Wii U: Opinions and Feedback

[AlexFili]

This is a thread all about the Wii U. Let's share opinions, criticisms and advice and start some debates about the future of Nintendo and third-party titles.

Having enjoyed the Nintendo Wii very much, I was very eager to see how the new console would deliver a new level of games. It's very nice to have a graphically powerful Nintendo console, as it opens the possibilities of coping with the same level of detail in many PS3/Xbox360/PC titles, admittedly Nintendo are a little behind with the times, but they are finally giving gamers what they want. Namely no more friend codes, social networking, game demos and online copies of retail games.

After playing for a week I can safely say that this is one of the best games consoles I have ever had the pleasure to play. The interface is nice and while transitions can be slow, it's all clear and concise. You can also bring up the friends list or open up a web browser in the middle of a game without disrupting play which is fantastic.

Local play with one player using the gamepad and another on the screen is really enjoyable and paves the way for a lot of interesting game ideas, some of which you can get a taste of in Nintendo Land.

There are a few minor issues to mention, at the moment (which happens with all new game platforms) there isn't a large library of games, but there is the large library of Wii games and the Virtual Console library which is likely to populate.

I enjoyed buying the console but I have to admit it's not worth spending £250 over, especially at this stage... but if you can get it for about £125-£150 at the right time, then you'll have a blast.

[Crashpunk]

I'm worried about the Wii U. It's a great console but it's just lacking at the minute.

I've been wanting to get one ever since I first played it at the Eurogamer Expo but I'm waiting until more games are announced. I'll probably instantly buy one when a Zelda game is is announced, as well as the next Smash Bros and Mario Kart. I'll also get Super Mario, Rayman Legends and Nintendo Land.

[Daxter King]

There are a few games I want for it, plus I would play the Wii games I missed out on for not owning one. Too expensive right now, I'd buy the premium for $250.

[Jordan]

I want it solely for Bayonetta 2 and the new Zelda game. At the minute I'm finding it difficult to get excited over. The only decent(ish) thing that's out for it is the NSMB game but even then it just looks like a generic NSMB title. meh

[Strike Witch]

It's faggy shit.

[Dynamithix]

I'm not too impressed by the Wii U, most of its games look the same as current-gen games and you're telling me it's supposed to be a next-gen console? Yeah yeah, it's all about the games and the great Nintendo exclusives, but if that's the case, where are all the games then? Nintendo's going to get left behind once the PS4 and the next Xbox come out. What happened, wasn't the Gamecube like technologically way ahead of the original Xbox and the PS2?

[Slog Bait]

It's a lot better than I was expecting. I got to try it out at a friend's place this past week, and I was very impressed. (then again, I didn't have very high hopes for the Wii U to start with) It's probably going to be my console of choice this gen, which I can say I didn't see coming considering I wasn't a fan of the Wii and I've been pretty loyal to Sony since the PSX.

I had thought that Nintendo would end up sticking primarily to handhelds from the 3DS onwards while Microsoft, Sony, and any other competitor that cropped up would fight for the best console, but the Wii U I feel will be sufficient competition this gen.

[Phylum]

By "this gen" do you mean the PS3/360 era?

I am not hugely impressed by what I've seen. Nintendo consoles are usually pretty good, but I see no reason to buy this yet, especially with Rayman Legends getting released elsewhere.

[Slog Bait]

Oh, no. I'm classifying Wii U as next gen, even if it's on par with the PS3/360 era. Considering how late in the game Wii U came in, I have a hard time viewing it as a previous gen console.

Also, the Rayman Legends demo on the Wii U was fantastic. It made me more pumped for the game than I had been previously, and makes me even more bitter about the delay. The PS3 and 360 ports are completely getting rid of any part that utilizes the touchscreen of the controller, which is really going to detract from the final results. It's going to just end up being Rayman Origins + for the other consoles.

I still plan on getting RL for the PS3 because it's going to be a long while before I can afford the Wii U, but as soon as the money become available to me I'm dropping it on the Wii U along with the Wii U version of RL.

[Phylum]

In that case I think it's a bit soon to be counting your chickens on the other consoles. I'm keen to see how far they can push the hardware in the PS4.

[AlexFili]

I'm worried about the Wii U. It's a great console but it's just lacking at the minute.

The first year is usually pretty tough for a console, having to justify an expensive purchase for a limited library of games, but this will become a lot better when more games are on the market. Compare early Wii and early 360 games with those released this year and there is definitely a clear difference both in terms of priorities and game quality. Having at least one game of each genre at launch definitely helps a lot.

I had thought that Nintendo would end up sticking primarily to handhelds from the 3DS onwards.

Well in Japan, the PS Vita and 3DS are insanely popular, presumably due to multiplayer and things like StreetPass and Augmented Reality.

Oh, no. I'm classifying Wii U as next gen, even if it's on par with the PS3/360 era. Considering how late in the game Wii U came in, I have a hard time viewing it as a previous gen console.

It's definitely a step above the Wii. If the PS3/360/Wii was considered 'seventh generation' and the PS4 is 'eigth generation', then I would class the Wii U as being generation 7.5, it's got several major new features but won't be the big powerhouse of graphics that the others will be (but probably will be cheaper and have some nice exclusives).

[Jbot123]

I got a Wii U for hannukah, and it started freezing and making strange noises yesterday. It is fun, but I hope they can patch it or something. You definetly notice the graphical change, and I got the Rayman Legends demo and it looks awesome. The games I have are: New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendoland, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, and Scribblenauts Unlimited. Those are the only games I am interested in until Rayman Legends and Disney Infinity come out.

[OANST]

What did you get for Kwanza?

[Ridg3]

Fried Shicken.

[AlexFili]

I got a Wii U for hannukah, and it started freezing and making strange noises yesterday. It is fun, but I hope they can patch it or something. You definetly notice the graphical change, and I got the Rayman Legends demo and it looks awesome. The games I have are: New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendoland, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, and Scribblenauts Unlimited. Those are the only games I am interested in until Rayman Legends and Disney Infinity come out.

I've not had any freezing issues while using the console itself, with a few exceptions in Black Ops 2, but that's usually down to me trying to access the Wii Home menu at the wrong time.

Agreed, Rayman Legends is one of the most beautiful demos I've ever had the pleasure to play. I hear Nintendo Land has a lot going for it and Scribblenauts is very fun indeed. For me I'm waiting for Watch Dogs and to a lesser extent, Assassins Creed 4. Not entirely sure if I will pick up Mario Kart and Smash Bros but if the reviews are good then I will probably get those too.

A few other things I forgot to mention. When downloading demos you can get them passively so that you can still have access to the console while you wait. This also occurs during updates too, which means you can download them and not have to be stuck waiting for a loading screen. You can also access a daily log to show how long you've been using certain games/apps.

You can also use USB sticks or External Hard Drives to store data, demos and retail games. At the moment they're doing special sales to commemorate the Famicom with games like Balloon Fight and F-Zero at a hugely reduced rate. More sales are bound to happen in the future. You can keep tabs on your friends and see what game they're playing, send messages to other users on the Miiverse and "Yeah" other people's posts (think Facebook "Likes").

[Jbot123]

What did you get for Kwanza?

A cool pop, of course. Silly wabbit.

[OANST]

A cool pop, of course. Silly wabbit.

Grape soda?

[Jbot123]

Grape soda?

I was jus' goin downstairs to get me a cool pop, and I thought someone was barbecuin!

[OANST]

You disgusting fucking racist.

[Jbot123]

NO SHIT?