2017. A new year bound to bring new gaming experiences. But as we look ahead, let us take a look back at what we leave behind. The Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo's first HD home console will be living it's last couple of months overshadowed by the imminent arrival of the Nintendo Switch. So l wanted to take a moment to open up a discussion about the Wii U, ultimately the console which could have been so much more but fell short.
So here we can discuss it's highs and lows as we remember this chapter in Nintendo and Gaming history as we settle on exactly what legacy the Wii U will leave behind or share our own experiences with the console.
My own experience started rather unexpectedly around Christmas of 2013. My parents were visiting and asked me what I wanted this year. I was no longer a child and expected nothing more than new clothes. But they pressed me and I mentioned that I thought the Wii U was an interesting console. And then removed the thought from my mind. I didn't think about it until Christmas day, when my parents dropped by and handed over several gifts. Clothes certainly, but seeing one box I knew that within it was a Wii U.
I was genuinely excited. Mine was a 32 gb bundle with Super Mario 3D World and Nintendoland. I set it up immediately and played later that night. The Wii U then became my primary gaming platform, when I wasn't playing my classic consoles such as Dreamcast or Genesis. Despite it's commercial failure I had many high points especially in the past two years. Releases like Super Smash Bros, LoZ: Windwaker HD, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Pokken Tournament, Shovel Knight, Mario Maker and many others. I even convinced a friend who owned an XBox One to buy a Wii U with Super Mario Maker.
However the low points probably came far more frequently with my Wii U than with any console I owned in recent memory. With each new major release I felt the sting of seeing games get released that I at the very least wanted to try, but alas never got the chance. Games like Street Fighter V, Star Wars Battlefront and most recently Battlefield 1 among many others. I stood in Gamestop many times just contemplating buying a PS4 or Xbox One for that latest release that I missed on my Wii U. Ultimately though the news of the Switch along with my 3DS kept me from doing so.
Closing, I cannot understate that I have immensely enjoyed my Wii U. I have had countless hours of fun on it's unique library and as a platformer fan, it was nearly a perfect console. I feel like there is a chance that the Wii U will become something of a collector's item in the future, but that may be diminished by the reality that many of it's games are or will be available on 3DS or Switch.
So, what was your experience with the Wii U? What highs and low points did you see? And how do you think it will be remembered in the future?
