How about we talk about the Wii U's positives?

[Jedi]

From what I've seen of Xenoblade X, it looks to be the grand exploration based RPG of this generation, so I think that may be a good reason for some people to invest if they love exploring and incredibly deep time consuming RPG's.

But if thats not your cup of tea its understandable though, I've quite enjoyed this system much more than the original Wii tbh, which I felt was quite the betrayal of the more loyal market, although it had plenty of great games, it has hampered the Wii U by a multitude of things and the marketing of the U also didn't do this console any favors,

But maybe that's just an odd mans opinion. But hey this system has my favorite Smash Brothers game and I'd alone buy a console for smash, although I originally got the console for 3D World, Sonic Lost World, Bayonetta 2, HW and the eventual Xeno X.

I'm just glad we are getting a new Starfox, its been far too long. Also #FE the more gameplay footage I see of it, the more I wanna get it now.

Edited December 4, 2015 by Jedi

[Kirie]

I was a late Wii U adopter myself. Hubby and I didn't end up buying the system until MK8 came out. However, we've gotten a lot of use out of it since then, and it's been a very fun system.

Overall, I think the gamepad is really superfluous, but one of the Wii U games I've been most excited about really uses it excellently: Project Zero/Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water. In this game, the Gamepad functions as a camera, so you hold it up and move it around and use it to take pictures of the ghosts you encounter, both friendly ghosts and hostile encounters in battle. Think Pokémon Snap, but with a Japanese survival horror element. It's really fun and is by far the best use of the gamepad to date.

Other than that, most of my Wii U enjoyment has been multiplayer with my husband. We play MK8 and Smash against each other, and Yoshi's Wooly World, Mario games, etc. in co-op.

[Czar_Yoshi]

Eh, my Wii U is pretty much just a really, really big GBA. I have it hooked up to a TV, but almost always just use it for gamepad-only stuff like VC, TWW and occasionally SSB4 (it could really stand to have better singleplayer).

And Tropical Freeze. Nobody ever mentions TF, and it's such a pretty and fun game.

...What? How were Amiibo a flop when they sold like crazy?

They sold like crazy because they're merch, something Nintendo in all their money-grubbing ways have not realized the value of, not because of their game compatibility, so they're a flop in that they completely failed to do what they set out to do. I picked up Shulk because he's pretty much the only bit of official Xenoblade merch in existence, not for another AI in SSB4.

Once the devs start realizing more applications of figurines that can store game data (and making enough of them), they could become so much more.

[Skynstein]

Would I drop in some cash for a Wii U just for Super Mario Maker? Absolutely.

[Jave]

My relationship with the Wii U is so bizarre. I could name tons of flaws about it, but I feel that the library, while limited, has a selection of games that are so amazing that I just can't hate the system.

Splatoon is quite possibly, one of the best games ever. Not sure if THE best ever, but definitely up there in my Top 10 GOAT list. It's without a doubt Nintendo's best new IP in years and being part of a genre filled with clones, it's refreshing seeing such a different take on it. It's a fantastic game that everyone with a Wii U should have.

I'll also give a lot of credit to Super Mario Maker, which finally gave us the Level Creator people have wanted for ages. Some say the tools you get are limited, but I say nah, what is there is enough to create millions of unique levels, even letting you do things that weren't possible in any of the games.

Wii U also has the best Smash Bros, the best Mario Kart, a great 3D Mario, Hyrule Warriors, and Bayonetta 2. Haven't played Yoshi's Woolly World yet, and I will probably hold for a while on Xenoblade Chronicles X.

Bottom line, Wii U is a flawed system saved by its amazing library.

[Magical Glace]

All this and my skimming didn't lead me to any mention of Scribblenauts Unlimited...

In seriousness, most of the time I use my Wii U's I needed WW collector Wii U so I wound up with two for TWWHD and backwards compatibility with Wii (my actual Wii broke) ever since I cleared all puzzles in Unlimited.

So... Yay for TWW and Unlimited?

