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[NoMoreTrolls]

Lolol, WTF is this shit?

What is hard to understand? It was overpriced, with a slow OS, a barren release schedule, no real 3rd party support, and sloooow virtual console support.
I owned one. Getting good games for all of 2 years isn't what makes a good console.
But what the hell am I doing arguing this with fucking Mario.

 

[Radical Edward]

Lolol, WTF is this shit?

It's not a hard concept to understand...

 

[LordOcidax]

What is hard to understand? It was overpriced, with a slow OS, a barren release schedule, no real 3rd party support, and sloooow virtual console support.
I owned one. Getting good games for all of 2 years isn't what makes a good console.
But what the hell am I doing arguing this with fucking Mario.

Games.. especially a great exclusives library is what make a console good.

 

[Radical Edward]

Wii U has one of the best exclusives library in history.

If you don't count NES, SNES, N64, GBA, DS, 3DS, PS1-4, sure...

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

Amazing to see some people acting like if Tropical Freeze, Bayonneta 2, Xenoblade X, Captain Tood, W101, #FE, Smash, etc etc... never existed​. The Wii U is far for being a bad console.

Has literally anyone pretended they don't exist?

You can name good games on literally every single console that ever existed. Even VirtualBoy had Jack Bros. and Wario Land. That doesn't make every console good.

The Wii U has enormous gaps in its software lineup, including any real 3rd party presence whatsoever, as well as several Nintendo franchises (no Metroid, no real Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, or WarioWare - also the only Nintendo console not to have an exclusive Zelda, VirtualBoy aside) and lacking representation for entire genres.

Not to mention the fact that it was entirely built around a controller that never wound up proving its worth, was underpowered and overpriced, and had a severely lacking online suite.

 

[Yarbskoo]

I can never get rid of mine because in addition to the Wii U games, it can also play Wii and GameCube games all through a single HDMI connection, though unfortunately I still need the Wii as well to rip the GameCube discs.

 

[xochipiltontli]

I think the Saturn comparison is a lot more fitting than the Dreamcast comparison. The Saturn was a very poorly thought out successor to a successful system with inferior ports of third party games (when it had them). Its hardware reflects how out of touch its manufacturer was with where the market was headed. Bad marketing policies also heavily contributed to its failure. On the other hand, the Dreamcast was a system that was well thought out, can be described as ahead of its time in some ways (online), and had a great library with the definitive versions of some ports (though it did lack some notable third party support like EA, though Sega at least tried to fill the sports void). It died because of the massive hype surrounding a competitor. The Wii U is a lot closer to the former.

 

[Stencil]

While I agree on most points; it's not a very "well made" system. The first-party games are absolutely unrivaled, some of my favorite Nintendo games, but the system itself, from the lo-res heavy tablet controller to the UI of the whole thing, is kind of slipshod.

edit: going to have to agree with the post above me ^

 

[GiantBreadbug]

Yeah it is, and the fact that people have to spend their time arguing against it moving goalposts around says a lot.

The parts of Wii U's lifespan that attributed to its lack of success commercially are very much real. Poor release schedule (though I believe this is because Nintendo had such a hard time making the switch to more expensive/intensive HD development), horrific name/marketing (should have never had the word Wii), and more failures of the Wii U brand are apparent. The most frustrating one is the Gamepad, because it was a really really amazing idea and I liked it a lot, but it seems like Nintendo only half-baked their concepts for it after Nintendo Land, and it jacked up the price of the console a lot.

Really though, it has nothing to do with the quality of the console, which is determined by its library. The Wii U is home to one of the greatest breadths of consistently high quality titles, and listing two or three and trailing off into etc doesn't change that.

Game consoles tend to have their quality judged on their libraries of games. Go figure.

 

[AzaK]

Amazing to see some people acting like if Tropical Freeze, Bayonneta 2, Xenoblade X, Captain Tood, W101, #FE, Smash, etc etc... never existed​. The Wii U is far for being a bad console.

It's all relative really. On the scale of good games/console, the Wii U sucked arse compared to the competition that got about 50,000x as many games

The OS was shit

The applications were slow

The fidelity was about 7 years too late

Basically got zero big third parties

You couldn't even log onto another Wii U and download your game to play (And still fucking can't with Switch).

You couldn't transfer your user to another Wii U without completely erasing the destination Wii U.

You had to fucking ring Nintendo to do anything.

You had friend codes.

Shit storage capacity (32GB WTF) that meant it hit the price of a PS3 once you added the compulsory storage.



I'll also add that so far, Switch has remedied almost none of those issues. In this day and age, ALL of Nintendo's consoles are pretty shit because they are still stuck in the dark ages.

