Remaining Wii U Ports
Image: Nintendo Life

Update [Mon 29th Oct, 2024]: Blimey, Nintendo went and dropped a huge announcement on a quiet Monday: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is coming to Switch in March 2025!

Not only does this complete the set of Xenoblade games on Switch, but it also scratches one more off this 2022 list of Wii U games that haven't been ported to Switch, yet. We'd previously given it a 50/50 chance, saying at the time that:

"We would love to see this come to Switch. Love to. But unless Nintendo is desperate for another huge RPG, it seems less likely than others on this list. Plus, Monolith Soft is busy helping out with the new Zelda game, and there's also the matter of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, as well, so we'd imagine it's already all-hands-on-deck for that."

Obviously, TOTK and XC3 came and went and it seems Nintendo was hungry for more.

Although Chronicles X will be coming to Switch in the same month the console enters its ninth year(!), it's still possible that some of the below may yet get ported. So we're republishing this list as a reminder of what Wii U goodies are still on the table...


Xenoblade Chronicles X Wii U
Image: Zion Grassl / Nintendo Life

Back in 2020 we asked you in a poll which games you'd most like to see return from Nintendo's previous console generation for an encore on Switch. Since then, we've seen a good handful of games from that selection make the generation jump, including The Wonderful 101: Remastered and Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water.

It's easy to believe that Switch has already picked Wii U's carcass clean, but that isn't quite the case. If you're like us and eager for more people to get their hands on treasures from the Wii U years — or you missed out on them yourself and want to sample them on Switch — there are several juicy morsels waiting to be devoured and we've rounded them up for you

Below you will find the big-name Wii U games that haven’t made their way to Switch along with a score based on 'Switch Port Probability'. Some have been rumoured, others remain pipe dreams, and others are probably best left alone.

So, let's take a look at the last Wii U games standing, and consider which ones are most likely to come to Switch.

Star Fox Zero (Wii U)

A fun, if flawed, game on the Wii U, we wouldn't mind seeing a streamlined Deluxe port of this. It would be a different game on Switch thanks to its use of the GamePad and controls which, for some, proved tricky to master. Still, Switch is lacking in the Star Fox department, and if there's a first-party game on this list that could really benefit from a second pass, it's probably this one.

Switch Port Probability: 4.9/10 - From Nintendo's perspective, we're not convinced the company sees sufficient appetite for another Star Fox game, and heavy hitters from the Mario and Zelda series on this list would surely be ahead of Star Fox Zero in the Switch port queue. Not impossible, certainly, but improbable.

NES Remix Pack (Wii U)

This combo of Wii U eShop titles NES Remix and NES Remix 2 might not have set the world alight, but it was a fun little retro-flavoured package that we wouldn't mind seeing resurrected. With a large selection of NES games available to play on the console via the Nintendo Switch Online subscription, it seems less likely we'll see the likes of NES Remix Pack again, but stranger things have happened.

Switch Port Probability: 3/10 - Unlikely. [Update: Even less likely now considering Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition essentially followed this template, albeit with a speedrun angle.]

Paper Mario: Color Splash (Wii U)

Color Splash wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but it was a good-looking, workmanlike entry in a beloved series and an encore on Switch might have made more sense were it not for an Origami invasion...

Switch Port Probability: 2.62/10 - Before the announcement and quick arrival of Paper Mario: The Origami King, we might have given this a 50/50 chance. Now, though, it's far less likely we'll be seeing the Wii U entry return.

Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U)

Mario's dinosaur pal has already charmed Switch owners with Yoshi's Crafted World, and although it's arguable that these material platformers are starting to lose their sheen, dyed-in-the-wool fans surely wouldn't be opposed to having a Yoshi's Woolly World Switch port, if only for another opportunity to crack out those adorable Yarn Yoshi amiibo again.

Switch Port Probability: 5/10 - It would be most pleasant to see Yarn Yoshi again on Switch, although Nintendo isn’t exactly lacking in the cute platformer department. Personally speaking, we'd rather see an HD remaster of the incomparable Kirby's Epic Yarn.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)

One of two HD remakes in the Zelda franchise, Twilight Princess HD was an excellent version of a very solid Zelda adventure in the traditional mould. For Wii U owners who played it back in 2016, there's little reason to return so soon — and with Skyward Sword HD on Switch, there might be less chance of seeing this. Still, it would be a shame if this HD update wasn't made more widely available, right?

Switch Port Probability: 6/10 - TPHD would be a welcome addition to Switch's library and we're all for making Zelda games available on as many platforms as possible. Speaking of which...

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (Wii U)

We'd love to see this Wii U remaster come to Switch in Deluxe form, and bonus points if it arrived with an optional toggle to switch between the lovely, vibrant bloom lighting of the HD version and the 'flatter' but equally lovely visuals of the GameCube original. We like both, and the ability to swap between each style would be grand.

Switch Port Probability: 6/10 - Same as above, really. The more people who can access this, the better.

Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival (Wii U)

With the success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons no doubt prompting sales of this bargain bin favourite to skyrocket (due to the Isabelle amiibo and cards it came bundled with), this is one first-party title we're not desperate to see again. It's dull as dishwater and the Wii U deserved better.

Switch Port Probability: 1/10 - Maybe as a free download? We might get it then... if it didn't take up too much space on our Micro SD card.

ZombiU (Wii U)

Ubisoft's launch game was a pleasant surprise, and one of the few games to genuinely make use of the Wii U GamePad in innovative and interesting ways that affected gameplay.

