Xenoblade Chronicles X
Xenoblade Chronicles has become Nintendo’s latest franchise, even leading to the company acquiring a majority stake in developer Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was a big success and the first Xenoblade is getting a full-blown remake on the Switch, so where’s Xenoblade Chronicles X?
By the end of the year both of the other Xenoblade games will be easily playable on the Switch, so it seems a bit weird that Nintendo wouldn’t put in the effort to bring Xenoblade Chronicles X to their newest system.
Easily one of the most ambitious games on the Wii U, Xenoblade X presented a massive, gorgeous world to explore and tons of customization options. It may not have reached the heights of the first game, but Xenoblade X could really benefit from an enhanced port.
Graphically the Switch would make Xenoblade X even more gorgeous, even when it was already a remarkable achievement on the Wii U. It seems like a no-brainer port, but even years later we still haven’t seen even a hint of Xenoblade X coming to the Switch.
Super Mario 3D World
If there’s one game that should have come to the Switch already, it’s Super Mario 3D World.
One of the greatest 3D Mario games ever made, it’s absolutely baffling that we haven’t gotten it on Switch, especially with other titles making the jump like New Super Mario Bros. U and Captain Toad.
Mario 3D World introduced some incredibly fun new power-ups, like the fan-favorite cat suit, and it featured fantastic four-player co-op.
Considering how much of a focus Mario has been on the switch 3D World would be a surefire money-maker. It’s generally considered one of the very best games on the Wii U, so hopefully we’ll see it at some point.
Pikmin 3
It’s been six years since we’ve seen a mainline Pikmin, not counting 2017’s Hey Pikmin. The series also hasn’t appeared in any way on the Switch, outside of Super Smash Bros. Because of this, it seems like Pikmin 3 would have been an easy port to bring over, but yet again, it’s something we haven’t seen.
Maybe Nintendo doesn’t want to flood the Switch with ports, and instead focus on new games, but Pikmin fans have been left wanting.
Even more baffling is that in 2015 Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed that Pikmin 4 was in development, but we haven’t heard a peep since then. At this point, it’s understandable for fans to be a bit worried about Pikmin, and if Nintendo wanted to assuage those fears a Pikmin 3 Switch port would be a good way to do it.
The Wonderful 101
The Wii U was a place where hugely imaginative games simply didn’t get the chance they deserved, mostly because of the system’s low install base. Games like Captain Toad and Tokyo Mirage Sessions have gotten a second shot at life with ports, but equally deserving is PlatinumGames’ The Wonderful 101.
The Wonderful 101 let you control a team of quirky superheroes, using them almost in a Pikmin-like way to form different giant weapons, like a fist or a sword. The entire game had a charming Saturday morning cartoon feel to it, and sported that distinct Platinum style.
The Wonderful 101 is an especially viable candidate due to Platinum’s close relationship with Nintendo these days. 2019 saw the release of the Switch exclusive Astral Chain, and the developer is also working on Bayonetta 3, another exclusive.
With this, it seems like Platinum and Nintendo would easily be able to work together for a port.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
Yes Wind Waker HD is already a remaster of a GameCube game. No, that doesn’t mean it can’t come to Switch at the same time. Wind Waker HD did a phenomenal job of upgrading the game’s cel-shaded graphics, and it’s easily one of the most beautiful games on the Wii U.
The Switch has also been a strong outing for the Zelda series with Breath of the Wild and Link’s Awakening. We know a Breath of the Wild 2 is on the way, but it’s no doubt quite a ways off.
In the meantime, Nintendo doesn’t want to leave the Switch devoid of new Zelda content and porting over Wind Waker would be the perfect stop-gap.
At the same time, you also have Twilight Princess HD that could be brought over, but in the end, Wind Waker was the title with bigger changes.
Star Fox Zero
If the purpose of a port is to upgrade the game or fix issues, then there’s no game that could benefit more from that than Star Fox Zero. The 2016 Wii U game heavily suffered from a cumbersome control scheme that required you to use motion controls.
It was a huge detriment to what would otherwise have been a solid Star Fox experience, but it’s something that could be addressed by a Switch port.
If Nintendo put some work in and added a standard control scheme, Star Fox Zero could be an impressive port.
There are plenty of ways the game could be enhanced, from new missions or story content to expanded multiplayer options.
It’d be a serious shame if the Wii U version of Star Fox Zero is the last thing we see from the franchise.
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