Support NeoGAF

[Strangelove77]

My least used Nintendo console ever. It seemed like all the big games were just refined versions of Wii/3DS games. Outside of Splatoon, I didn't think it brought anything new or refreshing to the table.

 

[Dougieflesh]

No it really wasn't. The console was a piece of shit in almost all facets. I guess the Wii U could be tolerable if you have other consoles or a PC, but for the vast majority of people who only buy one console, it offered nothing. I wouldn't even recommend my nemesis to purchase only a Wii U as their only source of games with those awful software droughts.

 

[-Horizon-]

I agree, the games that nintendo pumped out as well as its exclusives were pretty good (most of the time, there were a couple of duds). Splatoon was a great new IP. Xenoblade X I think is still one of the most visually appealing games I've seen in terms of environment and some design and I've played through a bunch of other games on ps4 like witcher and horizon. Zelda U (sure it wasn't exclusive) runs well enough that its still really enjoyable.

From everything I've heard, the VC was a hit or miss (usually miss). The super slow drip feed as well as the technical issues some games had like the dark screen and whatnot really bothered people and for good reason.

I also agree that I like the system UI. Its not pretty. Nope. But it gets the job done. Everything was right there. No fluff. Organize it how you want. If it was much more faster when launching and closing stuff then it would've been even better (which I hear the switch manages to achieve).

I won't say its the best console ever made. Because it isn't. But I will say the bad rap its been given is a bit too harsh. Perhaps its still too soon after it got replaced but I think a couple more years down the line people will be more "hey wii u, you weren't so bad".

 

[shadowsdarknes]

One of the best? I disagree.

Consoles are going to be judged in comparison to their competition.

The Wii U became the most expensive console while still being the weakest. Only one gamepad supported limited the experience. Online and UI was extremely simple and under-featured. Lack of standard storage was less than ideal, too.

The gamepad felt pretty cheap, too.

I enjoyed it for SM 3d World, Captain Toad, Mario Kart, Smash, and a few other titles, but I can't say it's criminally underrated. The general perception of the Wii U at least here on GAF is pretty good.

 

[DeuceGamer]

Honestly when you say that a feather in the Wii U's cap is being able to play all of the Wii library I actually would rate the Wii higher simply for being able to play Gamecube games(natively).

We bought a Wii U as a replacement for our Wii and have hardly played anything on it. Even as a Smash Bros fan I've only played it on the 3DS. Funnily enough might be playing it soon for Zelda rather than buy a Switch and went out and rebought a Wii.

Will get a Switch eventually but I think the Wii U has a few standout titles then it was largely abandoned. It's the home console version of the Vita.

I don't get this thought that Nintendo abandoned the Wii U. They supported it with major titles well past the time anyother company would have.

 

[Producer]

i only own a few games for it but man the ones i played at least are all high quality

just wish VC was better

 

[royox]

What an incredibly narrow area of games to like. That must suck to live that life.

Well I like:

-WRPGs
-JRPGs
-FPS (Not COD, games like Doom)
-TPS (Uncharted/TLOU-like)
-Adventure games (Zelda-like, Metroid)


What do I have in WiiU? 1 JRPG, 1 Zelda, 0 TPS, 0 FPS, 0 WRPG, and 2 good Platinum games. My "area of games" is pretty wide, it's just that WiiU totally lacks the content I like.

 

[Boss Man]

I think it was better than the Wii. It's missing its own Mario game though, and just barely got a Zelda.

 

[Kawngi]

Owned a Wii U, still do, and its by far my least used console ever. I owned all the 'top' games too, but I personally wouldn't put it anywhere near 'one of the best consoles ever made.' Far too many things went wrong with it.

 

[Fbh]

The WiiU is a shit console with a limited but absolutely amazing game library.

-The UI is slow and tedious
-The controller is based on a gimmick not even Nintendo knew how to use and had horrible battery life
-Lacking online features the 360 had back in 2006
-In terms of power it was made to catch up with the PS3 and 360 which was idiotic considering Ps4 and X1 were on the horizon.
- Region locked.


The games were amazing though so I don't regrett buying one. But I could never call it one of the best consoles every.

 

[QuantumZebra]

If it was that great it would have not been a failure.

Only Nintendo fans bought it. Hell, not even most of them given its market share last gen.

That is completely untrue in almost every form of media. Classic composers that we worship today were considered failures during their time. Artists, etc...

