The Hottest Wii U Games of 2013

Save some money for next year.

The Wii U launch is clambering over the horizon, glimmering with gold coins, amusement parks, and the long, big-eared shadow of Mickey Mouse. But despite the excitement of the impending system launch and the accompanying games, we can't help but look to the future of Nintendo's latest. How does 2013 look for this console?

We collected a short list of games arriving next year. This is just a sampling of what the Wii U library will feature in 2013, not a definitive list. And as you take a look, try and pick out a favorite. We'll quiz you later!

In no particular order, here we go...

Bayonetta 2

The first Bayonetta was a whirlwind of gunfire, witch magic, and ink-black hair. With a superb combat system and a passion for the absurd, Bayonetta continued the tradition of  crazy Japanese action popularized by the Devil May Cry series.

Very little information on Bayonetta 2 is known, but its upcoming launch on a Nintendo platform caught a lot of fans (this author included) by surprise. But those fans have plenty of reason to hunger for more of the long-legged witch and her incredible magic. And lipstick.

Rayman Legends

Rayman is no stranger to stellar animation and clever platforming, as the predecessor to Rayman Legends proved with near-absolute authority. Rayman Legends continues the story of Rayman Origins but integrates a series of fantastical paintings that act as gateways into other worlds (Super Mario 64, anyone?).

With refined multiplayer support and plenty of Lums to collect, Rayman Legends should dazzle the Wii U next year.

Aliens: Colonial Marines

From the loot-crazy gun freaks that brought you the Borderlands series comes an interactive chapter in the official Aliens canon. Aliens: Colonial Marines follows Corporal Christopher Winter (Editor's Note: cool name, bro) and his team as they search the U.S.S. Sulaco for Ellen Ripley.

We haven't seen much of the single-player campaign in Aliens -- just the multiplayer -- but there's still time between now and Colonial Marines' launch in February of next year.

The Wonderful 101

Originally known as Project P-100, The Wonderful 101 tasks players with controlling a group of super heroes in Pikmin fashion while defending a city from an alien invasion. Hideki Kamiya, the legendary designer behind Viewtiful Joe, Okami, and even Bayonetta, stands at the helm of this new Wii U project.

Besides the scarce media that's hit the internet already, little else is known of The Wonderful 101, which makes us even more excited to play it extensively. Cheers to super heroes!

LEGO City Undercover

If you're looking for a more family-friendly version of Grand Theft Auto that you can share with your younger siblings or children, this might be it. LEGO City Undercover drops you into a world built of everyone's favorite blocks. As an undercover cop, you work to prevent crime in LEGO City as opposed to commit it. Now everyone can join in on the open-world fun.

Pikmin 3

The well-loved series returns, this time with even more Pikmin to control! Pikmin 3 will reacquaint you with the iconic plant creatures made famous in the original GameCube game from 2001. This time, expect more types of Pikmin, even more Pikmin leaders, and the adorableness that we've all come to expect from the series. And if you're not completely sold on the Wii U gamepad, don't worry -- you can plug in a remote and nunchuck instead. Everybody wins!

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

The Monster Hunter series has made a tremendous impact in the gaming space, leaving a world-sized crater filled with dinosaur hides and crafted items. The next entry in the series, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, builds off of the previous version with enhanced play systems and additional monsters to... hunt. Like the previous games, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate can entertain hundreds of hours of play in the never-ending quest for better items and equipment. Monster Hunter fans desperate for more can look forward to this adventure when it begins in March of next year.

So, quiz time: which of these games are you most excited for? Let us, and the entire IGN community, know! And stay tuned in the coming days for a ton of Wii U content, including our coverage of the launch.