The Wonderful 101

 Wii U
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 546 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 472 out of 546
  2. Mixed: 34 out of 546
  3. Negative: 40 out of 546
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  1. Oppai_Senpai
    Nov 13, 2021
    9
    this religious experience makes the WiiU worth it! Platinum really did their thing with this one!
  2. SkywalkerMcD
    Dec 1, 2020
    9
    Despite the imperfect controls, this is a unique and beautiful game with nothing comparable available. Great animation, personality and huge bosses make this game a classic gem.
  3. SpeedPower465
    Jul 3, 2020
    10
    The Wonderful 101 is a masterpiece, with hours of pure action, challenge, fun and madness. The whole adventure is full of charm, detail and an incredible game feel.

    The game's main mechanics are incedibly original and really, really fun, easy to learn but hard to master. The levels are impressive, with a huge amount of different enemies to fight, each of them being it's own unique    The Wonderful 101 is a masterpiece, with hours of pure action, challenge, fun and madness. The whole adventure is full of charm, detail and an incredible game feel.

    The game's main mechanics are incedibly original and really, really fun, easy to learn but hard to master.

    The levels are impressive, with a huge amount of different enemies to fight, each of them being it's own unique concept with it's own moveset and moves (some of them can do a LOT of attacks!).
    And the boss fights... are just incredible. Every single boss fight from this game is full of crazy action and over the top epicness, with unpredictable bosses that can use different attacks every time you play the battle.

    The Wonderful 101 gets better and better as long as you progress, with an excellent character development, orchestrated soundtrack, non-stoping action and a sense of epicness that you can't see in almost any game.

    And the hard mode? You'll love it.    … Expand
  4. Goodopinion
    May 13, 2020
    8
    Was hard at first. Once you understand the gameplay and grasp combos, the game is satisfying. Soulful
  5. antenneone
    May 16, 2019
    9
    Una verdadera obra maestra. Lo tiene todo, gráficos, jugabilidad, control exquisito (Una vez que le coges el caire). PAra mi el mejor juego de Wii U. Largo y rejugable. Una mezcla entre pikmin, bayoneta y Viewtiful joe, pero con identidad propia.
  6. mario_sparrow93
    Feb 20, 2019
    8
    Si por algo se define The Wonderful 101 es FRESCURA. Su sistema de combate es dífícil de controlar y es muy frustrante al principio, pero una vez le coges la onda el juego es una completa maravilla. Se ha ganado por derecho propio ser considerado, De los mejores juegos de acción de la generación y el mejor juego de Wii U, en el sentido de que ha sido el ÚNICO juego que ha sabido implantarSi por algo se define The Wonderful 101 es FRESCURA. Su sistema de combate es dífícil de controlar y es muy frustrante al principio, pero una vez le coges la onda el juego es una completa maravilla. Se ha ganado por derecho propio ser considerado, De los mejores juegos de acción de la generación y el mejor juego de Wii U, en el sentido de que ha sido el ÚNICO juego que ha sabido implantar mecánicas jugables originales que engrandezcan de verdad la experiencia de jugar con tableto-mando...y no limitarse a modo TV, mapita en el gamepad y FUERA XD

    El juego trata de un supergrupo de superhéroes que van a tener que vérselas con unos alienígenas que quieren invadir la tierra y para hacerlo, nuestro ejército de héroes se fusionarán dando lugar a unas "hectofusiones" que pueden adoptar la forma de puños, espadas, pistolas o mazos gigantes. Como dije antes el sistema de control es difícil de manejar al principio, ya que consiste en dibujar con el dedo en el gamepad el símbolo especiífico para activar una hectofusión u otra. Pero a medida que avanzas se convierte en una locura y una virguería jugable debido al dinamismo con el que cambias las hectofusiones: De puño a espada; de espada a pistola; de pistola a gancho...bueno lo dejo porque hay PORRRONES de hectofusiones, todas ellas útiles debido a la gran variedad de enemigos que se nos presentan en pantalla y dependiendo de estos tendrás que utilizar unas hectofusiones u otras. Luego por supuesto también se podrán utilizar para hacer puzzles o abrir puertas o manejar naves mientras peleamos con bichos...hay níveles que es que son una LOCURA de la cantidad de cosas que haces al mismo tiempo XD.

