Wii U Donkey Kong Mario Kart Starfox Pokemon

Nintendo's unique new home console, known to the masses as the Wii U, is now available across the globe. Early adopters have an adequate launch lineup of games to choose from, and everyone from casual players to hardcore gamers will find something in the current library. More often than not, it's the first-party content Nintendo churns out that motivates consumers to invest in the Big N's latest hardware.

There's no question that New Super Mario Bros. U and Nintendo Land provide quality experiences, but some Wii U owners are already looking ahead and wondering which renown Nintendo franchise will land on their new console next. Pikmin 3, Super Smash Bros. 4, and even a new Legend of Zelda have already been announced for the platform, but it's what Ninty hasn't announced that has longtime fans speculating. With that in mind, we've compiled a list of the ten Nintendo-owned properties that we would love to see make their way over to the HD console, ones we believe will at some point.

Without further ado, let's a go!

Wii U Earthbound Game

Known as Mother in Japan, Earthbound is one franchise that veteran fans have longed for Nintendo to bring back. The franchise hasn't been seen in North America since 1995, and the only glimmer of hope that fans have had to hold on to in recent years are appearances of Ness and Lucas in the Super Smash Bros. series.

Recently there's been hope that the series will be making its triumphant return, and that came about after Earthbound creator Shigesato Itoi revealed that something is happening with the dormant franchise. He did say that it won't be "Mother 4," sadly, but fans would absolutely settle for a downloadable remake of the original if it meant getting a chance to play the game once more.

Wii U Kirby Game

The iconic pink puffball has been around for over 20 years, and he's seen a number of games throughout his meteoric rise to stardom. That's why it shouldn't come as a surprise that Kirby is one franchise that we'd love to see appear on the Wii U.

A high-definition iteration of one of Nintendo's most infamous platformers has a lot of potential on the Wii U. The GamePad could act as a unique way to interact with players on the television, or even act as portal that displays the contents of Kirby's stomach — allowing players to select powers from consumed baddies on the touchscreen. Heck, even Kirby's Canvas Curse 2 would work well on the system!

Wii U F-Zero Game

We've got the need... the need for F-Zero. Captain Falcon and friends have been missing in action for a number of years. The fast-paced, adrenaline-packed racer is one of many games that fans have been clamoring for, and it's about time that the series made its comeback on the Wii U.

With an attraction in Nintendo Land, it's obvious that Nintendo hasn't forgotten about F-Zero, and we'd be incredibly surprised if the franchise missed yet another console generation after skipping over the Wii. With the allure of HD visuals and online multiplayer, the return of the Blue Falcon is almost a certainty.

There wasn't much love for the agitated ape up until the release of Donkey Kong Country Returns, and even then it's been over two years since gamers have been treated to a new DK-centric adventure. With the Wii U, it's time for Nintendo to give fans an HD take on one of the best series in their illustrious back catalog.

In an odd turn of events, all three of the previously available original Donkey Kong Country titles have been pulled off of the Wii's Virtual Console. Whether or not that means that there are plans in motion re-release them with updated visuals is unknown, but we can't wait to see what kind of trouble Diddy and Donkey Kong will find themselves in next.

Also, bring back King K. Rool.

Anyone who owns a Nintendo 3DS is hopefully well aware of why Kid Icarus: Uprising deserves a home console followup at some point in the not-too-distant future. Uprising managed to entertain with wicked dialogue, action-packed gameplay, and likable characters, and it's not hard to imagine how well that experience would transfer to the Wii U.

There are countless mythological beasts and smart-alecky comments left to be thrown in a sequel, and there's just too much potential left within the series for it to be ignored for another 25 years. The angelic hero Pit went through one heck of an adventure in his latest game, and it's a journey that we sincerely hope to see continue.

Wii U Animal Crossing Game

Few games within Nintendo's arsenal have reached the popularity of Animal Crossing, and it's appearance on the Wii U is a certainty. After stellar sales of Animal Crossing: New Leaf for the 3DS in Japan (so stellar, in fact, that there were shortages across the country), there's little doubt that the series will make the transition to another Nintendo platform.