Game consoles tend to have their quality judged on their libraries of games. Go figure.

In this day and age that's not everything. People expect feature-sets of a certain level. They expect control of their devices and freedom to access their titles when THEY want. They expect easy of use. Nintendo is stuck in the days where all people knew about consoles was was they were told on TV by the manufacturer.

 

[FingerBang]

The Wii U would have been great in 2006. A good console, with some good games.

Worse than PS3/360/PS4 and maybe Xbox One for everything else.

 

[IrishNinja]

People will begin to realize it after the games are all like $200 on Ebay.

this is so gonna happen too, we all saw it with the gamecube library a few years back and that sold better

So how many games does the Dreamcast have?

i know the OP couldn't help himself but let's not do this

 

[VDenter]

Its also the first console you basically had to drop a additional 40 bucks on top of the already insane over expensive asking price of 300+ dollars. Just to get a halfway decent battery out of that god awful Gamepad. That thing was so terrible its already bad enough that for just 50 dollars more you could get a PS4 which was a whole generation ahead in terms of specs and had 500GB of storage instead of the worthless 32GB. Since this thread pooed up i have been thinking more and more about the Wii U and the more i think about it the more i realize that its kind of a piece of shit.

 

[Salex_]

It has about a dozen or so great games. Almost any console I can think of has that many, except the Jaguar I guess?

Wii U... Better than the Jaguar at least?

Yeah, it's strange to see so many people acting like having a dozen worthwhile games (70+ MC judging by the lists in this thread) after being on the market for 5 years is an impression feat.

I've had every console and handheld except OG Xbox, XB1, and Wii since N64 at one point and they all met that standard.

 

[The Albatross]

The Wii U is one of the consoles ever made.

It has the worst library of any console since probably the 32X or the Jaguar. Maybe the Philips CDI.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

The Wii U is one of the consoles ever made.

This is one of the takes I've ever read about the Wii U.

 

[Poimandres]

The Wii U is one of the consoles ever made.

Finally something we can all agree about!

 

[Dynasty8]

Games.. especially a great exclusives library is what make a console good.

IMO, that's what makes a software company good.

Like everyone said, the unreasonable price, poor specs, bulky controller, slow OS, extremely outdated online infrastructure made me hate playing on the console. For me personally that affects certain games too.

Being forced to use certain gimmicks in games, online functionality in games like Smash Bros (my main game I play) was seriously a disaster.

Also, a personal thing for me...No trophies or achievements is a bummer. It's a cool meta game attachment and my friends and I always like topping one another in unlocking certain trophies.

 

[mrchampipi]

Off-TV play was the best innovation in consoles since the analog stick.

And now with the Switch it's basically been perfected.

While this is true, the console was also sold on its asynchronus gameplay possibilities and it really didn't delivered in that regard.
It's been said many times, but it's the first nintendo console where the central "gimmick" wasn't used by anyone, including nintendo themselves.
Since I personaly buy my nintendo consoles mainly for local multiplayer games, I was quite disapointed by the WiiU overall, outside of NintendoLand and Game and Wario.

 

[Trojan]

As someone who was not impressed at all with the Wii-U as a hardware device but had interest in the console-exclusive games, I hope they re-release a lot of the first party titles for the Switch.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

I'm confused if some posts are referring to the Wii U having better exclusives than the Wii? Because no way in hell did it come close.

 

[xevis]

I got more enjoyment out of the Atari Lynx than the Wii U.

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

Just started up Tokyo Mirage Sessions tonight. Excited to dive in.

 

[VDenter]

I'm confused if some posts are referring to the Wii U having better exclusives than the Wii? Because no way in hell did it come close.

In fact if we really want to talk about which Nintendo console was criminally underrated its the Original WII.

 

[Jubenhimer]

I'm confused if some posts are referring to the Wii U having better exclusives than the Wii? Because no way in hell did it come close.

Because some gamers still want to perpetuate this narrative that the Wii was this disgraceful abomination to Nintendo that had nothing but shovelware with no good games, and that motion controls are the devil.

That's not the opinion I have, but it's still a stigma that persists.

 

[Huge Succeeded]

it's better than the Dreamcast

 

[Greatest Ever]

When all the gaffers in here have wiped their butts and the doodoo has fertilized the ground around it, and many years go by, Wii U will have dreamcast status. I need to send mine in for repairs . It will be the new Dreamcast, only far more sought-after and expensive. It doesn't matter if it had 2MB of ram, the gaming experiences it offers are unique, super high quality, and unfound anywhere else. It can play the entire wii library and with modification, I believe you can play the entire gamecube library. That's called GOAT.

