When talking about the current generation of video game consoles, the Nintendo Wii U is often the butt of many jokes. Whether it be the console’s abnormal controller, lacking hardware, or ‘kiddish’ feel, many gamers simply don’t take the system seriously. Speaking as someone who owns a Wii U, Xbox One and moderately powerful gaming PC, I’m here to tell you that contrary to popular belief, the Nintendo Wii U is not only a great system, but will also leave a legacy similar to that of the Sega Dreamcast.
With the Super Mario 3D World bundle currently sitting at an impressive $244.97 on Gamestop.com, the console is the cheapest on the market by roughly $50. In the current day and age of new video games being $60, often coming incomplete and relying on $50 DLC to get the full game experience, having a low price is worth more than it ever has.
Getting away from the price point for a bit, I must mention that the biggest factor that makes the Wii U great is the thing that matters most in gaming – the games. For one reason or another, the Wii U is thought to not have many games of quality, which simply isn’t the case. The console has many amazing titles that will surely be regarded as classics in years to come, including Pokken Tournament, Super Mario Maker, Super Smash Bros. 4, Splatoon, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, Pikmin 3, and many others. With so many quality titles in the system’s library, I truly don’t grasp the concept or idea that the Wii U doesn’t have any games, because said statement is objectively incorrect.
Often times people criticize the gamepad before actually using it. Yes, even me, the die-hard Nintendo fanboy was skeptical when they first showed it off, but over years of using my gamepad, I can honestly say that it’s one of the better controllers to hit the market in the past ten years. While the controller is comfortable when playing the Wii U’s vast array of platformers, shooters, RPG’s or other solo adventures, it’s utilized perfectly with Splatoon’s gyroscope controls, giving it an experience different to that of any other shooter on the market today.
While the Nintendo Wii U is on its last leg, not likely to see any first party titles past The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 2017, I strongly urge you to get out and buy this console while you can. It may be the joke of the current gaming generation, but its vast array of amazing titles will remain classics worth revisiting in five, ten, twenty years and beyond.