Among video games there are countless examples. Hell, Platinum Games is literally renowned for putting out A+ games that flop.

 

[EhoaVash]

I liked it more so than the Wii

It gave me hundreds of fun hours in smash 4,Mario kart 8 and splatoon.

I probably played those 3 games more so than anything this gen

 

[PhilipDoesMatter]

The problem is only one: the name. Zero marketing appeal.

 

[Tyraniboah]

The games are wonderful, but the hardware is quite the opposite. The gamepad wasn't very good, the system was underpowered, too many things to attach/plug in, and they failed to show the average consumer that it was a step up from the Wii. I worked at a used game store around launch and it got tiresome explaining to customers that the Wii U was a new piece of hardware, not just a tablet to use with the Wii.

While I do think choice is generally good, having Wii remotes, the gamepad, classic controller, pro controller, and a GameCube controller on standby for different games got old. I keep my Switch dock on top of a bookcase, right next to my wall mounted TV (and away from my toddler lol). Decided I'll catch up on my Wii U backlog. Hooked it all up and it got annoying pretty quick. Power cord for the system and the gamepad, sensor bar, hdmi, USB cord for the price controller because it takes a different charger, USB for my external hard drive, and USB for my Wavebird. I made it work, but damn it got on my nerves.

On the plus side, there's the fantastic offering from the few Wii U titles there are in addition to the Wii b/c, the virtual console, and even Nintendont for ripping my GameCube library. I dislike the hardware, but the Wii U will always have a place on my shelf. Having access to the entire Nintendo home console library before the Switch on one system shouldn't be overlooked. Calling it one of the best ever made is hyperbole though.

 

[Spacejaws]

I don't get this thought that Nintendo abandoned the Wii U. They supported it with major titles well past the time anyother company would have.

Not by Nintendo specifically. The games slowed to a trickle. I assume Nintendo will abandon it soon too. It got 5 years which is pretty respectacle I'd say but I wiki'd the list of released games and it is really depressing.

All in I'd say it's a stretch to call it an amzing console but it does have some amazing games.

 

[Prismo]

On a forum that is no stranger to the hyperbole and/or utterly deranged ramblings of, lets call them 'passionate fans', no one ever seems to top the Nintendo fans...

 

[Magic Mushroom]

It does have some of the best games in their respective genres* and in that respect I think it has higher highs than most consoles, but it's definitely quality over quantity.

*For me, Tropical Freeze is easily one of the top 5 2D platformers, Bayoneta, Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101 are top-tier character action games, Super Mario 3D World is one of the best 3D platfomers out there and Breath of the Wild is a true masterpiece, one of the best games ever made.

Then there is Splatoon, one of the most refreshing shooters in ages, Mario Kart 8, which is one of the highlights in that series, Smash, Pikmin 3, Zombi U, Xenoblade Chronicles X etc.

 

[Subtervotion]

I got a Wii U for Pikmin 3 and Smash. Both are great games. But thanks to Nintendos terrible way of doing online, I didn't get as much mileage out of either game as I'd like to. GameCube is still my favorite Nintendo console.

 

[The Elite]

The Wii U is underrated is what I would edit the thread title down to.

I do not believe it is one of the best consoles ever made. I don't think it was criminally underrated. There were more than enough reasons to doubt the Wii U and the hesitation around the console was reasonable. However, a strong list of first party titles were produced for it. I hope people get a chance to play ports of most of them on Switch.

 

[QuantumZebra]

I think it was better than the Wii. It's missing its own Mario game though, and just barely got a Zelda.

Definitely better than the Wii agreed (not to mention it gets the Wii's library via BC). but you do know that it has Super Mario 3D World... right? Not to mention NSMB U AND Mario Maker if you want to count those.

And WWHD + TPHD + BotW + the VC Zelda titles is arguably a better Zelda offering than any other console they've made except GC/n64 (and it can play both those console's games)

 

[Iva Demilcol]

I like my WiiU. Aesthetically I think is the prettiest console I own, the use of the gamepad is quite interesting and you can play tons of games from previous gens too but no, the WiiU is not one of the best systems ever. It lacked games, which is like the most important aspect of a console. It's the same reason the XB1 lacks appeal right now despite back compatibility.

Many people think that you just buy Nintendo hardware to play Nintendo software but that hasn't been my case ever. I buy Nintendo consoles to play the games that appeal to me whether they're Nintendo games or not, in fact I buy more 3rd party exclusives than Nintendo games always. The WiiU is the first Nintendo system I own that I bought more Nintendo games than 3rd party ones, but that's just because publishers decided to ignore the system almost entirely.

