{"id":1563,"date":"2017-02-01T21:05:28","date_gmt":"2017-02-02T02:05:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wyomingjarbo.com\/blog\/?p=1563"},"modified":"2017-02-09T15:07:31","modified_gmt":"2017-02-09T20:07:31","slug":"wii-u-wii-hardly-knew-u","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wyomingjarbo.com\/blog\/2017\/02\/01\/wii-u-wii-hardly-knew-u\/","title":{"rendered":"Wii U, Wii Hardly Knew\u2026 U"},"content":{"rendered":"

A better Wii, but not much else<\/h2>\n

It’s 2017 and the Wii U is no longer in production. As we await the release of the Nintendo Switch, I would like to dedicate this post to my final thoughts as we send it out to pasture.
\nThe Wii U was never going to be a hit. It came out a year before the PS4 and XBone. It was Nintendo’s first foray into HD games, and other consoles already had a generation foothold on that front. Nintendo even admitted they didn’t realize how much effort was needed to develop in HD.<\/a><\/p>\n

In my opinion though, the Wii U was an improvement over the Wii in every way, and some of my favorite games made by Nintendo (and some third parties) were Wii U games.<\/p>\n

I am going to outline my favorites, the biggest disappointments, and the biggest surprises set by the Wii U.<\/p>\n

My Favorites<\/h2>\n

Super Mario 3D World<\/h3>\n

Super Mario 3D World<\/em> is probably my third or fourth favorite Mario game ever1<\/a><\/sup>. I like it more than Super Mario 64<\/em>, more than Super Mario Sunshine<\/em>, and even more than Super Mario Galaxy<\/em>2<\/a><\/sup>. Some fans enjoy the exploration Mario games, but to me Mario is well designed levels from the beginning and with an end. No fetch quests. No dumb minigames3<\/a><\/sup>, just focused, fun platforming. The amount of polish on this game is amazing. I hope this game is not lost to time. If you consider yourself a fan of Super Mario Bros. 3<\/em> or Super Mario World<\/em>, you need<\/strong> to play this game.<\/p>\n

\"This
This is not fun for anyone. Remember all those other games Mario only had the Fire Flower power for 10 seconds?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bayonetta 2<\/h3>\n

Bayonetta<\/em> (XBOX 360, PS3) was my first introduction to Platinum Games. I liked that game a lot. Bayonetta 2<\/em> took everything from the first game and improved on it to near perfection. It can be difficult for any game4<\/a><\/sup> to keep your interest from beginning to end, but Platinum Games knows how to pace a game to a T with over the top action. Not only was Bayonetta 2<\/em> a Wii U exclusive, Nintendo published the game5<\/a><\/sup>, and the retail release included the original game. Nintendo heavily promoted this game, helping encourage the idea that Nintendo was going to be pursuing more adult rated games for the Wii U. There were several Nintendo themed consumes in the game that were so wonderfully executed down to the littlest details. The cherry on top is a secret level when Bayonetta is wearing the Fox McCloud costume, where she turns into an Arwing from Star Fox. It was almost an audition tape for Platinum Games for a new Star Fox game. I hope this game comes to the Nintendo Switch, because without Nintendo, this game would not exist.<\/p>\n

\"Nintendo
Nintendo endorsed these. They have always been protective of their IP, and then this happened. It was a sign of the new times.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Wonderful 101<\/h3>\n

The Wonderful 101<\/em> is one of my favorite games of all time. Also developed by Platinum Games, known for their action pedigree, this game combines everything fun about Sentai, Voltron, Sailor Moon, superheroes, clich\u00e9s, and tongue-in-cheek humor. It made my favorite games of 2013 list and I wrote about it in detail there. <\/a><\/p>\n

Mario Kart 8<\/h3>\n

One of my favorite Mario Kart games ever. Great tracks. It took the land, air, and sea 6<\/a><\/sup> mechanics from Mario Kart 7<\/em> and added the insane anti-gravity sections to new and old tracks, which allowed for some fun thrills. Nintendo then announced their plans for DLC, adding 16 ADDITIONAL tracks for only $12.99. Nintendo delivered on their promise of making super high quality DLC which they promised for the Wii U lifecycle. I consider the DLC to be essential for this game. Never forget the Luigi Death Stare\u2122.<\/p>\n

\"Luigi
Luigi comes back from the dead. I was able to capture this moment thanks to Mario Kart 8’s highlight feature.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"All
All Hail Luigi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U<\/h3>\n

Do you remember7<\/a><\/sup> how Super Smash Bros. Brawl<\/em> had so much hype around it, but ultimately left the fan base pretty sour? Well, it did. I didn\u2019t hate Brawl as much as everyone else, but it\u2019s definitely the worst in the series8<\/a><\/sup>. Super Smash Bros. for9<\/a><\/sup> Wii U<\/em> had me hyped from when Mega Man was announced<\/a>. It may not live up to the Melee purists, but this version of Smash is my favorite. It has Mega Man, Sonic, Cloud, Bayonetta, and Ryu, and it all makes sense somehow. I hope this gets ported to the Nintendo Switch, because it didn\u2019t live very long otherwise.<\/p>\n

Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s no secret that I love Nintendo platformer games. The original Donkey Kong Country<\/em> Trilogy for SNES compiled some of my favorite games. I loved how those games mixed scenic outdoorsy backgrounds to scary factories with an atmospheric soundtrack. Donkey Kong Country Returns<\/em> for the Wii was a great game, but it was mostly a reintroduction and modernization of the first game. That may be an over simplification, but some of the game felt like a retread. Tropical Freeze innovated on that framework, but made every single level truly unique, fun, and full of adventure10<\/a><\/sup>. In this game, Donkey Kong Island is taken over by the Snowmads, a group of cold weather animal foes that transform the island to a winter wonderland 11<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

\"This
This makes me laugh and smile every time.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Donkey and Diddy, along with Dixie and even Cranky 12<\/a><\/sup>, have to find their way back to save the island. The premise was fun and the enemies were full of character. Retro Studios finally captured everything special about the original series and improved on it. They were able to bring back David Wise, who composed the music for the first three games, and he crafted a truly atmospheric and magical score for this game. Top notch.<\/p>\n

Biggest Disappointments<\/h2>\n

Even though the Wii U holds some of my favorite games from Nintendo, it wasn\u2019t without its persistent issues.<\/p>\n

Launch<\/h3>\n

The launch of the Wii U was mostly barren. The system was bundled with NintendoLand<\/em>, a minigame collection full of various Nintendo franchises. Think of this as what Wii Sports<\/em> was to the Wii. The games did a decent job of showing off some possibilities of the Wii U Gamepad. Luigi\u2019s Ghost Mansion in particular was a favorite among my friends, but the games were mostly hit or miss. It\u2019s a fun tribute to Nintendo, but it didn\u2019t hold the attention of many for long.<\/p>\n

The other game at launch was New Super Mario Bros. U<\/em>. This was the fourth game in the \u201cNew\u201d Super Mario Bros. series\u2026 and it wasn\u2019t very new. This game is good, I don\u2019t want to discredit it, but the masses weren\u2019t really clamoring for another 2D Mario game. The game also did little to show off the new capabilities of the Wii U. It included the same graphical style as all the other games in the \u201cNew\u201d series, only in HD.<\/p>\n

Outside of Nintendo\u2019s launch titles, the only original games that weren\u2019t ports that looked enticing were Zombi U<\/em> and Epic Mickey 2<\/em>. Both turned out to be pretty average.<\/p>\n

The slow trickle of the Wii U drought<\/h3>\n

Throughout the lifecycle of the Wii U, it seemed like there was always a huge wait between games. This was coupled by very little third party support, leaving the burden of games solely on Nintendo.<\/p>\n

Please sir, may we have some more?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to new games, Nintendo also slowed the release of Virtual Console games to a crawl. Not only did the Big N make everyone repurchase Virtual Console games that they may have purchased on the Wii, they were released so\u2026 slowly. Some games that were on the Wii Virtual Console weren\u2019t even guaranteed to be released again. The introduction of downloadable Wii titles for those who may have missed them the first time around wasn\u2019t enough to save the Virtual Console.<\/p>\n

The Wii U will also be another console without a Metroid title13<\/a><\/sup>, and it will not feature a unique Zelda game, as the The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild<\/em> is headed to the Wii U and Nintendo Switch simultaneously. While it will may be a fun final adventure on the Wii U, it\u2019s somewhat depressing that the console will be without its own escapade with Link and Zelda.<\/p>\n

The full potential of the Gamepad was never realized<\/h3>\n

The technology found in the Wii U Gamepad is impressive. It is capable of wirelessly receiving a video signal from the console with almost no latency. The Gamepad itself has no horsepower of its own. I believe this is what led to consumer confusion. Can you take it on the go? No, it has to be in range of the console. It does allow for off-TV-play, which seems like a blessing for some parents wanting to watch TV.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, there was no game that truly made the Gamepad a magical experience. It was tacked on for most game experiences. It could show the map or inventory for the Wind Waker and Twilight Princess re-releases, a feature most DS and 3DS owners appreciate. But a TV doesn\u2019t really require extra screen real estate like a portable game console does. There was no true wow factor.<\/p>\n

Star Fox Zero<\/h3>\n

I have to include Star Fox Zero as one of the biggest disappointments for the Wii U. It was Nintendo final charge at pushing the Gamepad as a unique play experience. In this game, you use the left joystick to control the Arwing. Aiming and shooting was deferred to the Gamepad. The Gamepad offered a view from cockpit of the ship while simultaneously flying on the TV. Nintendo touted this mechanic as a new, fun, and unique way to play, transforming controlling the Arwing into an even more powerful experience. But this control scheme, while unique, required a very steep learning curve. Once it was grasped, the game was over. There was no option to play the game without this control scheme.<\/p>\n