Wii U Receives "Probably the Best" Version of Axiom Verge Next Month

Axiom Verge originally launched in early 2015 for PS4 and PC, and earlier this year for Vita. Now, more than a year after its original release, developer Thomas Happ has announced when the Metroid-like game is coming to Wii U.

As Happ revealed in a blog post, the game will be released on Nintendo's console on September 1. It's been a long time coming--as Happ noted in the post, he announced the game for Wii U several years ago. But several development problems kept him from finishing work on the port.

He explained, "When I first announced Axiom Verge about 4 years ago, there was tremendous excitement from Nintendo fans who had been waiting for years for a true 2D Metroid-style action/adventure/exploration game. Because of some technical issues, however, I wasn't able to launch it on a Nintendo platform straight away."

As a result of these obstacles, Happ passed work on the port off to developer Blitworks. The studio managed to overcome the problems and get the game working on Wii U. In addition, Happ stated that this version of the game is likely the best.

"It was only because of Blitworks' amazing technical skill that we were able to make that happen, and I'm grateful for their work on the pixel-perfect port," he wrote. "Even though the game's been out for a little while on other systems, the Wii U version is probably the best one. It's the only console version to support leaderboards for the dedicated Speedrun Mode. And the Wii U GamePad will allow people to have the world map viewable at all times without pausing the game--or to play Off-TV."

When Axiom Verge originally launched, it was met with critical acclaim. GameSpot critic Peter Brown thought the game was great, writing, "Axiom Verge is a game that's easy to fall in love with because it hits so many high notes. It takes the Metroidvania model and adds layers of ingenuity that are in a league all of their own." You can check out the full 8/10 review here.