Nintendo Is Finally Making the Wii U Worthwhile

[MICHAELSD]

The Wii U seems like a hushed whisper that nobody spoke of until now. I feel like most people who have a Wii would still be surprised there's a successor to it. But finally! Smash Bros and Mario Kart are gorgeous Nintendo games, and the new Zelda looks fantastic for the system it's running on. Frankly I won't touch the console until I find it for $99-$149 since there's a lack of games and performance is still lacking to pay a similar price to an Xbox One.

Nintendo has really improved the console but they still need a price drop to gain market space. Most surprising is I'm looking forward to a major price drop whereas I didn't care at all a year ago. Nintendo is trying again .

Edit: wow! It came out in 2012. It's really been off the radar till Zelda and Smash Bros.

 

[0098386]

Nintendo is trying again .

You really missed out on the 3DS didn't you .

Nintendo seem to leapfrog between their systems. Last year was stellar for the 3DS, this year it's the Wii U now the big titles are finally coming out.

I had mine preordered and IMO it's the best console this gen. Definitely has the most playtime (Mario 3D World, New Mario U, Luigi U, ZombiU, Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Zelda HD). The only game I've sunk serious time into on my PS4 is GTAV so far .

 

[MICHAELSD]

You really missed out on the 3DS didn't you .

Nintendo seem to leapfrog between their systems. Last year was stellar for the 3DS, this year it's the Wii U now the big titles are finally coming out.

I had mine preordered and IMO it's the best console this gen. Definitely has the most playtime (Mario 3D World, New Mario U, Luigi U, ZombiU, Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Zelda HD). The only game I've sunk serious time into on my PS4 is GTAV so far .

I knew someone would bring up the 3DS. Not a bad system by any means but doesn't really interest me.

In terms of games Xbox One is probably the best of the next-gen consoles right now. If it were able to run more games in 1080p I'd have no complaints.

Wii U has Nintendo really maxing its potential now. 1080p/60 for Smash Bros is unheard of for that hardware. It's far too overpriced but at $99-$149 it could do very well as the Wii did in that range.

 

[0098386]

I knew someone would bring up the 3DS. Not a bad system by any means but doesn't really interest me.

Just because it doesn't interest you doesn't mean Nintendo hasn't been trying .

Wii U has Nintendo really maxing its potential now. 1080p/60 for Smash Bros is unheard of for that hardware. It's far too overpriced but at $99-$149 it could do very well as the Wii did in that range.

It's not about those raw specs though, it's nothing like the Wii as a cheap and cheerful device. The gamepad is what drives it and that thing isn't cheap. The closest we have is Remote Play on Vita which is laggy for most games, though a pretty incredible feature when playing slower games (like GTAV and Destiny).

 

[foobarbazqux]

performance is still lacking to pay a similar price to an Xbox One.

That's the problem with this industry. Too many people judge a console based on raw horsepower instead of its games.

Nintendo is trying again .

They never stopped. They've always made some of the best exclusives and the Wii U is no exception.

In terms of games Xbox One is probably the best of the next-gen consoles right now.

Lots of Wii U owners, some of which also own other consoles, would disagree with that statement.

 

[gkarris]

I knew someone would bring up the 3DS. Not a bad system by any means but doesn't really interest me.

In terms of games Xbox One is probably the best of the next-gen consoles right now. If it were able to run more games in 1080p I'd have no complaints.

Wii U has Nintendo really maxing its potential now. 1080p/60 for Smash Bros is unheard of for that hardware. It's far too overpriced but at $99-$149 it could do very well as the Wii did in that range.

The Wii Mini with 1 game, not to mention the fact that it is way stripped down, is $99.

I think the cheapest we'll see the Wii U (Wii U mini?) years away would be $149 with no pack-in game.

 

[cycledance]

That's the problem with this industry. Too many people judge a console based on raw horsepower instead of its games.

it's not unreasonable. i'd say it's more publishers than gamers too.

They never stopped. They've always made some of the best exclusives and the Wii U is no exception.

far from the truth. nintendo held back on first party games for ds and wii to give third parties more sales for their games in in the first year or so. didn't really work. then both the ds and wii were hit by piracy. they almost completely halted their games production.

now here is the really stupid part. nintendo could have worked on games for wii u. but they didn't. it seems they didn't do anything at all and only started work on wii u games once wii u was released.

nintendo wasted years. they also wasted their franchises. several expected nintendo franchises never saw the light on ds, 3ds, wii and wii u.

