(Please read the whole post before replying. Sorry for my English as well)
I purchased a Wii U exactly 1 year ago after watching E3 2014. This was my first Nintendo console ever, in fact it was my first Nintendo product ever and I have to say that I'm loving it. I've created this thread to share my experience and show the Wii U appealed to me and why I believe that it would appeal to many others as well. Right now, I believe that Wii U is the best secondary console to my PS4 and I'm loving the games it has and am looking forward to the ones I am yet to play.
My first ever console was a PS1 which my parents purchased for me just before the start of the new millennium, it started my love of gaming and since then I've owned a PS2, PS3, PS4 and PS Vita. I've always bought a Sony system for gaming and this is where I play the majority of my games. I do play some PC games and mobile games every now and then but when I want to fully immerse myself it's my PS4 I go to first.
When it comes to Nintendo I've never really paid much attention to their products. I know about the games they make, the consoles they develop and the fans that they have. I've seen gameplay from games and even understand various references such as "Our princess is in another castle", "Do a barrel roll" and even that Zelda isn't the guy in green haha! So I'm very much aware of Nintendo products and services but have never even played or completed a Nintendo game before. In fact the only time I have played a Nintendo game was when my friend got a Wii and wanted to play that Wii sports sword fighting game, I played it for about 10 minutes and that was it. That's the extent of me actually playing a Nintendo game myself.
A number of you may have been shocked when reading that above paragraph, but the reality is that when I was younger my parents were in charge of what I could and couldn't have and so the PS1 and PS2 were their purchases and as I'd grown up with the PlayStation brand and enjoyed their games I purchased a PS3, PS Vita and PS4 myself. But then, something magical happened.... something I never expected.... on the 18th of December 2013 Nintendo and Koei Tecmo announced Hyrule Warriors exclusive to Wii U.
If you don't know by now, I am a huge fan of the "Musou" games from Koei Tecmo (who would have guessed) and the "Dynasty Warriors" series has been a huge factor when purchasing my PS3, PS4 and PS Vita. So when Hyrule Warriors was announced I started following the games updates and once E3 2014 was over and we had a somewhat solid release date of the game I found a good deal on the premium 32GB Wii U which came with Super Mario Bro's U, Super Luigi U and the Pro controller for £160/$260.
So here is my thoughts on the Wii U and why I believe it's still a viable purchase for many.
The first title on the Wii U that I played was Super Mario Bro's U. It was the first Mario game that I'd ever played and I loved it. Firstly the game looked and felt amazing. Having seen videos of old Mario games before I knew exactly what to do and soon found myself having a blast of a time and always discovering new mechanics like the gamepad interaction and the way some power ups work. Every enemy had a unique feel to them and I had so much fun trying to figure out how to get past them or defeat them. The levels felt excellently designed and even though I did get frustrated with some levels I couldn't get past I always felt like it was a challenge to finish them and so persevered to the end when I finally completed it. This really was a great example of a platforming game and the placement of each object and enemy is really what made the game so great. Couple that with a great control scheme and I really loved this game.
Hyrule Warriors is one of the best Musou games I've ever played due to the unique setting, mixed up gameplay and overall feel. Having never played a Zelda game before I did a bit of research into each character and found that I was able to understand a lot of the references in the story farily easily (such as Sheik having the third tri-force piece) and that made it enjoyable as well. Many people may think this is just another Dynasty Warriors game but I believe that this is more than that and is actually one of the best games to get on Wii U due to the Zelda characters, the unique weapons and attacks, the feel of an actual battlefield and the way that strategy is involved at all times whether it be on a large scale to save everyone or on a small scale in figuring out how to defeat an enemy boss. This really is a must buy game and I'd recommend it.
I also played Mario Kart 8 which is an absolute blast and really really amazing. I've played a few racing simulation games before such as Gran Turismo, I've also played some more arcadey racing games such as Ridge Racer, but this was something else. The tracks are excellently designed, the power ups are sooo amazing and the driving just feels great. It took me a bit of time to get all the controls down (such as the drift mechanic and the speed boost when going over a ramp) but once I had it all down everything played amazingly and it really feels like any time you make a mistake it's actually you that made a mistake. The powerups are also so fun to play with and it's so satisfying when you get an item you need but also so frustrating when you get hit with an item that puts you back a few spaces. I was able to quickly figure out how to become good at this game and the online gameplay is the absolute best thing ever! Sure I got trashed in some races but in others I was the king and was able to drive really well and use my items wisely to move into first or maintain first. If you haven't played Mario Kart before (like myself) then go and buy it now. It really is just an amazing game! I even found myself playing off screen on the gamepad at night because I didn't want to stop playing haha!
