• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Is it silly to buy a Wii U at this point?

No, I don't think so.

A lot of people would wait to pick up an older console when the "new, best, thing" comes out. Which is how one of my friends had picked up a Playstation 3 towards the end of that system's life got a bunch a games at a $1 a pop.

If you have the money and have at least 4-5 games you want to play, I don't see why it's a bad idea. Especially with some of the swell deals that are available for refurbished systems on Nintendo's website.
 
Why wait .

Why care if support stop in 2017? I doubt you'll be getting/playing all the exclusive game already released in the system by that time
 
bobbychalkers said:
Provided that the NX weren't backwards compatible, would it really matter at this point if it doesn't receive any support past 2016? Its most prolific years are already behind it and there is a great set of games available to play on it right now....with none of the long dry wait periods earlier adopters had to go through. Its even better if you skipped the Wii.
Click to expand...

That's the thing -- I understand that as a current system, one would be worried about the future lineup, but it's dumb to downplay all the stuff that's come out already. This is inarguably the best time to be buying a Wii U. You don't have to wait for the cool games to come out, because they're already here. I'm actually kind of jealous of people who can waltz into a store today, buy a Wii U, and immediately have Bayonetta 2, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and Mario Maker ready to go.

OP, you're going to have fun.
 
Once it's all said and done there's going to be about 20 great games on the platform. I'd say it's well worth it.
 
If you're actually interested in the Wii U, get it now. Unfortunately, Pikmin 3 is really expensive now, but you still have a chance to get Bayonetta 2 and Xenoblade X for a decent price. Those are three of the best games for the system.

The new Zelda is a highly anticipated game for Wii U.
 
Wii U has my favorite library of the 3 consoles right now, but the games tend to stay more pricey than PS4/XBONE games. I really do hope the NX has BC with Wii U games, because I feel like many people are going to miss out on some of the best Nintendo games since they don't like the system.
 
Alright, you guys have convinced me and I'm going to bite the bullet. Will pick up the refurbished bundle with SM3DW. So Bayonetta 2 is out of print now? Where's the best place to pick it up? I'd rather snag it now than wait for it to go even higher.
 
As long as your fine buying a console for the games that are already out to for it. Just realize there is pretty much next to nothing left for this year that won't be also on the NX.

Also I know a lot of people keep mentioning NX backwards compatibility, but it's most likely using a AMD CPU and there is no hope of BC if that happens. They have also stressed the fact it's entirely separate from the Wii and Wii U which kills any chance of it happening.
 
Cardigan said:
Alright, you guys have convinced me and I'm going to bite the bullet. Will pick up the refurbished bundle with SM3DW. So Bayonetta 2 is out of print now? Where's the best place to pick it up? I'd rather snag it now than wait for it to go even higher.
Click to expand...

Bayonetta 2 is still available at some retail stores, but apparently, it's becoming harder to find. I'd probably scour the local stores before going online, cuz I think it was like $70 used and $80 new on Amazon... last I checked, at least.

Though, I guess if you need some help justifying it, it is two games in one.
 
Cardigan said:
Alright, you guys have convinced me and I'm going to bite the bullet. Will pick up the refurbished bundle with SM3DW. So Bayonetta 2 is out of print now? Where's the best place to pick it up? I'd rather snag it now than wait for it to go even higher.
Click to expand...
Even if NX can play WiiU games, I really doubt it'll have a gamepad or Wii backwards compatibility. It's honestly a pretty cool little gaming box on its own. So good luck and have fun! :] Please be sure to give The Wonderful 101 a chance, it's a flawed but extremely fun, charming and deep game.
 
Judging by Kimishima's recent comments, its unlikely that we'll see the NX until 2017. (I'd link it, but the site that provided the translation is banned here.)
 
MrV4ltor said:
Nope. Great console with amazing exclusives and it's not gonna implode over the next year + you still have these to look forward to:

pic
Click to expand...

There are a lot of reasons to buy a WiiU. Its list of incoming titles isn't one of them. Not at all.

RM8 said:
Even if NX can play WiiU games, I really doubt it'll have a gamepad or Wii backwards compatibility.
Click to expand...

This is why a general B/C is rather unlikely. Nintendo needs a fresh start and getting rid of all those legacy input devices will play an important role in that process.
 
I'm one of those people whose waiting for the NX to drop to play Wii U games.

It might be silly for me to wait and see if the NX is:

a) backwards compatible with Wii U games

and

b) a console.

The NX will probably fall in the same vein as the Wii and Wii U in terms of game droughts but I'm banking on NX to be 2 consoles in 1 if I buy it at launch. The wait to play some Wii U games might be excruciating (like Star Fox Zero, Smash 4, Twilight Princess HD, etc) but I got a huge backlog of PC games that'll tide me over until E3 this year.
 
