Why so many ports?

It could be worse, right?

 

What is with all these old games getting ported to the Wii U?  Batman Arkham City, Darksiders 2, Mass Effect 3, Deus Ex Human Revolution.  How about all the multi platform games like Black Ops 2, Madden 13, Resident Evil Revelations?  These games are great, but where is the cutting edge stuff!  Lets first consider the Playstation and Xbox 360 launch games.  Both had their own port of Call of duty (COD 2 Xbox, COD 3 Playstation).  They both got Madden, NBA, and NHL games.  They even had the audacity to put a King Kong game on the 360!  It clearly takes time before developers get to firm grasp on any new consoles capabilities (It took a full year before Gears of War and Assassin's Creed).  We should also consider that games for the Wii U aren't just getting a graphics bump, the developers also have to take the initiative to utilize the Gamepad controller in an innovative and engaging way.  Many of these developers are simply testing the waters with already established software, its cheaper and safer.  By the end of the year we should be getting a true taste of what the Wii U can really do. (I'm looking at you Bungie) and it doesn't hurt to show some support now and pick up a few of these awesome (albeit older) titles.

Is Metroid Nintendo's Ace in the Hole?

The Wii U has been out for almost four months now with some decent first and third party games.  But the reality is we still haven't seen a real console selling game.  Sure the tried and true staples of Nintendo fandom are there (New Super Mario Bros U) or have been confirmed like Mario Kart and Wind Waker.  But one title is suspiciously absent from the current and future line up.  Metroid has evolved from its humble side scrolling origins to become a well respected franchise in the first person shooter genre.  A Metroid Prime style game could utilize the Gamepad controller for some very innovative gameplay.  Map screens on the tablet screen or accesing Samus's upgrades and blasters are the obvious choices but studios like Retro could certainly bring much more to the table.  But most importantly Metroid could be Nintendo's opportunity to compete with Halo, and Kill Zone types of exclusive FPS games.  If Goldeneye and Metroid Prime is any indication of the impact a great FPS has on a Nintendo console, Nintendo should be pushing out Metroid games every year.