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[EatChildren]

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

On the positive end it is home to some of my favourite Nintendo gems and some legit "must play"s. The Wonderful 101 I feel is one of the most inventive character action games ever. Bayonetta 2 was a great follow-up to the original and a dream to see it to fruition. Tropical Freeze is the best Donkey Kong platformer. ZombiU was a legit return to survival horror and the best launch game. Mario Kart 8 is a huge fucking improvement on Mario Kart Wii U and showcased DLC done right. Captain Toad is like a game from the SNES era with production quality of a modern title. Splatoon is inventive and brilliant, one of Nintendo's strongest new IPs. Pikmin 3 was a lovely return to the franchise.

On the other hand Super Mario 3D World, while good, was a blatantly weak follow-up to Super Mario Galaxy 2 AKA GOLD STANDARD 3D PLATFORMER to me. I thought Xenoblade Chronicles X was boring shit compared ot the brilliant Xenoblade. Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD are good games, the former a far superior "remake" over the latter's simpler port, but nevertheless both basically filler meaning the Wii U is the only mainline Nintendo console to never get its own exclusive, unique The Legend of Zelda game. Smash Bros 4 was good, but really missing an enigmatic something that felt like a step up over its predecessors, something I felt even Brawl had. No Metroid. No F-Zero. No Animal Crossing. Third party support was dreadful due to its floundering in the market. Off screen play was absolutely meaningless and useless to me. I love having a second screen but even Nintendo failed at proving it could provide really unqiue and interesting experiences, something I felt the Wii did far, far better (unique technology that's rough around the edges >>> safe gimmicks). Nintendo completely, utterly, and bafflingly failed at managing their production pipeline despite having literally an entire generation of competition examples to learn from (this bewilders me to this day and is in my opinion one of the company's most embarrassing management failures).

So yeah, I don't know. Like all Nintendo consoles I feel it is worth it if you're into the games because, while there's really fuck all, the good stuff is really quite amazing. But it's still pretty much a brick to me that's only appealing for very specific per-software reasons. Those are good reasons, but the gaps in between are nothingness. It has none of the authentic originality that the Wii had, so I feel no thrill or excitement in the hardware or potential. Nintendo floundered in maintaining a consistent production pipeline, which seriously hindered the release schedule. Dated hardware and awful sales massacred support. It's home to some unforgettable games, but as a whole a totally forgettable platform. A great platform to pick up on the cheap when the time comes.

 

[ramparter]

Can't beat N64, my all time favourite.

 

[phanphare]

There was a long "debate" (see argument) about this exact topic on Player 1 Podcast. I like my Wii U, but I would argue that it's library isn't better than lets say....N64 even?

see when you go back to the N64 the argument becomes relative because a lot of those games were groundbreaking at the time but have aged like dog shit. couple that with it's small library and it's hard to go to bat for the N64 imo.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

It's the worst console overall, and the worst first-party catalog as well.

First-Party Only
1. Nintendo 64
2. Super Famicom
3. Super NES (Japan had a lot of unreleased exclusives)
4. Wii
5. GameCube
6. Wii U


First / Third Party
1. Super NES / Super Famicom
2. GameCube
3. Wii
4. N64
5. Wii U

The N64 had industry changing games! Not only through it's 4 player multiplayer phenomenons, but its epic ground breaking games like Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time.

 

[ebo]

the wii u is underrated like the psvita however the battery life sucks but most of the games are amazing (splatoon is my favourite!)

 

[Ein Bear]

The console definitely has it's share of gems, but it's Nintendo's weakest home console by far to me.

No true Zelda, no Metroid, no F-Zero, a shit Star Fox... there are some amazing games but it's a poor lineup for me.

 

[fernoca]

You know, I kinda agree. But I'll also add the 3DS.

The SNES is still my favorite because at the time it was just an amazing feeling.

But the Wii U and 3DS are the closest when it comes to those feelings.

3D World, Smash, DK, Spatoon, Mario Kart, Mario Maker, Yoshi, Kirby, Bayonetta just on Wii U. Them 3DS with versions of most of those and the many JRPGs.

 

[Supermanisdead]

absolutely not

ive never been more disappointed in a nintendo system than wii u

 

[Pinky]

I have to agree, OP. Here's how I'd rank their consoles overall.

1-NES
2-SNES
3-Wii U
4-Wii

Spoiler

I placed Wii above GC because Wii had backwards compatibility with GC games

5-GC
6-N64

 

[Neff]

If you take third party out of the equation, then it's pretty close. Wii U's first party content is some of the strongest stuff they've ever done.

