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Discussion [GVMERS] Lies, Confusion and The Tragedy of Wii U

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etuev

Piranha Plant
Food for thought on with this video, some things are accurate, some not. But what are your thoughts on the Wii U era? Was the Wii U a misunderstood masterpiece or just flawed hardware? Or perhaps it's more complicated than that? 🤔
Interesting thinking about how we're not all that removed from it, it feels much further in the past than it really was. I guess I'm just getting old lol.

 
It's dreadful marketing. That's all there is to it. The hardware itself was fine, a little behind, but that was nothing new for Nintendo. The only flawed part was not using the gamepad to it's fullest potential.
 
robertman2 said:
Bad hardware, terrible marketing and mediocre games
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Take that back
hello-kitty-kruisers-cover.cover_large.jpg
 
Spyder said:
Take that back
hello-kitty-kruisers-cover.cover_large.jpg
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Even this now is redundant...

61PSDcdG8LL._AC_SY550_.jpg


Anyway, Wii U was a terrible system. Horrible hardware with a slow OS was the biggest problem, the often long waits between releases was the other one. Nintendo really struggled with HD development at first. Glad they're in a much better place now, and that you can play most of the good Wii U games on Switch!
 
Insanely clickbaity video title aside, the Wii U was a mess of a console hardware and marketing-wise that just happened to receive must-play games, most of which have since been ported forward.
 
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If you think about it logically, the Wii U makes a pretty objective argument for being the best console of all time:

Best Open World Game: Obviously BotW. Yes, there's also a Switch version, but it's a Wii U game through and through. It was marketed for years as a Wii U game. It's also one of the all time highest rated games ever.

Best 2D Platformer: Tropical Freeze. Is anyone really going to challenge this? TF is an absolute masterclass in 2D platformer design and production values. Best Donkey Kong, best 2D platformer.

Best Kart Racer: Mario Kart 8. Again, yes there's a Switch version and that got a bunch of extra DLC, but the original version was still the karting GOAT when it released. Crash Team Racing? More like Nap Time Snoozing.

Best Hacky Slash Game: Bayonetta 2. I know some fans prefer the combat of 1, but I can't think of another action game that's as stuffed with boss fights and spectacle as B2. Not even God of War 3. Once B2 gets going, it's just non stop boss fights and back to back slamming action.

Best 3D Platformer: It's not 64. It's not Galaxy. It's 3D World. No other platformer has managed to cram so many ideas so effortlessly into one game.

Best social media platform: Clearly it's Miiverse. Like Twitter, but with a fraction of the racism and way more positivity.

EDIT

Best zombie game: Zombi U. Sorry Last Of Us, but real time rucksack gameplay is far scarier and more heart pounding than any number of feel sad scenes.

EDIT

Best Garden Game: I can't believe I forgot to include this. It's obviously Pikmin 3. One of the best designed, beautifully put together games ever.
 
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It is the worst console I have ever owned, and now I am buying it again in 2023. I liked the 2 player mode of Sega and Sonic Racing Transformed a lot.
 
I mean, even the launch was a nightmare.

  • Mandatory update with a whopping 6 Gb to download -and do NOTHING ELSE -not even play a damn game- meanwhile than stare at a progress bar- on extremely slow servers that were constantly going down and you had to restart from scratch.
  • The OS took 37 seconds to get to the settings and the same amount to go back to the OS homepage.
  • Have a 2D Mario at launch that reuises assets and musics from the already three previous "NEW" Super Mario Bros. games.

To quote a certain Nerd : What were they thinking ?
The first contact with hardware is everything and boy did it was a letdown from the start.
 
well it had Miiverse, best social interactive implementation in a video game system. God i miss miiverse. all i ever dreamt about was if street pass, spot pass and miiverse were all on the switch it would have had the best online social aspect ever. but i understand why they didnt bring it back.

WiiU would have been a hit If it launched with Super Mario Maker. shown Splatoon and BOTW.
Greatest Nintendo console i have ever owned.
 
