Japanmanx3
Member
Dreamcast 2. In all ways good and bad. Love my WiiU.
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The Wii U is criminally underrated - it's one of the best consoles ever made
- Thread starter QuantumZebra
- Start date
The Main Event
Member
The fact that I can play pretty much every single Nintendo consoles (outside Switch obviously) and then some on a single box makes it the best Nintendo console ever made.
Been debunked about ten thousand times and I'll add one more to that pile. For all it did right and wrong, the Wii U is nothing like the Dreamcast other than being a sales failure for their respective companies.
primasaurus
Member
Nintendo have used a ton of different tech in innovative ways which have not been leisurely to say the least
Later Alligator
Member
under powered, with one of the worst controllers ever made
great software though, and the pro controller is fantastic (shame things are still handcuffed to the gamepad, i'd prefer to never use it again)
great software though, and the pro controller is fantastic (shame things are still handcuffed to the gamepad, i'd prefer to never use it again)
lord_of_flood
Member
I agree that it has great games, and I really liked mine because of the games you could play on it. However, the hardware is definitely not great. After playing on the Switch, which is basically the Wii U's core concepts perfected, the Wii U feels like an unfinished idea.
I consider the Wii U a meh console with amazing games. Everything surrounding the actual hardware, brand and marketing of the Wii U was an absolute disaster. So much that it could actually be used as an example in universities and marketing research brands on how NOT to advertise your product or you are gonna be doomed for real.
The software in it, however, was absolutely amazing and sometimes it makes me mad that such awesome games like DKC: Tropical Freeze, Xenoblade X and Bayonetta 2, suffered terribly low sales because they were in such a disastrous console and I just hope they can get a second opportunity on the Switch or something. Especially Bayonetta 2.
The software in it, however, was absolutely amazing and sometimes it makes me mad that such awesome games like DKC: Tropical Freeze, Xenoblade X and Bayonetta 2, suffered terribly low sales because they were in such a disastrous console and I just hope they can get a second opportunity on the Switch or something. Especially Bayonetta 2.
Haunted
Member
Reverse argumentum ad populum, that doesn't fly here, son.
Yup, just look at the Vita.
Spieler Eins
Member
Dreamcast had some of the most ambitious games of its time (MMOs, open world), a plethora of new IPs and actual definitive versions of 3rd party games. The LTD sales number is what these consoles have in common, other than that they couldn't be more different.
I wouldn't buy a Nintendo system for non-Nintendo games
-shadow-
Member
In terms of the software that was put out on it maybe, the hardware itself deserved all the hate it got. Almist six years after the initial reveal and I'm still baffled at how bad that was.
Ontop of that the terrible actual system itself with the gamepad being big, heavy yet very cheap feeling and looking. And the OS? Don't even get me started on that one.
Ontop of that the terrible actual system itself with the gamepad being big, heavy yet very cheap feeling and looking. And the OS? Don't even get me started on that one.
thechristoph
Sir!
I kinda hate the gamepad.
I've played several hours of BOTW just on the gamepad and it works, but the screen seems hazy, like the contrast is all wrong. The handles on the gamepad itself are oddly shaped and uncomfortable for long sessions. The sticks feel weird, and when you click them in it sounds like breaking plastic, not a satisfying stick click like the Pro controller.
If they would have called it "Nintendo HD", marketed the thing around the console itself and said "oh yeah, there's this tablet that comes with it too that does cool stuff in a couple games", and didn't confuse the shit out of everybody by rebranding all of the old Wii accessories as WiiU accessories, it might have had a chance.
I've played several hours of BOTW just on the gamepad and it works, but the screen seems hazy, like the contrast is all wrong. The handles on the gamepad itself are oddly shaped and uncomfortable for long sessions. The sticks feel weird, and when you click them in it sounds like breaking plastic, not a satisfying stick click like the Pro controller.
If they would have called it "Nintendo HD", marketed the thing around the console itself and said "oh yeah, there's this tablet that comes with it too that does cool stuff in a couple games", and didn't confuse the shit out of everybody by rebranding all of the old Wii accessories as WiiU accessories, it might have had a chance.
Soapbox Killer
Grand Nagus
Too soon. Fantasic system but folks are not yet ready, ready to hear the greatness of 100 games ago.
SocksAndShoes
Banned
Let's be real here:
It had no 3rd party support whatsoever.
It had under 20 1st party titles worth owning.
Terrible OS.
As someone who has played the ever loving crap out his Wii U; it's not even in the top 5 best Nintendo consoles, let alone best consoles of all time.