There's a reason it's already $400 everywhere, which makes me sad because I wanted to get a second one for longevity. I've decided to purchase a second Wii U before a switch because it's so damn unique and packs so many native experiences in one console. I also am behind on so many quality titles. But they are so expensive now.

Those three consoles combined wouldn't equal a few single consoles out there.

 

[schopaia]

The Wii U is one of the consoles ever made.

/thread

 

[Purest 78]

I'd have to agree Playing the Arcade version of Ninja Gaiden on Atari lynx. Is far more memorable than anything I played on wiiu.

 

[anothertech]

Dreamcast had 10x the game list. So no.

 

[30yearsofhurt]

Wii U is clearly in the top five 10 of all consoles currently manufactured on sale today that launched in 2012.

 

[8-Bit Sunset]

it's better than the Dreamcast

Jesus christ!
This kind of crap sums up this thread perfectly.
Wii U was nothing, and not even remotely memorable!
The Gamecube ate that thing for breakfast!

 

[FlaygletheBagel]

I keep seeing so much praise for the software on Wii U, but even that pales in comparison to that of other Nintendo systems. Most of the games that came to Wii U were iterative and safe. Smash, Mario Kart, DKCTF, Yoshi's Woolly World, Kirby Rainbow Curse, Super Mario 3D World, NSMBU... Most of these are solid games and some are even excellent and the best in their franchises, but none of them do anything other than iterate on pre-established formulas.

Compare this to the GameCube's lineup, for example, which was home to Pikmin, Luigi's Mansion, Animal Crossing, Metroid Prime, Wind Waker, Kirby Air Ride, Mario Sunshine... All games that were either great new IPs or radical departures from the franchise formula in some way.

There are of course some exceptions on the Wii U that were stunning, new, and innovative - Wonderful 101, Bayonetta 2, and Splatoon to name a few - but there were also a fair share of average to downright terrible games (Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival, Mario Tennis, Devil's Third, Mario Party 10, Starfox Zero) to balance it out.

I think people romanticize the Wii U software library way too much. It was a decent library with a few exceptional games but nowhere near the best.

 

[notaskwid]

Nah, it's a mediocre console with a bad controller that doubles as an unfortunate mandatory gimmick that was Nintendo completely misreading the market, laughably low specs for it's price across it's life and a couple of good exclusive games.

 

[thebisonxrc]

I loved my Wii U and played it for a massive amount of hours. I think the library is underrated, as it has some incredible games. However, the console itself leaves a lot to be desired and calling it one of the best consoles of all-time is a bit of a stretch. It was a cool concept that never quite reached the point that it was meant to.

 

[Glowsquid]

I'm pretty ambivalent about the Wii U. Pikmin 3 was really cool and really the only game to demonstrate the Gamepad's potential. Star Fox Zero and Wooly World were cool. The Dreamcast comparison beffudle me and so did the fanboy's lionizing of it as THE LAST BASTION OF TRUE VIDEO GAMES. It's my least-liked video game hardware I own but it's like, whatever.

The deal with the "Wii U has dozen of great games" is that yeah it's true, but the Wii U's library has no depth. Everyone's list of "the good Wii U games" is the same. Beyond those some same 20 games, there's no "hidden gem" or obscure title that could be appealing to a very specific niche, only unremarkable X360/PS3 ports with missing post-release content, and shovelware. Maybe you'll get a multipage flamewar about wheter Star Fox Zero is the first good Star Fox game in decades or an horrible crime against God, and someone especially edgy and subversive might prop up Game & Wario as a misunderstood masterpiece instead of the mediocre game with a few bright spots it is (nyerk-nyerk) but there's no variance.

 

[Chamber]

So I guess the Zelda cycle applies to Nintendo consoles now.

 

[ubiblu]

I was a day one purchaser of the Wii U, but even I can call out a lemon when I see one. The gamepad is a low quality piece of shit, and if it weren't for the awesome Pro Controller, I probably wouldn't have invested so heavily in it.

Having said that, there are so many fantastic games for this system, it boggles the mind. Some of Nintendo's greatest ever iterations of franchises all in one place!

I genuinely hope that we get some more remasters for the infinitely superior Switch. If only so others can enjoy amazing games like Tropical Freeze and Smash Wii U.

 

[kraspkibble]

Didn't do much for me. Only had it a week before sending it back. I regretted not getting a Switch. The gamepad is uncomfortable and the screen is so bad it gives me a headache. The system ui looks terrible and runs so slow. Got my money refunded and waiting on a Switch.

