Used properly, Nintendo has really enjoyed this technology
The fact that so many console exclusives are now on the Switch is a credit to the quality of the game. What if Breath of the Wild only appear on Wii U? Will it still be a great game? Damned! Will it have the same impact as it did? No way. Sure enough, there were a few mistakes – Twilight Princess still a boring Zelda game, HD or not (please don’t @ me) – and most third-party studios do the bare minimum to support the GamePad, but overall hit rates across titles First-party really is something.
And this doesn’t even mention Wii-Ked (sorry) Virtual Console! I had an absolute day go through the eShop and grab every title I’ve wanted to play for years but never had a chance to grab a physical copy. Yes, this becomes even more urgent knowing that the Wii U eShop will be closing in the next few months and therefore my time is limited, but boy did it rush!
Of course, I can’t talk about Wii U games that at least touch Nintendo Land. This is a strange thing. It’s not quite Sports Wiinot necessarily Wii . Partybut it’s a great display of what the GamePad can be used for and has given me and my willing friends a hard time with its incredibly simple minigames.
Mario Chase remains a hit and top contender for the upcoming party nights, and while there are some games that seem like they’re repeating the process a little too closely, there’s enough. variation to show that, if used properly, Nintendo has indeed succeeded. with this technology. I’m still not sure what to do with those coins and subsequent prizes, but I had a good time doing it all.
Experience
Yes, the GamePad is great when it’s working well, but when it’s idle it’s at best redundant and at worst heavily distracting. I’ve been playing through an odd series of games over the past month, some of which have effectively used the GamePad (Legend of Rayman, Twilight Princess) but the others — many others — found it unhelpful. Quite why I played Assassin’s Creed III (a series of games that I usually can’t afford to ignore) is beyond my reach, but seeing the GamePad become the home of a drab map without the care or pay of details reveals a The thing is clear – this is a great set of tools for a purpose.
an extremely weird piece of game history, I doubt we’ll ever see something innovative again
It’s probably something I’ve come back to more times than anything else in the last few weeks with the Wii U. I’ve been playing on TV, at my desk, even in bed, but never at all do I feel like I know. . what the console is trying to do. Is it an interesting handset? Yes, that sort of thing. Is it a fun home console? Yes, that sort of thing. But why average in both subjects when you can be really good at one?
Long before Microsoft bragged about Xbox One that ‘this console will play your games, it will stream your TV, it will massage your feet and it will pay your taxes!’ The Wii U did just that. I was surprised to find a video camera, TV remote, streaming options, and a social media platform (defunct but sounds good) all integrated into one control panel. I was stupid enough to assume that it was all just for the game. I wanted to follow a parallel universe in which a global pandemic struck 5 years earlier and humanity turned to Wii U video chat to keep the economy running. Many of these features are no longer active in ten years, and the lack of directionality seems a bit clunky (is this a game, TV, social?) but the ambition is still there. This is a really great mess.
After a month of playing consoles that I’ve turned down for years, I don’t think it’s fair to call the Wii U a flop (unless you’re talking about finances, in which case it’s hard to disagree). idea). Yes, at the time it could have been a marketing disaster with some sizable gaps between major game releases, and my heart goes out to all the fans who worked so hard together. side it. However, now that we can see what it really is, a piece of game history that’s so brilliant, so weird, I doubt we’ll ever see something experimental and bright again. from one of the three major panel manufacturers.
If you play like I did, then you have a good chance of being selected with a panel that admittedly has a pretty low score. You can play the best first-party games without having to wait months for your next game, the entire library of virtual consoles is right there with GBA, DS and Wii games to boot. and the marketing campaign so far is a thing of the past that I think I can safely say that this is a console by itself and not just a Wii accessory.
The Wii U and I are both over 10 years old and we both enjoy it more.