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It was a poor concept that was a mishmash of ideas that was hard to sell. Even their talented creatives couldn’t make software that really justified it, and their marketing department couldnt make ads that communicated an appeal that their engineering and games dev staff were struggling to really nail down either.

It was a necessary step to get to the elegance of the Switch concept though, but it needed the firm decision to unify their development pipeline to include the more consistent strengths of their portables.
 
I forgot how much joy the render of the GamePad used in Directs, as seen in the video thumbnail, makes me. I don't know how much my opinion is colored by the time of my life the Wii U was out (its lifecycle nearly perfectly matched my high school career), but I still love the thing.

None of the reasons the concept is supposedly flawed really resonate with me. I enjoyed using the GamePad. Nintendo Land was a legitimate treat. I feel Pikmin 3 was better off for it. It made sense in Splatoon. Matching the 3DS Zelda remake interface for TWW and TP was delightful. And for the games that didn't need it, it's not like it got in the way (most of the time). Mario Kart 8 and Smash received great iterations.

I wish supplementary screen gaming hadn't faded away. I get why it did, though.
 
Haven’t watched the video because Jimmy Fallon’s face in the thumbnail has me cackling for some reason.
 
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Lack of software and too many droughts. Nintendo was stretched too thin between the end of the Wii and DS and the beginning of the WiiU and 3DS. They learned in real time that they could only support one new system going forward. They chose the 3DS since it was a hit, especially in Japan.

They hoped that all of third party deals for the WiiU could provide enough software to prevent droughts but then the third parties either canceled their games or released them in a gimped form compared to the PS360 (Mass Effect 3 being released at full price the same day Mass Effect Trilogy was released at a discount on PS360)

Hence why they consolidated their software output with the Switch. No more relying on third parties to fill gaps in the release calendar.
 
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Leo said:
It was probably the most cumbersome gaming hardware to just sit up and play ever made.
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I mean hey, to this day I grumble whenever I want to play a GameCube game on the Wii and need to fish out my Wii Remote and some batteries just to click the game disc icon and start the game

Wii U from day 1 had me 👌 because I could use any controller, pointer, touch screen or whatever to navigate the OS and start the game, what a dream
 
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1. Pikmin 3, 3D World and Xenoblade X, so automatically a top 2 Nintendo console.
2. Great browser. It was before I ever owned a smartphone, so I wouldn't be able to tell you now.
3. Miiverse drama
4. Nintendo meme era.
5. Whining about droughts all day.
6. Zelda U 2016?

Best time in Nintendo's history lol I low-key miss it.
 
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When you look at the marquee software in the first 18 months, the timing of those releases, and the lack of 3rd party support, it becomes very clear that there was nothing to market in the critical early stage of the Wii U's lifespan. Customers understood exactly what they were getting, which wasn't much.

That's really it, you can't polish a turd. In an alternative universe where the Wii U launched with MK8D, 3D World, and Tropical Freeze (instead of only Nintendoland and Pikmin 3 in the first 6 months), it probably sells in the range of the GameCube.
 
Making NSMBU the launch title was a pretty big misstep. Game quality aside, it didn't have the look for what a HD game should be.

The Wii U did have some great software though, the collaborations with Atlus, Koei Tecmo, and Platinum were fantastic.
 
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I mean, what else is there to say that hasn't been said already? About reveal, game releases, name, marketing, the media gaslighting many in the mainstream...
 
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Won’t click due to the stupid thumbnail, respect Iwata

Lies? What lies, the system failed because it had a horrible reveal and it launched with yet another NSMB game, simple as that. It was still honestly the best value for a next gen console at the time, PS4 and X1 didn’t really get started until 2015-2016. That’s not saying much considering how horrible the start of last gen was but still, at least with the Wii U you had BC, no paying for online and games that were at least fundamentally fun
 
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Solid idea with a flawed execution. That’s all there is to it.
If it weren’t a good idea, we wouldn’t have Sony selling a peripheral that offers one of its main features.
 
