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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Kickapoww
    Sep 15, 2013
    10
    Wonderful 101 is a breath of fresh air for gamers everywhere. It's a fun new concept wrapped up in a beautiful high quality presentation.

    At its core, it's a beat 'em up adventure game. It boils down to learning enemy weaknesses and scoring high hitting combo attacks. You control a group of superheroes who must defend Earth from an outer-space invasion. The controls are innovative and    Wonderful 101 is a breath of fresh air for gamers everywhere. It's a fun new concept wrapped up in a beautiful high quality presentation.

    At its core, it's a beat 'em up adventure game. It boils down to learning enemy weaknesses and scoring high hitting combo attacks. You control a group of superheroes who must defend Earth from an outer-space invasion. The controls are innovative and take a little while to learn, and making that effort is rewarded. The controls are tight and become intuitive after investing a little time to learn and practice them. The Wonderful 101 also utilizes many features of Wii U's unique gamepad controller. The music and sound in Wonderful 101 are top notch. It has an over the top attitude and feels like a high quality animation is playing out before you because of the great sound and graphics. Everything about this game is polished and shines quality.

    All in all, this game breaks new ground and deserves a perfect score for taking gamers somewhere unexpected and WONDERFUL!!!    … Expand
  2. jrwchil
    Sep 15, 2013
    9
    This game has more fun packed in, than the ocean has fish. It's bright coloured cute exterior hides its kickass gameplay. This game alone makes me proud to own a Wii U.
  3. Jorad
    Sep 16, 2013
    10
    I feel at the moment this game is a real example of gaming injustice. It deserves so much more praise and recognition than it's getting because it is a truly remarkable game.

    First of all, let me get the negatives out the way. There were a few moments of sheer frustration, particularly with a couple of points where the game shifts to the Gamepad. However most of the moments of    I feel at the moment this game is a real example of gaming injustice. It deserves so much more praise and recognition than it's getting because it is a truly remarkable game.

    First of all, let me get the negatives out the way. There were a few moments of sheer frustration, particularly with a couple of points where the game shifts to the Gamepad. However most of the moments of frustration I had were due to me not timing something correctly or me just not being quite good at the game and the aforementioned moments were few and far between. The control scheme takes quite a while to adjust to, and at points it felt a little finicky. However, despite what some may say I think this is a fairly minor complaint in the grand scheme of things. I stand by the view that if controls are a little awkward or finicky, but the game at its core is super fun and worth investing my time in, I can try my best get over any control issues (for example with Kid Icarus Uprising). This is Speer of like a fighting game. You could opt for drawing the shapes on the Gamepad, but whilst it's easier it's also slower kind of like a Simple mode in a fighting game. Learn to use the second stick however, and it becomes more intuitive. Like trying to perfect your dragon punch motion of a fight stick. It's about mastering controls and developing the muscle memory.

    The most notable complaint I have with the game is that there are some mechanics in the game it doesn't do a particularly great job of teaching you. Wonder Build for example, whilst it doesn't come up too often, is really poorly explained (namely the point where it requires ALL your characters to be a part of the Morph) and to some it may feel like it throws you in the deep end a little too early.

    Though honestly that's where the significant negatives end for me.

    This game is just bursting with charm. From its zany characters, location and enemy designs (it was pretty amazing how every enemy looked very distinct and was wicked memorable despite the fact that they all used the same black colour scheme), the dialogue and interactions, the wealth of hidden content and extras and of course the super bright art style that achieves a comic feel despite the fact that it isn't cel-shaded and for the most part lacks the visual onomatopoeia that you see in a game such as Viewtiful Joe. Not to mention the various references made not only to games in Platinum's past history but also a couple of Nintendo's (namely Starfox and one other that I shan't explicitly say in the post as I want to keep it spoiler free but it made me fangasm).
    Then there's the incredibly robust battle system. As I said before, I can look past control niggles if the game is at its core worth investing time into, and this game most certainly is. Once elements finally start to click, you start tying together your combos, start learning the enemy types and which Unite Morph is most efficient for taking them down as well. In addition to this there's various elements such as learning when to time your Unite Guts to counter attacks (and which attacks can be countered), making proper use of the Climb Attack and targetting system and proper distribution of Battery Charge to add yet another layer to strategizing your battle plan. Anyone who thinks this game is repetitive evidently is playing it incorrectly. There's an incredible amount of variety in this game.

