A look at how Nintendo's 5 biggest Wii U titles might help the console's current struggles.

Over a year after its launch, the Wii U continues to struggle in the console marketplace despite having a rather large catalog of games currently available. Last year, Nintendo bet their hopes on a series of holiday titles – Pikmin 3, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, The Wonderful 101, Wii Party U, and Super Mario 3D World – to help give the Wii U the sales boost it needed to build momentum into the new year. Unfortunately, that plan did not go as well as Nintendo had expected, leaving the Wii U’s success dependent on what the company has to offer in terms of software in 2014. Will these titles have what it takes to save the Wii U?

The titles I will be focusing on in this blog post are Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Bayonetta 2, X, Mario Kart 8, and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Keep in mind that these are not the only Wii U titles coming out in 2014, but rather the biggest blockbuster releases that we currently know of. Surely, Nintendo has a few unannounced titles in the works, as well as a few interesting cooperative projects with other companies, but for now, I want to focus on these five games alone.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

The Wii U’s first big game of the year is only a few days away now, and it features our favorite banana-loving ape Donkey Kong and his friends Diddy, Dixie, and Cranky. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a challenging 2D platformer developed by Retro Studios, the same team that worked on 2010’s Donkey Kong Country Returns on Wii and the universally praised Metroid Prime trilogy of games.

Why it will save the Wii U:

Donkey Kong Country Returns sold a grand total of 6 million copies on Wii – which is more than the entire install base of the Wii U as of writing. It is clear that Donkey Kong is a popular seller among Nintendo fans, and the team at Retro Studios are masters at delivering a creative, immersive 2D platforming experience. Tropical Freeze looks to meet and surpass expectations with its beautiful visuals, clever level design, and epic boss fights. Those looking for a quality platformer on the Wii U will not be disappointed by Donkey Kong’s latest adventure.

Why it won’t save the Wii U:

The reviews pouring out this morning for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze seem to point out the game’s main problem, which is that it is yet another 2D platformer on a console that already has a ton of 2D platformers. New Super Mario Bros. U failed to boost console sales when it launched with the Wii U, and last year’s Rayman Legends certainly did little to help the fledgling console either. Furthermore, the last Donkey Kong Country game was released a mere three years ago, which has many fans wondering why Nintendo was so intent on releasing another Donkey Kong game so soon.

Bayonetta 2

When the first Bayonetta launched on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in early 2010, it was lauded for being so spectacularly different and fresh from other games in the genre. Announced at a press event before the Wii U’s launch, Bayonetta 2 is now an exclusive to Nintendo’s newest console after the Big N reached out to Platinum Games and promised to fund it alongside last year’s The Wonderful 101.

Why it will save the Wii U:

If you look at all the other titles on this list, Bayonetta 2 should stand out as being relatively dark, violent, and gruesome. It has been a while since we saw Nintendo publish an M-rated game, and if they want to prove that the Wii U is not just for kids, this is exactly the type of game they need. Because Bayonetta 2 is so different from anything else we have seen – on the Wii U or otherwise – it is easy to see why this title is so important for the Wii U’s broadening library.

Why it won’t save the Wii U:

Bayonetta 2 is the very definition of a niche title. Forget mass market appeal; this game is designed specifically for people who enjoy hyperactive action games with tons of set-pieces and tons of gore. Sure, there is a subset of gamers who enjoy this kind of stuff, but trust me, you will not be seeing any parents buying this stuff for their kids.

X

Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii was hailed by many as the best JRPG in years, so it should come to no one’s surprise that its sequel, codenamed “X,” is one of the most anticipated Wii U titles of 2014. Developed by Monolith Soft, X features a sprawling open world full of huge dinosaurs and transforming robots. Its battle system mixes traditional JRPG elements with MMO mechanics, creating a unique East-meets-West role-playing experience.

Why it will save the Wii U:

One look at X and it is easy to see why so many people are excited for it. Simply put, the game looks gorgeous. The scope of its world rivals that of GTA V, and it acts as a perfect showpiece for the Wii U’s graphical prowess. Being a fairly large JRPG, X is sure to entrance gamers for dozens upon dozens of hours, and its new multiplayer features look to prolong gameplay even longer than most role-playing games. Couple that with the fact that it is a sequel to one of the highest-rated games of all time, and you will find that X is exactly the modern video game the Wii U needs.

Why it won’t save the Wii U:

The main problem with X is that it is a JRPG, and so like Bayonetta 2, it will have limited appeal in the mass market. Xenoblade Chronicles, despite being one of the best games of Wii, did not exactly light up video game sales charts – though reports have shown that it was a mildly profitable venture for Nintendo. Certainly, there will be gamers who will pick up a Wii U solely for this sort of experience – especially given Monolith Soft’s high reputation – but it is hard to see such a niche title being the console’s saving grace.

Mario Kart 8

Mario Kart returns on the Wii U with an interesting twist. Inspired by Nintendo’s own F-Zero series, Mario’s latest karting venture adds anti-gravity segments where the track twists and turns upside down and about and around. With creative new characters and courses as well as robust online features, Mario Kart 8 looks to be the best Mario Kart yet.

Why it will save the Wii U:

Mario Kart 8 looks beautiful, but that is not the main reason why it might save the Wii U. Mario Kart Wii sold a whopping 30 million copies, and for good reason. Mario Kart has always been a great family game, and the introduction of a capable online system in the Wii version helped increase longevity. If Mario Kart does not save the Wii U in the, it surely will be an evergreen title that will hopefully get more and more people on board as time goes on.

Why it won’t save the Wii U:

Most people (including I) believe that the Mario Kart series peaked at Mario Kart DS, with subsequent entries being somewhat disappointing overall. The core formula has not changed for over a decade, and some critics panned the last entry for being just more of the same. Will Mario Kart 8 fall into the same fate as New Super Mario Bros. U, or will the differences be enough to separate this title from the rest of the pack? Only time will tell.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Since its conception on the Nintendo 64, the Super Smash Bros. series of games has been a hit on every platform it has been released on. This time, director Masahiro Sakurai is working with Bandai Namco games to create a new Super Smash Bros. game for both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. The Wii U version is the series’ first foray into high definition, with tons of new characters and stages from the classic Nintendo franchises we all know and love.

Why it will save the Wii U:

There is nothing that brings people together than a couple of good rounds of Super Smash Bros. At least from my experience, Smash Bros. has always been the go-to game at parties, get-togethers, and hangouts. It is one of the few franchises that crosses the barrier between hardcore and casual, which makes it an invaluable asset to Nintendo’s arsenal. Aside from being one Nintendo’s most popular franchises, this specific entry adds a sleuth of new features and online modes sure to please newcomers and veteran players alike.

Why it won’t save the Wii U:

While the Super Smash Bros. series have been known for its multiplayer strengths, the same cannot be said about its single-player. Unless you have friends over on a regular basis, there really is no need to get your own copy of Super Smash Bros. Furthermore, unlike previous entries to the series, there is also a portable alternative on the Nintendo 3DS. Though Nintendo continues to push hard for the Wii U version of the game, other titles that have spanned the two platforms – Lego City, Monster Hunter, and Sonic Lost World – have proved that the 3DS version is usually the more popular.

I will leave the final analysis up to you guys. Are these titles enough to save the Wii U? Sound off in the comments below!