    Gráficamente es caricaturesco, pero sus entornos supercoloridos y su magistral sonido hace que sea una experiencia audivisual muy notable. El rendimiento es constante algún que otro tirón cuando hay muchas villanos en pantalla pero tampoco nada preocupante.

    La historia tiende al humor y a la exageración...vamos como ver una película de Los Vengadores...pero bastante mejor hecha XD. Porque al mismo tiempo sabe dar profundidad a cada uno de los personajes y dar unos momentos intimistas y humanos muy eficaces, por lo que hace que te encariñes bastante con ellos. Y a partir de la segunda mitad del juego se convierte todo en giros argumentales y ÉPICA PURA, no digo más XD

    El juego es diversión pura en todos los aspectos y no hay nada especialmente malo al que echarle en cara salvo por la poca aceptación que ha tenido y de verdad que me arrepiento no habérmelo pillado en su día. Posiblemente estemos ante el "el juego de culto" de Wii U, así de claro lo digo.    … Expand
  7. greninjaX
    Dec 18, 2018
    9
    this game is awesome. Nintendo needs to port it to the switch so that more people will be able to experience this work of art.
  8. 15963574258
    Mar 24, 2018
    10
    THE WONDERFUL 101 Is a good game, it's an excellent original game too. The content is very rich, the battle is creative, the system has the depth, it should be seriously evaluated.
  9. ItsRoland
    Feb 24, 2018
    10
    Best game on wii u. i hope platnium games will make another wonderful 101 game
  10. Fudgeberry
    Feb 12, 2018
    8
    Extremely satisfying combat system with more complexity than you could shake a stick at. The novelty never wears thin as the game continues to one-up itself at every turn. A few questionable design decisions rear their heads during certain, specific one-off gameplay segments. Certain characters unfortunately wear thin and are less than adequately developed, but others make up for itExtremely satisfying combat system with more complexity than you could shake a stick at. The novelty never wears thin as the game continues to one-up itself at every turn. A few questionable design decisions rear their heads during certain, specific one-off gameplay segments. Certain characters unfortunately wear thin and are less than adequately developed, but others make up for it with their fantastic charm.… Expand
  11. RODOLFMENESES
    Mar 27, 2017
    10
    Unos de los mejores juegos de wii u. Divertido y con gran reto, los comandos con el game pad son los mejores que se han logrado para la consola.

    Ampliamente recomendable
  12. NeBrO
    Nov 17, 2016
    9
    Una jodida maravilla este juego. Te mantiene en tensión todo el rato, tiene unos jefes que son todos una pasada y meten un humor en la historia que me parece genial. Si tienes WiiU, tienes que probarlo.
  13. yiric4
    Aug 18, 2016
    8
    my personal favorite platinum game but it has its flaws. too many of the same enemies. some of the moves like zig zag and whip are similiar so u use the wrong move sometimes.
  14. o_rfilho
    Feb 20, 2016
    8
    Wonderful 101 one unique IP from Nintendo a challenge its not for the fainter hearted its hard story wise its somewhat simple but funny if you have a Wii U its a must have
  15. Halyo
    Jan 18, 2016
    10
    Although my first impression of the game after playing it for about 1 hour was a mixed
    one ( I thought it would be a bad game ), my feelings towards it changed more and more
    as I played through it and the gameplay finally revealed its full depth at about half of the game. After that I became addicted to the game, I simply was hypnotized by this game, because of his charm that was    Although my first impression of the game after playing it for about 1 hour was a mixed
    one ( I thought it would be a bad game ), my feelings towards it changed more and more
    as I played through it and the gameplay finally revealed its full depth at about half of the game.
    After that I became addicted to the game, I simply was hypnotized by this game, because of
    his charm that was created by the wonderful atmosphere and his awesome innovative gameplay, the music
    and the awesome level/enemy design. At the end it was one of the most epic, challenging and
    rewarding videogame experiences I've ever experienced.
    It is really that you need so much time to get in a videogame like this, but after you've
    made it in the first third of the game you'll never regret.    … Expand
  16. Twin2712
    Nov 26, 2015
    9
    + Genuinely creative game
    + Action Action and more Action
    + Awesome boss fights
    + Surprisingly decent story
    + Good use of gamepad
    +art style