Switch Port Probability: 2/10 - ZombiU has already been ported to other non-second-screen-toting platforms, although it failed to generate much interest from gamers the second time around. Frankly, Ubisoft has more important things to be doing on Switch than reviving a sales disappointment from 2012 for the second time. Nah.

Sonic Lost World (Wii U)

While it's nowhere near the top of the 'classic Sonic games' list, Sonic Lost World is also nowhere near the bottom - quite an achievement when you consider the blue blur's back catalogue of 3D games. We like Sonic, we quite liked this... It's not impossible!

Switch Port Probability: 3/10 - If Sonic Lost World had been a worldwide hit, we'd have seen the Switch port already. As it is, we've had Sonic Colors: Ultimate and Sonic Frontiers and Sonic X Shadow Generations, so we'd be very surprised if they revisited Lost World.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut (Wii U)

The Director's Cut Wii U version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution came two years after the release on other platforms, and not long before the follow-up Mankind Divided. While it might seem an unlikely candidate for a Switch port, its vintage and the fact it was a multiplatform title could make a Switch version more viable from a technical perspective.

Switch Port Probability: 4.5/10 - With publishers perusing their back catalogues for easy wins, who's to say that a 'Deus Ex Collection' including these two is beyond the realm of possibility? We're not gagging for it, but we'd welcome it. A port of the original, though? Now we're talking.

Watch Dogs (Wii U)

The second sequel to this game was supposed to have launched by now on other platforms, but it was delayed. Ubisoft has the original Watch Dogs and its sequel just sitting there doing nothing, and after all the Assassin’s Creed action Switch has got, perhaps it’s time to jump on the 'Collection' bandwagon again?

Switch Port Probability: 2/10 - As a piece of cross-promotional marketing for Watch Dogs Legion, it might have made sense to put out a Switch port of the first game (or two) around the same time as Legion launched on other platforms. That time came and went, though.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (Wii U)

One of the few genuine challengers to Mario Kart 8's karting crown last generation, we very much enjoyed this SEGA-fest and would jump at the chance to play it again on Switch.

Switch Port Probability: 3.5/10 - Unlikely, given that its successor Team Sonic Racing is already available on the console. A shame, because that game lacks the spark and the cross-title SEGA-love of All Stars Transformed.

Devil's Third (Wii U)

Nintendo published this game from veteran developer Tomonobu Itagaki's Valhalla Game Studios, and at the time there was a buzz about it - a mature, Wii U exclusive from the mind behind the 3D Ninja Gaiden revival. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a bit of a mess and a real missed opportunity.

Switch Port Probability: 0.5/10 - In one way, we'd love to see this given more time. The original game had potential but was let down by sloppy execution. It would need such a significant overhaul, though, that it's probably best to leave it be. You can glaze a turkey, but you can't polish a Devil's Third.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U)

Kirby's claymation-inspired outing on Wii U was a semi-sequel to 2005's Canvas Curse for Nintendo DS, and although Kirby and the Rainbow Curse arguably failed to recapture that game's spirit, it was certainly a pretty entry in the Kirby canon.

Switch Port Probability: 1/10 - For this to work as intuitively on Switch as it did on the Wii U GamePad, gameplay would need to be restricted to Handheld Mode. That's not impossible — after all, Nintendo is the company that put out a Switch that doesn't 'switch' — but a stubby finger or capacitive stylus lacks the precision of the GamePad's stylus and, given the game's relatively muted reception back in 2015, we really don't see Nintendo and HAL taking the trouble to revisit this one. Not with the excellent Kirby and the Forgotten Land already available.

Game & Wario (Wii U)

A mini-game compilation featuring that loveable rogue Wario, Game & Wario showcased the Wii U Gamepad with a host of single and multiplayer mini-games which, while interesting, didn't quite capture the spirit of Wario's maniacal WarioWare series how we hoped it might. As a Gamepad showcase, it's not without merit, but take that aspect away and there's not going to be much of a game left, really.

Switch Port Probability: 0/10 - As much as we love Wario, we'd be gobsmacked if Nintendo went back and tried to repurpose this rather than build a new Switch-specific WarioWare experience from the ground up... something like WarioWare: Get It Together!, perhaps. Or WarioWare: Move It!, even.

Nah, not happening.

Star Fox Guard (Wii U eShop)

Star Fox Guard was an underrated little tower defence game in our book — one which uses the Gamepad to turn you into a security guard keeping an eye on CCTV camera feeds. It came bundled with Star Fox Zero as a physical disc, although the fact that it relies on the console's facility for asymmetric gameplay means it's a very unlikely candidate to be thrown a Switch lifeline.

Switch Port Probability: 0/10 - Nope. Sorry Slippy, you're on your own this time, son.

Nintendo Land (Wii U)

We've got a big soft spot for this Wii U launch title. Its adorable Nintendo-themed Mii mini-games may not have had the universal appeal of Wii Sports, but they were charming and showcased just some of the GamePad's potential in a manner that few games for the console ever did.

Switch Port Probability: 0.25/10 - While some of its mini-games could survive the transition, Nintendo Land is built around having two separate, simultaneous screens — the one on your television and the one in your hands. Unless the Switch suddenly develops asymmetric gameplay abilities, this is one gem that simply can't be plundered from Wii U's grave.

Could Nintendo repurpose and rejig individual games from the collection on Switch, though? Perhaps as incentives for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers? We'd love to play Donkey Kong's Crash Course again...


Let us know which of the games above you think are likely to resurface on Switch, and which ones you're content to see slumber in the watery depths with the good ship Wii U.