Wii U is not necessarily a platform that a one man developer team wants to take time and make his game for, and maybe that is why Thomas Happ, creator of Axiom Verge, made Wii U the last stop for his award nominated Metroidvania.

What's funny, though, is that Axiom Verge feels right at home on the Wii U. Maybe it is just that the game is reminiscent of Nintendo's golden age, and playing it on a Nintendo system somehow makes it more nostalgic, but there are also some neat features that the Wii U gets that are not available anywhere else.

I am talking about the game pad and that second screen that it provides. Axiom Verge takes advantage of this screen by using it for the map, not a mini map either, but the whole map, and for inventory management. What is nice about this feature is that it changes the pace of the game. You do not have to pause to change weapons; instead, you just drag the weapon you want to use into your equip slot, and poof, you are using that new gun. Having the entire map at your disposal is also a game changer for a Metroidvania, because you have a better understanding of where you are going minute to minute, instead of having to periodically check the larger map by going into the pause menu. This speeds things up significantly, so for speed runners, the Wii U might actually be the best way to play.

[embed width="696" height="392"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2frkYLNFrW8

I also got a chance to speak with Happ, who said that although he can not talk about his next project, he can say that he's working on it alone. I asked him if it ever felt like the game was taking forever to finish, but he said no and that every part of making a game is fun for him.

Axiom Verge came to Wii U on September 1, so pick it up now in the eShop and relive the golden years.