    Though the biggest thing for me that made me love it so much was just how much it empowers the player and how much genuine hype it generates, much like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance released earlier this year. A large element of this is in the boss battles, which serve as (in my opinion) the highlights of the game. They're so grandiose and insane in design and are incredibly heart-pumping and each one gets progressively more insane than the last. The game not only makes the player feel like a super hero, but truly a whole collective of heroes. The whole concept of strength in numbers, and how this carries through both the story and gameplay really helps to accentuate times of strength and weakness throughout the game (right to the final boss, which serves as the most potent example of this). The occasional moment where you're stuck by yourself to tackle a mission/part of a mission feel almost incorrect. Not only does your character become rather feeble but the way they control in general feels almost off. And yet this isn't a bad thing, as it only really help drive the aforementioned point and theme home.

    It's a real shame this game has been selling poorly. A real travesty. The gaming industry more studios like Platinum games. Truly daring developers willing to experiment with insane ideas whilst keeping the fundamentals of what constitute to an incredible game with so much depth. Whilst inexcessible, The Wonderful 101 is truly a masterclass game and definitely my favourite game this year    … Expand
  4. JoeyKazooie
    Sep 16, 2013
    9
    This game has an amazing thrill factor. The first hour you have no idea what you're doing, but this feeling is quickly replaced by pure adrenaline speeding through your body as you pull of fantastic combo's and dodge attacks at the last milliseconds. It's like you've suddenly become the commando leader of a group of power rangers and you get thrown into a laser firework show. This makesThis game has an amazing thrill factor. The first hour you have no idea what you're doing, but this feeling is quickly replaced by pure adrenaline speeding through your body as you pull of fantastic combo's and dodge attacks at the last milliseconds. It's like you've suddenly become the commando leader of a group of power rangers and you get thrown into a laser firework show. This makes the gameplay the best of it's kind. This is probably the reason why every other aspect of the game is built around the gameplay (like it should in most games in my honest opinion). The artstyle resembles that of superhero comic books and plastic action toy figurines and the music is a big orchestra high tension themes, which gives the game this hyped feeling. The story has a few surprises, but you will be more entertained by all the different characters and little jokes.

    The only reason this game doesn't have a 10 is the controls. You need to get used to them at first, but after a while you blaze through it with no problem. For people who don't like the touch screen, you can also use the right analog stick, which shouldn't give you any trouble. So the controls are fine, except for one small detail. When you do use the touch screen, you end up accidentally pushing the "Miiverse" button in the lower left corner a few times. This might get you out of the experience at some points.    … Expand
  5. Timkey
    Sep 20, 2013
    10
    A game I waited so long for. A great fresh game with nice fast mechanics and plenty replay-ability. When I would be like 12 years old, I only would buy it for the box art and have the greatest time, like I had with Super Mario 64 and Smash Bros.. It´s Hideki Kamiya´s masterpiece: The mix of Viewtiful Joe, Okami and Bayonetta with a superhero theme and the intention, that everyone can be aA game I waited so long for. A great fresh game with nice fast mechanics and plenty replay-ability. When I would be like 12 years old, I only would buy it for the box art and have the greatest time, like I had with Super Mario 64 and Smash Bros.. It´s Hideki Kamiya´s masterpiece: The mix of Viewtiful Joe, Okami and Bayonetta with a superhero theme and the intention, that everyone can be a hero. For some people the QTEs feel too much, the length of missions may be too long, and the sections with the GamePad in third person view may feel too gimmicky and hard, but I had no complaints. It will be hard for the sequel to top this.… Expand
  6. metroidFanatic6
    Nov 1, 2013
    10
    What do you get when a well known game developer creates a parody of all super hero movies, Power Rangers, and the average over-the-top anime? The answer is the Wonderful 101.