And even then I'd argue that including third party is unfair, because no console ever enjoyed third party quite like SNES did imo.

 

[DigSCCP]

It's the worst console overall, and the worst first-party catalog as well.

First-Party Only
1. Nintendo 64
2. Super Famicom
3. Super NES (Japan had a lot of unreleased exclusives)
4. Wii
5. GameCube
6. Wii U


First / Third Party
1. Super NES / Super Famicom
2. GameCube
3. Wii
4. N64
5. Wii U

The N64 had industry changing games! Not only through it's 4 player multiplayer phenomenons, but its epic ground breaking games like Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time.

This!

 

[Colonel Mustard]

You know, I kinda agree. But I'll also add the 3DS.

The SNES is still my favorite because at the time it was just an amazing feeling.

But the Wii U and 3DS are the closest when it comes to those feelings.

3D World, Smash, DK, Spatoon, Mario Kart, Mario Maker, Yoshi, Kirby, Bayonetta just on Wii U. Them 3DS with versions of most of those and the many JRPGs.

Won't the NX be grand when it consolidates all of those games into one platform?

 

[GitarooMan]

To expand on why I think it's the worst I don't see how the first party stuff can hold a candle to the N64 output, I think the overall library and tech pales in comparison to what the GC delivered at the time and it lacks the sheer inventiveness, accessibility and again library depth of the Wii (at least the early years of the system). It felt dated from the moment it was released (the hideously low res gamepad screen being just one example along with the outdated from the beginning online infrastructure and front end OS) and lacks real freshness. Having said all that sure it's worth having and there are several really good games, but I don't think it really holds up to previous Nintendo consoles in any meaningful way.

 

[Business]

If we only look at Nintendo's own software output and completely disregard the lack of 3rd party support, I agree.

 

[MoonFrog]

I like the Wii U. However, I think that at this point Wii, GCN, N64 are all better consoles than it with more complete software libraries. No Zelda or Metroid and a Mario game that is overshadowed by the Galaxies and not as revolutionary as Mario 64 determines this for me. Particularly the former condition and that is why I said 'at this point.' BotW could very much change my considerations, but it'll probably be an NX game to me.

But think about it (putting things in rough order of their Importance to me):

-N64 had OoT & MM and Mario 64
-GCN had MP 1&2 and WW & TP.
-Wii had SS & TP, Galaxy 1&2, and MP 3
-Wii U has 3D World & SMM

That's just comparing them along the 'holy trinity' of Nintendo exclusives (to me). Wii U has great games outside this 'trinity' but so do the others. (GCN is massively helped by PoR in my eyes, better than any game on Wii U ) Wii U also has some third party gems, but again so do the other consoles and they have wider support to boot.

Again, BotW could make me feel differently, but it is so late in the cycle, also on NX, and there will be no Metroid. Until then, Wii U is the 'worst' Nintendo console I've had. Still a damn fine machine.

 

[Anth0ny]

The Wii had a killer library so that says a lot.

I know

besides Galaxy 1 and 2, the first party games on Wii U compared to Wii are just better, and in some cases, MUCH better.

 

[Jobbs]

I agree, but I also think Nintendo's consoles have been very weak since SNES. I hated N64, Gamecube was whatever, I hated Wii.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

If you take third party out of the equation, then it's pretty close. Wii U's first party content is some of the strongest stuff they've ever done.

It might be better than GameCube, but that's still a highly contested argument.

 

[Arthr2ShdsJcksn]

I don't own a Wii U, but I've played enough of the core games to know that it is the worst standard console that they've ever produced. The Nintendo produced games are mediocre rehashes and mostly steps backward, including, but not limited to Mario 3D, Smash, and Mario Kart.

Bayonetta 2 was the only game that made me pause and reconsider getting the system. In the end, though, I can't justify a machine for a single game, and chances are I'll have a way to play it in the future.

Mario Maker has been awesome to watch, but I don't see myself playing it.

Any consideration I would have had for Splatoon (which I did somewhat like) has been replaced now that Overwatch is here. I know they're not the same, but it scratches that itch, and is better in just about every way that I care about.

Pikmin, Wooly World and DK are parts of series that I wish Nintendo never bothered with in the first place. Perhaps they are better than their predecessors, but I wouldn't care.

Xeno whatever seemed bad. I didn't particularly like the Xenoblade on the Wii, giving up on it after three hours.

Zelda looks good, but it will likely look better on a better console.