Never understood this mindset since

A) new consoles almost always have crappy launch libraries with maybe 1 good game and a few maybes, and cross gen ports.

B) Newer console may not even have BC at launch given industry trends, so might as well go with the known quantities.

If anything, this is one of the few times it's good to buy a Wii U, especially if you get the Smash/Splatoon bundle.
 
At this point, I'd wait until they reveal what kind of gaming machine NX is and if it's b/c with Wii U games. Maybe buy games already if you see something cheap-ish, but retain from actually buying a Wii U until you hear whether you'll get something better that you can play them on within the next year or so.
 
i would at least wait to see what nx is. if you don't like what you see, get a wii u. if you think nx is gonna be the thing for you, and if it has backwards compatibility, you might as well get that.

the wii u is basically done at this point, so if you are looking at its library and want a few games, check it out. the only major releases left are pokken, star fox, #fe, twilight princess hd, and zelda wii u.
 
Cardigan said:
With the NX announcement coming at some point, is the Wii U effectively dead within the next year or so? Is it worth buying at the refutbished $200 price point?
Click to expand...

This is how I see the NX. First you have to wait for the announcement, then you have to wait for the release, then you have to wait for the games, and then you have to wait for the good bundles/deals.

That's how I justified my Wii U Black Friday purchase. While I'm waiting for all of that I can be playing great Nintendo games.
 
I am thinking about grabbing a 32gb refurb from Nintendo, great console! Perfect time to buy one!

Hey guys, quick Wii-U question. I have the white 8gb unit and want to download Pikmin 3 to it but even after a factory reset it doesn't have the space to hold the game! Is there anything else I can do to free up the necessary space or am I forced to add an external HDD to play the game? This machine just sits and collects dust otherwise, so I'd like to use it. Plus, several nice looking games have come out for the machine and I wouldn't mind trying them as well, like Xenoblade Chronicles X for example. Thanks for any help you guys can provide as always!
 
Not many people know this but a console's library actually increases as time goes on, and doesn't suddenly vanish when a successor releases.
 
Its a great console and i'm perfectly happy with buying it, but maybe wait for the NX announcement and see if that would effect your purchase options.
 
It's got a nice list of exclusives at this point.

Console's still going to have some resale value even if NX is fully backwards compatible with the Wii U (which I'd guess it won't be from what little has been said by Nintendo about it).
 
Not silly, but it depends on how you feel about Nintendo's pricing. System aside, I'd say you'd probably want a pro controller so that's another $50. Then there's 2-3 yr old games that still sell for $50. Also gamepad replacement is very high, north of $120, so past the warranty period would you really pay that much or accept it as a loss and have a $200+ paperweight? If you do pick one up, I'd recommend strongly against digital purchases.
 
The only reason you shouldn't buy one is if NX has some sort of BC. Otherwise, it has a hell of a catalog right now. Not a ton of games, but a good number of crazy quality games.
 
If you're interested in the exclusive library it has it's still worth it, they are amazing games.
Still, wait for the NX reveal and see if it has BC, though I'd doubt it.
 
Crayolan said:
Not many people know this but a console's library actually increases as time goes on, and doesn't suddenly vanish when a successor releases.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but if NX is backwards compatible, then it's dumb to throw away 200-300$ for a Wii U at this point when they might as well save that money for NX and probably get a much better console that will last him even longer than a Wii U with only Wii U games will. Maybe if the prices were as low as they were a year or two ago, but Wii U's price has basically risen since its catastrophic first year & the insanely low prices it was going for at the time.
 
I just have this weird feeling that NX is not going to have backwards compatibility, which sucks, but I can understand if Nintendo decided not to include it due to cost of it.

To the OP, Wait for information with regards to NX first before buying the Wii U, but you might want to stock on some games that might go rare in the future.
 
Shitty console, great exclusive games. Don't pay above 200 dollars though. You should wait to see what the NX has though.
 
Big Green Anus said:
I just have this weird feeling that NX is not going to have backwards compatibility, which sucks, but I can understand if Nintendo decided not to include it due to cost of it.

To the OP, Wait for information with regards to NX first before buying the Wii U, but you might want to stock on some games that might go rare in the future.
Click to expand...

Doesn't prevent them from porting games though.
 
You need to like Nintendo's output a lot, though there are a few very good and/or interesting 2nd/3rd party games too. If you do, then the list is quite robust.

1st party:

- NSMBU & NSLU
- Nintendoland
- Super Mario Maker
- MK8
- SM3DW
- Captain Toad
- Pikmin 3
- Smash
- Zelda TWW
- Donkey Kong TF
- Splatoon
- Yoshi
- Hyrule Warriors
- Kirby
- Xenoblade Chronicles X
Click to expand...

Notable 2nd/3rd party:

- Lego City Undercover
- Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
- Bayonetta 1+2
- TW101
- ZombiU
- Project Zero
Click to expand...
Upcoming:

- Zelda U
- Zelda TP HD
- Starfox Zero
- SMTxFE
- Pokken
Click to expand...