    Quick Review *Gameplay is difficult and fun. Involves drawing lines with either the stylus or right analog stick, then turns into a strategic beat'em up. Contains sections that play almost exactly like Sin and    What do you get when a well known game developer creates a parody of all super hero movies, Power Rangers, and the average over-the-top anime? The answer is the Wonderful 101.

    Quick Review
    *Gameplay is difficult and fun. Involves drawing lines with either the stylus or right analog stick, then turns into a strategic beat'em up. Contains sections that play almost exactly like Sin and Punishment, Punch-Out!!, and Gradius.
    *Graphics are visual appealing, and have a great cartoonish art style with a lot of variety.
    *Music is very good. Full soundtrack release worthy.
    *The story is surprisingly deep. Humorous with some serious moments with lots of character development. A lot of references to other games and anime.

    Full Review
    This game is a perfect storm of comedy, seriousness, difficulty, fun, and innovation. If I'm not fighting a giant robot that can destroy half of a major city with one blast from its wrist lasers, to fighting against a team member in a serious battle. This game is an over-the-top roller coaster that every heavy gamer should play.

    The game play of this game from the outside looks like a clone of Pimkin, but that cannot be more incorrect. Players collect heroes and the can "draw" a line with the Wonder Liner. Drawing a circle creates "Wonder Hand", a line makes "Wonder Sword", etc. Drawing the circle can either be drawn on the GamePad screen itself, or can be done by moving the right analog stick. This overall is a neat way of switching attacks and the different options to draw allows most players to find what is good for them and be happy with it.
    Once the player forms that attack he/she wants, the game plays like a beat'em up. Some attacks have power over others, there is dodging, countering, and many other aspects that play a role. It is an action game that requires strategy and using the tools available to the players advantage.
    Some Areas have the asynchronous game play come into play. This will require both screens unless one is only using the gamepad, then all they need to do is press minus, either switching screens or having both on one screen.
    For any fans of Sin and Punishment, Punch-Out!!, or Gradius, you'll be happy to hear that this game has many different game styles in various levels based off these games and more! The Punch-Out!! levels play exactly like Punch-Out!!, except with giant robots.

    The graphics of the game are very crisp and shiny. It's not the most realistic, but the art style is very eye pleasing and goes along with the mood of the game very well. The locations are absolutely jaw dropping as well. If I am not fighting a three headed robotic dragon while falling from the top of a tall skyscraper, I'm fighting in a underwater base deep beneath the ocean's surface.

    The music, how's the best way to put this? Let's just say, I shoved money at my TV immediately after hearing the music hoping I would get a soundtrack. The best music from a game I have heard in a while. It has the feeling of a super hero movie, but it has that cartoonish feel. My absolute favorite has to be the Wonderful 101 theme itself.

    The story of this game is definitely over-the-top, but actually is more than decent. Essentially, Earth was attacked by aliens that formed an alliance called GETHJERK (actually a clever acronym for "Guild of Evil Aliens Terrorizing Humans with Jiggawatt bombs, Energy beams, Ray guns, and Killer lasers"). There is a pretty good amount of character development, with serious moments to add a break from the humor. This story hits a lot of classic tropes but more too parody them, especially long winded intros to equipment, attacks, enemies, and allies. I mean, even the name of the ultimate move includes twenty five words and final three times!, There are many references in the game to other games such as Viewtiful Joe, Sonic the Headhog, Lollipop Chainsaw; as well as from anime such as Gurren Lagan, and Evangelion.