[Ragnell]

I love my Wii U. It might just be because I'm super busy starting grad school, but I honestly don't have enough time/money to play all the games I want. I mean, in terms of good exclusives we've got:

New Super Mario Bros. U / Luigi U

Nintendo Land

Pikmin 3

The Wonderful 101

Super Mario 3D World

Hyrule Warriors

Mario Kart 8

Bayonetta 2

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Splatoon

Super Mario Maker

Yoshi's Wooly World

Xenoblade Chronicles X

And Star Fox, SMT x FE, and Zelda Wii U are still on the horizon. Not to mention the few good multiplats plus virtual console and all the great indie games. Nintendo games may not be for everyone, but there's more than enough stuff on that list that I like to keep me content.

Edited December 4, 2015 by Ragnell

[Anacybele]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention one thing about the difficulty of Yoshi's Woolly World. If you people who like/are interested in it would like a real challenge from the game (because the main game isn't all that hard), try unlocking Gold Yoshi (or perhaps even Silver Yoshi) or playing the bonus levels unlocked by collecting flowers. That's some tough stuff.

I managed to get Gold Yoshi and play a couple of those bonus levels, so believe me.

Edited December 4, 2015 by Anacybele

[Skynstein]

I'll also give a lot of credit to Super Mario Maker, which finally gave us the Level Creator people have wanted for ages. Some say the tools you get are limited, but I say nah, what is there is enough to create millions of unique levels, even letting you do things that weren't possible in any of the games.

I was a bit disappointed it didn't have Frog/Tanooki/Hammer Suit but those items are overpowered and trivialize the game.

I suspect the Wii U has a better library than the PS4 ATM, but I have no room for one at home.

[Clarinets]

Wii U positives:

Makes for a great paperweight.

I laughed.

Anyways, my favorite games on the Wii U are...

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. I love the Smash Bros. series as a whole and this one is just a blast to play with friends and to train amiibo in.

Super Mario Maker. Creating Mario levels is fun and really easy with the system implemented.

Mario Kart 8. My favorite Mario Kart yet with fun courses, great music, and Lemmy <3

[angienessyo]

The Wii U has more than enough games to keep me busy for years, but I'm also pretty busy most the time so I don't get through games that aren't handheld very quickly nowadays. The main selling point for me is the Wii U has all the games I want that I can't play on my PC. Whereas the PS4/XBone didn't have anything I wanted that I couldn't already get on my PC. As long as Nintendo keeps churning out systems that I can't get on Steam, I'm going to keep buying their systems.

[Radiant head]

As for the Wii U itself, you know this is the first time i never owned a Nintendo home console. Yeah, i usually get them around launch or the same year as launch. I still dont have a Wii U. If they werent 300 big ones, id probably have one by now, but alas.... The sadder part is that the library just isnt wowing me. We got some good shit in there like Splatoon (which looks like buckets of fun), Hyrule Warriors, Smush, Mario Maker, Xenoblade X, and Zelda U is coming. But im just..i dunno...not in it, ya know? *sigh* One huge positive is that it seems like a great console for kids. Im trying to get my brother and sister-in-law to get one for my niece next year. She loves Zelda and with the rereleases on it, she'd love it. My niece has already played Wii U at her friend's house, so she knows what its like. (plus she has Amiibos) So i really think if you got kids (or just love those first party titles that much), its a fun time.

Pretty much, yeah.

Once Xenoblade X and Zelda are out, the Wii U will probably become a must buy for me (assuming the NX isn't confirmed by then), but until then I'm jut not really feeling it. No doubt there are some good games on there, but I usually only buy a console when there's that one game that I have to play, and so far none of those are out yet. Nintendo is definitely the best game company in my mind, but I'm enjoying the company's work on the 3DS and haven't felt the need to buy the home console yet.

Splatoon is definitely a pretty nice achievement for fans and creators, but it's not really my thing at all.

[Zera]

Wii U positives:

Makes for a great paperweight.

If I were a mod, I would ban you for spamming. Like, an actual perma-ban. Maybe that's why I'm not a mod. In any case, thanks for your unsupported negative criticism on the positive talk topic. It will be fondly remembered as we toss it into the fireplace.

I think the Wii U is the best home console currently because between the Wii U library, Wii library, and Virtual Console library, there is an incredible amount of polished, fun games on the system, and that's all that really matters IMO.