For me, the WiiU is just the latest in a line of mostly dwindling quality with a few bright spots, but certainly nowhere near the glory years of Nintendo.

 

[21XX]

Mario Kart? Donkey Kong Country? Pikmin?

3D Mario?

Spoiler

Yes!

Alright, I agree with Mario Kart and Pikmin (honestly forgot about those). I don't like the aesthetic of the DKCR games that much. I prefer the Country look.

And 3D Land? Nooooo, no no no. Didn't do it for me at all.

All that said, a handful of good Nintendo games doesn't make up for the fact that it has barely anything outside of the Nintendo library to prop it up.

 

[MysteryQuesadilla]

Looking at the software, there were some really great titles that more than justify it's purchase for me. But man the online infrastructure sure didn't lend itself well to a customer base that exceedingly went towards multi-player and being able to connect via a party chat system online.

 

[gemoran4]

Over the years I've owned the NES, SNES, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, N64. Gamecube, Wii, DS, 3DS and Wii U. Basically I've owned just about every nintendo console besides the virtual boy and the game and watch devices. The Wii U I'd say without any hesitation is the worst console by nintendo to date. Despite subjective matters like having probably my least favorite 3d mario, Mario party and star fox games, the release droughts were just plain awful (there were several months at a time between even a notable release), when the wii u first came out the os was extremely sluggish and took forever to boot up and open/close a game. The graphics are very dated, and the gamepad absolutely does not make up for that fact. The Wii had a similar problem but at least the wiimote and motion control gaming is/was a pretty novel idea.

There were a few good games for it (3D world, mario kart 8, smash 4, splatoon, Bayonetta 2), but you can say that about nearly every console. Even the Saturn had some excellent games. So yeah not only do I disagree, I'm on the exact opposite end of the spectrum as you.

 

[MrSaturn99]

Nintendo's software output is probably their most consistent in quality since the SNES, but practically everything else remains a big disappointment. I mean, I love Miiverse, but boy did they drop the ball with the GamePad and third-party support.

 

[AndrewDean84xX]

The Wii U is the most used piece of entertainment in my household, between my daughter, wife and myself. It's turned on every single day. And ever since Minecraft launched on it, it's become a dedicated Minecraft machine for my 7 year old daughter.

 

[Neff]

It might be better than GameCube, but that's still a highly contested argument.

It depends on what gaps get left unplugged in your Nintendo demands, I guess. They've had franchises sitting it out for generations as long as they've been in business. I got enough of what I wanted out of Wii U's line up, including some pleasant surprises in the form of new IPs.

Definitely better than Gamecube, yeah. Probably about a tie with the Wii for me.

First party: SNES > N64 > Wii/Wii U > Gamecube > NES

Third party: SNES > Gamecube > Wii > N64 > NES > Wii U

 

[fernoca]

Won't the NX be grand when it consolidates all of those games into one platform?

One can only hope.

Having them focus in one Smash or one Mario Kart, instead of 2 separate versions would be great and hopefully make for not only an even better product, but a bigger one.

 

[Nocturnowl]

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

This line alone is such a fitting summary.
Rough start, business picked up later half of 2013, then 2014 was dope, 2015 had two big hitters but then began the incredibly sharp decline after Mario Maker with whatever filler Nintendo could push out along with whatever few third party stuff they scooped up.

And now it's pretty much fizzled out entirely, understandable but it was genuinely on track to being a personal favourite of mine (the platforming beast that it is).

 

[Bulzeeb]

It's the worst console overall, and the worst first-party catalog as well.

First-Party Only
1. Nintendo 64
2. Super Famicom
3. Super NES (Japan had a lot of unreleased exclusives)
4. Wii
5. GameCube
6. Wii U


First / Third Party
1. Super NES / Super Famicom
2. GameCube
3. Wii
4. N64
5. Wii U

The N64 had industry changing games! Not only through it's 4 player multiplayer phenomenons, but its epic ground breaking games like Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time.

I agree with this list, Wii U isn't that bad and it had some cool games but Nintendo's offering for this console hasn't been as interesting as previous consoles, also this is Nintendo's first home console without an exclusive Zelda game so take that as you want

 

[Soapbox Killer]

DIPLOMACY HAS FAILED


Once Breath of the Wild drops, Wii U will be the best Ninetndo console since SNES. AS a pure gaming console it is leaps above the Wii and the GameCube (although GC is solid). Even now 3 years into the new gen, its exclusives are better than XB1/PS4. If StarFox Zero wasn't so "meh" we might already been there. A few ( wishful thinking )no-brainer ports like "THE LAST STORY HD" and "Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom Plus" and it wouldn't even be close.