    Overall this game is definitely an early gem for the WiiU. If you like action games with comedic stories, this is the game for you!
    Definitely a 10/10    … Expand
  7. Super17
    Sep 17, 2013
    9
    One of the games that will be remembered by who play it and who have heared of it. Another awesome game by platinum and nintendo but it does have its negatives. But the positives outway them
  8. SuperZero2814
    Sep 18, 2013
    10
    The Wonderful 101 defines innovation in modern video gaming. It serves subtle feelings of nostalgia within its theming (think Power Rangers meets Green Lantern meets Thunderbirds) and its ability to not hold your hand with freeze-frame tutorials that are infuriating and dominant in current games. It forces you to try every option available to you in almost any situation. While the cameraThe Wonderful 101 defines innovation in modern video gaming. It serves subtle feelings of nostalgia within its theming (think Power Rangers meets Green Lantern meets Thunderbirds) and its ability to not hold your hand with freeze-frame tutorials that are infuriating and dominant in current games. It forces you to try every option available to you in almost any situation. While the camera angle draws comparisons to Pikmin, the actual gameplay is nearly incomparable to any other video game out there. I can't think of a video game in recent years that has felt this new, fresh and exciting. The controls do take some getting used to in the early missions but that's nothing you can't overcome with a gleeful sense of accomplishment once you learn to attack with 3 unite morphs at once (it's possible, though I have yet to try this tactic with all of the unite morph attacks).

    I cannot recommend this game enough especially since the previews caused it to be the killer app that sold me on the Wii U console. After playing the game it is definitely the killer app for the Wii U currently. Do yourself a favour and do not miss out on this modern classic.    … Expand
  9. timsnewbridge
    Sep 24, 2013
    10
    Ultimately one of the freshest gaming experiences currently out there. The drawing mechanic is just superb when learned and implemented correctly. The game evolves in such a way that the player never knows what to expect next. Around the corner could be anything; don't be surprised if it's the next epic boss battle. The story is very fun and reminiscent of 90's cartoons. If you enjoy aUltimately one of the freshest gaming experiences currently out there. The drawing mechanic is just superb when learned and implemented correctly. The game evolves in such a way that the player never knows what to expect next. Around the corner could be anything; don't be surprised if it's the next epic boss battle. The story is very fun and reminiscent of 90's cartoons. If you enjoy a rewarding challenge due to a steep learning curve then this game is for you. If you want to pack things up and play the same old tried and tested formulae well GTAV just released. If you want something new and fresh that challenges all you think you know abut gaming, pick this up as soon as possible. If you want to know what to expect visually check out the director's cut trailer on youtube. Also, there's a demo in the eshop. Download it and play it...no...not once...play it about 5 times. You will understand why come the fifth time. Because by the fifth time you have taught yourself how to play and you will feel like a champ.… Expand
  10. BigFranky75
    Sep 24, 2013
    10
    This game is spectacular. It is absolutely beautiful to look at graphically and has a very fun, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. The action is intense and a chaotic frenzy, with a definite need to learn as you go...but with practice you'll be pulling off amazing, fun, and satisfying combos.

    Honest to God, I think that this game is worth buying a Wii U for....it seriously is that good.    This game is spectacular. It is absolutely beautiful to look at graphically and has a very fun, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. The action is intense and a chaotic frenzy, with a definite need to learn as you go...but with practice you'll be pulling off amazing, fun, and satisfying combos.

