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[zerokoolpsx]

It had decent first party support but hardly any third party to save it.
The game pad was clunky and awful. When we played smash, we had to use it to launch it everytime. Yes, its not that big of a deal, but none of our gamecube controllers worked until we were in the game.
If your gamepad was defective or got lost. You had to contact Nintendo for a replacement. They don't sell those individually.
Low space storage. 32GB?
Did Nintendo ever lowered the price, even temporarily? Sent out to die.

 

[Bananajama]

I'm toying with buying up games while they go cheap now in the hope they go up in value later.

I just don't know if they will though due to how poorly it performed.

(EU Region)

 

[rekameohs]

Wii U is easily, easily the worst major console Nintendo has produced

 

[Mohonky]

I love my Wii U. Its quality over quantity for me.

It didnt have as many good games as other systems, but what games it does have are amazing. Its like a Greatest Hits album of Nintendo first party, then you add in Spatoon which turned out to be my favourite online shooter and Platinums output and it just has games that for me outshine the best of the games other systems have.

So I would agree its underrated. While if having more consistent games is your thing and you had only a Wii U and no other console or PC then it would be hard to justify the cost of what was there, but I definitely feel like if I didnt have the Wii U I would have missed some of the most amazing titles in gaming.

If Nintendo keeps up what they managed with Wii U I'll be a happy camper, if Nintendo manages to bring back some other IP's like Luigis Mansion, Wave Race, Metroid etc, good lord I'll be stoked.

 

[CrustyBritches]

WiiU is Nintendo's worst main console ever.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

The library is decent but the hardware itself leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[Lé Blade Runner]

While I agree that the console ( hardware- and design-wise ) is not top-tier - not even close - I thoroughly enjoyed the games it got. Heck, they were some of my favorite games in the past decade ( Bayo 2, MK8, Smash 4, Splatoon and DK: Tropical Freeze ). And as such I have to admit that WiiU holds a rather special place in my heart. The Switch, however, will eclipse it in no time. WiiU feels like the alpha-version of the Switch - Nintendo has now fully realized the vision it probably had prior to the release of WiiU.

 

[Mokujin]

Wii U was the first Nintendo system I skipped since N64, it did so many things wrong that it didn't deserve my attention. To put things in perspective I've been almost day one at Switch Launch.

 

[Machina]

Completely disagree, OP. It felt cheap as hardware, it was underpowered in an era where being underpowered was a death sentence, the name was stupid, the gimmick was better than the Wii but still not good enough for third parties to take advantage of, the VC was massively underused, the systems UI was clunky and snail slow, the peripherals felt equally cheap (think Fisher Price) and it had, at most, about 5 true system sellers.

- Wind Waker HD
- Mario Kart 8
- Smash Bros
- Mario 3D World
- Bayonetta 2

That's it. No Wonderful 101 is not in that list because people who like that game are incredibly deluded. The Wii U was a dramatic failure from top to bottom and how it got past even the concept stage is a statement to the level of arrogance that was flowing within Nintendo coming off the back of the Wii.

 

[Pasedo]

Yes in 10 years time someone will write an article on how it was the best kept secret.

 

[correojon]

I love my WiiU, it has an awesome library and has reignitied my interest in gaming, even bringing it up to levels it´s never been before. I don´t care about power and I think it´s the games which ultimately give value to a console, so in that regard, for me, it´s just under the SNES (best game library ever).

OffTV play was a game changer for me and something I hope all consoles feature going forward.

 

[takriel]

As much as I want to like the Wii U, this is a stretch, OP.

 

[Vault Dweller 111]

It sounds stupid, but I was never really excited for games because the console was just so fucking lame. I had mine for years and almost never played it, it just sat there in the other room, never on my mind, which meant I was almost never excited for the games. I played Smash Bros for awhile, and Mario Kart for a couple weeks and they were great, but eh.

I freely admit I missed out on tons of good games but the console itself was just never exciting for me, and I guess that extended to it's software library, fair or not.

The Switch is the opposite, I'm excited for the future, and just have the urge to play games on it. Can't wait to fill it up with a library of games. And if some were ports of WiiU games I'd probably buy them.

 

[zoukka]

If by "one of the best consoles" you mean "one of the worst consoles" then I agree. The hardware itself was cheap, slow, cumbersome and weak. The gamepad didn't work in any other room than the living room for me.

The OS was so fucking slow and bare bones.

Good riddance.

 

[Snagret]

I actually agree, OP. It didn't have great third party support, but if you round up a list of must-own games for it it's about as many games as I typically buy for any system anyways, and as a PC player I was able to cover those gaps elsewhere for the most part.

Nintendo has been on top of their game with first-party software this last gen, some of my favorite Nintendo games ever are for the WiiU. I gotta give them props for that after the Wii's software library, which I was largely lukewarm on.