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hologram said:
Yes. TF is a pretty good platformer that its fans love to overhype and call the best ever for reasons I don't think I will ever fully understand
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Well what 2D platformer in your opinion is the best? Anyone can say "I disagree" but it's boring without a comparison lol.
 
JazzPotatoes said:
If you think about it logically, the Wii U makes a pretty objective argument for being the best console of all time:

Best Open World Game: Obviously BotW. Yes, there's also a Switch version, but it's a Wii U game through and through. It was marketed for years as a Wii U game. It's also one of the all time highest rated games ever.

Best 2D Platformer: Tropical Freeze. Is anyone really going to challenge this? TF is an absolute masterclass in 2D platformer design and production values. Best Donkey Kong, best 2D platformer.

Best Kart Racer: Mario Kart 8. Again, yes there's a Switch version and that got a bunch of extra DLC, but the original version was still the karting GOAT when it released. Crash Team Racing? More like Nap Time Snoozing.

Best Hacky Slash Game: Bayonetta 2. I know some fans prefer the combat of 1, but I can't think of another action game that's as stuffed with boss fights and spectacle as B2. Not even God of War 3. Once B2 gets going, it's just non stop boss fights and back to back slamming action.

Best 3D Platformer: It's not 64. It's not Galaxy. It's 3D World. No other platformer has managed to cram so many ideas so effortlessly into one game.

Best social media platform: Clearly it's Miiverse. Like Twitter, but with a fraction of the racism and way more positivity.

EDIT

Best zombie game: Zombi U. Sorry Last Of Us, but real time rucksack gameplay is far scarier and more heart pounding than any number of feel sad scenes.

EDIT

Best Garden Game: I can't believe I forgot to include this. It's obviously Pikmin 3. One of the best designed, beautifully put together games ever.
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ZombiU is so funny because it’s a stupid UbiSoft launch game that also easily clears the top 5 games on Wii U. It’s easily one of the system’s best proofs of concept and also an unnerving horror game, and it was all but forgotten a year later. It deserved more recognition.

hologram said:
Yes. TF is a pretty good platformer that its fans love to overhype and call the best ever for reasons I don't think I will ever fully understand
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What about it is overhyped?
 
Love the WiiU. It was poorly marketed and the first party support was abysmal once they saw it was a failure, but I was a huge fan of asymmetric gameplay in stuff like traditional 3D Zeldas or Nintendo Land. Honestly love the games that embraced the gamepad and, while I understand the preference for just a straight up controller, I do feel there was a really valuable, under utilized idea. I will forever wish we could have seen the version of Zelda WiiU that really integrated the gamepad into the main features. That said, history worked out pretty well for it all, so I'm happy with what we got.

In a lot of ways I prefer the WiiU to switch (UI music, activity log, folders you can organize on the main screen, the ability to play Xenoblade X), but obviously it had way too much going against it to succeed.

Anyway, love WiiU and still have it under my TV. Really love its cfw potential too. It's my current favorite way to play GameCube games since they work on the gamepad
 
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  • one of their worst concepts (and somehow this was after years of success with the ds) looking back n forth between pad and tv
  • arguably the most confusing reveal and worst marketing in the history of video games
  • drtre81 talks about the marketing disaster in this video
 
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Think of anything that could’ve gone wrong with a console and it probably applies to Wii U. I enjoyed it well enough but I’m glad those days are over.
 
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What is there really to go over. You can sum up the system as dead at conception with any other stumbling blocks as not mattering after that point. The only way to fix this was taking it back to formula which they did, its name is the Switch.
 
Christo750 said:
ZombiU is so funny because it’s a stupid UbiSoft launch game that also easily clears the top 5 games on Wii U. It’s easily one of the system’s best proofs of concept and also an unnerving horror game, and it was all but forgotten a year later. It deserved more recognition.


What about it is overhyped?
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it was ported to other consoles and essentially neutered in the process as the gamepad is so integral to the experience
 
While it will never be the same, I'd love it if they eventually update the Nintendo app to act as a second screen for Wii U games, whether that's games that have been ported to Switch or if they're offering Wii U as part of the NSO library in the far future.