    Honest to God, I think that this game is worth buying a Wii U for....it seriously is that good. You will be smiling the entire time you play it. Its original and fresh. Highly recommend.    … Expand
  11. snsoto
    Sep 22, 2013
    10
    This game is great, but you might not understand at the beginning, just like old games, but once you practice and learn how to use combos, yo will not stop playing, sincerely, people claim it is a bad thing that a game is difficult from the beginning but that what makes some games great, such as complex fighting games where you initially do nothing, bt later yo can pull off amazing moves.This game is great, but you might not understand at the beginning, just like old games, but once you practice and learn how to use combos, yo will not stop playing, sincerely, people claim it is a bad thing that a game is difficult from the beginning but that what makes some games great, such as complex fighting games where you initially do nothing, bt later yo can pull off amazing moves. Buy it, you will not regret it.… Expand
  12. TonyMastro
    Oct 6, 2013
    10
    This game is for everyone who thinks the Wii U is too casual and doesn't have enough games for core gamers. This game will challenge you like the old days and when you begin to overcome a boss the size of Godzilla (and the W101 theme music starts to play) you'll be motivated to save the day again and again! Every Wii U owner owes it to themselves to try out this new IP as soon as possible.
  13. elitefour
    Oct 19, 2013
    9
    This game has a lot of good things.
    good dialogs,good character,an adictive gameplay
    im very impresive of hideki kamiya. but i think this game
    is a mix of devil may cry and viewtiful joe. but still better than other games
    an excelent wii u exclusive. people should buy it
  14. Luigirific
    Nov 15, 2013
    9
    Positive :
    +Action-Packed
    +Epic Boss Battles +Charming Visuals +Amazing voice acting Negative : -Too Short Conclusion : This is a really Wonderful game! the combat is really fun and satisfying to play! the visuals in this game are really charming especially the character and enemy design! the problem is, this game is too short you can beat the game for 8 hours.. if you're    Positive :
    +Action-Packed
    +Epic Boss Battles
    +Charming Visuals
    +Amazing voice acting

    Negative :
    -Too Short

    Conclusion :
    This is a really Wonderful game! the combat is really fun and satisfying to play! the visuals in this game are really charming especially the character and enemy design! the problem is, this game is too short you can beat the game for 8 hours..
    if you're looking for an action-packed game then i recommend that you buy this game!

    Score 9.0    … Expand
  15. GamerGameGames
    Sep 16, 2013
    8
    The game is quite complex and requires osnoeniya. At least 20-30 minutes, but it's worth it. Colorful, complex and addictive gameplay is the main thing in this game. On top of it can be traced style of Viewtiful Joe.
  16. MW1AA2Gs
    Sep 24, 2013
    8
    One of my favorite Wii U games out right know the combat is very fun, the gameplay is very responsive, the control is very good, the graphics look great, the story and characters are cliched but they make fun of how cliched they are, and even the quick time events are good.
  17. Hedquarters
    Sep 18, 2013
    9
    Wonderful 101 takes the concept of "Nintendo hard" to a new generation. The characters are one dimensional, but unique and very entertaining. The gameplay is unforgiving, but highly entertaining and rewarding once the combos click with the player. Each episode brings a unique twist, with plenty of secrets to make the player rediscover each scene. Interesting enough, many of the charactersWonderful 101 takes the concept of "Nintendo hard" to a new generation. The characters are one dimensional, but unique and very entertaining. The gameplay is unforgiving, but highly entertaining and rewarding once the combos click with the player. Each episode brings a unique twist, with plenty of secrets to make the player rediscover each scene. Interesting enough, many of the characters share the same powers, but the game encourages the player to use every one of the heroes, but ranking each individual, therefore getting upgrades. Each villain has it's set of weakness, but the player evolves and adapts to each new threat that players face. Wonderful 101 is a fresh breath of air, and a much anticipated welcome to this amazing console.… Expand
  18. draquoir
    Sep 21, 2013
    10
    Deep engaging mechanics, gameplay variety, charming characters and jam-packed with content. If any game out there is more meticulously put together than this one, I'd like to know which game that is.

    Here we have a game that is also a romp through gaming history. Whether it be the old school, extremely simplified and easy to comprehend or the ushering and utilization of a newer complex    Deep engaging mechanics, gameplay variety, charming characters and jam-packed with content. If any game out there is more meticulously put together than this one, I'd like to know which game that is.