The indies on Wii U help A LOT!

 

[Bate]

- Off-TV play. Amazing feature available in most games, plus it made the Virtual Console worth it for me. Great way to play VC games instead of having old ass games blown up on an HDTV where they look beyond tragic

VC via the Touchpad/Gamepad is magic. It is the perfect way to play these games if you haven't got an old TV in reach. Which i haven't. Sadly, the VC was woefully neglected by Nintendo. I would have killed for a comprehensive classic Nintendo library.

 

[mug]

Respectfully disagree. While some of the games are great. The cursed controller is what killed the system. It kept the price high and no one wanted the thing - developers or consumers. Nintendo forcing their devs to try and make it relevant really showed how unnecessary it was.

 

[Nottle]

I was playing Melee a week ago and thinking about starting thousand year door.

I really love the GameCube.
But I adore the Wii u as well. Honestly the only Nintendo system I have been cold on was the Wii and that was because I was playing so much 360. I still liked Brawl, Twilight princess and the Mario Galaxy games. But the Wii just didn't have the spirit of the GameCube or the polish of seeing Nintendo games in HD or on a normal controller.

The GameCube has a lot of incredibly strong efforts by Nintendo and even some 3rd parties. I loved Tales of Symphonia. When I think back though I always missed some really good games, like to this day I wish I would have owned Fzero Gx, PSO or Super Monkey ball.

 

[Jimrpg]

I love everything about the Wii U....

Except for the gamepad... its too big even for my adult hands, it feels like i'm gripping a MASSIVE chunky ancient tablet only Moses would approve of. Basically something designed in 2005. Like I know Nintendo were going with 'that' type of design, but no way my kids (who are 2.5 and 8 months right now) will be able to play until they are at least 5.... she can't reach any of the buttons.

That said... love all my games and its the only system left I collect physical games for because they'll most likely work 10 years down the line.

My games so far -

Nintendoland
New Super Mario Bros. Wii U
Super Mario 3D World
Mario Kart 8
Super Smash Bros. Wii U
Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze
Bayonetta 1 and 2
Project Zero V
Xenoblade Chronicles X

Still need to pick up

Wind Waker HD
Hyrule Warriors
Wonderful 101
Splatoon
Pikmin 3
Art Academy Wii U

Around 20 games should do it for the Wii U. I'd like to see a few more RPGs, either western or japanese.

 

[PMS341]

The Wii U is closer to Nintendo's Dreamcast, and I say that with a lot of respect.

The DS, if it counts, is probably the best Nintendo system all around. Really had a wonderful library of games, and stacked with GBA...

As for home consoles, though, I'm still not certain the SNES has been topped still.

 

[xenorevlis]

If the Wii U had come out instead of the Wii, then maybe we'd be saying this TODAY.

However, it came out with rendering power a hair above PS3 right before PS4 and XBO, and with very little support and an obnoxious controller. I have wanted to get one for so long for a handful of games, but am waiting patiently for NX as both Zelda and a future Metroid title aren't out yet.

So... no, cannot agree with this sentiment. The GameCube had a much greater library of experiences and games that look incredible for their time, and several others that look good even today (Wind Waker!).

 

[butalala]

I think Nintendo's software output is the best it's been since the N64 (especially if you take 3DS software into account), but their hardware is incredibly unappealing.

I own both a 2DS and a Wii U, and instead of excitedly buying both at launch, like I did with GC, GBA and Wii, I waited for a good pile of software to build up, and a good solid discount on the hardware.

Even when you look at the 5 different iterations of 3DS hardware, there is no clear best option. No matter what you choose, you've got something that is either too big to put into a pocket with a blurry screen, or it has a terrible battery life. The best option seems to be the regular N3DS, but that's trapped in a couple of bundle options.

The other thing that prevents Wii U from being the second coming of the SNES is the obvious lack of high-quality 3rd party titles.

 

[Jimrpg]

Respectfully disagree. While some of the games are great. The cursed controller is what killed the system. It kept the price high and no one wanted the thing - developers or consumers. Nintendo forcing their devs to try and make it relevant really showed how unnecessary it was.

I wish they just went with a wii u pro controller.

My tv looks a lot better than the washed out colours on the tablet that I'd rather play on the tv anyway. And if i'm on the TV I don't need to use the tablet.

 

[Theanine3D]

GameCube was better and lasted almost a full 6 years.

