Topic: Is Wii U Nintendo's worst home console ever?

[michaelbaysuperfan616]

If we don't count the Virtual Boy does anyone thing that Wii U is actually Nintendo's worst console ever made? I remember back when GameCube was out I thought it was a contender for their best console ever, even beating out the beloved NES. I still think I would rank the Super NES as their greatest console but now I am torn about Wii U.

I think as a concept I like the Wii U and wish they could have done more with it. I also think that it does have quite a few really fun games. One of the biggest problems is most of the games are typical Nintendo but it seems like the games that were released are shining examples of their respective franchises. Also for the first time getting a Zelda game that focuses on action that isn't just some strange, pointless minigame being used to sell a useless piece of plastic was also very nice. (The fact they pulled that bullshit on us two generations in a row should have had people skeptical of Hyrule Warriors right up front) Oh wait I forgot about Amiibo... damn so close.

Well the games are fun anyways, even if they are short and lately do rely on shoving useless plastic accessories down our throats. (after reading about what has been deleted from Fire Emblem there are worse things they could be trying to cram down our throats.)

But does it really deserve to be hated as the worst Nintendo home console of all time? I know when Game Cube was knew there were people who felt it was premature to lump it in the running for greatest, to me I still think it beats even N64, but I never even considered if Wii would be one of the greatest or one of the worst, I think for me it is a tie between Wii and n64, they both fall short on potential but they have a few amazing gems that really stand out. With Wii U sure it gets compared to N64 a lot but I think it also should be compared to Game Cube too, it did try new things, it did try to improve upon the mistakes of the previous generation (something Wii didn't even bother acknowledging) and now it has giving us probably the greatest 3D Mario game ever, the best Mario Spin-off featuring a non-Mario game ever (Captain Toad), one of the greatest, if not the greatest Zelda Spin off ever, and one of the best DKC games since the original. Not to mention Super Mario Maker, Splatoon, and oh yeah those cool NES Remix games and good old Dr. Luigi.

I know it still has some life left in it, it's in a coma but Zelda could wake it up. If not for Virtual Console I would drop Wii just below N64 but that alone has it tied. N64 sticks around because Super Mario 64 is probably one of the top 20 greatest video games of all time. And now only the second best 3D Mario game ever.

If they do release a pretty good Paper Mario then Wii U could rise into a real contender, but should it be considered the worst console? I think it beats Wii but just barely (and mostly because frankly it is a Wii)


What does the rest of the Nintendo fans in the world think?

[NWR_insanolord]

Personally, in terms of software library it might actually be my favorite console of theirs. If Star Fox Zero turns out well and it had a good proper Metroid game I think it definitely would be.

[Soren]

No.

[Adrock]

I was tempted to just quote Soren, but I'm the interest of discussion:

Wii U has some of Nintendo's best and most polished games. It's only really missing a Metroid game.

Worst, for me, would probably be NES because so few of those games are playable to me today. I appreciate its place in history, but having never owned an NES, I view it without rose-colored glasses. While I loved Nintendo 64 at the time, most of those games have aged poorly when replaying on an actual Nintendo 64. It has a great collection of games, but I either buy enhanced ports (e.g. Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D) or hope Nintendo releases better versions of those games. The graphics don't have the same old school charm as the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. More importantly, the frame rate is atrocious. Mario Kart 64 is particularly bad in this regard. The games themselves aren't bad, but there's generally a better version of each major first party games on subsequent Nintendo consoles.

I think there's an old thread where we all ranked Nintendo's consoles and handhelds. Let me see if I can find my post.

[ejamer]

My views about which consoles are best/worst seem to be very different from yours.


I like my Wii U console and am glad to own it.  Despite that, and despite having a few truly outstanding gems released on the console, it is easily one of the least impressive consoles that Nintendo has released. So while our views differ in many ways, we do seem to agree there.

[nickmitch]

It's a console that will never live up to the potential of the ideas that created it.  It's not a complete failure.  It has some really good games on it.   "Worst" is kinda harsh.

[Evan_B]

As much as I was ready to get all up in arms about the subject field of this thread, I'll just say this about the Wii U. In the end, I don't think it will be looked upon with great favor. But it is the console that has my favorite Donkey Kong, one of my favorite 3D Marios, two of the most interesting Japanese RPGs I have ever seen (having only played one, I can't comment fully on their quality, but I am certain the other will receive heaps of praise from me), a damn good Pikmin Game (maybe two?), a few of the best independent games I've ever played, two games that I helped create, and new ideas from Nintendo that are fresh and interesting. If Zelda and Paper Mario for Wii U end up being anywhere near as good as I hope they will be, the console will rank quite high in terms of Nintendo consoles.