    Here we have a game that is also a romp through gaming history. Whether it be the old school, extremely simplified and easy to comprehend or the ushering and utilization of a newer complex control scheme. This is truly a collision of old and new, that polishes each to their highest potential of brilliance.

    Unafraid to revive older gaming staples, such as relentless difficulty and lack of explanation. And wholeheartedly giving the player who decides to experiment and use creativity to master the main battle system a sense of accomplishment that is becoming a relic of the past.

    This giant, eclectic homage to a myriad of beloved franchises and childhood aspirations is the very epitome of how a video game can invoke a sense of nostalgia without the use of well-known, established household names. At the same time, The Wonderful 101 introduces the current generation to a dose of what it feels like to experience the birth of a fresh new, genre melding franchise.

    Once you get hooked and over a huge hump of a learning curve, you'll want to pour that 101% of your effort to see this story through to its conclusion. And I dare you to play it just once.    … Expand
  19. wichdog
    Sep 27, 2013
    9
    This game is just too good, I don't understand why it got some of these bad reviews. Its not perfect but the good definitely outweighs the bad by a large margin.
  20. Gamerdays
    Sep 28, 2013
    10
    One of the best games I've played recently. Insane, over the top action with funny dialogue, loads of Platinum/retro/cartoon/anime references, and excellent interactive quick time events that aren't time fillers. This game has multiple segments that provide diverse gameplay experiences. Shoot em up, boxing, and puzzle segments break up the high octane combat.

    Combat is deep, satisfying,    One of the best games I've played recently. Insane, over the top action with funny dialogue, loads of Platinum/retro/cartoon/anime references, and excellent interactive quick time events that aren't time fillers. This game has multiple segments that provide diverse gameplay experiences. Shoot em up, boxing, and puzzle segments break up the high octane combat.

    Combat is deep, satisfying, and rewards skill with its scoring system. The Wonderful 101 does not hold your hand by any means, which I completely love. This game provides both a mental and coordination/dexterity challenge. There is a learning curve to the combat. It's incredibly satisfying to unlock new weapon skills/abilities and learn how to incorporate them into bigger, better combos. Multi-Unite Morphs are an excellent combat mechanic. You can have up to 5 weapons attacking the enemy at one time. You have direct control over the "leader's" weapon, while the rest will auto attack the nearest enemy. Playing with different Multi-Unite combos to produce a flurry of fists, hammers, whips, swords, claws, bullets, and bombs will have you coming back again and again.

    The Wonderful 101 has roughly a 15 hr single playthrough story mode. With the end game skills that unlock, characters to collect for your team, figures to unlock, secret in stage missions, and the level scoring system, this game can easily net you 100 hrs of "wonderful" gameplay.

    There is a multiplayer mode that allows up to 5 players in competitive score based battles against the enemies. Story is single player only, but there are multiple missions for multiplayer. Wii U Pro Controller and Classic Controllers attached to Wii-motes are all that are compatible with this mode. It's an excellent way to share the insanity.