 

[Wardenski]

I think Nintendo released the Wii U too soon and I think the Wii should have been the Wii U in the first place...but...

The "mighty" Xbone and PS4 don't output at 1080 in every game, some are fudged due to GPU limitations and there are framerate variations on different versions if your really into that. The WiiUs graphics may not be at the same level but at least it outputs at 1080p to my knowledge.

Obviously, Nintendo exclusives are on Nintendo consoles but theres non of this exclusive content crap you get depending on whether you buy the Xbone or PS4. Also, I feel Nintendo are approaching DLC the correct way - essentially offering new content (new cups for Mario Kart for example).

Although I would argue the Wii U perhaps relied (relies) too much on 1st/2nd party titles, at least they can be garaunteed to be functional. I don't think Nintendo have ever released a broken buggy game before. Not saying they are completely bug free mind.

Nintendo I feel are the only ones trying to push gaming further. Sony and Microsoft essentially released a more powerful version of their previous consoles with more standard PC parts. They let the 3rd parties do most of the work - which has worked well to be fair in general but we are seeing the same franchises - with the same gameplay.

Nintendo release Mario Kart etc over and over but at least they actually try and add new gameplay elements by working in the Wii U tablet and such. I don't have a problem with releasing the same game franchises as long as they produce good games. I admit though, I was a bit dissapointed with Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess, lots of new gameplay features but the story/game followed an all too familar formula.

 

[Cnasty]

I own all 3 "next gen" consoles and without doubt the most fun I have had in gaming is the Wii U.

They have a large enough title base of exclusives that do it the fun, Nintendo way if you are into that and in 2015 it is only going to get better.

Granted, Nintendo games of Marios and Zeldas arent for everyone and I do enjoy 3rd party titles as well so it comes down to what you like.

The Wii U has exploded this holiday season and is a must own as of now for gaming lovers with the titles they have released and have on deck IMO.

 

[roadbloc]

If I was to get a next gen console... it would defiantly be the WiiU since it is the only one that remains a true console as such. You can shove a game in and it works, no installing, no nonsense. With the PS4 and XB1, they're just overpriced lukewarm PCs that no longer have the benefits of a console and don't have the benefits of a PC either (60-120fps at 1080p), and have no appeal to someone who has gamed mainly on a PC since I found out the PS3 model I wanted wasn't backwards compatible with my PS2 + PS1 games.

I've always had faith in Nintendo. They're almost the Apple of the gaming world. They're always on another wavelength from the other competitors.

 

[Antares]

Xbox One and PS4 don't really interest me (just yet) this generation. There is no compelling reason to get either. They're not THAT much better than the PS3 and Xbox 360. The WiiU, however, was a huge leap....so, it was a very easy purchase.

I will eventually get a PS4. But the price must come down a lot to make it worthwhile. The PS3 was easier to justify back when. I didn't buy it at launch but about 6 months later with a 5 blu-ray movie deal and $100 discount on the price.

 

[itsOver9000]

This gen I'm most excited about what's going on with the Wii U. I'll likely get a Wii U in 2015 when the new Zelda comes out. There are a bunch of Wii U games I think look really interesting.

If I was to get a next gen console... it would defiantly be the WiiU since it is the only one that remains a true console as such. You can shove a game in and it works, no installing, no nonsense.

and this. I just want to play games. I'll eventually get a PS4 if/when the PS4 Slim comes out or even later towards the end of this console generation. For now, though, I think I'll be going Nintendo.

 

[0098386]

and this. I just want to play games. I'll eventually get a PS4 if/when the PS4 Slim comes out or even later towards the end of this console generation. For now, though, I think I'll be going Nintendo.

But the reason for that is because the Wii U isn't a powerhouse, it doesn't need to run data from a disc AND drive (like GTAV did on PS3 and Xbox 360). The end result is good for us who play games but there is definitely a reason for it
I like how incredible Smash Bros looks. I daresay it's the best (overall) art of a console game - 1080p60, incredible art direction, easy to read visuals. When I play GTAV on my PS4 I eventually get eye strain because of the choppy 20-30fps framerate. Two different beasts entirely but my eyes definitely prefer one over the other!

 

[chriscrk]

Yup, it sort of came out with nothing too special, but all the new games coming out are really promising. I'll probably sell my Wii and get the Wii U to get my hands on Zelda, which looks too amazing to miss out on. And the new smash bros., wind waker hd, mario kart, they all look really great. Seems exciting!