While the Wii U wasn’t a financial success, it is by far, the most unique console Nintendo has produced. It took great risks and is still the best console to explore Nintendo’s software history. It’s a love letter to fans and an invitation to newcomers into the history of great software and the charm that has carried Nintendo through the decades.
First, we have to address the naysayers. It’s easy to dismiss something that isn’t a financial success. Sure, the marketing wasn’t great. Third party support was lacking and it was hard to imagine a use case for the second screen for a lot of games coming out on contemporary systems. But while this might affect your purchasing decisions, it is not relevant to the question of whether or not the console in it of itself was worth a look. This is a question of design, of risk taking and of achieving creative goals. There hasn’t been a Nintendo console with strong third party support since they held on to cartridges on the N64. Only now we are experiencing wave after wave of indies, AAA and ports from generations prior on the Nintendo Switch (for better or worse).
Hardware
We have something that looked sleek and fit in well in just about any living room. It came in neutral colors and was unimposing to act as a stagehand for the real show. Under the hood, it was an upgrade from the Wii, but where the console really shines is in the gamepad. Despite what the critics say in hindsight, its no prototype for the switch as it serves a fundamentally different purpose. The gamepad was a way of lowering the threshold for engagement. Now your TV was free to be used by the rest of your family while you continued to game. This kind of inclusivity is a staple in Nintendo design. The famicom came with two attached controllers, and every console since the N64 has supported 4 player gaming. This might not seem like a big deal to those with a television in each room, which is typical in the West, but the living room is still the hub of family activities in Japan. The common space is often shared between generations and taking up the TV will often displace others. If this doesn’t apply to your living situation, there are still a host of benefits to having this second screen.
At the time and since, it seems like hardware innovation is second to raw power. A console is really a smaller, all in one computer package with gaming as its main function. This is why specs matter so much when it comes to value and especially when your main share holders in the market are Microsoft and Sony. These are enormous international corporations with their R&D fingers in every thing from VR technologies to Film production and mobile phones. So when we are looking historically at what space the Wii U (and Wii really) tried to occupy, its clear that Nintendo opted for inclusion and innovation. The Wii U gamepad brings that.
The touch screen, gyroscopic functions, camera, and speaker system were ideas pushed on previous consoles and handhelds, but wrapped into one. Not to mention the lightweight and surprisingly comfortable design. Nintendo took full advantage of these features in a lot of their software. One of the most obvious examples is Nintendo Land. Like the game console itself, its a celebration of all things Nintendo. It offers something for a variety of set ups, Wii remote compatibility, A symmetric gameplay and some unique single player experiences. These were things that the other consoles were just not offering.
The gamepad also created a bridge for more of the Virtual Console library. We had the sometimes odd but pretty awesome spectacle of having an oversized DS capable of playing some of the best titles on the console. I’m looking at you Wario Ware Touched! The gamepad even improved on the Wii experience by having a wireless sensor bar (the camera of the Gamepad). This meant not having to worry about the placement of a sensor bar, avoiding trouble with lighting conditions on the room. A simple but effective improvement.
Software
Looking back on the life of the machine, it’s hard to deny that the Wii U took well made franchises and made them better. A few examples that come to mind include Pikmin 3. While using motion controls on the Wii ports of the first two titles felt great, the RTS really came to life with the use of the touch screen. Tighter controls meant for better times on the challenge missions and a better experience overall on the fun story. Smash 4 took a very open approach to player interaction with 3DS controller support, amiibo, GameCube controller support (through the Wii remote) and 8 player modes.
We can also look at the remasters of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess as continuing the tradition of not only improving Zelda titles graphically, but using the existing hardware to craft a more efficient experience. What used to be tedious menu level adjustments were now on the fly and aiming was more accurate with gyroscopic controls. And on the topic of Zelda, it would be a crime to not mention the triumph that was Breath of the Wild. It might not be my favorite Zelda title, but it may be the best game Nintendo has ever made, and an embodiment of their design philosophies. But that’s another blog.
It would be important to also mention the new franchises that came to the Wii U. Splatoon was a cultural phenomenon that is still popular and awaiting its third title. Its a mix of Tokyo street fashion with a hint of Jet Set Radio vibes and fun gameplay that integrated the Miiverse in a fresh way. Mario Maker was another runaway hit that brought out the creative (and down right evil) out of players, putting you in the designer’s chair. The gamepad made for intuitive controls and added to the charm.
The gamepad also made some games possible that just wouldnt work on another console. My favorite multiplayer experience on the Wii U was an indie game called Affordable Space Adventures. It a 3 player co-op experience that can best be summed up as Star Trek ship engineering meets precision platforming. It’s the Dark Souls of Space flight, if I may be so bold. It could be played single player using basically every hardware feature the gamepad had to offer or the jobs could be divided between players using a Wii remote + Nunchuck and Wii U Pro Controller. What it made for was a rewarding cooperative experience that required expert timing and careful planning. These kinds of things just could not happen on consoles then, and maybe not today.
The console overflowed with charm and was so inviting to play. Sadly that time is past and it doesn’t seem likely that we would get a console experience with such a focus on lowering the barriers to entry and accommodating to different households. While the Wii U wasn’t just a mere upgrade or add on to the Wii, it was addressing a need that the Wii brought to light. Gaming is an interactive media, and some of the best ways to engage with it is with others.
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