    This is a MUST OWN Wii U title. It provides a fresh, unique experience not often found in today's safe bet, established gameplay/franchise offerings. Do not pass this one up!    … Expand
  21. RAFFwaff
    Oct 4, 2013
    10
    great game and completely insane in a good way. i would use the right stick to draw unites though instead of drawing them. The difficulty can be brutal and the game refuses to hold your hand, but each mission is so replayable to try and beat your time/score.
  22. C4PLATINUM
    Oct 10, 2013
    9
    The Wonderful 101 is everything a great game should be fun, yet challenging. Engaging as well as rewarding. Don't be fooled by the Haters this is my Game Of The Year as of now. You owe it to yourself to see why i praise so highly. I love the controls they are simple at first and continue to develop. The game is perfect for speed runs. The soundtrack is some the best period. It has tons ofThe Wonderful 101 is everything a great game should be fun, yet challenging. Engaging as well as rewarding. Don't be fooled by the Haters this is my Game Of The Year as of now. You owe it to yourself to see why i praise so highly. I love the controls they are simple at first and continue to develop. The game is perfect for speed runs. The soundtrack is some the best period. It has tons of replay value with the hidden team members and other collectibles. If you miss out on this Gem i could easily see it be another earthbound a game that should have been loved ,but was missed out on by so many. I'm just a fan of great games and this is one of them.… Expand
  23. synced
    Oct 18, 2013
    9
    You need to buy and tray this amazing game, w101 is hilarious, captivating, addictive, clever, majestic
    Platinum games and kamija once again shows that low sales are not always a sign of a bad job,
    the wonderfull 101 trully is one of the best games of the year
  24. Plasmaneedle
    Mar 15, 2014
    9
    The Wonderful 101 is an innovative game with creative ways of using the Wii U gamepad. Its fun, unique and deep with lots of personality. The Wii U was made for games like this.
  25. Rednation
    Oct 30, 2013
    10
    The most "video gamey" video game i have ever played. Instills you with a sense of Saturday morning cartoons feeling. Just a great game, when i beat it i stat in my chair and stared at the screen listening to the music and the ending splash screen for longer than i care to admit, definite system seller for me at least
  26. basilion
    Oct 30, 2013
    10
    Greatest game of 2013, It's a true masterpiece. Great gameplay and great arcade feel. The only problem is the camera, but this game clearly deserves a 10/10.
  27. Ivoryoshi
    Dec 13, 2013
    10
    The Wonderful 101 is a interesting concept executed wonderfully (get it The basics is that you control a certain amount of people that can do a rush attack that does some damage and pushes enemies away. You can find some citizens to be hero's for the mission or find Wonders who will be with you every mission. To take down enemies though you will need the help of the Wonder eyes. (IThe Wonderful 101 is a interesting concept executed wonderfully (get it The basics is that you control a certain amount of people that can do a rush attack that does some damage and pushes enemies away. You can find some citizens to be hero's for the mission or find Wonders who will be with you every mission. To take down enemies though you will need the help of the Wonder eyes. (I believe that is what they're called) Each one has a unique weapon they use hero's for that can hurt certain enemies more or less and get through obstacles, also with more hero's they become bigger and change how they work, for example Red has them become a hand. It's close ranged and can interact by turning things in the over world, only change is a bigger hand by using more heroes, meanwhile Blue uses a sword. It's Medium range and can cut things up, and it gets longer range as you have more hero's. Finally green uses a gun that's long range and can shoot obstacles out of the way, also it uses hero's as the gun and bullets so you have to conserve your hero's, the bigger it becomes the more explosive the bullets but the more hero's it requires.There are more than these three and each is a joy to use. If you want to try it out first you can try the demo where these three are unlocked. Trust me you'll want to try the demo before making a decision on buying. The difficulty may startle some of you to back off, either because you can't change forms to fit the situation, Using jello to reflect cannon balls or figuring out how to move on, or you find battles to hard to complete, either because sword needs to be out to reflect lasers or gun to shoot first. It may seem odd that a game I fully recommend to anyone would have hard game mechanics to understand, but the personality and story is very good. The game play got very addicting once I got more heroes. This game is not for everyone but if you can learn it, a game with an excellent story and game play awaits you.… Expand
  28. blakout808
    Dec 27, 2013
    10
    This game is incredible, dont let some of the reviewers fool you. One of the best games of the year and a must have for the Wii U. Period. That is all. Go buy the game!!
  29. jaxophone
    Jan 8, 2014
    9
    This game is fantastic. With original humor and beautiful art, this game is an experience that is well worth it if you can find it for a good price.
    Not recommended for small children due to sexual and off-color jokes, which adults and teens would find absolutely hilarious.
    The controls and menus are confusing at first and there is a large learning curve, but don't let it discourage you.    This game is fantastic. With original humor and beautiful art, this game is an experience that is well worth it if you can find it for a good price.
    Not recommended for small children due to sexual and off-color jokes, which adults and teens would find absolutely hilarious.
    The controls and menus are confusing at first and there is a large learning curve, but don't let it discourage you.
    The ways that the gamepad is used come across as uninspired and lackluster    … Expand
  30. ricklongo
    Nov 5, 2013
    8
    Games simply don't get much crazier than The Wonderful 101. It's pretty obvious the good folks at Platinum had a lot of fun making it, and if you allow yourself to get lost inside its over-the-top world, you might just have a lot of fun playing it as well.

