I always buy Nintendos at launch. The thrill of a new Nintendo machine enamors me like no other. They're miracle machines brimming with promise and opportunity. But it's always a risk - it's a gamble every time. You never know what exactly you'll get out of your time with the console or how long you'll stick with it. Even though I am always an early-adopter, it's not uncommon for me to check out mid-generation.
I had a Wii U. I tried very hard to get the most out of it. After all, who could deny those games? Almost every franchise that got an entry on the Wii U saw the best game in its series on the console. But my ability to enjoy these games was heavily, dramatically, and undeniably compromised by the quality of the device itself. I hated my Wii U. I hated the UI, I hated the technology, I hated the GamePad, I hated how light the Pro Controller felt, I hated how poorly the Virtual Console was curated, I hated so much about it. And I buried this distress and I denied how much I disliked the machine because I wanted to believe good games could be played on anything.
But this was a lie I told myself.
The truth is, the system is not just a means to an end. It is not invisible or trivial. The console is a stage. It's a picture frame. It's a dinner platter. It has a great deal to do with how games are presented and how they feel to play. Just like you wouldn't serve a filet mignon on a styrofoam plate or frame a Picasso in plastic, a game like Mario Kart 8 or Super Smash Bros 4 should never have been confined to a system as paltry as the Wii U.
I feel similarly, perhaps even more severely, about the 3DS. But that's a different topic.
I played MK8 on the Wii U for plenty of time, but I never bought any DLC or even completed the base content. There was something about the Wii U that made the game feel small. Constrained. Like red wine in a paper cup. As I became more and more disillusioned with this sorry chapter of Nintendo hardware, even Nintendo's strongest output failed to enchant me.
I skipped everything. I watched good games go by. I sat out of historic launches. I missed everything and that's my loss. But I would not, in any realistic circumstance, subjugate myself to the Wii U to enjoy them. They are a lost catalog. They are Nintendo's burned library of Alexandria. If anything can be salvaged from the Wii U and 3DS library for future generations to benefit from, they will need to be transcribed into a new and preservable format.
The long story short here is that I'm playing Mario Kart 8 on my Switch and it's an incredible experience. I am overjoyed every time I begin a race. The system is snappy and responsive and bright and crisp and this glorious game finally has the stage it deserves. It's a Hell of a show.
It's the reason that Zelda Switch, despite being a nearly identical experience to the Wii U, is a "Switch game" and always will be. Playing Breath of the Wild on Switch feels like something new and exciting. Playing Breath of the Wild on Wii U, which I have given a shot, sucks. I hate it. I hate the Wii U. No game, even a game I put 200 hours into, can shine on the Wii U.
If there are more people like me - insane and scrutinous - it makes sense MK8D has such unexpected fervor. It is free now. Be free, summer child, and leave your prison behind.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
Really makes you think.