Really not too bad for a $200 Wii U. If you do like Nintendo's games, you are gonna get many hours out of the system.
 
I wouldn't bother unless you can get it at a significant discount. At least wait till we know about the NX and backwards compatibility.
 
I did this christmas and it's one of the best decisions gaming wise I made in terms of hardware. But I know I'm a bit odd. The second best decision for me was buying a Vita. I'm completely in love with Pikmin 3 ( an absolute gem of a game, that I can't understand why it doesn't appear on more must-haves Wii U games lists), Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2 and Splatoon. Do it.
 
I don't get this logic. Isn't now a better time than ever to buy a Wii U? People had to wait so long for it to have a decent library, and now it does. Maybe not to everyone's tastes, but it does.
 
It's the current system with best exclusives by a mile and you can play very good Wii games on it thanks to BC.


Corto said:
I did this christmas and it's one of the best decisions gaming wise I made in terms of hardware. But I know I'm a bit odd. The second best decision for me was buying a Vita. I'm completely in love with Pikmin 3 ( an absolute gem of a game, that I can't understand why it doesn't appear on more must-haves Wii U games lists), Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2 and Splatoon. Do it.
Click to expand...

Well I'm probably odd too. The Vita is my most played console right now. It also has a lot of gems.
 
Zalman said:
It's not silly if there are enough games you want to play on it right now.
Click to expand...

This. If there are enough games on it for you to justify the purchase then go for it. For me, personally it is not at all since there are only a handful of games would make it worth and for me it would not be.
 
WX3 said:
I am thinking about grabbing a 32gb refurb from Nintendo, great console! Perfect time to buy one!

Hey guys, quick Wii-U question. I have the white 8gb unit and want to download Pikmin 3 to it but even after a factory reset it doesn't have the space to hold the game! Is there anything else I can do to free up the necessary space or am I forced to add an external HDD to play the game? This machine just sits and collects dust otherwise, so I'd like to use it. Plus, several nice looking games have come out for the machine and I wouldn't mind trying them as well, like Xenoblade Chronicles X for example. Thanks for any help you guys can provide as always!
Click to expand...


If I understood correctly:
Don't get the 32 Gb, get an external HD for the 8 Gb you already have. As far as I know, there's nothing you can erase to make room for bigger games
 
I can easily think of 24+ games for the console that are well worth it. You can pick up a refurb unit straight from Nintendo for $200 USD, with a free copy of Nintendoland.
 
Seems like a great time to buy a Wii U to me. It has a lot of great exclusives available, prices are better than they have been for a while, and there are still a few more good games coming.

I would also add that we have no idea when the NX console will release and even if it does release in 2016 we don't know if it will have Backwards compatibility.
 
Cardigan said:
Listening to Giant Bomb's GOTY discussions regarding Mario Maker and watching the Rykert/Klepek videos has really got me interested in buying a Wii U, especially because Mario is one of the only franchises my wife will ever play. I'd also want to get Splatoon in the short term and then maybe Xenoblade down the line.

With the NX announcement coming at some point, is the Wii U effectively dead within the next year or so? Is it worth buying at the refutbished $200 price point?

Help me, GAF. I want this console but I don't want to feel like an idiot in a year when it's no longer supported.
Click to expand...

If you're buying it with wife/family in mind, I'd say get it now. The price is only going to go up once Nintendo discontinues them if the NX isn't compatible. There are some fantastic games on the system that are fun for couples and family. Although I'd never recommend the system as your primary, it's great as an alternative.

For the record, I don't care for Bayonetta or Xenoblade Chronicles X. I'm either a western RPG guy, or a total Nintendo family guy. There aren't many options if you don't like Nintendo's core brands. That said, there's some good stuff for single play too. I just picked up Hyrule Warriors and I'm surprised by how much I'm digging it.

Good luck!
 
Maybe not much life left, but the games that are already available on it are worth a purchase for anyone who likes video games unless you aren't into Nintendo's franchises which doesn't seem to be the case here.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

[Digital Foundry] Mark Cerny confirms Frame Generation is coming to PlayStation at some point in the future
2 3
132
1K
Hawk The Slayer replied
Stressed Devs At GDC Admit Optimization Is Now A Focal Point For Studios Due To Ongoing RAM Crisis
News Game Dev  2
65
493
Wulfer replied
Eurogamer: Xbox Series X/S at five years old - at this point is there anything else left to say?
Opinion Platform 
35
730
dragonyeuw replied
  • Poll
Is Xbox One the Microsoft equivalent of the Wii U?
2
58
985
Xaeroxcore666 replied
Demon Soul's Remake has this one silly issue - inability to delete a created character.
Opinion 
0
287
Kusarigama replied
Top Bottom