Wii U Launch Titles

Nintendo is preparing to release the successor to one of the best selling video game consoles of all time, and consumers in general are all getting pretty excited. GameStop has already been forced to put a stop on Wii U pre-orders after blowing through its initial stock, and retailers everywhere are likely experiencing similar demand. While all of these pre-sales are a good sign that Nintendo's next-gen hardware will fare well at launch, a gaming platform is only as strong as the content it has backing it.

Nintendo previously confirmed that there will be over 50 games arriving within the Wii U's "launch window" (which begins on November 18th and ends on March 31st), but many gamers have been wondering what kind of content will be available alongside the system at launch. Today Nintendo has clarified that a grand total of 23 titles will be available on day-one of the Wii U's release, and they should keep the masses entertained long enough to get new software onto the market. The initial roster of titles is filled with third-party blockbusters and desirable first-party content, but anticipated games such as Mass Effect 3 and Rayman Legends are noticeably absent.

The following games will all be available alongside the Nintendo Wii U at launch:

A few other games will be arriving at some point in November, while the rest have just been given a generic "launch window" release status. The following titles arrive within the same month, if not the same day, as the Wii U does in North America:

What's very odd about the press release we received is that it makes no mention of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate arriving on the Wii U at any point before March 31st, which may be a sign that the Wii U version of the title has been pushed back. Meanwhile, the absence of games like Rayman Legends and Mass Effect 3 at launch are definitely felt by gamers who've been eyeing up Nintendo's soon-to-be-released platform, but hopefully they'll both be arriving some time before the Holidays.

The Wii U launches on November 18th.

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