Nintendo is killing off the Wii U too soon for it to ever be their greatest console. Lots of missed potential.

 

[kunonabi]

I'd say second best after the Wii. Wii just had way better 1st and 3rd party support, a better controller that was actually used well, and a more focused vision.

That said, despite all of the Wii U's issues I'd argue it's possibly the 3rd best console Nintendo has put out depending on how you feel about the NES/Famicom.

 

[Sapiens]

If you like one good game per genre, then maybe?

But the obvious lack of TP support and the short life actually puts it close to last. Wii was better.

 

[Andrew Evenstar]

controversial topic just for fun .... ?

And no.

 

[GhostTrick]

it's better than the wii





that's about it

Not really.

 

[sixteen-bit]

It's their best console period.

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

Gonna have to agree actually. The Wii U has some of Nintendo's best games ever, and arguably some of the best games in existing lineups. IMHO it has the best Mario Kart, the best Smash, the best Pikmin, and others I'm forgetting.

In addition it has full backwards compatibility with the Wii's software library. Roll in the eShop's offerings, Wiiware, and the Virtual Console content on both the eShop and the Wii Shop Channel and you've got the best software lineup ever available on a Nintendo console to date.

For what it's worth, I never understood the complaints about the Wii U Gamepad's battery life. Mine tends to last about 4 hours on the "2" brightness setting. It's few and far between that I have 4 hour blocks of playtime these days, so I've never had the Gamepad die on me mid-session. If it's an issue Nintendo does sell an extended life battery.

 

[GhostTrick]

Alson on topic, I highly disagree. On any account, it's been the worse Nintendo console since the begining. Not counting Virtual Boy of course. The 1st party output has been the weakest and the 3rd party output has been absent.
3D World is the weakest entry in the 3D serie and I cant imagine how in the world Color Splash would be the best Paper Mario title in the serie. Not in a million years. Wii U's been about Nintendo playing safe and lazy for the most part.

 

[Javier]

Here's how I rank them, based entirely on my overall enjoyment of the system.

SNES > Wii > NES > Wii U > N64 > GC

 

[dragonyeuw]

AS a pure gaming console it is leaps above the Wii and the GameCube (although GC is solid).

What makes it purer than the Gamecube? The majority of bases were covered:

Mario title( sunshine)
Kart( I still prefer this to later releases, mainly because of the 'switch' mechanic)
Smash Bros
Animal Crossing
Mulltiple Mario party titles
Wario World
Kirby
Paper Mario( most would consider the GC version the best)
Windwaker( controversial at the time, and wii U got a HD port)
Zelda Twillight Princess
Metroid( two prime titles)
Donkey Kong( jungle beat)
FX( fans are still begging for a new entry 13 years later)
Mario golf/tennis/baseball/soccer
Eternal darkness( a cult classic that people are begging for a sequel)
Pikmin
Luigi's Mansion
Waverace
Fire emblem
Rogue Leader/Strike


That's first party off the top of my head. Now, quality aside which is subjective in terms of whether you like GC or U entries in those series, GC's First/second library overall > Wii U's rather easily. Third party, however, is the big divider, and while it was criticized back in the day compared to xbox and ps2, third party was better than given credit for and light years ahead of the U:

EA titles, multiplats and 'BIG' sports line( NBA, NFL street, Def Jam)
Capcom fighters
Metal Gear Twin snakes
Ubisoft( Splinter cell, Rainbow 6, Ghost recon)
Other multiplats like Bond, Freedom fighters
Soul Calibur II( with the most popular exclusive character 'Link)
Sega support( Sonic, Craxy Taxi, Skies of Arcadia, Monkeyball)
Resident Evil( REmake,2,3,4, zero, CVX)
Namco( Tales of symphonia

Again, off the top of my head. It's not especially close IMHO.

 

[Cess007]

I think it's the second worst, just behind the Wii. IMO even N64 library was much better.

I think a good metric for this, would check on the "Top Nintendo Games" and see from which era the top comes.

 

[10k]

I think you're delusional.

Skipping the fact that it doesnt even have the third party support the SNES enjoyed with franchises that used to be exclusive to it like the square rpg's, the first party content itself was rather conservative and less impressive.

Compare what Mario, Zelda, Metroid and Donkey Kong did for the SNES and Nintendo and how those games were received compared to the Wii U iterations (or lack of Wii U iterations).

Night and day.

 

[Chuck]

GameCube obviously.

And what is this best installments nonsense? 3D World? NSMU? Color Splash to follow? C'mon.