It had no 3rd party support whatsoever.
It had under 20 1st party titles worth owning.
Terrible OS.
As someone who has played the ever loving crap out his Wii U; it's not even in the top 5 best Nintendo consoles, let alone best consoles of all time.
Regginator
Member
It really is. It's my favourite console in terms of games line-up after N64. Especially if you include all the VC stuff and the Wii backwards compatibility.
ElectricBlanketFire
Member
The games are incredible. The console sucks.
Most frustratingly disappointing console that I've owned.
Day 1 Genuinely the worst user experience that I've ever had with any console or computer thanks to that insanely long update. Fast forward a few weeks and if as a company you're sending out e-mails to potential Christmas buyers advising to update the system before Christmas Morning so you can actually play in a reasonable time you've done something wrong.
OS - So, so slow. Inexcusable really. Bits were never really finished. (TV outside US etc), but its mind boggling how slow it was to do anything. Never mind the arguments whether the hardware was better than a 360/PS3, the questions how did they manage to make it feel slower then either when navigating the settings etc?
The message - Not going to rehash old ground but very poorly handled and they never really sorted it out in the eyes of the general public.
That first year - Rough to say the least. I kept waiting for the the game to release that would finally showcase the pad. To justify the risk they took. I'd lived through the DS and 3DS launches so knew it would take a little time for the devs to start making real use of this thing but it never really came. Then there was the drip-drip of the Virtual Console titles. Why when there was a ton of high-quality stuff that could have been ready on day one having already been released on Wii? But hey we could buy Balloon Fight. Again. Indies didn't really keep it alive for me during the droughts - they tended to be later ports of titles I already owned on other systems.
Life support - By the time a half-decent library was built the murmuring was that the support had dried up and Nintendo were going to concentrate development on the NX. Fair enough business-wise, but despite a couple of terrific last hurrahs it did nothing to change my feeling that the entire project was half-baked and as an owner I felt a bit let down.
it also makes me worry a little when the Switch has just Zelda (cross-gen), Mario Kart (port), and Splatoon (numbered sequel, but fundamentally an enhanced port) ready for Switch's launch window.
There were some truly great games on the system but all of the above negativity came directly from Nintendo's mishandling of the entire Wii U project. It made it an incredibly frustrating console to own
Conclusion - There were undoubtedly some great titles which means that I'll never think of it as a 3DO or the like, but these few and far between with bad droughts. Together with the feeling that it was never quite done means that I couldn't consider it anywhere near the best they've produced. I'd even go as far as to say that the 3DS between 2012 - 2013 has a stronger run than the entirety of Wii U's life.
I daresay in a few years I'll have forgotten about the difficulties and remember it fondly as I do with my Saturn, but I'd never make an argument for it as one of the true greats.
Day 1 Genuinely the worst user experience that I've ever had with any console or computer thanks to that insanely long update. Fast forward a few weeks and if as a company you're sending out e-mails to potential Christmas buyers advising to update the system before Christmas Morning so you can actually play in a reasonable time you've done something wrong.
OS - So, so slow. Inexcusable really. Bits were never really finished. (TV outside US etc), but its mind boggling how slow it was to do anything. Never mind the arguments whether the hardware was better than a 360/PS3, the questions how did they manage to make it feel slower then either when navigating the settings etc?
The message - Not going to rehash old ground but very poorly handled and they never really sorted it out in the eyes of the general public.
That first year - Rough to say the least. I kept waiting for the the game to release that would finally showcase the pad. To justify the risk they took. I'd lived through the DS and 3DS launches so knew it would take a little time for the devs to start making real use of this thing but it never really came. Then there was the drip-drip of the Virtual Console titles. Why when there was a ton of high-quality stuff that could have been ready on day one having already been released on Wii? But hey we could buy Balloon Fight. Again. Indies didn't really keep it alive for me during the droughts - they tended to be later ports of titles I already owned on other systems.
Life support - By the time a half-decent library was built the murmuring was that the support had dried up and Nintendo were going to concentrate development on the NX. Fair enough business-wise, but despite a couple of terrific last hurrahs it did nothing to change my feeling that the entire project was half-baked and as an owner I felt a bit let down.
it also makes me worry a little when the Switch has just Zelda (cross-gen), Mario Kart (port), and Splatoon (numbered sequel, but fundamentally an enhanced port) ready for Switch's launch window.
