It’s tough being a Wii U owner. We’re faced with a constant barrage of doom and gloom from internet haters, industry analysts, and all facets of the press. It’s not unfair, and in fact, it’s entirely justified. The Wii U represents one of Nintendo’s biggest missteps, having only moved about 6 million units worldwide as of the end of March 2014. Having been on the market for 1.5 years already, those aren’t exactly numbers to be proud of.
Taking a look back at its history, it’s easy to see why:
From its unveiling in 2011, you could tell something was wrong. Very wrong. For starters, the name. While the Wii was initially a strange and silly sounding console with funky controllers, at the very least, it was interesting and made you wonder what it was all about. Plus, you immediately understood its brilliance the first time you played Wii Sports. That aha! moment is what helped make it such a phenomenal success. The Wii U? Not only does it sound awkward and unoriginal, but with a big touchscreen integrated into an even bigger Game Pad controller, my first thought was, “May we all have deep pockets for when that thing breaks.”
The screen itself was also revealed to only be a resistive, single-touch type like the DS and 3DS, so it was perceived as being old technology right out of the gate. Multiple Game Pad support, wireless range, battery life, and other concerns were brought up almost immediately, so it was raising more questions than it answered, revealing one limitation after another as time went on. At the very least, the console would finally mark Nintendo’s long-desired step into HD.
There was a lot of buzz surrounding Sony’s upcoming PS Vita handheld around the same time, which sported all sorts of cool technologies like multi-touch and a beautiful OLED display. While the Vita has its own share of struggles today, at the time it was easy to look at the two company philosophies and not see the Wii U as anything but inferior to its contemporaries, or at least the product of a company slightly out of step. The 3DS had a slow start in 2011 as well, so confidence in Nintendo wasn’t exactly at an all-time high. I wasn’t sold on the need for stereoscopic 3D, nor was I convinced that the Wii U’s tablet/console hybrid was what anyone needed either.
I stayed positive, though, and brushed it all off as early, reactionary hyperbole. I figured we’d see the goods at E3 2012.
Heading into that Nintendo press conference, I — along with the rest of the collective gaming world — really wanted to see Nintendo come out swinging. Show us that any worries were unwarranted and that this thing was going to make the PS4 and Xbox One look like derivative, same ol’ same ol’ consoles. This is where the real magic would be, right? With the next Zelda, Mario Galaxy, Metroid, Mario Kart, and Smash Bros. in the works with great third-party support and exclusives, the Wii U would continue in the footsteps of the Wii’s great success!
Oh, how wrong I was.
It was painful to watch. So excruciatingly bad that I would tune out to look at Twitter and the gaming forum responses instead. I had a hard time believing what I was seeing and hearing, but there it was. They tried pushing the concept of “asynchronous gaming”, a strange term that Nintendo attempted to sell via Nintendo Land, the centerpiece of their press conference. To me, it looked like a simple collection of mini-games, more akin to early, internal tech demos, rather than a fully realized $60 premium game. There were a few glimmers of hope, but when the great Shigeru Miyamoto comes on stage and all he has is the gentle Pikmin 3, you can’t help but feel deflated.
Their poor, disjointed showing at E3 set the tone for the months leading up to its launch that November. When you think about it, the original Wii got just about everything right, including an incredibly strong E3 showing. At launch, it was only $250, and came with the game that everyone wanted: Wii Sports. They even had a Legend of Zelda game in the form of Twilight Princess. If you wanted an Xbox 360, that was $300-400. A PS3 would set you back $500-600. I don’t think either competitor included a pack-in game. Also, since HDTVs still weren’t at impulse-buy prices, the Wii’s 480p video output wasn’t a deal-killer, although it would become one of its major and most criticized Achilles’ Heels in the years to come.
The Wii U, on the other hand, got just about everything wrong. Nintendo already had everyone baffled, but they clouded things up even further by releasing separate Basic and Deluxe Sets. Both were more expensive than the Wii at $300 and $350 a piece, with the Basic Set omitting a number of bullet points, including the pack-in game.
They should have just made one set — the Deluxe Set — priced it at $300, and that way everyone would get Nintendo Land in the same way that every Wii owner got Wii Sports. It’d be a title that would showcase the capabilities of the system in a family-friendly way. Parity would also be ensured for all owners.
Adding some poor timing to the mix, Nintendo raised their game prices on the Wii U to match those found on competitor systems, which they similarly did on the 3DS. They had a nice advantage with the Wii, with games selling for at least $10 less than they did on the PS3 and 360. Now, that price advantage was gone.
Not impressed with or interested in any of the launch titles except for New Super Mario Bros. U, I did a big thumb’s down and steered clear of the Wii U throughout most of its first year. I had more than enough to play on my other systems, so I was content just sitting this round out.
But then along came The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD. Seeing it again and hearing about how Nintendo was integrating touchscreen functionality, tweaking the gameplay, and making a number of changes to improve its overall pacing really piqued my interest. It sounded like they were addressing every issue I had with the game back from when I played it on the GameCube. I also found out that they would be releasing a Legend of Zelda-themed Game Pad adorned with gold artwork and Hylian script, all part of a Deluxe Set bundle priced at $300. Curious how things like that will tap right into your gamer DNA.
My mind quickly did the math: OK, $300 for a Deluxe Set with the $50 game and sweet Game Pad makes it a $250 console. Some extra freebies through Club Nintendo and the Digital Deluxe Promotion, and that makes it cheaper than the Wii. What a no-brainer!
So, just like that in September of 2013, I went into my local Target and bought a Wii U. It always feels great buying a new console, doesn’t it? Walking out of a store with that nice, hefty box under your arm makes you feel like you’re in the opening credit sequence of Reservoir Dogs.
It’s funny how one game will do that to you, though: turn the tide in your mind, even though nothing’s changed about the situation. I thoroughly enjoyed The Wind Waker HD, and it was a nice coincidence that the first game I played on the Wii U would show me that yes, the Game Pad’s touchscreen can truly make a game better.
Since then, I’ve purchased several other games for the system, including New Super Mario Bros. U, Lego City Undercover, The Wonderful 101, Pikmin 3, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, and Super Mario 3D World, a game so good that I gave it an A+ back in January. New Super Mario Bros. U was also a big surprise, since I was not expecting much out of another entry in the “New” series, but it was also a fantastic, highly polished, and challenging game.
Virtual Console offerings have been pretty good so far, too. The standout in my mind is EarthBound — its first time available since the Super Nintendo days — which is an all-time favorite RPG of mine. It’s not to be missed. Super Metroid, Contra III: The Alien Wars, Super Castlevania IV, and others round out a slowly growing oldschool library.
Which brings us to today. With Mario Kart 8‘s release, and Nintendo’s aggressive promotion of it — including an excellent Deluxe Set bundle and a terrific free game offer — this might be just the thing that helps bring life back to the Wii U. Some major next-generation titles, including Rocksteady’s highly anticipated Batman: Arkham Knight, have been delayed until 2015, leaving PS4 and Xbox One owners with a dwindling selection of games for the rest of the year. Mario Kart 8 moved 1.2 million units during its first weekend. When you consider the number of Wii U consoles that were out there earlier this year, that’s a number Nintendo should be proud of.
So who knows? Even though I’ve been grinding this axe for a few years now, I do it out of my love and respect for Nintendo and what they’ve done — and continue to do — for us, the players. I wish them the best of luck, and hope that Mario Kart 8 is only the first in a steady stream of right moves for the Wii U.