Trying to play games without that second screen just isn't the same, and it would also get some actual functionality out of the app.
 
I never used the Wii U a lot my roommates played more on the device than I did as I was studying at that time. But at the time I would say the games it released were great! Smash Bros. had a nice entree, Xenoblade had a very different entry and I would argue there were still some great games coming out for the system.

Overall, I had loads of fun with the Nintendo Wii U games like Nintendoland and Mario 3D Allstars where a blast to play in a group and of course Mario Kart 8. But the Wii U really feels like a precursor to the Nintendo Switch. And the latter has dropped me back into console gaming, cause funny enough due to my studies I wasn't gaming a lot anymore :p
 
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Tentacle-tropes said:
What is there really to go over. You can sum up the system as dead at conception with any other stumbling blocks as not mattering after that point. The only way to fix this was taking it back to formula which they did, its name is the Switch.
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I thought the idea was pretty great, but really not practically possible to build with the right specs, at the right cost. Porting to it was obviously difficult even from 360, and an even bigger challenge with next gen consoles. They should’ve seen that coming, even the wii with its userbase quickly ram out of ports. And yeah the bad launch didn’t help, but I think it would have failed in any scenario.

I honestly think the wii succes was a mixed blessing. They learned the wrong lessons and when software purchases were diving off a cliff the Wii U was rushed out the door.
 
JazzPotatoes said:
While it will never be the same, I'd love it if they eventually update the Nintendo app to act as a second screen for Wii U games, whether that's games that have been ported to Switch or if they're offering Wii U as part of the NSO library in the far future.

Trying to play games without that second screen just isn't the same, and it would also get some actual functionality out of the app.
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If anything, the Wii U demonstrated that largely, people don't want their attention on a game divided between two displays on separate devices. Using the NSO app as a Wii U-like second screen would just result in a lot of half-baked functionality that's easy to ignore.
 
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The Wii U did not hold value compared to the other two systems
It was a bad proposition
Essentially last gen performance for a next gen price … consumers aren’t stupid but they also know a good deal when they see one
The Wii U was not a good deal
 
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Jahranimo said:
Well what 2D platformer in your opinion is the best? Anyone can say "I disagree" but it's boring without a comparison lol.
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This is fair. I would say SMB3 or SMW from an impact stance, but my personal favorite would be Celeste
Christo750 said:
What about it is overhyped?
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The part where people call it the best 2D platformer of all time, lol. Like I said, it's a good game, but it doesn't exactly bring anything new to the genre
 
Certainly the worst system I've ever owned and by a large margin. Thing was dog shit with a few standout titles. Thank god those days are behind us.

Wouldn't recommend it to anyone though there was certainly fun to be had with it.
 
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DrJay said:
I thought the idea was pretty great, but really not practically possible to build with the right specs, at the right cost. Porting to it was obviously difficult even from 360, and an even bigger challenge with next gen consoles. They should’ve seen that coming, even the wii with its userbase quickly ram out of ports. And yeah the bad launch didn’t help, but I think it would have failed in any scenario.

I honestly think the wii succes was a mixed blessing. They learned the wrong lessons and when software purchases were diving off a cliff the Wii U was rushed out the door.
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I’m not sure they did learn the wrong lessons from Wii considering the WiiU was about as opposite in about every way. Software sales plummeted in part because of the WiiU contributing to a drought in EOL software. The WiiU also had the knock on effect of hurting the 3DS to a degree. Overall that Gen for Nintendo they just made some really bad decisions that they could only try & mitigate until their next device.
 
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hologram said:
This is fair. I would say SMB3 or SMW from an impact stance, but my personal favorite would be Celeste

The part where people call it the best 2D platformer of all time, lol. Like I said, it's a good game, but it doesn't exactly bring anything new to the genre
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Fair, I think it’s all subjective at that point. I’d put Celeste in the conversation for best 2D platformer just as fast as I’d put DKC:TF.
 
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