    -Platforming
    -Lack of explanation of mechanics
  17. Atlink
    Nov 1, 2015
    8
    The short version is: If you like cheesy superhero shows, or over-the-top anime fight sequences, this is probably the game for you.

    The long version: The Wonderful 101 (W101) is a fantastic game created by Platinum for the Wii U, which absolutely pushes the console to its limits. There were many times I had to remind myself that this console is considered "underpowered", because this    The short version is: If you like cheesy superhero shows, or over-the-top anime fight sequences, this is probably the game for you.

    The long version:
    The Wonderful 101 (W101) is a fantastic game created by Platinum for the Wii U, which absolutely pushes the console to its limits. There were many times I had to remind myself that this console is considered "underpowered", because this game certainly knows how to take art direction to a new limit. Lots of colors, lots of action, and lots and lots of characters on screen.

    The main attraction of the game is that you are playing as a group of superheroes known as "The Wonderful 100", and you are on a mission to stop the GEATHJERK invasion. Over the course of the game, you will learn new moves, and gain new abilities by adding more CENTINELS (the organization the W100 work for) members to your army, allowing you to wield a blade, crack a whip, and shoot a gun. The more people you have in your party (which you can recruit during gameplay), the larger and more powerful you can make these weapons, although the incredibly large versions only last a few seconds, due to their overwhelming damage capability.

    While W101 plays just fine for the most part, there are some noticeable issues with the drawing, whether you decide to draw on the Wii U's gamepad screen, or use the right analog stick. Some powers are far too similar, or can be transformed into something else by either angling the stick just right, or by drawing too far. There were definitely a number of times I had run into this issue in the heat of battle, which caused my character to die. Thankfully, continuing doesn't require that you re-start battles all over again, but simply drops you right back into the fray, with the enemy's health right where you left it.

    The other problem is that this game is extremely ambitious in squeezing every ounce of processing power from the Wii U's graphics chip, and while it does this without a hitch most of the time, during the later levels, I noticed the framerate dip from the silky smooth 60 fps down to a painfully noticeable 15 fps. Keep in mind, I'm giving estimates here, the actual fps may or may not be higher/lower.

    Another problem is due to the gameplay mechanics. I'm not someone who enjoys being spoonfed everything in a game, by being told where to go and what to do every second, but there are some mechanics that are explained in the beginning of the game that you may or may not remember learning around 20 hours in, leaving you confused and frustrated. At this point, after a few minutes of wandering, a hint system may have been nice. There weren't a whole lot of times that I was completely stumped, but they definitely broke the epic feel of the game when I ran around the same area over and over looking for a wall to whack, or trying to figure out how to pick up a gear. Thankfully, these mechanics come full force in the later levels, so you won't be forgetting them later on.

    All in all, W101 is a great game, and actually utilizes most aspects of the Wii U's hardware pretty well without it seeming overly gimmicky. Entering certain rooms will force you to use the Wii U's gamepad screen to solve a small puzzle, or use the gyro controls to move a camera to face your enemy. These gimmicks are used sparingly, but do add a fresh spin to the combat and adventuring.