Super Mario 3D world is also one of the best games I've ever played just thanks to the level design and having to find the 3 green stars and stamps. The controls were so easy to use and the power ups really worked with this game. I do love the level design here as it allowed multiple paths for if you have the power ups and a normal path if you don't. Also the gamepad interaction, whilst gimmicky, was actually quite fun and the overall gameplay and feel was just amazing. The graphics are absolutely outstanding and each level seems unique in its owns way. I really got invested in this game and love how it kept introducing new enemies and power ups and different platforming challenges. This game just made me want to keep playing, even If I sucked at a level i just wanted to keep playing so I could find the stars, power ups and progress on to the next level. I tried the multiplayer out and this was good but I think the camera wasn't great. But once we all started playing together it worked a lot better. Seriously, each level was just so much fun and I loved all the different gameplay mechanics for each level and I actually felt sad when I lost my powerups (like cat suit) but also that I knew I now had only two hits left and had to change my gameplay style.
I've also played the Legend of Zelda Wind Waker HD (which I got free with Super Mario 3D world). Now apparently this game came out like 10 years ago but to me it looks and plays like a HD game. It's a bit complicated and I didn't find the story that interesting (it was funny though) but I always felt like I had to keep playing and the gameplay was actually pretty good, especially the battle and stealth parts. What impressed me most was just how different this game was to anything I've played. The puzzles and the way to complete them was really interesting and honestly some of the puzzles really confused me (as I didn't realise you could reset rooms by leaving) but once I figured it out it just seemed so simple but I didn't even realise I could do that action to complete the puzzle. Some of them just blew my mind! The battles were always really interesting and each one felt really good and it felt like you were actually fighting and it was your fault if you got hit. I do have to admit that it took me sometime to actually get into this game and understand the mechanics but after a while it clicked. I liked the battles the most in this and the traversal throughout the game was really fluid, and the OST wasn't too bad. It's certainly made me think about playing other Zelda games in the future.
I've only just got Splatoon and this game is just fun incarnate. Seriously this is basically the type of shooting games I like. It's just a massive paintball game but the squid thing makes the game unique and I'm really having a blast. I'll provide more thoughts later.
Ultimately the Wii U has made me super interested in Nintendo games and some of the games above are really really amazing and some of the best games I've ever played. I've only just started looking into the virtual console games and plan to start playing some older games soon. I'm really sold on the Wii U and believe it was an excellent investment. It has such an amazing library of games already and whilst I do understand it doesn't have many third party titles I do believe Nintendo when they say that Nintendo consoles are for Nintendo experiences. As I have a PS4 right now, and I'm aware many people on this forum do, I strongly believe that the Wii U is the secondary console that gamers should have in order to experience these amazing games.
Yes the Wii U is dead in regards to a future library but I'm super excited for Super Mario Maker and also looking forward to the new Legend of Zelda and perhaps even Star Fox. I do believe that the Wii U has more than enough first party games to experience though and that they are very much worth the money. The Wii U gamepad isn't the best sized controller ever but it does have some great things like off screen play and dual screen play. The pro controller is what I used for most games like Mario Kart 8 though and it worked fine.
I think what really makes this system worth it to me as a newcomer is the already big library of games on Wii U and the backwards compatibility through Wii and Virtual Console. If you haven't played Nintendo games before like myself then this is a must buy. Yes I know it's still expensive but if you can find a good deal then go for it. I'd imagine for Nintendo fans the Wii U is pretty much the ultimate console due to the HD games and backwards compatibility and I can't wait to explore that further.
So seriously, go buy a Wii U as a secondary console to PS4 because the experiences I have had with Wii U titles were amazing and I'm sold on playing all the other amazing Nintendo games. I know a lot of people think E32015 was weak for Nintendo and it was, but that shouldn't stop you from getting the Wii U to experience the games already available and from previous gens. Sorry this was so long but I just had to write it.