The gamepad has an awful screen quality and drains battery power like a motherfucker, and it pointlessly drives up the cost of the console while adding very little value, but as someone with really large hands I actually find it to be one of the only controllers that doesn't cramp my hand up to use for more than a couple hours at a time. It's surprisingly one of the most comfortable controllers I think I've ever used.

I will say, it's much easier to appreciate in retrospect than it was as an early adopter actually waiting for good games to come out. The gems piled up in the end, but the releases were really spread out and my WiiU had some pretty long stretches of dust-collection, and once I'm done with BotW I won't have any reason to go back to it unless it's to replay something I've already completed.

 

[nelchaar]

One day, I want to love a woman and be as devoted to her as some of you here on gaf are to Nintendo. It would be incredible to be completely in denial and oblivious to any faults my partner has.

 

[KaneU]

The hardware was weak, but Nintendo games looked absolutely gorgeous on it. It has so many gems, I really cherish my Wii U collection, way more than any other, actually.

 

[Glass Rebel]

As far as Nintendo's output goes (including Platinum), it's one of their best if not the best. Otherwise I think it really falls behind, sadly.

 

[Blobbers]

How can the WiiU have better exclusives than the Wii when it doesn't even have its own Rhythm Heaven or Trauma Team game.

 

[KlotePino]

I love my WiiU, it has an awesome library and has reignitied my interest in gaming, even bringing it up to levels it´s never been before. I don´t care about power and I think it´s the games which ultimately give value to a console, so in that regard, for me, it´s just under the SNES (best game library ever).

OffTV play was a game changer for me and something I hope all consoles feature going forward.

I'm sorry but can you elaborate on this? Are you saying that you prefer the Wii U's library over the PS2's?

 

[SuperSah]

No.

 

[leng jai]

The Wii U is criminally overrated by OP.

 

[SmokedMeat]

How can the WiiU have better exclusives than the Wii when it doesn't even have its own Rhythm Heaven or Trauma Team game.

Because Splatoon is better then some mediocre niche games.

 

[Macka]

I love a fair few Wii U games OP, but...really?

The Snes and PS2 have such better libraries that it doesn't seem comparable at all. GameCube is a personal favourite as well.

I'd say it's probably my least favourite Nintendo system overall.

 

[kuroshiki]

Let me have the stuff you've been smoking, OP. Seems awfully good judging by your post.

 

[Drackhorn]

So were PS3 and Xbox 360 and their catalogue offered much more diversity and choice.

 

[tzare]

I disagree, but this is subjective. It just depends on the games , if you enjoyed your wiiU games more than other console's, then fair enough.
I enjoyed much more my old neogeo than nes, genesis, snes combined, but i am sure there was more quality and variety on those than on neogeo.

 

[correojon]

I'm sorry but can you elaborate on this? Are you saying that you prefer the Wii U's library over the PS2's?

Yeah, I used my PS2 mostly for parties (Singstar and Buzz), KOF and DMC3. My friends were all into FIFA/PES, Shooters and Gran Turismo and I didn´t like how these series were turning more and more realistic every year while becoming less playable. For me this was the moment when I stopped liking AAA games and playing games became sort of a chore, just playing them through completion and then never touching them again. WiiU´s games on the other hand are the total opposite and made me want to replay the games to 100% them because playing them was fun and I couldn´t get enough. So for me PS2 kind of represents the moment when everything in gaming went wrong and WiiU made me have fun again.

It´s just my opinion based on my strongly gameplay focused tastes.

 

[Chaos17]

The Wii U is criminally overrated by OP.

It's a good console with good games, the hates toward it is stupid.
Dislike it but don't threat it as a the plague of humanity because that's what happen with each Nintendo threads.

 

[Ansatz]

I think people either don't care or underestimate how great the games really are on Wii U and why hardware designed for software is the way to go.

You will see when (if) they release Mario Maker on Switch how clunky and unsatisfying it is to place and move objects around using the finger instead of a stylus. It completely saps the fun out of the creation process, I know because I tried. I also think the gyro aiming and lack of screen in Splatoon 2 is a downgrade, yeah it's not game changing, but it goes to show how those little things we take for granted have such a big impact on the overall game feel. Also prepare to say goodbye to the added layer of strategy that's been in Mario Kart since DS as the second screen shows you what items other players currently possess.

 

[lowrider007]

Hated the console, but absolutely loved the games, for me personally it had at least ten must play games on it and that is extremely rare for one console imo, do I prefer the PS4? Yes of course purely because it's library is considerably more diverse, but that being said so far there has only been a couple of must play games released for it, much more to play, but less quality imo, end of the day if your a big fan of first party Nintendo games the Wii-U had some of the best.

