It may be stating the obvious, but the Wii U is nearing the end of its life as far as Nintendo is concerned. It was not a successful piece of hardware for the Japanese games company, and pre-orders are now open for its successor the Switch. We've also been told what the last first-party Wii U game release will be, and that too should come as no surprise.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launches on March 3. It forms the most important launch title for the Nintendo Switch, but on the same day the Wii U version will be released. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime confirmed it will also be the very last Nintendo-developed game for its last-generation home console.
Related
- Nintendo: Wii U Production Will End SoonNintendo: Wii U Production Will End Soon
Speaking to Polygon after the Nintendo Switch launch event in New York City, Fils-Aime said, "From a first-party standpoint, there's no new development coming after the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. We really are at the end of life for Wii U."
Anyone who owns and still enjoys playing on Wii U will be happy to hear that Nintendo isn't shutting down the console's online services anytime soon. You'll still be able to play popular games including Mario Kart and Splatoon online, with sunsetting "quite some time into the future," according the Fils-Aime. It's unclear how far into the future that is, though. The eShop will also cntinue to support Wii U owners with content.
Commercially, the Wii U was a failure, but that doesn't mean it didn't deliver some very enjoyable games to play. The Wonderful 101, Mario Kart 8, Hyrule Warriors, Wind Waker HD, Splatoon, Super Mario 3D World, and Xenoblade Chronicles X are just a few of the games worth mentioning. I suspect, however, many of them are set to receive a re-release in one form or another for the Switch just like Mario Kart 8 is.