I purchased a Wii U exactly 1 year ago after watching E3 2014. This was my first Nintendo console ever, in fact it was my first Nintendo product ever and I have to say that I'm loving it. I've created this thread to share my experience and show the Wii U appealed to me and why I believe that it would appeal to many others as well. Right now, I believe that Wii U is the best secondary console to my PS4 and I'm loving the games it has and am looking forward to the ones I am yet to play.
My first ever console was a PS1 which my parents purchased for me just before the start of the new millennium, it started my love of gaming and since then I've owned a PS2, PS3, PS4 and PS Vita. I've always bought a Sony system for gaming and this is where I play the majority of my games. I do play some PC games and mobile games every now and then but when I want to fully immerse myself it's my PS4 I go to first.
When it comes to Nintendo I've never really paid much attention to their products. I know about the games they make, the consoles they develop and the fans that they have. I've seen gameplay from games and even understand various references such as "Our princess is in another castle", "Do a barrel roll" and even that Zelda isn't the guy in green haha! So I'm very much aware of Nintendo products and services but have never even played or completed a Nintendo game before. In fact the only time I have played a Nintendo game was when my friend got a Wii and wanted to play that Wii sports sword fighting game, I played it for about 10 minutes and that was it. That's the extent of me actually playing a Nintendo game myself.
A number of you may have been shocked when reading that above paragraph, but the reality is that when I was younger my parents were in charge of what I could and couldn't have and so the PS1 and PS2 were their purchases and as I'd grown up with the PlayStation brand and enjoyed their games I purchased a PS3, PS Vita and PS4 myself. But then, something magical happened.... something I never expected.... on the 18th of December 2013 Nintendo and Koei Tecmo announced Hyrule Warriors exclusive to Wii U.
If you don't know by now, I am a huge fan of the "Musou" games from Koei Tecmo (who would have guessed) and the "Dynasty Warriors" series has been a huge factor when purchasing my PS3, PS4 and PS Vita. So when Hyrule Warriors was announced I started following the games updates and once E3 2014 was over and we had a somewhat solid release date of the game I found a good deal on the premium 32GB Wii U which came with Super Mario Bro's U, Super Luigi U and the Pro controller for £160/$260.
So here is my thoughts on the Wii U and why I believe it's still a viable purchase for many.
The first title on the Wii U that I played was Super Mario Bro's U. It was the first Mario game that I'd ever played and I loved it. Firstly the game looked and felt amazing. Having seen videos of old Mario games before I knew exactly what to do and soon found myself having a blast of a time and always discovering new mechanics like the gamepad interaction and the way some power ups work. Every enemy had a unique feel to them and I had so much fun trying to figure out how to get past them or defeat them. The levels felt excellently designed and even though I did get frustrated with some levels I couldn't get past I always felt like it was a challenge to finish them and so persevered to the end when I finally completed it. This really was a great example of a platforming game and the placement of each object and enemy is really what made the game so great. Couple that with a great control scheme and I really loved this game.
Hyrule Warriors is one of the best Musou games I've ever played due to the unique setting, mixed up gameplay and overall feel. Having never played a Zelda game before I did a bit of research into each character and found that I was able to understand a lot of the references in the story farily easily (such as Sheik having the third tri-force piece) and that made it enjoyable as well. Many people may think this is just another Dynasty Warriors game but I believe that this is more than that and is actually one of the best games to get on Wii U due to the Zelda characters, the unique weapons and attacks, the feel of an actual battlefield and the way that strategy is involved at all times whether it be on a large scale to save everyone or on a small scale in figuring out how to defeat an enemy boss. This really is a must buy game and I'd recommend it.
I also played Mario Kart 8 which is an absolute blast and really really amazing. I've played a few racing simulation games before such as Gran Turismo, I've also played some more arcadey racing games such as Ridge Racer, but this was something else. The tracks are excellently designed, the power ups are sooo amazing and the driving just feels great. It took me a bit of time to get all the controls down (such as the drift mechanic and the speed boost when going over a ramp) but once I had it all down everything played amazingly and it really feels like any time you make a mistake it's actually you that made a mistake. The powerups are also so fun to play with and it's so satisfying when you get an item you need but also so frustrating when you get hit with an item that puts you back a few spaces. I was able to quickly figure out how to become good at this game and the online gameplay is the absolute best thing ever! Sure I got trashed in some races but in others I was the king and was able to drive really well and use my items wisely to move into first or maintain first. If you haven't played Mario Kart before (like myself) then go and buy it now. It really is just an amazing game! I even found myself playing off screen on the gamepad at night because I didn't want to stop playing haha!
