The Wii U is the console that some forget about. With the release of both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, most gamers would think the obvious choice would be one of the two “next gen” consoles. When the Wii U first released it was seen as a console with little games and a chunky controller that went against Nintendo’s remit.
Here are some reasons why you should try out the Wii U a couple years later now that the kinks have been worked out and the games have been released.
The Game Library
After having a little bit of a slow start, the Wii U has had a pretty strong year in 2014 from Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2, Smash Bros Wii U, it’s been a good year for the Wii U. 2015 has been setting up for a pretty great lineup already, from the new Zelda entry, Starfox, Splatoon, Kirby, and more. The Wii U certainly doesn’t have much going in the third party zone, but it’s first party selection is strong enough on it’s own to make the Wii U worth the buy.
Backwards Compatibility
In an age where backwards compatibility between consoles is limited and rare, Nintendo has kept it going with both the Wii and Wii U’s backwards compatibility. While it’s not an amazing feat, being able to play any Wii games, is a great addition. Virtual Console is still alive and well, and at the moment it has NES, SNES and GBA titles, while they can feel a little overpriced, there’s not better feeling than playing Super Mario World with the convenience of a modern console.
The Hardware
While the Wii U certainly doesn’t have the power that a Xbox One or PlayStation 4 can crank out, it handles it’s first-party titles brilliantly. Nintendo titles all have a certain art style, and color scheme, which the Wii U manages to pull off perfectly. Try playing Wind Waker HD, after seeing it completely remastered, you’ll understand the true meaning of fantastic aesthetics. If you’ve been a fan of Nintendo games in the past, seeing all of these new entries in HD and with a fantastic color spectrum will leave you gawking at the visuals. (I know I did with Mario Kart 8.)
The GamePad
I know that they Gamepad can be a hit or miss with some people, but the ability to use it is actually pretty useful with some games. ZombiU captured the use of it really well, working it in as a scanner inside the game. Even games that have lesser use for it such as Mario Kart 8, it allows you to bring up a mini-map, as well as some other little useful features, (my personal favorite being the car horn.) Being able to switch the screens is a nice addition as well, if somebody is dying to use the TV for whatever reason, a lot of first-party games have the ability to be played just off of the Gamepad, using it as a makeshift handheld console.
Multiplayer Parties
Hands down, Nintendo consoles always have the best games to play when your friends come over. The Wii U excels at “split-screen” play, and offers a wide range of local multiplayer games such as Mario Kart, to Smash Bros, to Super Mario 3D World, there’s a plethora of multiplayer games that translate very well into four player gaming. What the Wii U lacks in online multiplayer functionality, it definitely makes up for with it’s fantastic local options.
Overall, The Wii U has made up for it’s rough start and more. There’s so many great games to play, and they all look absolutely fantastic on the Wii U. And with a pretty large price advantage over it’s competitors, the Wii U is a great console to pick up and enjoy the first-party games that you won’t find anything else like them on other consoles.