 

[FlynnCL]

Personally, it was a disappointment. I felt unenthusiastic towards it when looking at what games to pick up and so it remained a Smash machine until I sold it. The droughts were so frequent you'd be excited for any announcements, yet they still did little for me. The Switch reveal showing its better versions of Wii U games had me give up.

Most other consoles really put into perspective the variety and consistency that was missing on Wii U.

 

[Lé Blade Runner]

One day, I want to love a woman and be as devoted to her as some of you here on gaf are to Nintendo. It would be incredible to be completely in denial and oblivious to any faults my partner has.

Haha, thanks for the laugh, nelchaar. Ain't love grand, though? Sometimes it is easier to live in denial!

 

[xevis]

The gimmick was better than the Wii but still not good enough for third parties to take advantage of

There is no control scheme or even hardware configuration on Heaven or Earth that would have convinced western third parties to get on-board the WiiU train. We've seen time and time again that there is an entire generation of native-English-speaking developers who love to deride Nintendo at every turn and reinforce the idea that Nintendo consoles are "for kids" thanks to Sega and Sony marketing that they grew up with. It's testament to the quality of Nintendo's output that their machines and their games are still so central in the industry despite the lack of support and constant dooming.

the VC was massively underused, the systems UI was clunky and snail slow, the peripherals felt equally cheap (think Fisher Price) and it had, at most, about 5 true system sellers.

Case in point.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

So were PS3 and Xbox 360 and their catalogue offered much more diversity and choice.

The PS3 and 360 were underrated? Hasn't the 360 long been considered an amazing console, as well as the PS3 once it got around its first couple years?

 

[Mysterious Stranger]

Lets be honest the Wii U had some good games but they were only a handful.

I think it had at least 10 good games on it and thats it. They weren't enough games to keep the system going, and that oversized tablet for a controller wasn't good at all.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

There is no control scheme or even hardware configuration on Heaven or Earth that would have convinced western third parties to get on-board the WiiU train. We've seen time and time again that there is an entire generation of native-English-speaking developers who love to deride Nintendo at every turn and reinforce the idea that Nintendo consoles are "for kids" thanks to Sega and Sony marketing that they grew up with. It's testament to the quality of Nintendo's output that their machines and their games are still so central in the industry despite the lack of support and constant dooming.

Case in point.

Man, this is some hardcore fanboying lol. IT'S ALL THE MEAN WESTERN DEVS, NOT NINTENDO'S FAULT

Western developers didn't support it because 1) it was incapable of running their current gen games due to lacking specs and features, 2) developers felt obligated to use the console's gimmicks which they often weren't interested in and clashed with the games they were making, 3) Nintendo weren't willing to co-fund games to help ensure they made it to the console, and 4) the console wasn't a runaway success that made it worthwhile to sink millions of dollars in development costs for software built specifically for the platform. You solve all of those problems and Nintendo would get more 3rd party support. Want proof? Look back each generation as those problems were less and less severe and see how, shocker, it has more and more 3rd party games. I mean, the N64 actually had great Western support, it was Japanese games that were often lacking (because that gen it was missing what all the big Japanese developers wanted - disc space for high quality audio and FMV).

And I'm not even sure how that Fisher Price jab fits into this. That's literally what the GamePad feels like. It's not a "Nintendo is for kiddies" remark, the GamePad literally does feel like an oversized, cheap, plastic toy with its cheap screen and unnecessarily enormous plastic frame. It's just bad. The Switch on the other hand, which in basic concept is more or less the same core design, feels like a slick, well-designed piece of hardware.

 

[PKrockin]

There is no control scheme or even hardware configuration on Heaven or Earth that would have convinced western third parties to get on-board the WiiU train. We've seen time and time again that there is an entire generation of native-English-speaking developers who love to deride Nintendo at every turn and reinforce the idea that Nintendo consoles are "for kids" thanks to Sega and Sony marketing that they grew up with. It's testament to the quality of Nintendo's output that their machines and their games are still so central in the industry despite the lack of support and constant dooming.



Case in point.

1. Nintendo affirmed the kids branding from the very beginning
2. Nintendo treated third party developers poorly
3. Nintendo made the situation worse by releasing underpowered hardware, introducing massive hurdles to get games ported to Nintendo
4. Nintendo fans don't seem much interested in what western devs have to offer in the first place, so why would they take such a big risk (I hate to say this but it strikes me as true)

 

[Magic Mushroom]

No Wonderful 101 is not in that list because people who like that game are incredibly deluded.

Boo this man.

 

[RobRSG]

I don't think you can call a console with a dozen of great games or so, one of the best ever.

Again I will never sell mine because you can do so much you with homebrew and Nintendon't is the bomb if you sold your GameCube and miss some classics. Other than that, it's a shame that a hardware of Nintendo fame left without leaving it's mark on people's minds. Quality software but in small shots.

 

[nikatapi]

Some amazing games, shitty hardware (and bad console design and branding).
I still think that the gamepad concept had huge potential but was underutilized (even from Nintendo).