There were some truly great games on the system but all of the above negativity came directly from Nintendo's mishandling of the entire Wii U project. It made it an incredibly frustrating console to own
Conclusion - There were undoubtedly some great titles which means that I'll never think of it as a 3DO or the like, but these few and far between with bad droughts. Together with the feeling that it was never quite done means that I couldn't consider it anywhere near the best they've produced. I'd even go as far as to say that the 3DS between 2012 - 2013 has a stronger run than the entirety of Wii U's life.
I daresay in a few years I'll have forgotten about the difficulties and remember it fondly as I do with my Saturn, but I'd never make an argument for it as one of the true greats.
Leatherface
Member
Loved Nintendo's games for it. Unfortunately there wasn't much else which is a shame because it was a solid system I thought. Oh well.
mavericktopgun
Member
-bad name
-underpowered
-gimmick
-bad marketing
-no 3rd party games
-slow, ugly and stupid OS
-high price
-no working gamepad=byebye Wii U
What more is needed for a failure?
-underpowered
-gimmick
-bad marketing
-no 3rd party games
-slow, ugly and stupid OS
-high price
-no working gamepad=byebye Wii U
What more is needed for a failure?
Apparently the system UI was run entirely from the ARM coprocessor, which was way too underpowered for that purpose.
Nah. It has some great games, but the concept ended up being better on paper than in practice.
Tablet mode wasn't that useful with the limited range and poor screen quality.
The best games leveraged the tablet in some way, but for the most part, the tablet felt like a superfluous gimmick that serves no real purpose. If the majority of the Wii U essentials ever get ported to Switch, I would see very little reason the keep the console.
Tablet mode wasn't that useful with the limited range and poor screen quality.
The best games leveraged the tablet in some way, but for the most part, the tablet felt like a superfluous gimmick that serves no real purpose. If the majority of the Wii U essentials ever get ported to Switch, I would see very little reason the keep the console.
Worst piece of gaming hardware I've ever owned 
. So many rough edges and completely crazy decisions. I always found it utterly infuriating to use.
Now if the thread was titled "The Wii U has one of the best exclusive game libraries ever" then there would be no issue (although I'd still disagree but recognising the quality nonetheless).
I guess the difference is I rate the hardware and software separately. The Wii U had a great library in spite of itself. I feel the sales speak for themselves to how botched that hardware was.
. So many rough edges and completely crazy decisions. I always found it utterly infuriating to use.Now if the thread was titled "The Wii U has one of the best exclusive game libraries ever" then there would be no issue (although I'd still disagree but recognising the quality nonetheless).
I guess the difference is I rate the hardware and software separately. The Wii U had a great library in spite of itself. I feel the sales speak for themselves to how botched that hardware was.
SolidSnakesMyStepDad
Member
I agree with you OP definitely in my top two nintendo consoles. I feel like it was personally made for me. I have really bad Paranoia about the future of the console because I don't know how well the gamepad will hold up. And if it breaks how hard is it to fix. At least the emulator looks promising.
Wii U is an amazing console and delivered more exclusives for me than any other console in the time period it had. PS4 is just now starting to deliver with the exclusives (save for Uncharted), three and a half years after launch. Xbox never delivered especially now that I can play it all on PC, and even comparing 360 exclusives to Wii U exclusives the Wii U wins out big time.
I think it's my favorite Nintendo system next to GameCube.
I think it's my favorite Nintendo system next to GameCube.
sechsterangriff
Member
At least from a hardware standpoint it really isn't. It couldn't even provide enough power to my external hard-drive using a Y cable while playing Zelda BOTW. I had plug it into an AC adapter.
TLZ
Banned
King Gilga
Member
LMAO no.
The SNES, the PS2/1, The GBA, the DS.
These were some of the best consoles ever made. More amazing games then I could even fathom, I could never even list them all nevermind play them.
A console with less than 10 games anyone would even care about is not.
The WiiU doesn't even deserve to lick those console's feet.
One of the best consoles ever made?
What a fucking joke.
The SNES, the PS2/1, The GBA, the DS.
These were some of the best consoles ever made. More amazing games then I could even fathom, I could never even list them all nevermind play them.
A console with less than 10 games anyone would even care about is not.
The WiiU doesn't even deserve to lick those console's feet.
One of the best consoles ever made?
What a fucking joke.
Omnistalgic
Member
These two post sum it up well...I think. OP, I think you're really cherry picking and letting your enjoyment for Nintendo games cloud your judgment here. Great games mostly makes a great console, but you can't just ignore the other factors completely lol
TLZ
Banned
My external HDD is powered with the y cable :/
visiblemode
Member
I have one and adore it. Honestly, the hundreds of hours of fun I've had with it are amazing.