The quality of these games is quite high, and I have yet to walk away from a Nintendo game on Wii U feeling that it wasn't a polished and well-realized piece of work. That doesn't mean I've loved every game but I at least think the majority have had high quality- with a few rough spots, here and there. I only get to play a certain amount of games a year, and I have accepted and enjoyed that the majority of them will be Nintendo titles. I have no problem with this fact. So if you ask me if I think Nintendo has put out some good games on Wii U, I will answer "YES." Are the all great? No, but I'm not stupid enough to buy an Animal Crossing board game or Mario Party 10. The system has a number of functions I enjoy using, it has satisfied many cravings that I have needed to satiate- and with the realization that we might actually get a decent Paper Mario title on this thing before it takes its last gasps of breath, I realize that the Wii U has been worth the time. It's certainly sucked, but no more or less than the worst of droughts on Wii or GCN.

[NWR_insanolord]

In the end, I don't think it will be looked upon with great favor.

Not to pick out one phrase too much, but I disagree with you here. I have a feeling the Wii U will be remembered by history better than it is now. It fits the mold of the Dreamcast and the GameCube, a sales flop with a relatively small crop of high quality exclusives that people will revere 10 years from now.

[michaelbaysuperfan616]

The difference being those two consoles had far better 3rd party support than Wii U ever did.

Personally I don't think it is the worst console and when it is all said and done I think I will rank it slightly above Wii and maybe tied or even higher than N64.

[Adrock]

Here's how I'd rank Nintendo hardware:

Consoles - SNES, GameCube, N64, Wii, Wii U, NES.

Handhelds: DS(i), 3DS, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy/Color.

Overall: SNES, DS(i), GameCube, 3DS, N64, Wii, Gameboy Advance, Wii U, Gameboy/Color, NES. I suppose Virtual Boy is automatically last for obvious reasons.

[Note: I removed the extraneous bits]

This is where I was almost two years ago. I move Wii U up to third, behind GameCube. Some of its best games released since then. I'll probably go back and forth between N64 and Wii depending on the day. I recently looked through my old games in storage and seeing all my Wii games together, I remembered how much fun I had with it. I'm trying to remember why I ranked DS(i) so high. I ranked it above GameCube? That doesn't sound right. The only one that seems untouchable is Super Nintendo. The rest appear to shift based on my personal whims of the moment. I suppose I just don't feel as strongly about them.

Here's my 2016 ranking:

Console - Super Nintendo, GameCube, Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Entertainment System

Handheld - 3DS, DS(i), Gameboy Advance, Gameboy/Color

Overall - Super Nintendo, GameCube, 3DS, Wii U, DS(i), Nintendo 64, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy/Color, Nintendo Entertainment System, Virtual Boy

I can see Wii U potentially supplanting GameCube depending on how everything plays out with the rumored Paper Mario and Zelda Wii U. I still haven't played Xenoblade Chronicles X.

[Evan_B]

Among Nintendo fans, I could maybe see it looking favorable. Unless we all turn into Ian Sanes eventually.

But I also think that, while the Wii U currently has a decent library (especially in comparison with othe Nintendo consoles), but it also has a library that contrasts very little with the handheld released alongside it, with extremely iterative installments and even ports from one space to the next. That's a factor of HD development and resources spread thin, but as a generation, the Wii U/3DS feels weaker because of all the shared content.

[michaelbaysuperfan616]

Evan, I think I fully agree with your on the library part. I think one of the reasons I rank Game Cube so high and remember it so favorably is because between GBA-GC connectivity, e-Reader, and GameBoy Player, it had the most diverse and interesting software library. Sure most of the GBA titles were just ports or remakes of SNES games or derived from SNES games, but with so many people ranking the SNES in the top spot, not just among Nintendo consoles but overall too, I think there is a lot to be said of having those SNES-type games. I think that is why Wii and to some extend Wii U were so lacking, Nintendo is stuck on the NES-days and all their nostalgia is reserved trying to recreate those years, they forget that despite the battle with Sega, which in the end they pretty much won, they had some of their best, most memorable games ever released for that machine.

I think that is why people like Ian, no offense buddy but you are the most vocal it seems, hold onto the SNES era so fondly whereas maybe those years aren't as favorable for Nintendo because of Sega, Atari, Sony, Neo Geo, etc. I don't know why I fell in love with Game Cube maybe it was right place, right time, or maybe it was just it hit all the right notes following the major disappointment of N64 that forced me to also get a Playstation.