    The sound design is absolutely fantastic and has one of the greatest super-hero themes ever made within. While most people would gripe at the english voices, they're so over the top and cheesy that it just works, given the setting of the game. If the game tried to take itself seriously at all, I'd be disappointed. Get a nice sound system, and crank it up, especially for the last portion of the game, in which you may be tempted to cheer when you complete your task (or scream that you just broke the A button off your controller).

    As I mentioned before, W101 has some shortcomings, but the vast majority of the game is fun, fast, and highly engaging. The storyline is quite good for a game this silly, as long as you aren't expecting anything deep and thought provoking. If the drawing mechanic was a bit better fleshed out, I'd easily rate this game a 9.

    Absolutely recommended.    … Expand
  18. Revin
    Sep 14, 2015
    10
    The most fun I had playing a game in years. There is a learning curve, which in my opinion is a good thing. W101 is an island of challenge in a sea of hand holdy games. A breath of fresh air in an industry that has lost touch with its classic difficulty roots. It requires experimentation and focus. You can't button mash your way to the end, or rely on a single gimmick.
    Aside from    The most fun I had playing a game in years. There is a learning curve, which in my opinion is a good thing. W101 is an island of challenge in a sea of hand holdy games. A breath of fresh air in an industry that has lost touch with its classic difficulty roots. It requires experimentation and focus. You can't button mash your way to the end, or rely on a single gimmick.
    Aside from gameplay, the story and writing are hilarious. Goofy characters usually don't appeal to me but I couldn't help but fall for this games charm.
    My only gripe with the game is that everything looks like it's been coating in a layer of gloss. I really don't care too much about graphics in a game that breaks the 4th wall with outside references at every turn though    … Expand
  19. AMMANN7
    Sep 5, 2015
    10
    10/10

    A much needed breath of fresh air on the Wii U

    + Great over the top story
    +Anime and Power Rangers inspiration
    + 100 heroes
    + Characters
    + Dialogues
    + Multiplayer

    - Controls a little bit hard to master
  20. PhantomMac
    Sep 3, 2015
    8
    This is a very original game with different control movements. If you leave it for a while, it can be hard to remember all the movements. The action is good, the battles are a challenge and it is a refreshing game because it is so different.
  21. tre802001
    Aug 30, 2015
    9
    Wonderful 101 is a great game. The controls were a little tough in the beginning but once you learn them the game is so much fun. The cheesy quotes and dialogue is great. The game reminds me of 80's cartoons.
  22. dharma
    Jul 19, 2015
    8
    Hideki Kamiya is one of the great game developer in the field. The Wonderful 101 shows his beat and worst tendency: absolutely great game mechanic, with a steep but satisfying learning curve, accompanied by great concept. But it also shows his worst tendency: absolutely non-sensical narrative that goes on for far too long. You'll get your money's worth for sure...but its too much of a goodHideki Kamiya is one of the great game developer in the field. The Wonderful 101 shows his beat and worst tendency: absolutely great game mechanic, with a steep but satisfying learning curve, accompanied by great concept. But it also shows his worst tendency: absolutely non-sensical narrative that goes on for far too long. You'll get your money's worth for sure...but its too much of a good thing for sure.… Expand
  23. modshroom
    Jun 2, 2015
    10
    This game is truly how action games should be done. The upgrade system and amount of content is literally staggering. Anyone who ranks this game below a 9/10 has clearly not played it.
  24. WonderRed
    Jun 1, 2015
    9
    The Wonderful 101 es un juego muy dificil y no está orientado para todo tipo de público, pero es un juegazo. Muy divertido, muy buena banda sonora, artisticamente muy chulo y una historia con momentos épicos. La jugabilidad es realmente buena y original. Lo recomiendo a todos los que amen los hack and slash y sobre todo los juegos difíciles de dominar.
  25. BV-Swifty
    Feb 23, 2015
    9
    This game is flipping awesome!! This is basically a fantastic combination of Pikmin and Power Rangers. It looks really nice and colorful and makes me feel like I'm watching a saturday morning cartoon! The controls could be pretty confusing at times but with patience, it will make gameplay feel really solid. My favorite part of this game has got to be the bosses because they are so goshThis game is flipping awesome!! This is basically a fantastic combination of Pikmin and Power Rangers. It looks really nice and colorful and makes me feel like I'm watching a saturday morning cartoon! The controls could be pretty confusing at times but with patience, it will make gameplay feel really solid. My favorite part of this game has got to be the bosses because they are so gosh darn memorizing! And it was always so satisfying to deal the epic finishing blow! My only complaint about this game, however, is that it can be really hard at times, but it you're up for it, it will be a blast. This game is great for fans of non-stop action and the Bayonetta series. But seriously, MORE PEOPLE NEED TO PLAY THIS GAME!… Expand
  26. imoses
    Jan 26, 2015
    9
    If you took the brush drawing from Okami, the humor and style of Viewtiful Joe, the gameplay from Bayonetta, and a pinch of Pikimin you get... The Wonderful 101!

