Nintendo’s worst console has taken another hit, long since it was removed from store shelves. Although known today as a titan of the gaming industry, Nintendo has somewhat of a checkered past when it comes to console releases. Things like the Game Boy, the DS, and the Switch have done exceptionally well for the company, making it a household name. But other consoles, like the Virtual Boy and the GameCube, were anything but blockbusters, even though the systems themselves often had a lot to offer.
Now,we have the Switch 2, the fastest-selling console in Nintendo history - although not the best-selling, at least not yet. It’s the direct sequel to the original Switch, which was an enormous critical and commercial success in its own right, so it has big shoes to fill. And although its library is still a bit lacking,it’s already done one thing much better than Nintendo’s worst console, taking away a much-needed victory from the long-suffering Wii U.
Wii U Was Known For Being A Zelda Machine
For all the Wii U’s flaws, it was known in its time as a beast of aZeldamachine. Counting remakes, originals, virtual console games, and spinoffs,the Wii U could play no fewer than 15 differentZeldagames, 12 of which were mainline games, by the end of its service life. That includes the beloved enhanced HD remasters ofThe Wind Waker(which just gota Switch 2 release) andTwilight Princess.
There were alsoa wide variety of classicZeldagames available via the virtual console, including the original NESZelda,A Link to the Past,Ocarina of Time,Majora’s Mask,The Minish Cap, andSkyward Sword. Via backwards compatibility, you could also playLink’s Crossbow Training, originally for the Wii, which I suppose counts as aZeldagame.
The original versions ofSkyward SwordandTwilight Princesswere also playable on the Wii U via backwards compatibility.
As for originals, the Wii U was home toHyrule Warriors, which kicked off the popular hack-and-slash spinoff series. And many players forget thatBreath of the Wildwas originally developed for the Wii U, releasing simultaneously on that console and the original Switch.
Although it had its fair share of excellent games and is still beloved byZeldafans,the Wii U wasn’t a great console overall. Although it supported a ton of third-party games at launch, its hardware failed to keep up with other consoles of the generation. Many consumers were befuddled by its name, not fully understanding that it was a generational leap from the original Wii.
All this and more led to the Wii U’s commercial failure- it only sold 13.56 million units worldwide before it was pulled from shelves (viaNintendo). Compare that to the original Wii’s 101.63 million, or the Switch’s 152.12 million.
Nintendo Switch Now Has More Zelda Games Than Wii U
The Switch 2 Can Play 15 Different Zelda Games
But now, according to a handy-dandy spreadsheet prepared by Reddit userPaidon23,the Switch 2 has surpassed the Wii U in terms of playableZeldagames, with15 mainline titlesto the Wii U’s 12. Much like the Wii U, the Switch 2 has an expansive virtual console library via itsNintendo Switch Online service. While it’s still missing a handful of titles, likeThe Minish CaporTwilight Princess, it still has a lot of overlap with the Wii U’s classicZeldalibrary.
And, of course,the Switch console line does have a couple of exclusivesthat came out far too late to make it to the Wii U.Tears of the Kingdom,Echoes of Wisdom, theLink’s Awakeningremake - it was really only a matter of time before it surpassed the Wii U. With moreZeldaspinoffs on the way, includingHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, that gap is only getting bigger.
The Wii U does have a couple of exclusive spinoffs that can’t be played on the Switch 2, but when it comes to mainlineZeldagames, it’s been thoroughly defeated (and honestly,Link’s Crossbow Trainingisn’t that big of a loss). It’s just insult to injury for what could be consideredNintendo’s worst console.
