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[Ansatz]

Farewell to the last traditional game console.

I think so too, even if NX will have a home console form factor it will merely mirror the handheld.

Nintendo and their small group of traditional Japanese development partners giving you that old school arcade action with modern production values. It was like a new SNES to me

Exactly. Games like Bayonetta and Xenoblade feel like the successors to oldschool 3rd party Japanese games on past Nintendo consoles. It's the sort of games Capcom, Konami and Square would be doing now if the industry didn't change direction.

and I'm grateful we got that in the modern era of annualized sandbox collectathons and mobile whale hunters. Godspeed little box.

Pretty much. I only play Nintendo published games and select indie titles nowadays. Shovel Knight captures the feeling of playing Mega Man, Castlevania, Contra and all those great classics, at the same time there are also some modern style games with good game design in them. That said recent titles like Ori and Unravel are style over substance even if they pretend to be based on the classics, I didn't like what I played of them at all.

All is not lost because those games still exist and can be replayed, plus there are some (many?) I haven't even played yet. However whenever I play games like Vanquish and The Wonderful 101 I get reminded of what could have been.

 

[TheMoon]

Not all these games are particurarly good.
And I would exclude the remasters and the spin-off/dlc/short games.

Except they are.

All of them, in their own ways. It's just a simple case of not everybody likes everything and there are some wildly different games on there since the library is not some homogeneous blob of sameyness.

Nintendo really needs to release Fatal Frame physical in the US now to fill out the huge gap. Notice Pikmin 4 has still not been even announced...yet it's finished.

Pikmin 4 was never said to be a Wii U game and neither do we know if it's finished or not.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

This is probably the best thing written about the Wii U.

My favourite bit is the concluding segment, which every preceding paragraph had been building up to:

It's almost impossible to understand the Wii U in the abstract, without playing it. And even then you won't be sure of it, because the Wii U isn't sure of itself, and that's its greatest virtue. In an age when showy CEOs shout hubristic, trite predictions about the inevitable future of games, The Wii U offers an understated bravado that's far more courageous. With it, Nintendo admits, "we don't know either." We don't know what video games are anymore, or what they will become. It's a huge risk, and it's probably the most daring move Nintendo has made in its 125-year history. Domestication through polite ferocity. Feral design.

Still, let's not get too romantic: Nintendo's risk is not daring because the Wii U is good, necessarily. Many will lament what they will perceive as a step back for Nintendo compared to the "innovation" found in the Wii. They might be right. But the Wii U is serious in a way that Nintendo has never attempted. Even Nintendo may not have fully realized what it has done. It has domesticated the wildness of the present moment in video games, consumer electronics, the internet, and home entertainment by caging them out in the open. It's lurid and beautiful and repugnant and real, like watching Mickey Mouse smoke a joint in the alley behind Space Mountain.

We've all been assuming that games "growing up" means growing up in theme, tackling adult issues, achieving the aesthetic feats of literature and painting and film -- even if by "film" we usually mean "summer tent-pole movies."

But there are other ways to grow up. One involves embracing the uncertainty of one's own form and responding deliberately. That's what real art does, after all. It admits that it doesn't know what art is in theory, but only in practice. It gives the finger to its critics because it doesn't care if they like the results. Some among us keep asking for the Citizen Kane of games. Maybe Nintendo delivered something better, something weirder and more surprising -- particularly for a consumer electronics device. Not craft but soul, for once. Even Apple hasn't succeeded at that.

If I had to run an exhibit for games as art, and there had to be a console as part of it, I would choose the Wii U.

 

[Orniletter]

What's the difference?

WiiU's line-up was one of its major flaws. Mario Maker and Splattoon were the only fresh new IPs which convinced both sales- and review-wise, while a lot of other games just felt like quickly rehashed versions of well established IPs.

At least they were not good enough to convince myself to buy one. For the very first time in 30 years in which I bought every single one, some of them even more than once...

So, looking forward to that NX line-up...

I'd love you to assess Sony's PS4 output so far if Xenoblade X, Bayonetta 2, the Wonderful 101, Star Fox Zero, Project Zero Maiden of Black Water , Pokken and Captain Toad count as "quickly rehashed versions of well established IPs".

Some of you are so transparent.

 

[Steve.1981]

I had a whole lot of fun with my Wii U. The Wonderful 101, Splatoon, 3D World etc...

It's a real shame more people didn't embrace it, because the (admittedly few) games are of the highest quality, and off-TV play seemed to me like it could be a game-changer for many.

 

[Tanwo]

In my opinion, the Wii U has a great library, probably the best of the current gen consoles.