    I absolutely love this game.

    Pros:
    + Original
    + Challenging
    + Funny
    + Wii U Gamepad integration

    Cons:
    - camera at times is weird
    - stylus works less reliably than analog
  27. PhazonInduced
    Jan 25, 2015
    10
    Living proof that bad reviews and not creating enough hype can make an almost perfect game that finally brings innovation and a new way to play video games go unnoticed.
    The people that reviewed this game couldn't realize two basic things: you need to buy two abilities (unite guts and unite spring) from the shop after you finish the tutorial and that you have to use the analog stick to    Living proof that bad reviews and not creating enough hype can make an almost perfect game that finally brings innovation and a new way to play video games go unnoticed.
    The people that reviewed this game couldn't realize two basic things: you need to buy two abilities (unite guts and unite spring) from the shop after you finish the tutorial and that you have to use the analog stick to draw the unite morphs. That's it. Sure, it was a dumb design decision to lock two important abilities behind the market, but really, is it that big of a flaw?
    My guess is that the other thing that made so many reviewers mad was that this game treated them as human beings with brains. It never spoon feeds the player. There's a lot to discover here, from how certain abilities work to crazy easter eggs and unlockables, and it's awesome when you go from frustration to "oh, so that's how this works" moments.
    Now to stop addressing these stupid reviews and tell you more about the game.
    Wonderful 101 is colorful. It's visuals make you feel like you're playing a saturday morning cartoon and it fits right in with other Wii U games like 3D World, Bayo 2, DKC:TF, Pikmin and so many other visually stunning games present in the console.
    To compliment these visuals you get a silly cartoon humour that if you ever had a childhood, will bring your attention to the game's story right from the start. All of this delivered by some damn good voice acting (the synergy between wonder-blue and wonder-green especially is hilarious).
    As for the gameplay, it's one of the craziest things I've ever played. You control this group of superheroes (and the number can go well over the 101 of the title, since you recruit citizens for your team) and form shapes that act like your weapons. So for instance, if you draw a hook, you get a hammer or if you draw a circle you get a fist and so on. What this allows the player is the ability to access any "weapon" at any time, so you can interact with objects specific to that weapon whenever you want or just pull out some crazy combos mixing your abilities in any way you want. The best way I can describe it is if you picked up Bayonetta's combat system and weapons, allowed her to carry all of them at the same time, added a bit of Okami and a bit of Pikmin. Still I'd be far away from telling you exactly what the mechanics of this game really are. There's a lot of depth here, especially when you finish the game for the first time and go for a new game plus on hard mode.
    Oh, and did I tell you that the boss battles ARE INSANE? LIKE FREAKIN' HUGE AND WITH ALL THESE TWISTS AND SATISFYING ENDING TO THE BAD GUYS.
    I'm getting close to the max limits here, so let's wrap this up, even if I feel like I'm missing 101 other reasons why this game is awesome.
    If you own a Wii U and like video games, pick this game up. That's it.
    If you like to play games and is bored of all of these gritty "edgy" games with the same ol' mechanics that make you feel like you're working a second job instead of having fun, buy this game.
    If you like playing games and not being treated like a sack of potatoes that can't figure things out by your self, buy this game.
    If you... buy this game.
    It's the best game on the Wii U, that's it. All you need to know.
    I really hope you guys that read this review and bought the game love it as much as I did and please, recommend it to other people! This masterpiece can go unnoticed.
    Team, unite up!    … Expand
  28. GoHawks31
    Jan 11, 2015
    10
    The people giving this game a bad review obviously don't understand good video games, and or didn't take the time to really learn the mechanics. This was was by far one of the funnest experiences Iv had with a video game in the last few years. The story is awesome, the voice acting is super entertaining, the mechanics are beyond good once you find the style that best fits you(I used theThe people giving this game a bad review obviously don't understand good video games, and or didn't take the time to really learn the mechanics. This was was by far one of the funnest experiences Iv had with a video game in the last few years. The story is awesome, the voice acting is super entertaining, the mechanics are beyond good once you find the style that best fits you(I used the right analog for some, and the touch screen for others) I had a absolute blast, and was sad when it ended....I very rarely replay games like this, but I plan on starting a new game to unlock some more stuff....Don't be fooled by the bad reviews, give this game a shot! You can find it for around 20 dollars brand new...and for that price its a Got Dang Steal!!!… Expand
  29. camilosanchez16
    Dec 15, 2014
    9
    Es sin duda el juego mas subvalorado del 2014 y una de las joyas que menos atención ha recibido de parte de la comunidad gamer en sí... Puede que sea un genero niche, algo "extraño" para los jugadores comunes, e incluso los Nintenderos, pero sin duda es una joya en bruto, muy amigable con Pikmin 3, colorida y lo mas importante original y todo un reto!!
  30. ClMick
    Nov 27, 2014
    10
    This game is terrific. Wether you agree with that or disagree seems to be a matter of tastes and colours.