Edited December 5, 2015 by Zera

[Anacybele]

Splatoon is definitely a pretty nice achievement for fans and creators, but it's not really my thing at all.

Not my thing at all either, but at least it didn't cause you embarrassment... I thought it would be a failure because it looked really bad to me. I wanted to go sit in a corner and face the wall after it ended up being a hit. -_-

If I were a mod, I would ban you for spamming. Like, an actual perma-ban. Maybe that's why I'm not a mod. In any case, thanks for your unsupported negative criticism on the positive talk topic. It will be fondly remembered as we toss it into the fireplace.

Dude, seriously? That's way too excessive. It WAS spam, but you act like he committed a felony. One little offense should never get someone banned. Warned, sure.

[Quintessence]

I think what hurt the Wii U most was its weak market introduction. Imo, it wasn't the best way to launch it, with games such as Nintendoland or 3D World, sure they're good games (I think) but they don't have the enough weight to hook up the masses in the ways a Smash Bros., Splatoon or Mario Kart 8 can; so that definitely left people uninspired, with a lame marketing.

The Wii U has had a terrible life overall, it's just that its library is so awesome and open to all tastes that it is a good reason to get one.

[DragonLord]

The lack of proper marketing and comparatively weak power haven't helped the Wii U very much. The first being obvious since people thought the Wii U was an add-on to the Wii (Even I was given the impression after watching the first video). The second because of PS4 and Xbox One launching not long after with much more powerful hardware, and the Wii U's different system architecture (making it more of a nuisance for third parties to port their games).

Of course though, I still love my Wii U regardless. The GamePad screen has so much potential, acting as a second screen, especially in games like The Wind Waker HD. I haven't actually really used the off-screen function much, since the TV I play on only has a Wii U hooked up to it, plus the GamePad has a lower resolution than my TV does. I also really like the size of the controller, it's light while still feeling comfortable for a person with large hands.

As for games, I have a Wii U for the first party games, which are top-notch of course. Some special mentions for me include Smash Wii U, TWWHD, Super Mario Maker, and Mario Kart 8. My only gripe with the games is usually the pricing, since Nintendo has something against sales for their first party games.

Couldn't care for Amiibo personally, I'm not a collector and wouldn't dish out $15 for a simple skin or unlockable in a game.

Despite my complaints, I still believe the Wii U to be a great system. Here's to hoping NX is even better.

Edited December 8, 2015 by DragonLord

[Czar_Yoshi]

I think what hurt the Wii U most was its weak market introduction. Imo, it wasn't the best way to launch it, with games such as Nintendoland or 3D World, sure they're good games (I think) but they don't have the enough weight to hook up the masses in the ways a Smash Bros., Splatoon or Mario Kart 8 can; so that definitely left people uninspired, with a lame marketing.

The 3ds had it even worse, though, and look at where it is now (pre-alpha menu with most features disabled, and a launch library of 2 games that weren't even from established series- why Nintendo didn't hold Gen 5 for a month or two and release it for the 3ds is beyond me).

It's definitely possible for a system to overcome a weak start with proper support.

[Czar_Yoshi]

I think what hurt the Wii U most was its weak market introduction. Imo, it wasn't the best way to launch it, with games such as Nintendoland or 3D World, sure they're good games (I think) but they don't have the enough weight to hook up the masses in the ways a Smash Bros., Splatoon or Mario Kart 8 can; so that definitely left people uninspired, with a lame marketing.

The 3ds had it even worse, though, and look at where it is now (pre-alpha menu with most features disabled, and a launch library of 2 games that weren't even from established series- why Nintendo didn't hold Gen 5 for a month or two and release it for the 3ds is beyond me).

It's definitely possible for a system to overcome a weak start with proper support.

[Anacybele]

I think the Wii had a weak start too, agreed.

[Refa]

The 3ds had it even worse, though, and look at where it is now (pre-alpha menu with most features disabled, and a launch library of 2 games that weren't even from established series- why Nintendo didn't hold Gen 5 for a month or two and release it for the 3ds is beyond me).

It's definitely possible for a system to overcome a weak start with proper support.

The Wii U had more competition.

[Thane]

I can only speak for myself, but it took ages before I realized the Wii U had even hit the market, and even then I thought it was a peripheral to the Wii. That's both a marketing and naming disaster in one, and it most certainly did not help selling consoles to confused parents.