I don’t regret buying it one bit, but still it’s a shame that it didn’t fulfill its potential.

 

[Machina]

I got a fair amount of enjoyment out of Mario Kart, but that was about it. The gamepad will go down in history as a terrible idea.

 

[MoogleWizard]

It's an amazing console for those who love strong gamedesign and gameplay driven games.

It's has basically nothing to offer for people who like those modern almost just presentation driven games.

But hey, I'm in the first camp. It's a great system for me.

You're like me. Gameplay, game design, controls > all else. The best presentation won't save a game that fails these for me. Witcher 3 being a recent example.

 

[Steve.1981]

...The gamepad will go down in history as a terrible idea.

I found it to be very comfortable to hold and use (I do have quite big hands), I thought the 2nd screen was great for maps and inventory management (+ less clutter on the big screen) and like I said, off-TV play worked perfectly and seemed like it would be so useful to people sharing a TV.

I get that the numbers tell the story, not a lot of people embraced the idea, but I still think it was a good one.

 

[QuantumSquid]

I will buy an NX if Spla2n comes out and it's good.

 

[skypunch]

The best game on the system is Xenoblade Chronicles X & it's the only title from Nintendo that doesn't feel like it revels in traditional, arcade-y "fun". It's the most modern Nintendo game on Wii U, which is what Nintendo needs more of. The abundance of arcade-y experiences from Nintendo is one thing that's keeping them from gaining relevance with the modern gamer.

 

[DownGrader]

The purchase of Wii U renovated my interest in video games and led me to meeting lots of great people. Some of them became my best and close friends, and these people made me to re-evaluate my life in a very good way.

I am not able to talk crap about this console.

 

[Jawmuncher]

It was an alright system. Still feel I overpayed for it though. Like all the games I wanted came out so long after the fact it was rather sad. No one to blame but myself though.

Well that and Nintendo announcing games so early

 

[skypunch]

Honestly, the only memories I have of Wii U is the painful wait for XCX.

 

[hodgy100]

I've had way more playtime out of my WiiU than I have my PS4 so far. mainly because I play most games on my PC though.

 

[rdytoroll]

Looks like an amazing library and I really think I would have gotten more out of it than the PS4. I really wanted to buy one last year, but with the news of the NX coming out, I decided against it. Now it's 2017, sigh... I hope we atleast get some ports to the NX at launch.

 

[Jonneh3003]

Welp, Rayman Legends has already been forgotten about. Glad to see ZombiU there.

Pity Affordable Space Adventures didn't get "normal" boxart, eh?

I was trying to focus on Wii U exclusives in the OP selection, some third party games have been mentioned throughout the thread. I love the Wii U version of Rayman Legends.

 

[TheMoon]

Is the kirby game good? I just ordered buy I was hesitating

There is not a single bad game in that collage in the OP.

 

[Steejee]

WiiU basically felt like the GameCube 2 to me, and I have been more than happy with buying one at launch and the way too many games I've bought for it.

 

[Jacknapes]

For me (like a lot of us here), it's a great console at the wrong time.

I've had a lot of fun with the WiiU over it's life, lots of race nights on Mario Kart 8 (the DLC was fantastic) to long nights on Smash with friends.

I have no regrets in getting a WiiU when i did, i think i got a nice deal from Asda with it (think i got Monster Hunter 3 and New Super Mario Brothers U at the time). I've played some fantastic games, including

Pikmin 3
Wind Waker HD
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

It's been a good run, but i don't really know how it went wrong.

 

[Dawg]

An awful console that had great games.

 

[Simbabbad]

When people have less things to buy, then whatever game comes out next will have a higher attach rate because that's all the system has.

Complete bogus.

Most people own a PC and phones/tablets, Nintendo fans also own a 3DS, and gamers in general own multiple consoles. Nobody "has" to buy anything, people buy those games because they're amazing.

 

[Jonneh3003]

I didn't put these in the OP because I wanted to focus on system exclusives but as pointed out by a few posters many third party Wii U games used the gamepad in ways that enhance the experience.

Batman Arkham City isn't a perfect port but it includes all the DLC and gamepad intergration that makes traversing Arkham City better than any other version.

I wanted to put Devil's Third in the OP, its a fantastic game that I think was misunderstood. Its pure fun with AA production values. Its one of my favourite online shooters ever, give it a chance at the very least.

Tekken is also pretty special with its Nintendo themed costumes and exclusive volley ball mode.