I do enjoy playing games on WiiU but the system should've been better than what we got.

 

[pretty done]

The Wii U is more like the Sega Saturn. Bloated, over-designed, a complete misread of where the market was, and completely missed the point of it's predecessor. The Switch fits the Dreamcast comparison much better.

lol wat

 

[Kintaro]

Will go down as one of the worst consoles ever made with some high ass quality first party titles.

Almost every facet of the device was a mistake or handled poorly. From the name, poor marketing, the gamepad, price to produce, no price drops from start to finish, poor support, poor ass eshop support (from the timing between releases, holding back of product, etc), terrible way to play multiplayer (expensive Pro controller or old ass Wii Remotes), etc.

To this day people believe this was an accessory to the Wii.

Complete failure of a system and one of the worst of all time. Which is why Nintendo will probably port every one of their Wii U games to the Switch.

 

[Blarg]

If anything, the Wii U is becoming overrated around here now its life has come to a close. The hardware was garbage and I didn't enjoy the games all that much either. With 3D World being so bad, no Metroid, and no Zelda until just recently, it was basically just a Smash machine for me.

I got a Switch at launch and am not looking back.

 

[QuantumZebra]

The Wii U is more like the Sega Saturn. Bloated, over-designed, a complete misread of where the market was, and completely missed the point of it's predecessor. The Switch fits the Dreamcast comparison much better.

I can't fathom how that makes any sense at all.

I mean the Dreamcast = Wii U, yea... innovative consoles with amazing first party and exclusive games that both bombed...

But Switch = DC... wat?

 

[Discomurf]

Well no, but it certainly could have been one of the best consoles ever made. Under-powered and a year too late, a big-ol missed opportunity.

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

I think it was better than the Wii. It's missing its own Mario game though, and just barely got a Zelda.

One 2D, one 3D, one "Make Your Own!"

Then of course there's all the expansion packs and spin-offs like New Super Luigi U, Paper Mario: Color Splash, Mario Kart 8, and so on.

 

[Gurish]

One of the worst imo, maybe if it was like 150$ than I could agree it was a great secondary console but for that price? those specs? the non existent 3rd party support? the lack of a brilliant Mario game? lack of Metroid? the long looong periods of drought?

No way in hell.

 

[Trace]

The Wii U is underrated is what I would edit the thread title down to.

I do not believe it is one of the best consoles ever made. I don't think it was criminally underrated. There were more than enough reasons to doubt the Wii U and the hesitation around the console was reasonable. However, a strong list of first party titles were produced for it. I hope people get a chance to play ports of most of them on Switch.

Yep. It had some solid first party titles that deserved more recognition than they got due to the utter failure of the console itself.

Does that make the console better? Fuck no. The Wii U is probably the worst console that has been released since the Dreamcast.

 

[StereoVsn]

I love RPGs and hate platformers.

There were only 2 games on Wii U I would've bought: Xenoblade and #FE.

It was good if you like Mario/other Nintendo games.

Well, there were two Zelda ports, Wonderful 101, Bayonetta 1&2, and of course the new Zelda is also on Wii-U. These weren't RPGs but none were platformers. Plus you could get OG Xenoblade and couple other Wii RPGs on VC (and any Wii game would run as well).

 

[Hilarion]

The Wii U is my favorite console ever, and my first system was the NES. (Not my favorite system ever, that's either GBA or DS). I love Wii backwards compatibility. If you combine the fantastic Wii library with the Wii U one, I keep coming back to the Wii U. I gave up on Zelda to finally play Yoshi's Woolly World and am hooked. My Wii U will be hooked up for many years to come.

 

[Scoops]

Two of my favorite third party games ever were Black Flag and Human Revolution, both of which I played on WiiU.

Loved MK8, Splatoon and Smash.

3D World was great but not as good as Galaxy.

I got most of the way through Bayonetta 2.

I also put a lot of time into Blops2 on WiiU.

I still have Xeno X in shrink wrap. I would really like to try #FE as well.

It's a good console but the Wii is definitely better.

 

[Hilarion]

Well, there were two Zelda ports, Wonderful 101, Bayonetta 1&2, and of course the new Zelda is also on Wii-U. These weren't RPGs but none were platformers. Plus you could get OG Xenoblade and couple other Wii RPGs on VC (and any Wii game would run as well).