 

[Synth]

I can (just barely) see making the comparison between the Gamecube and the Dreamcast.... but the Wii U has no business being compared to either. A lack of games resulting in the handful that exist appearing more prominent doesn't equal a great console. The Gamecube has a direct answer to nearly every notable Wii U game (the Wii even moreso), and wasn't starved of everything else in order to do so.

It also wasn't effectively a generation behind the competition either.

 

[ForsakenLotus]

I don't want to sound too cynical, but after two decades of many of Nintendo's signature franchises, honestly they just didn't and don't move the needle for me. That isn't to say they aren't great, and I've played some of them with friends that I've enjoyed; but I hope Nintendo fans can understand that a lot of people don't necessarily dislike Nintendo games but rather they've seen the industry grow and innovate while Mario, Donkey Kong, Kirby, etc. are just super polished versions of previous iterations. They aren't the same games, but they elicit the same feelings and a sense of familiarity.

Add in the wonky tablet controller, game droughts, lack of most major third party games, poor online infrastructure and archaic restrictions, etc. and I think the Wii U is only a great console when viewed from a specific perspective and for a specific subset of gamers.

And the Dreamcast was innovative and forward thinking while offering up a slew of new, interesting IP's. The Wii U GamePad tablet isn't innovative and while the Wii U had a few really good to great new IP, it's mostly the classic franchises that drove the system.

 

[phant0m]

That doesn't make any sense.

PS4 has plenty of exclusives plus that other 90%. So they have what Nintendo has plus more, but Wii U has the better library?

Whoa whoa whoa guys. I didn't say its library was better than PS4/X1, just that it was still a great library.

So you're saying the lack of 3P support on the Wii-u was actually a good thing because it made its library mostly exclusive. That's really what you're saying.

I guess so? Really, the quality of its 1st party content was really the ONLY good thing to say about it. That collection of exclusive content allowed it to be people's "other" console -- Well, at least with the Wii it did.

The WiiU was a flop for a multitude of reasons, but the Wii was not and the 2 consoles have very similar libraries (great 1st party games, poor 3P support). Last gen, EVERYBODY had a Wii and a 360 or a Wii and a PS3 (rare was the 360 & PS3 household, and if so they usually had a Wii as well).

 

[Fantastical]

They really fucked up. Some great games but a collasal failure.

 

[Synth]

Whoa whoa whoa guys. I mean didn't say it's library was better than PS4/X1, just that it was still a great library.

The reason why people bring up other console libraries in response, is because like most measures of quality "great" is effectively relative. If it's not better overall than XB1/PS4, then for the same reasons it'd also not be better than 360/PS3/Wii, and so on... at which point there's very few consoles (excluding instant disasters like Jaguar) that I'd argue the Wii U has an overall greater library than.

Maybe the N64.

 

[KingdomHeartsFan]

When I look at my Wii U library it's a okay-good console to me, nowhere near one of the best tho.

 

[xevis]

I'd have to agree Playing the Arcade version of Ninja Gaiden on Atari lynx. Is far more memorable than anything I played on wiiu.

Wat.

OK, whatever man. You win. Enjoy your choppy, repetitive and washed out Ninja Gaiden! Crazy fun-hating kids.

 

[JordanN]

I was a Wii/DS owner so my hopes were riding high for Wii U/3DS. Nintendo had just made a heap ton of money so I thought this was their chance at reinvesting in games.

Boy, was I dead wrong. What I saw was literally the most conservative company ever. Software coming out only when Nintendo felt like it. No ambition in trying to raise the bar higher. Just look at how Wii U only had 1 Zelda game. Both N64 and Gamecube had two.

After 3DS, I'm glad I bailed out of this. Nintendo should be happy to make games for me, not the other way around.

 

[hongcha]

The Wii U is the worst hardware Nintendo has ever made. It is the only piece of Nintendo hardware (home console or portable) I have not purchased since 1986 when I got my NES. It has a crappy, uncomfortable Fisher Price controller the size of a Game Gear, and lousy internal hardware in the main unit. I played one several times and tried to convince myself to buy it, but I couldn't get over how unpleasant it felt to play anything on it.

It does have some good software, but I suspect most of that will be ported to the Switch or later consoles (we already have BOTW and MK8).

 

[ryseing]

I'm confused if some posts are referring to the Wii U having better exclusives than the Wii? Because no way in hell did it come close.

I would kill for a Red Steel 3. Second game is the most fun I've ever had with motion controls.

 

[MrBS]

I enjoyed the few exclusives I played on my Wii U. I wouldn't put the thing anywhere near a best of list for consoles. I enjoyed the games on the system is spite of the Wii U rather than because of it.

The games I played the most, Bayonetta, Mario World & Kart, Smash, none of them used that gamepad to any reasonable agree. Pro controller was where it was at.