Of course there are other good third party Wii U games like Call of Duty Ghosts, Scribblenauts Unlimited and Mass Effect 3 but these are the 9 I recommend. Sonic Lost World has some terrific free Yoshi and Zelda DLC

Edit: If you get Rodea make sure it comes with the Wii version, its the one thats really worth playing.

 

[Deleted member 125677]

It is what it is. But as someone who's fine with owning a Nintendo console for the exclusives I can't say it has really failed me. I've had some really good times with this thing.

 

[Jonneh3003]

I got a fair amount of enjoyment out of Mario Kart, but that was about it. The gamepad will go down in history as a terrible idea.

The gamepads issue is that the majority of games ignored it and favoured a traditional control scheme. Zombi U, Xenoblade X, the Zelda remasters, Deus Ex, Batman Arkham City, Star Fox Zero, Splatoon, Project Zero, Nintendo Land and Super Mario Maker all use the gamepad in ways that enhance the experience. At worst its a big traditional controller, at best its an input device that offers infinite possibilities.

Then you have the brilliant off TV play and local multiplayer without split screen. Nothing terrible about that.

 

[CyberChulo]

To many, the Wii U is a commercial failure that came out at the wrong time, had the wrong idea and failed to compete with its direct competition. To others, the Wii U is this:

Wow. That's not a lot of games

 

[notaskwid]

I guess it has the third best Project Zero so it's ok.

 

[Tarps]

The family and I have loved the Wii U, and I can't see me replacing this for a while yet, as I've so many great games still to play.

I just hope gamepad replacement / repair is going to be possible for a while longer yet, as i've no plans to unplug my Wii U, I just fear losing the console if it breaks.

 

[Thud]

Wow. That's not a lot of games

About the same as the N64 I guess.

 

[mcmanic]

just sold mine with 17 of the best for £400, nothing else i want from it apart from Zelda which will most probably be on their new console later this year or next, so flogging it before the rush.

 

[Kito]

It's an amazing console for those who love strong gamedesign and gameplay driven games.

It's has basically nothing to offer for people who like those modern almost just presentation driven games.

Nintendo vs Sony in a nutshell. TLoU etc are just a bunch of cutscenes.

 

[CanUKlehead]

To many, the Wii U is a commercial failure that came out at the wrong time, had the wrong idea and failed to compete with its direct competition. To others, the Wii U is this:

It's both to me. I had/have lots off fun with mine, but I could've survived this gen without it, no matter how much I love Mario Maker, 3D World, Kart 8 and Bayo 2. Or at least bought those discs and hope they're playable next gen.

No regrets, but personally, I'll give it a shrug.

 

[Chû Totoro]

I need Pokken and I'll have all the games listed by OP. I'll see in the Indie games thread too but sure I won't miss any game worth to be played on Wii U.

I can't imagine all the great games we could have ended with if the system had been successful.

 

[DSix]

I still regret ever buying the Wii U. I wasn't thinking straight and really should've kept that money for VR instead.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Nintendo vs Sony in a nutshell. TLoU etc are just a bunch of cutscenes.

Lawl.

Some of you people are ridiculous.

 

[skypunch]

Nintendo vs Sony in a nutshell. TLoU etc are just a bunch of cutscenes.

I'm not even a fan of games like TLoU, but there's nothing wrong with cutscenes, & TLoU isn't the only game on PS4. In fact, one of the reasons I got bored of only owning a Wii U is because pretty much all Nintendo games (with the exception of 1) on the Wii U are arcade experiences that lack strong narratives & deep gameplay. There's very little variety in game design; most of the games are all about getting higher scores & beating stages. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, these games have their place, but I couldn't *only* play games like this or I'd get bored. Sometimes you yearn for a game that does that little bit more & goes that little bit deeper.

 

[Neoxon]

The Wii U gave us the best Mario Kart, the 2nd best Smash game, a great level editor via Super Mario Maker, my favorite shooter since Goldeneye, the best version of Bayonetta 1, Bayonetta 2, Pikmin 3, & a bunch of other games. I'm more than happy with the Wii U.

 

[Sylverstone14]

I stand by my claim that Wii U is perhaps the best console a college student could own, based on the quality of the games, the strong local multiplayer focus, and Off-TV Play.

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

Nintendo vs Sony in a nutshell. TLoU etc are just a bunch of cutscenes.

Ugh.

 

[Simbabbad]

Did you like Canvas Curse? If so, it was great, if not, probably not.

I personally hated the DS game and loved the Wii U game.

Same here. Rainbow Curse is an excellent game that is much more refined and well thought than Canvas Curse IMO. It's also very challenging and the clay effect is used much better than the wool one in Woolly World IMO.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

Nintendo vs Sony in a nutshell. TLoU etc are just a bunch of cutscenes.