I think that is why Wii U e-shop doesn't do much for me, sure there are real SNES games on Virtual Console but none of the 2d made for e-shop games have that Super NES 16-bit magic they are all trying desperately to recreate the archaic, dark days of the 8-bit NES era. I think that is where Playstation is stronger, they are better at embracing change but also know what parts of their line up is nostalgic for their audience, hence why they embrace the old PS1 era as it was the closest to what we got with SNES and why I think some of the PSN digital games try harder to recreate that era. I think they both play on emotions really well it's just for me, NES takes me to my toddler years, SNES takes me to my fun years, PS1 takes me to the years my hormones were trying to tell me to stop playing video games and with GameCube I was finally an adult who could just appreciate games as what they were.

Maybe that is what matters, age more than anything? Seems like younger people prefer newer consoles or the one they played when they were the age I was when SNES was big. Maybe it is just something about those years.


As far as actual library goes, I love Super Mario 3D World and DKC Tropical Freeze maybe because they do sort of remind me of the 16 bit era more than recent offerings? I guess getting back to the whole Wii U 3DS being redundant but GC and GBA being complimentary seems to me it has to do with the games on GBA actually adding something to the GC library where with 3DS and Wii U you aren't getting anything really better or different just a bigger screen and better joysticks I suppose?

[Ian Sane]

Something HAS to be Nintendo's worst console so I think a lot of you are being very defensive.  The topic isn't "worst console of all time", it's "worst Nintendo console".  If you don't think the Wii U is, which one do you think is the worst?  You could like all of them and just have one that is the least good.  Unless it's a tie between all of them one of them has to be the worst one.

I don't really think of Virtual Boy as a console and I've never played it so I can't get an informed opinion of it.  I would rank the Wii U near the bottom since it has essentially no third party support at all, lots of the games have 3DS equivalents, and it has some real clunkers with Mario Tennis and that Animal Crossing Amiibo nonsense where it doesn't even seem like Nintendo made those games in good faith to begin with.

But in general the first party titles are pretty great and due to the console's poor sales I imagine the console will attract attention when it becomes retro.  It has a small library but some really great exclusives.  One thing that might hurt it is that retro gaming is going to be a lot more difficult by the time it becomes old as patches and Amiibos and DLC will make much of the content unavailable in the used market.  Splatoon for example has had a lot of its content added digitally after the fact.  In the future when you can only find the disc you won't get to experience the "full" game unless Nintendo has re-released it.  Something from a purely physical medium era like the Dreamcast doesn't have that problem.

Nintendo's worst console to me is the Wii.  It will probably be a poorly regarded console over time as it has a lot of the bad trademarks of a fad.  It has lots and lots of shovelware, probably the worst for any console thus released.  The third party support was really weak despite the console's success.  Well there were a lot of stuff but most of it was cash-in trash to grab the casual buck while the "real" games were on the other consoles.  But where the Wii U really beats it is that Wii U first party games don't tend to have broken gimmick controls forced into them.  There's the joke of Nintendo putting all their eggs in this Gamepad basket and not using it, but the games do play better when they don't have controls that don't fit shoehorned in.  The Wii is full of games that are ALMOST great but have annoying waggle controls and no alternative to use something conventional.  I haven't run into that problem on the Wii U.  In the future early waggle-style motion controls are not going to have the novelty appeal that they had at the time so a lot of those Wii games are just going to come across as controlling like ****.  Twilight Princess is getting re-released and is anyone calling for the waggle to be in it?  No, because the novelty is over and we just want to play the game in a way that's responsive and easy-to-use.

[Adrock]

Twilight Princess is getting re-released and is anyone calling for the waggle to be in it?  No, because the novelty is over and we just want to play the game in a way that's responsive and easy-to-use.

I'd happily take Wii Remote support. The Wii version is the better version of that game. I have Twilight Princess on both Wii and GameCube. I'd probably agree with you with most other games. However, Twilight Princess is one of the few I'd say was better with motion controls if only for aiming. Otherwise, it's a wash control-wise. I've heard Pikmin is better with motion controls, but I can't really say from personal experience.

With Twilight Princess HD, I hope Nintendo includes a motion control option though I doubt it will. Oh well.

[Triforce Hermit]

I hate the Wii. I love my Wii U. There is my answer.

[Shaymin]

Something HAS to be Nintendo's worst console so I think a lot of you are being very defensive.

Gamecube. /thread

[NWR_insanolord]

Super Nintendo, obviously. I mean, Super Metroid's great, but one fantastic game can't make up for the rest of the dreck on the system.

[pokepal148]

N64. The first big 3d system, don't be surprised that many of the game's there have aged like ****.