    You play as a group of superheroes known as the Wonderful 100 (the 101st member is you, the player). Hailing from different parts of    Games simply don't get much crazier than The Wonderful 101. It's pretty obvious the good folks at Platinum had a lot of fun making it, and if you allow yourself to get lost inside its over-the-top world, you might just have a lot of fun playing it as well.

    You play as a group of superheroes known as the Wonderful 100 (the 101st member is you, the player). Hailing from different parts of the world, they boast a sort of wackiness that has somehow become rare at the superhero genre, which is extra weird when you realize how ridiculous the concepts of most superheroes are anyway. Over a colorful story about a futuristic alien invasion, the game pays homage to campy vigilantes both from USA comics and from Japan's super sentai TV shows. The presentation is very good, with a great soundtrack, excellent voice acting, and a wacky storyline that constantly makes fun of itself (like one of the antagonists constantly ridiculing the heroes' outfits by calling them "cosplayers").

    The game plays like a beat-'em-up and real-time strategy hybrid, and let me just say you won't get far by simply button-mashing. Each main hero has an ability called a "Unite Morph": Wonder Red has Unite Hand (good for one-on-one fights and turning switches), Wonder Blue has Unite Sword (good against hordes of enemies and as a makeshift key), Wonder Green has Unite Gun (good against faraway enemies and fliers), and so on. You activate these abilities by drawing specific forms on the gamepad touchscreen or with the right analog, and it works very well once you get the hang of it. There are a total of seven main heros, each with their unique characteristics and specific Unite Morphs, and there are also a plethora of other abilities to get from the Wonder Mart. This forms the basis of a robust combat system, which is perhaps the game's greatest victory.

    It should be said that The Wonderful 101 isn't a game for everyone, though. More casual gamers could be put off by the controls and the frantic action; this really isn't an easy game. More experienced players, however, will have a blast trying to master the plethora of attacks and defense techniques, and will get particularly blown away by some utterly epic boss battles. Words won't do them justice; they're INSANE, and amount to an unforgettable experience.

    While the game's absurdly frenetic nature is definitely fun and original, sometimes the chaos is too much. This is reflected mainly when it comes to collectibles: you start with only a fraction of the Wonderful 101 in your team, and are tasked with finding new heroes (as well as memorabilia like Platinum Coins and Hero Figurines) as you brave the stages. So far, so good; the problem is that it's easy to miss little details with lack of camera control and so many things going on at once on the screen. Some of the collectibles are also hidden in totally non-intuitive ways, and the game suffers from having a lot of invisible walls arbitrarily preventing you from searching for goodies on every corner of a stage. Finally, for some reason you can't keep track of the heroes in your team in any meaningful way until you finish the game. This was a big blunder to me: each new hero comes full with name, country of origin, and all sorts of personal details, and yet the game prevents you to pore over those tidbits when you want to.

    Clearly the product of a development team with a passionate vision, The Wonderful 101 is never afraid to try new things. Most often it works, sometimes it doesn't, but ultimately it oozes creativity and amounts to a very engrossing adventure. You need to give the game a chance in order for it to really win you over, but you'll few amply rewarded once it does.

    Rating: 8.0    … Expand
prev
Page:

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 »