Unannounced Wii U Games Outed by Blockbuster UK?

Game Rant

By Ben Kendrick

Published May 7, 2012

An employee at Blockbuster in the UK has posted screenshots that suggest a number of unannounced Wii U games are en route for Nintendo's highly-anticipated new console.

Game industry insiders and hardcore players remain mixed about whether or not Nintendo's upcoming Wii U console is going to be yet another massive success for the publisher - or a piece of tech that even casual gamers will consider behind on the "next generation" curve.

Of course, Nintendo hasn't been pushing technical boundaries for some time; instead relying on what some players might consider "gimmicks" (albeit innovative ones no doubt) such as 3D and motion controls - as well as a host of first party games featuring iconic characters from the publisher's rich stable. Regardless of how you, or industry analysts, might feel about the decision, new details about unannounced Wii U games would indicate that Nintendo doesn't intend to change-up that strategy too much this holiday season.

According to a report from GoNintendo, a Blockbuster UK employee has leaked screenshots of a number of unannounced (and announced) Wii U titles that were listed on the retailers point of sales terminals.

Previously, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata presented a murky picture as to what players could expect from the first batch of Wii U titles:

If I said that an overwhelmingly rich software lineup would be prepared from day one, it would be too much of a promise to make. On the other hand, we are making efforts so that we will be able to make several proposals even from the launch period that can eventually become evergreen titles for the Wii U.

As it turns out, Iwata's candid response does paint a pretty accurate representation of what the publisher has in the pipeline - if the list of potential Wii U titles is to be believed.

Check out the leaked Blockbuster UK images below - followed by an easier to read breakdown of the listed games:

[gallery order="DESC" columns="2"]

Aliens: Colonial Marines
Assassin’s Creed
Batman: Arkham City
Darksiders II
Dirt 3
Formula 1 All Stars
Game Party
Ghost Recon Online
Just Dance 4
Killer Freaks from Outer Space
Marvel Super Heroes
Metro: Last Light
Monsters Party
New Super Mario Brothers Wii
Ninja Gaiden 3
Pikmin
Rabbids Party Land
Raving Rabbids
Rayman Legends
Shield Pose
Splinter Cell 5
Sports Connection
Tekken
Your Shape 2013
Zombie

As usual, it's important to take retailer information with a grain of salt, given that a lot of stores simply input rumored titles as placeholders, and their appearance isn't representative of actual behind the scenes information or upcoming reveals.

That said, assuming the list is accurate, the Wii U looks to follow the same trend as its Wii predecessor - relying heavily on nostalgia-fueled first party titles that feature fan-favorite characters (New Super Mario Brothers Wii 2) as well as third party shovelware games intended to be quick cash grabs that capitalize on the Wii U controller functionality (Rabbids Party Land and Raving Rabbids). While larger, more immersive, third party titles are a priority for Nintendo, despite highly-anticipated releases such Assassin's Creed 3, the appearance of titles like Ninja Gaiden 3 and Batman: Arkham City (which will be nearly 1.5 years old when it releases on the Wii U), doesn't do much to dissuade criticisms that the system will already be playing catch-up the moment it releases - even if some high-profile developers have, publicly, claimed the system actually has a lot to offer.