Edited December 10, 2015 by Thane

[Tangerine]

I think the Wii had a weak start too, agreed.

Huh? The Wii definitely did not have a weak start. Maybe for "core" gamers, but the Wii was completely front-heavy and bought in droves by casual gamers as nothing but Wii Fit/Sports fad. All of the Wii's best sales were in the first couple years of its life, and then it died and fell into obscurity. The exact opposite pattern of console sales that you see traditionally.

Anyway, regarding the Wii U's sales being "weak", that's not abnormal for Nintendo. The U's sales are more or less in line with the N64 and Gamecube (tracking lower than desired, yes, but not by a ton); I posted a comparison in another thread before when someone tried to suggest consoles were dying.

This generation is much more comparable to the PS2/GC/Xbox generation. It's a return to relative normalcy.

PS2:

22 months – December 30th, 2001 – 24.99 million

PS3:

25 months - December 31st, 2008 - 19.3 million

PS4:

19 months - June 30th 2015 - 25.3 million

Sony has not reported any official numbers since June (edit: my mistake, that report was from june, not july), but the PS4 is outpacing the previous PlayStation consoles. Not gonna include the PS1 because it was a new console and its sales just aren't comparable to the other three, it did much worse 2 years into its life.

I highly doubt that the PS4 will reach PS2 total sales numbers, because there are many more viable competitors than there were back then, but that doesn't speak poorly of the new generation at all. The PS2 had a lot of casual interest, similar to the Wii.

---

Xbox:

25 months - December 31st 2003 - 13.7 million

Xbox 360:

20 months - September 20th 2007 - 11.6 million

Xbox One:

20 months - July 29th 2015 - 13.0 million

The 360 did end up taking a bunch of Sony's market share and ultimately overperformed, but that's what happens in an industry like this. The Xbox One has retained some of the fanbase that the brand earned.

---

Gamecube

24 months - September 30th 2003 - 10.45 million

Wii

25 months - December 31st 2008 - 43.7 million

Wii U

25 months - Decembert 31st 2014 - 8.9 million

The Wii's sales fall off hard and fast after the first couple years, typical of trend behaviour. But it is quite obviously the outlier of the past three console generations. It's difficult to find N64 sales and I don't have a ton of time, but general consensus places it at around 10-13 million sold in the period, which fits right in with the type of sales Nintendo consoles have gotten for a while.

This is outdated since I posted it months ago, and both the PS4 and XBO have had some massive sales spikes since then (this past November was one of the highest in history), but the U has been pretty consistent and is unlikely to have changed pace much.

I think people are focusing far too much on the random success of the Wii. It was a fad, and the industry was never going to retain those people. That was not a core gaming fanbase who were going to stay in the market. The Wii U isn't in the best position, but it's not a position that Nintendo is unaccustomed to, and it has a great library of games for everyone. The Wii U's library is 10x better than the Wii's already in my opinion.

[Zera]

The only thing the Wii U can't do is play GameCube games. But if they end up on the Virtual Console...

[Knight]

I think the Wii U is a console that had a lot of missed potential and poor decisions put into it that, nonetheless, has a lot of very fun games on it and I don't regret buying it. (though maybe I would've waited for the price drop or all the bundles that have come around)

I could come up with a lot of criticisms for it, but it won't degrade all the fun I've had playing Smash, Mario Maker, Kart 8, 3D World, Scribblenauts. There's still a bunch of games for it that I want to play that I still haven't got around to yet, and adding those up, its more games than that are available exclusively on PS4 or Xbox. (though I have a gaming PC now, so that might have something to do with it)

My biggest disappointment though is no Metroid U. Tis a shame.

[Locust]

I like the Wii U and think it has a pretty good library. Super Mario 3D World, Bayonetta 2, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Wind Waker HD, Shovel Knight and Pikmin 3 were really great games. Smash 4 and Mario Kart 8 are good online multiplayer games too. I also plan to get Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Star Fox Zero and Zelda Wii U eventually.

I usually use the Pro Controller instead of the GamePad even though I don't mind the GamePad at all.

Edited December 16, 2015 by Locust