Are you forgetting Tokyo Mirage Sessions?

 

[Mr_Antimatter]

Games wise it's a fantastic console.

Hardware and network wise it was pretty bad.

I still want one, but I think I would be satisfied with a switch instead, though hopefully we see a port for hyrule warriors someday.

 

[davidwhangchoi]

i gotta wii u recently for 120 boxed complete and been on a tear buying games for it.

i gotta say it's pretty fun. never gave it a chance at launch but for $120, it's a damn good system and has plenty of 1st party games. i have it set up where it reaches my room and play bayonetta on the little screen when i'm about to nap.

 

[Deactivision]

It has plenty of flaws but I think the Wii U is my favourite console, ever. I don't consider the gamepad a mistake, just an idea that was a little before its time and not executed as well as it could have been (range, form factor, etc). I bought the extended battery early on and I've never run into battery issues, which I think has helped my perception of the tablet controller idea. Maps and inventory management, ease of text and other inputs, off TV play, and the occasional clever game implementation... It's not a world changer but in terms of convenience it reigns supreme for me. It also has the first home console implementation of a web browser that's worth a damn, and I've spent hundreds of hours using it to stream video, both on and off TV. Even now there isn't a day that goes by that our Wii U isn't turned on, whether for games or for Netflix/Youtube/etc. There are other devices that can handle this job but the Wii U is a more than satisfactory solution for a family like mine.

Most of the games worth discussing have been mentioned but honestly the library is fairly expansive, especially if you don't have a limitless gaming budget, and/or you're a lapsed gamer like myself who missed out on Nintendo's output during the GBA-Wii years. The original titles are a little sparse but quite consistently great, and having access through the virtual console and Wii backwards compatibility to a vast lineup of great games is very worthwhile.

It's not perfect, far from it, but IMO the hardware is not the joke some make it out to be. It sufficed for what Nintendo wanted to do with it, which was to make their first foray into modern, HD versions of many of their classic franchises. It was obviously too limiting for any of the big AAA third party games, which is I think what killed it for many people. That's fair enough, but I'm rarely interested in those games anyway, so it hits the sweet spot for me.

 

[Purest 78]

No not even close its literally my least played console ever.

 

[Camwi]

1. I own a Wii U.
2. It is not underrated.
3. It is absolutely not one of the best consoles ever made.

 

[PeskyToaster]

It's missing too many games and lacks the horsepower to be the best.

 

[SirMossyBloke]

I love that OP.

It has amazing games, from Mario to Mario and Mario and Mario with some Mario.

Personally I had it but sold it. I didn't mind it, but I couldn't justify keeping it with the lack of games from it sadly.

 

[tapedeck]

BoTW, Smash 4, MK8, Bayo 2, SMB3DW all amazing games that I've gotten more playtime out if than most PS4/Xbone games...so yeah the system is extremely underrated.

But one of the best ever...yeah no.

 

[Basileus777]

It has the worst software library of any Nintendo home console.

 

[icespide]

It has the worst software library of any Nintendo home console.

Virtual Boy says hi?

 

[ironmang]

Everything about the tablet or gamepad just pissed me off to the point that mine sat face down on the other side of the room while I used to pro controller to do almost all of my gaming. Had a few great games but as good as they are, no way I could call a clearly supplementary console one of the best ever.

 

[Amory]

It's a much better system than the sales numbers suggest.

But one of the best consoles ever made?

 

[DrXym]

Nintendo only have themselves to blame for it flopping. Underwhelming specifications (barely parity with last gen), paltry storage space, a frosty relationship with 3rd parties, a ridiculous price tag and a day zero mega patch.

All those things conspired to make it a flop. If it had launched a few years earlier it might have fared better.

 

[Mamofish]

Nintendo has always been a family computer, it has some titles for the "hardcore" gamer but, to me I still always see it as the console to enjoy with others.

WiiU is a good console, for it's purpose. My wife and I had lots of fun with all the mini games using the gamepad.

 

[ramparter]

It has great games but its not a great console. Should have been released witbout the gamepad as a Wii Too or Wii HD or whatever at 2010. The gamepad could follow a year or two later.

 

[RobRSG]

I was in trying to scavenge some unknown hidden gems, but seems like that's all folks.

Out.

 

[shiftplusone]

Nintendo has 13 hardware releases since the original NES.

The Wii U is not top 10 nintendo hardware, let alone one of the best ever.

christ.