That is due, 100% to the software, which is absolutely in spite of the hardware.
I've played on the gamepad on some occasions and it worked well, but I agree with others here, the Wii U is one of the worst consoles I've ever owned and I've owned approximately 20.
For its time and place in history it may be the single worst piece of hardware I've owned. (Not objectively if viewed now, but compared to its peers inside its generation)
The controller situation is jack of all trades and master of none. It's the first console that you basically require 3 different controller types to use. The primary controller is integral, and difficult to replace.
Speaking of: It has industry-lagging sticks, buttons and triggers. It has a poor quality screen with dated pressure sensitive touch.
The console itself is unremarkable in appearance, though outwardly functional. Internally however, the specs are poor and it shows. Even Nintendo struggles with it. Look at MK8's odd pacing hitch, or BotW's extreme framerate issues. How many games even run at 1080 on the system?
As a consequence, of all those factors, sales have been poor and 3rd party support abysmal.
I still love my time with it and it has some of the best games of its gen, but pretending the hardware is good is illogical.
That is due, 100% to the software, which is absolutely in spite of the hardware.
I've played on the gamepad on some occasions and it worked well, but I agree with others here, the Wii U is one of the worst consoles I've ever owned and I've owned approximately 20.
For its time and place in history it may be the single worst piece of hardware I've owned. (Not objectively if viewed now, but compared to its peers inside its generation)
The controller situation is jack of all trades and master of none. It's the first console that you basically require 3 different controller types to use. The primary controller is integral, and difficult to replace.
Speaking of: It has industry-lagging sticks, buttons and triggers. It has a poor quality screen with dated pressure sensitive touch.
The console itself is unremarkable in appearance, though outwardly functional. Internally however, the specs are poor and it shows. Even Nintendo struggles with it. Look at MK8's odd pacing hitch, or BotW's extreme framerate issues. How many games even run at 1080 on the system?
As a consequence, of all those factors, sales have been poor and 3rd party support abysmal.
I still love my time with it and it has some of the best games of its gen, but pretending the hardware is good is illogical.
Jubenhimer
Member
The Wii U was a perfect demonstration of a modern day design and marketing disaster. It was an overpriced, over-complicate mess that not only failed to understand where the market was going at the time, but also failed to understand why it's predecessor was a huge success. Nintendo made a lot of bad decisions that period, and late-Wii period too for that matter. Sad, because there are some genuinely great games on the Wii U, but are sadly trapped behind archaic, badly-designed hardware. The Switch may not be perfect, but the Nintendo of 2017 is far more competent than the Nintendo of 2011.
sechsterangriff
Member
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
Yeah, it was good for a Nintendo system.
It has a small, great library and I own like 20 games for t it but let's not kid ourselves, the hardware is terrible and it's a disaster in general. The default input method (the gamepad) is big, clunky, terrible for the most common genre on the console, they asked you to buy the wii controllers in order to properly play some games, so some games on the shop were unplayable unless you bought a different input method. At launch the UI was terrible and slow. It failed for a reason.
Joe Shlabotnik
Banned
We must be approaching some kind of retro nostalgia singularity if the Wii U is being "re-discovered" and overpraised within weeks of its replacement.
One of the worst console libraries of all time, at least from the major console players, but it did have a few amazing exclusives and was well worth the purchase. Absolutely terrible as a main console/PC though since it missed all the big multiplats. Happy about my purchase but I would only recommend it to people who have access to the big multiplats elsewhere.
talkingood
Member
I mean, personally I feel like how "good" a console may be is directly correlated with how good the games are, since that's...what you do on a games console.
Zen_Arcade
Banned
Honestly, you're not making a very good argument OP. Half your OP is talking about how the system can play old games.
ZombiePlatypus
Member
Had a god-tier line up of games, even if you factor in the 3rd party absence.
I'll never understand Nintendo's first year with the WiiU, plus their "marketing" with the console though. They let PS4 hype build up for a year while WiiU was just sitting there on store shelves. With zero to minimal communication that they had a new device out or what it even was. Gave the WiiU zero chance.
Hopefully they learned from their missteps, and WiiU's gems will get ports.
I'll never understand Nintendo's first year with the WiiU, plus their "marketing" with the console though. They let PS4 hype build up for a year while WiiU was just sitting there on store shelves. With zero to minimal communication that they had a new device out or what it even was. Gave the WiiU zero chance.
Hopefully they learned from their missteps, and WiiU's gems will get ports.
Possumowner
Member
1st party wise it has some corkers,3rd party pretty terrible.Though I'll never part with mine as i absolutely love it