I've delayed the next developer focused thread because, frankly, the developer it will be focused on has a pretty extensive history that requires some more preparation. So, we get a second focus on one off platform exclusives instead, this time rolling Nintendo's two Wii consoles together to give us the below roster. Here is a list of Wii and WiiU games that launched but never found life beyond their initial release...
Entry 01 - Captain Rainbow
Other Formats: None
Exclusive to the Wii and even then only Japan, it took years for a fan translation to land. The game stars Nick, a former Super Hero who undertakes tasks and missions on an island to gain Kirarin that he can exchange for wishes for himself or other island dwellers. The game was received well but failed to sell and it's sometimes risqué humour helped push a cancellation on a considered EU release.
Entry 02 - Disaster: Day of Crisis
Other Formats: None
Battling terrorists and natural disasters, you shot and mini-gamed your way through threat after threat. Released in Japan and the EU, Americans found themselves being overlooked for this action title that carried some systems similar to the Disaster Report games but in a less sim way. It received average to reasonable scores and failed to sell well but remains a very distinct title in the Wii's catalogue.
Entry 03 - Ghost Squad
Other Formats: None
The Wii remote leant itself strongly to shooters and made the system an easy home for Sega's lightgun conversions. Ghost Squad came across in the shadow of other titles like House of the Dead but proved itself to those who played it, building a strong reputation amongst its players. The game had the remote used in various ways such as defusing bombs in addition to shooting and though reviews were mixed it is probably the highest regarded light gun shooter on the system.
Entry 04 - The Last Story
Other Formats: None
In the dying days of the Wii it received a trio of JRPG's, Last Story was one of these but only Xenoblade Chronicles would find life beyond the system. Co-written and directed by the creator of Final Fantasy, the game was an action RPG within a fantasy setting and released in Japan and the EU though a concerted effort on players behalf was required to get an eventual release in the US. The game was generally well received and sold well on top of it, it also enjoyed higher opening sales than Xenoblade but later figures suggested the game was very front loaded and stopped selling soon after, presumably why it has drifted away with time.
Entry 05 - Pandora's Tower
Other Formats: WiiU
Alongside Last Story and Xenoblade, the third of the end of life Wii RPG trio was this action RPG. The game went through a long development and like Last Story had to undergo the same release approach in the US. Whilst Last Story was praised for getting mileage out of the Wii's dated hardware, Pandora's Tower was more mixed on that front even if the game was still reasonably well received. The game didn't do as strongly on release though, however it did get a straight release via WiiU's estore a few years later.
Entry 06 - Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
Other Formats: Arcade
Yes, a rare occasion when a Street Fighter starring title hasn't been ported to every format under the sun. Tatsunoko licensing keeps this title bound down. Featuring a simplified fight system to fit onto the Wii remote, TvC used 2.5D visuals to face the two casts off against each other. The Japanese and Western versions varied slightly in their mini-games, online support and to an extent characters with some added to the western version but one remaining locked to the Japanese instalment.
Entry 07 - Devil's Third
Other Formats: None
A third person action title that shifts to first person for aiming, Devil's Third was a clunky budget looking title mixing brawling with gunplay. It's online modes received an stand alone Japanese PC release which was the final sign of life for the game that had been in development hell for years but Nintendo ended up supporting because the WiiU lacked online titles of the ilk Nintendo itself could not make. The final game suffered poor reviews though and also poor sales.
Entry 08 - The Wonderful 101
Other Formats: None
Still ever waiting a reprieve for Platinum like Bayonetta 2 received, the isometric title saw players control a growing band of superheroes as they explore stages and rescue citizens. With rechargeable morph moves that required drawing on the WiiU Gamepads screen, players worked through the brightly coloured levels fending off alien attackers. Received with generally positive reviews, the game failed to replicate the same response in sales.
Share your thoughts and memories of these Wii and WiiU era titles
Entry 01 - Captain Rainbow
Other Formats: None
Exclusive to the Wii and even then only Japan, it took years for a fan translation to land. The game stars Nick, a former Super Hero who undertakes tasks and missions on an island to gain Kirarin that he can exchange for wishes for himself or other island dwellers. The game was received well but failed to sell and it's sometimes risqué humour helped push a cancellation on a considered EU release.
Entry 02 - Disaster: Day of Crisis
Other Formats: None
Battling terrorists and natural disasters, you shot and mini-gamed your way through threat after threat. Released in Japan and the EU, Americans found themselves being overlooked for this action title that carried some systems similar to the Disaster Report games but in a less sim way. It received average to reasonable scores and failed to sell well but remains a very distinct title in the Wii's catalogue.
Entry 03 - Ghost Squad
Other Formats: None
The Wii remote leant itself strongly to shooters and made the system an easy home for Sega's lightgun conversions. Ghost Squad came across in the shadow of other titles like House of the Dead but proved itself to those who played it, building a strong reputation amongst its players. The game had the remote used in various ways such as defusing bombs in addition to shooting and though reviews were mixed it is probably the highest regarded light gun shooter on the system.
Entry 04 - The Last Story
Other Formats: None
In the dying days of the Wii it received a trio of JRPG's, Last Story was one of these but only Xenoblade Chronicles would find life beyond the system. Co-written and directed by the creator of Final Fantasy, the game was an action RPG within a fantasy setting and released in Japan and the EU though a concerted effort on players behalf was required to get an eventual release in the US. The game was generally well received and sold well on top of it, it also enjoyed higher opening sales than Xenoblade but later figures suggested the game was very front loaded and stopped selling soon after, presumably why it has drifted away with time.
Entry 05 - Pandora's Tower
Other Formats: WiiU
Alongside Last Story and Xenoblade, the third of the end of life Wii RPG trio was this action RPG. The game went through a long development and like Last Story had to undergo the same release approach in the US. Whilst Last Story was praised for getting mileage out of the Wii's dated hardware, Pandora's Tower was more mixed on that front even if the game was still reasonably well received. The game didn't do as strongly on release though, however it did get a straight release via WiiU's estore a few years later.
Entry 06 - Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
Other Formats: Arcade
Yes, a rare occasion when a Street Fighter starring title hasn't been ported to every format under the sun. Tatsunoko licensing keeps this title bound down. Featuring a simplified fight system to fit onto the Wii remote, TvC used 2.5D visuals to face the two casts off against each other. The Japanese and Western versions varied slightly in their mini-games, online support and to an extent characters with some added to the western version but one remaining locked to the Japanese instalment.
Entry 07 - Devil's Third
Other Formats: None
A third person action title that shifts to first person for aiming, Devil's Third was a clunky budget looking title mixing brawling with gunplay. It's online modes received an stand alone Japanese PC release which was the final sign of life for the game that had been in development hell for years but Nintendo ended up supporting because the WiiU lacked online titles of the ilk Nintendo itself could not make. The final game suffered poor reviews though and also poor sales.
Entry 08 - The Wonderful 101
Other Formats: None
Still ever waiting a reprieve for Platinum like Bayonetta 2 received, the isometric title saw players control a growing band of superheroes as they explore stages and rescue citizens. With rechargeable morph moves that required drawing on the WiiU Gamepads screen, players worked through the brightly coloured levels fending off alien attackers. Received with generally positive reviews, the game failed to replicate the same response in sales.
Share your thoughts and memories of these Wii and WiiU era titles
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