The Wii U provides many unique features that the developers could take full advantage of. It could revolutionize the online social aspect of system, and at this point in the Wii U's life there simply isn't enough of that yet. It's unlikely that the series would take an MMO approach, but it's entirely possible that some areas may become hot spots for random players to interact with one another, trade goods, and even open up their own shops.

Wii U Star Fox Game

Star Fox is somewhat of a troubled franchise at the moment. The latest game was a remake of the N64's Star Fox 64, and it landed on the Nintendo 3DS in 2011 to mediocre sales. Fox McCloud and the gang also completely skipped over the Wii, despite the fact that many thought the on-rails Arwing battles would have been a perfect fit for the console.

Now that the Wii U is here however, there's a resurgence of hope for a true successor to the Nintendo 64 classic. Massive online space battles, wicked visuals, and a plethora of barrel rolls are a given for any Star Fox game that ventures onto the console. Previous rumors claimed that universes of Star Fox and Metroid would clash in a crossover title, but those have since been debunked. Still, we can't help but long for a true return to form for the series.

Wii U Mario Kart Game

Gamers can never get enough of the pudgy Italian plumber and his cohorts, and that applies to everything from 3D adventures to kart racing. Mario Kart has provided players with countless hours of enjoyment since its first game hit the SNES back in 1992. Since then, the series has welcomed six more installments, and it's safe to say that its popularity is far from dwindling.

There's no doubt that Mario Kart 8 will become a reality on the Wii U, so — even though the project hasn't been confirmed — early adopters can rest easy knowing that it is coming. Add in an immeasurable amount of content can be made available via DLC and the ability to have six players racing/battling on one console, and it's obvious that Mario Kart and the Wii U are a match made in heaven.

Wii U Metroid Prime

Next to The Legend of Zelda, Metroid is the one major franchise that gamers are eager to see make an appearance on Nintendo's newest home console. Team Ninja's Metroid: Other M left a bitter taste in the mouths of fans, and as a result it was met with abysmal sales, but the Wii U offers Samus Aran a chance at redemption — provided she sticks with the first-person qualities that the Prime series introduced.

It's known that Retro Studios is already hard at work on something for the Wii U, but no one has even the slightest clue as to what it may be. Since the studio is responsible for the Metroid Prime series, many believe they're hard at work on something pertaining to the property. Regardless of what is going on behind closed doors at the studio, it's safe to say that we haven't seen the last of Nintendo's favorite bounty hunter.

Wii U Pokemon Game

Some gamers probably gave up on trying to "catch 'em all" years ago, but there are still a large number of wannabe Pokemon Masters that have stuck by the blockbuster franchise through thick and thin. As many are well aware of, there's a serious problem with any of the console versions of Pokemon, though. They are traditionally almost always horrible spinoffs that fail to capture what players love about the portable installments in the series.

Imagine a core Pokemon RPG that provides a unique adventure, hundreds of obtainable monsters, and high-definition visuals. This is the dream, and it's one that could finally be realized on the Nintendo Wii U. There's also a strong belief that the NFC technology within the Wii U's GamePad will be used for a Pokemon title that's reminiscent of the immensely successful Skylanders. This could just be fan speculation, but the two would go hand-in-hand seamlessly, and Ninty would stand to profit significantly off a business venture like that... provided that they have a large install base for the Wii U.

Games Coming to Wii U

Thus ends our list of 10 Nintendo franchises that Game Rant would love to see make their way over to the Wii U. There's a good chance that all of these games will find their way over to the console in some form or another, but gamers probably won't hear anything for a while yet. E3 2013 is slowly creeping up on us, though, and there's little doubt that a few triple-A titles will be confirmed there.

What did you think of our list? Which Nintendo franchise would you like see make its way over to the Wii U?

Follow Riley on Twitter @TheRileyLittle.