Super Mario 3D world is also one of the best games I've ever played just thanks to the level design and having to find the 3 green stars and stamps. The controls were so easy to use and the power ups really worked with this game. I do love the level design here as it allowed multiple paths for if you have the power ups and a normal path if you don't. Also the gamepad interaction, whilst gimmicky, was actually quite fun and the overall gameplay and feel was just amazing. The graphics are absolutely outstanding and each level seems unique in its owns way. I really got invested in this game and love how it kept introducing new enemies and power ups and different platforming challenges. This game just made me want to keep playing, even If I sucked at a level i just wanted to keep playing so I could find the stars, power ups and progress on to the next level. I tried the multiplayer out and this was good but I think the camera wasn't great. But once we all started playing together it worked a lot better. Seriously, each level was just so much fun and I loved all the different gameplay mechanics for each level and I actually felt sad when I lost my powerups (like cat suit) but also that I knew I now had only two hits left and had to change my gameplay style.
I've also played the Legend of Zelda Wind Waker HD (which I got free with Super Mario 3D world). Now apparently this game came out like 10 years ago but to me it looks and plays like a HD game. It's a bit complicated and I didn't find the story that interesting (it was funny though) but I always felt like I had to keep playing and the gameplay was actually pretty good, especially the battle and stealth parts. What impressed me most was just how different this game was to anything I've played. The puzzles and the way to complete them was really interesting and honestly some of the puzzles really confused me (as I didn't realise you could reset rooms by leaving) but once I figured it out it just seemed so simple but I didn't even realise I could do that action to complete the puzzle. Some of them just blew my mind! The battles were always really interesting and each one felt really good and it felt like you were actually fighting and it was your fault if you got hit. I do have to admit that it took me sometime to actually get into this game and understand the mechanics but after a while it clicked. I liked the battles the most in this and the traversal throughout the game was really fluid, and the OST wasn't too bad. It's certainly made me think about playing other Zelda games in the future.
I've only just got Splatoon and this game is just fun incarnate. Seriously this is basically the type of shooting games I like. It's just a massive paintball game but the squid thing makes the game unique and I'm really having a blast. I'll provide more thoughts later.
Ultimately the Wii U has made me super interested in Nintendo games and some of the games above are really really amazing and some of the best games I've ever played. I've only just started looking into the virtual console games and plan to start playing some older games soon. I'm really sold on the Wii U and believe it was an excellent investment. It has such an amazing library of games already and whilst I do understand it doesn't have many third party titles I do believe Nintendo when they say that Nintendo consoles are for Nintendo experiences. As I have a PS4 right now, and I'm aware many people on this forum do, I strongly believe that the Wii U is the secondary console that gamers should have in order to experience these amazing games.
Yes the Wii U is dead in regards to a future library but I'm super excited for Super Mario Maker and also looking forward to the new Legend of Zelda and perhaps even Star Fox. I do believe that the Wii U has more than enough first party games to experience though and that they are very much worth the money. The Wii U gamepad isn't the best sized controller ever but it does have some great things like off screen play and dual screen play. The pro controller is what I used for most games like Mario Kart 8 though and it worked fine.
I think what really makes this system worth it to me as a newcomer is the already big library of games on Wii U and the backwards compatibility through Wii and Virtual Console. If you haven't played Nintendo games before like myself then this is a must buy. Yes I know it's still expensive but if you can find a good deal then go for it. I'd imagine for Nintendo fans the Wii U is pretty much the ultimate console due to the HD games and backwards compatibility and I can't wait to explore that further.
So seriously, go buy a Wii U as a secondary console to PS4 because the experiences I have had with Wii U titles were amazing and I'm sold on playing all the other amazing Nintendo games. I know a lot of people think E32015 was weak for Nintendo and it was, but that shouldn't stop you from getting the Wii U to experience the games already available and from previous gens. Sorry this was so long but I just had to write it.