[broodwars]

The NES. It has a huge nostalgia factor, and I certainly loved mine back in the day. However, looking back on it now, 99.9% of that console's library was total garbage, with maybe 1-2 dozen quality titles in there that established franchises we still see today. Even the ones that weren't terrible simply haven't aged well. The NES was also a really shoddily-manufactured device, with the cartridge slot responsible for gradually destroying the very games it played...when they worked at all (i.e. the voodoo rituals we all performed to try to make games load on the thing). As much as I disliked the Wii, there are far more titles from that console I'd go back and play today than anything on the SNES.

[ejamer]

Twilight Princess is getting re-released and is anyone calling for the waggle to be in it?  No, because the novelty is over and we just want to play the game in a way that's responsive and easy-to-use.

I'd happily take Wii Remote support. The Wii version is the better version of that game. I have Twilight Princess on both Wii and GameCube. I'd probably agree with you with most other games. However, Twilight Princess is one of the few I'd say was better with motion controls if only for aiming. Otherwise, it's a wash control-wise. I've heard Pikmin is better with motion controls, but I can't really say from personal experience.

With Twilight Princess HD, I hope Nintendo includes a motion control option though I doubt it will. Oh well.

Interesting side-discussion about Wii and how controls will be viewed.

Waggle was (and still is) absolutely horrible, but the ability to use a pointer with games was fantastic in many cases. Twilight Princess is an interesting example of both the best and worst aspects of Wii controls in one package - sword and shield play were weak, but pointer controls were responsive and accurate and really helped empower the player when using some weapons.


I think that Wii will be remembered favorably by many. There are more good games on the console than many people give it credit for, and the Wii will also have been the first exposure to video games for a large group of people. It's also going to benefit from relying less on online patching and connectivity compared to it's contemporaries. There will always be a group who dismisses the console - but I suspect they will be vocal dissenters instead of part of the majority.

[michaelbaysuperfan616]

Well I look back at the NES I despise the controller, same can be said for N64 I hated that thing too. So I am not 100 percent sure people will give the Wii a free pass either. I admit, at first motion controls were amazing I was hooked on Wii Sports, but then when it started popping into games where they didn't belong I started to lose interest and by the time I got Wii Play I was already over motion controls. Wii would have been a lot better if the classic controller had been mandatory and bundled either with the main console, or some "classic" bundle that gave you 2000 Wii points or pre-loaded VC titles, and, or, bundled with a game or two to get it out there and then having the option to use traditional controls would have made all the difference. Forcing motion and nunchuck was a mistake, even with a Nunchuck you get an analog stick tacked onto a really bad NES knock off. Actual NES knock-offs are usually better than the cheap Classic controller.

[Ian Sane]

I find I go back and play NES and SNES games more simply because the style of 2D games requires less of a commitment from the player.  There are lots of games that you can complete in one sitting.  Once games went 3D they became much longer.  I don't go back and play Gamecube games, for example, very often because many of my favourites weren't pick up and play games.  They're not something to just kill a few hours with.  They require potentially weeks of play.  That kind of dedication is going to be put towards new games.

N64 holds up the worst to me.  Those early 3D graphics are rough.

[Mop it up]

Yes.

Keep in mind, "worst" is a relative term, so it doesn't mean the system is completely terrible. It still has a handful of good games on the system, although I questioned whether it was worth it for me to own the system until 2015's triple threat of Splatoon, Super Mario Maker, and Xenoblade X. Not to say there isn't other good stuff on the system I enjoyed, but those were the first three greats that solidified my purchase.

That said, I feel some of Nintendo's series entries on it are not as good as some of the previous games; Nintendo have released less games on it than they did the Wii; Super Mario Maker is the one and only game that feels like the GamePad makes it better; I don't like the GamePad as a controller, mostly because of how extremely uncomfortable that monstrosity is; practically zero third-party support; missing some good features from previous systems; etc.

The system has a huge list of issues and it's easy for me to see why it isn't selling well. I can't argue it should be performing better and I find most of the criticism/hate it gets to be fair. I hope Nintendo do a better job with their next system.

Now, this is if I compare systems as they were "during their time." If we're talking about what my list of current fave systems would look like? NES would be my least fave right now. I enjoyed it during its time when I was a kid, but today? Time has not been kind to most of its games, and I don't really like playing the system anymore. I'll always appreciate how the NES shaped gaming, but I'd definitely rather play Wii U games than NES games.

[pokepal148]

Wii U: Worse then the CDI confirmed.

[Nile Boogie Returns]

It ranks higher than N64 and probably tied with Wii and slightly below GameCube. However if Zelda U and Starfox are  closer to their pedigree than previous installments it may very well shoot to 2nd below Super Nintendo. The gaming selection while small is some of their best output ever.