from Konami, who have been a bit iffy in their support of Nintendo Switch Online’s retro apps. I’ll say Maybe.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very Unlikely.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very Unlikely.

Trauma Team – If Nintendo Switch 2 does have mouse capabilities, this would be an amazing series to revisit, but I’m not sure Atlas is interested in continuing this series. I’m going to say Unlikely.

Wario: Master of Disguise – This was a great game, but I’m not sure how much Nintendo is interested in porting or remastering it. I’ll say Maybe.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves – I don’t see Nintendo Switch or Switch 2’s motion controls doing justice to this one. Very Unlikely.

WarioWare: Touched! – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very Unlikely.

Yoshi’s Island DS – Longshot Nintendo Switch 2 prospect. Very Unlikely.

Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure – Capcom has not revisited this franchise since this game released, and that’s a shame. I can only really see this re-releasing if Nintendo adds a Wii retro app. Unlikely.

Zoda’s Revenge: Star Tropics II – Another one I’m surprised hasn’t been released on the Nintendo Entertainment System app yet. Very Likely.

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So what does all of that leave us with?

Well, for remaining games that we have a decent shot of seeing on Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2, it’s mainly the two Legend of Zelda remasters, Yoshi’s Woolly World, a few Virtual Console games, and some games that are a tossup whether or not Nintendo wants to revisit them at this point. Not a whole heck of a lot.

And as for games that are probably stuck forever on Wii U? I would say the biggest ones, in my opinion, are Nintendoland, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, and Affordable Space Adventures, with the last of these three not playable in any form at this point unless you already bought it on the Wii U.

Still, for those who missed out on the Wii U… that’s not a heck of a lot, especially when you stack that up against, say, the list of Dreamcast games you can’t play on modern platforms (seriously, what the heck has Sega been doing with its post-Genesis backlog?).

So, is there still stuff worth playing on the Wii U, even now that so much has been ported over to Nintendo Switch? Absolutely, yes. Should you regret not having bought a Wii U if you have a Nintendo Switch to play the majority of its ports and remasters on? HECK NO!

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