Yeah, ok lol

 

[Jonneh3003]

Ugh.

Ignore it, this isn't a Wii U vs X thread and its a shame narrow minded comments like this are even made.

 

[Kiddy Dong]

The Wii U basically represents everything I liked about gaming back in the late 90s/early 2000s, which I think was the best the industry's ever been. It's a system where the games have an exceptional amount of polish, didn't feel the need to be super edgy or pandering, and where games are focused on just being games; not overblown cinematic or social experiences. Despite most of the rest of the industry's best efforts, it's a system that remembers what fun is.

It's a video game console in the purest sense, one that's more concerned with being really damn good at playing fantastic games than being a "computer entertainment system" or "all-in-one entertainment center" or whatever. I know that's where the market is going and that's what the masses want, but the Wii U truly was the last gasp for the late '90s/early '00s model of dedicated gaming, and I'll always love it for that.

You guys summed it up better than I ever could. If it weren't for the Wii U, I'd be strictly a retro gamer at this point. There's next to nothing on the other 8th gen consoles that reinvigorates my love for gaming in the same way.

The Wii U really is a console that puts fun first and foremost, something that the industry seems to lose sight of these days.

 

[loudbill]

I truly feel the wii u gamepad is one of the best controlers of all time. Its very comfortable, and has insane potential.

 

[Iztok Mravlja]

Other people's off-tv experience must have been than mine. my games started disconnecting after moving more than 8 feet from the console.


Also, there are 6 2d platformers on that list. Nintendo really went to the 2d plattformer well alot this generation.

They're fundamentally different games, though (except the two New SMB games, and even then one is focused on speed challenges).

It's like saying Sony went to the third person perspective well a lot. It doesn't really mean anything.

 

[botty]

To many, the Wii U is a commercial failure that came out at the wrong time, had the wrong idea and failed to compete with its direct competition. To others, the Wii U is this:

Nothing groundbreaking or innovative here. Great games, but nothing to suggest Nintendo or gaming was being pushed forward in any direction. Reggie once called Wii U a "box," and now I really understand what he meant. It was just a box to play current gen versions of Nintendo games on.

Hopefully Nintendo realizes the future of gaming is real-time, social experiences.

 

[skypunch]

The Wii U really is a console that puts fun first and foremost, something that the industry seems to lose sight of these days.

There's plenty of fun to be had on PS4 or Xbox One too, though. "fun" isn't something that's exclusive to Nintendo. This sounds like such a back-in-my-day mindset.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

There's plenty of fun to be had on PS4 or Xbox One too, though. "fun" isn't something that's exclusive to Nintendo.

No, don't you get it, Big-N is the only of the console-makers that puts fun first.

Sony and Microsoft are all about that money. Fun is towards the bottom of the list for them.

 

[TheMoon]

I didn't put these in the OP because I wanted to focus on system exclusives but as pointed out by a few posters many third party Wii U games used the gamepad in ways that enhance the experience.

Batman Arkham City isn't a perfect port but it includes all the DLC and gamepad intergration that makes traversing Arkham City better than any other version.

I wanted to put Devil's Third in the OP, its a fantastic game that I think was misunderstood. Its pure fun with AA production values. Its one of my favourite online shooters ever, give it a chance at the very least.

Tekken is also pretty special with its Nintendo themed costumes and exclusive volley ball mode.

Of course there are other good third party Wii U games like Call of Duty Ghosts, Scribblenauts Unlimited and Mass Effect 3 but these are the 9 I recommend. Sonic Lost World has some terrific free Yoshi and Zelda DLC


Edit: If you get Rodea make sure it comes with the Wii version, its the one thats really worth playing.

Need for Speed Most Wanted U was wonderful, too. Best version thanks to that quirky co-driver mode and "god mode" on the gamepad.

Wow. That's not a lot of games

So? Please don't act like those are all the games available on Wii U or even close to all the good ones. These are just a selection of the great exclusives. And only retail ones at that.

 

[Sylverstone14]

Nothing groundbreaking or innovative here. Great games, but nothing to suggest Nintendo or gaming was being pushed forward in any direction. Reggie once called Wii U a "box," and now I really understand what he meant. It was just a box to play current gen versions of Nintendo games on.

Hopefully Nintendo realizes the future of gaming is real-time, social experiences.

I think there's a case for Splatoon being the standout in terms of groundbreaking innovation. The others are definitely evolutions, but Splatoon was truly something we have not seen executed so well, by Nintendo of all people.