    If you like a challenge, a fast action-packed and unique or at least rare gameplay, this is for you. This game offers challenges which seem impossible at first. It leaves it up to you to discover things like enemy weak point, element-resistent weapons, touch-screen vs d-pad controls    This game is terrific. Wether you agree with that or disagree seems to be a matter of tastes and colours.

    If you like a challenge, a fast action-packed and unique or at least rare gameplay, this is for you. This game offers challenges which seem impossible at first. It leaves it up to you to discover things like enemy weak point, element-resistent weapons, touch-screen vs d-pad controls etc. And the satisfaction of figuring it all out on yourself without the game holding your hand.

    There's unlockables, extra completion content many other things to figure out, even when you already beat the game. Replayability is therefore quite high.

    It's the antidote for interactive movies. A game for core gamers. An underrated hidden gem.

    There's a free demo of it in the e-shop. Everyone should give it a try. And have fun.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Best Wii U Game of 2013
5
#5 Most Discussed Wii U Game of 2013
1
#1 Most Shared Wii U Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 52 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 75
  3. Negative: 0 out of 75
  1. Level7.nu
    Dec 12, 2013
    60
    The Wonderful 101 bursts with charm, humour and style. It is very easy to care for the characters and their universe. But frequent trouble with the controls breaks the tempo far too often. Something that also racks up the challenge unnecessarily high in an already hard game. But at the same time the battle system is a joy, if hard to master. It’s a very good game with some rough edges that feels very well needed on the Nintendo Wii U.
    Read full review
  2. Universo Nintendo
    Oct 29, 2013
    90
    This is the kind of experience which Nintendo promised when it announced the console - the kind of experience it deserves.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Oct 24, 2013
    80
    Full of ideas, humor and difficulty, The Wonderful 101 will keep you glued to the screen, which can be both good & bad. But a little bit of challenge from a difficult game never killed anyone, right? [Issue#234]
See all critic reviews »