Despite all the stupid decisions from Nintendo in developing and supporting the console, it's still one of my favorites. Unfortunately it leaves me thinking what could have been if they didn't insist on using an old architecture and made a decent console while keeping the gamepad.

 

[Fitts]

To me, the Wii U is a small but great collection of games hampered by shit hardware. The tablet was a massive mistake (pro controller is alright, but the face button placement hurts my thumb for games like Mario Kart) that added exorbitant unnecessary cost to the price of entry. It was rarely used for anything, cumbersome to hold compared to a standard controller, and the screen's poor quality caused eye strain when using it to play fast games on. The UI was a mess too and making it mandatory to navigate certain menus with the tablet is ridiculous.

I loved every Nintendo console up to and including the GameCube, hated the Wii, (save for Boom Blox) and wanted to love the Wii U. Unfortunately, I think it may have been the nail in the coffin for me and Nintendo hardware.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

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

Maybe it's just revisionism or short-term memory but I can't see how anyone can argue the Wii U had a better library than the Wii. The Wii had nearly double the first party output and solid third party games.

 

[AmFreak]

There is no control scheme or even hardware configuration on Heaven or Earth that would have convinced western third parties to get on-board the WiiU train. We've seen time and time again that there is an entire generation of native-English-speaking developers who love to deride Nintendo at every turn and reinforce the idea that Nintendo consoles are "for kids" thanks to Sega and Sony marketing that they grew up with. It's testament to the quality of Nintendo's output that their machines and their games are still so central in the industry despite the lack of support and constant dooming.

Explains why the Wii U launched with more 3rd party games than PS4 and XBox One ...

 

[ckaneo]

Honestly I could have skipped every wii u game and felt like I lost nothing. I'm not sure where this idea that Nintendo killed it with first party. Their first party was probably the worst it's ever been.

 

[marmoka]

Well, the hardware was underpowered, gamepad was really expensive, the console was expensive, developers didn't know how to take advantage of the gamepad, once again useless gimnicks,...

The console itself was not good, but the games were amazing. The great games the system had are the reason why I'm keeping my Wii U and not getting rid of it.

I hope Nintendo makes more games with the quality Wii U games had, but never ever releases another console like the Wii U. I want the Switch, I think that the hybrid concept is a great invention, but HD Rumble in Joycons make the console expensive for a useless gimnick. This time is not as bad a the gamepad.

Honestly I don't understand why Nintendo forces the use of gimnicks in their consoles. It worked once with the Wii, but just a few games took advantage of it. The 3D didn't work for 3DS, gamepad didn't work for Wii U, I don't believe HD Rumble will work for Switch.

 

[Gravy Boat]

I remember getting my Wii U and being super excited. I love Mario Kart, and 8 looked great. We set it up, stuck some batteries in a few old Wii Motes and got ready to play. I let my girlfriend use the tablet since her eyesight is quite bad, and having a closer screen would help her out.

Imagine our confusion when we went into a 2 player game, and the screen on the tablet was split also, showing both Player 1 and Player 2 screens. It was the stupidest thing I've seen for quite some time and I still can't believe it works like that. We have a TV, and a controller with a dedicated screen. A bloody 5 year old would be able to tell you that common sense would allow you to have 1 player on the TV, and the other on the controller with no splits.

While we still had fun, and I still love the Wii U over all, this example is like a metaphor for everything the Wii U is. So much potential, but alot of the implementation is just half baked with no real effort to take advantage of the unique selling point it offered.

 

[RobRSG]

The other thing is the Gamepad. It's not the most horrid controller I've ever held but man, after some hours it can give you a sore wrist.

I recently bought a Pro Controller but lots of games I own won't let me use it.

I got a bad taste on my mouth day one trying to play New Super Mario Bros. U with my wife and was not able due to scammy boost mode were I needed at least another controller. Really, Nintendo? Please don't ever let controllers be the hell they were on the WiiU again. Some games are compatible with Wiimote, but not the WiiU controller... It's bad, and takes value out of the final product.

 

[SeanR1221]

Some good games for sure (bayonetta, Mario Maker and smash are all top tier). But my god the problems....

Expensive
Extremely slow OS
Fisher price game pad
Half baked game pad ideas
The worst digital implementation known to man

It really does feel like some weird extension of the Wii and it's almost like a footnote in Nintendos console history.

I've said it in the switch thread, and it's totally anecdotal, but I have friends who all had the GameCube. And the Wii. And either have the switch or plan on buying one. And the vast majority all sat out of the Wii u

 

[GoldStarz]

I still have more WiiU games than I do games for my PS4 so I mean the whole "But the other consoles have more games" argument really doesn't apply to me at all. Wish they kept the WiiU going but I understand why they didn't

Spoiler

i fucking hate the switch tho