Was the Wii U worth it?

[Spirit]

This is a thread I wanted to keep until the release of the NX, but today with the news of Dragon Quest XI potentially releasing for the NX, it would seem that Nintendo's next console is closer to release than we may have thought meaning that anything that isn't already available for the Wii U could potentially have a re-release on the NX with added features etc...


So, as it stands (even though we're yet to play Zelda U, which could still [like TP] have an NX release) for those of you wh own a Wii U, was it worth it?

Has the time and and money spent on your Wii U felt worthwhile now that you know its reign is nearing its end?
Did you want more games for it to feel more worthwhile?
Were the games released for it the games you were hoping for?
Do you feel shortchanged in any way knowing now that the NX will have what the Wii U was lacking in terms of software (like a true 3D Mario or HD Metroid title?)

 

[Kyru]

I got mine a little after it came out, but I feel for the games that I play it for it was totally worth it. I don't have a Wii so I use my Wii U as my Wii instead of getting an actual Wii. This allowed me to finally play TP, SS. Which I thought both of those games were great, especially TP. But I dont really have that many titles for it, the ones that I do are all amazing (to me). Mario Kart 8, Mario 3D world, Donkey kong tropical freeze,... you get the point. But I wish they didn't give up on it so quickly. I feel ever since they announced they were working on the NX they just dropped everything for the U and just said "push it all back for the next one"

 

[the8thark]

Was the Wii U worth it?

Yes. But not at launch. The WiiU took a while to become worth it. Games sell hardware as Iwata correctly said. And it took a while for the console selling games to hit the WiiU.

I don't feel shortchanged at all. I am glad I bought the WiiU. And I am glad to buy the games, old (VC) and new (Disc and eshop) to keep supporting Nintendo.
WiiU game development will not die the day the NX is released though. That's the impression I got when Nintendo said the NX will not stop support for the WiiU and 3DS. I would assume backwards compatibility on the NX for the WiiU software nased on that statement.

I have a few WiiU disc titles but the only ones I really liked were:
Hyrule Warriors - fun though flawed.
Captain Toad - 9+ out of 10. Only the (should never have existed grandmaster stage) prevents this game from a 10 in my eyes
Nintendoland - A little too hard for most casual gamers but still very fun

I also have a few VC/eshop games there I like a lot.
Maybe I shouldn't have bought Smash Bros 4 though. I really didn't like it (I loved Melee and Brawl though). Oh well.

The WiiU as a software platform will not die when the NX comes out. It'll just run on NX hardware then.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

considering when people bring up good wii u games,they always bring up wind waker: a 2003 gamecube game
...nyeehh

though it wouldn't bother me if it wasn't like among the first 3-5 games people bring up

 

[A Link In Time]

I bought a 3DS and Wii U at launch this generation, and I wasn't initially satisfied with either decision. I think it's safer to wait a bit with Nintendo hardware. I didn't purchase a DS and Wii until the advent of the DS Lite and release of Super Mario Galaxy, respectively.

The Wii U has definitely been worth it for me in the long run. Mario Kart 8 is quite possibly the best online game Nintendo has ever released. Splatoon is my favorite new Nintendo IP since Pikmin and Luigi's Mansion launched with GameCube. Even if they didn't innovate much, the likes of Super Mario 3D World, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze heavily refined existing formulas.

The GamePad is a convenience for me, since I can't always play on the main TV screen. Aside from less vivid colors, I'm satisfied with the resolution of the controller's screen.

For those that bought a Wii U, I can see it becoming a cult classic along the lines of the Dreamcast or GameCube.

 

[kodachrome]

I wouldn't buy it again, no. I bought mine a couple months after launch. Peer pressure with all my friends getting it and all that jazz. Since then, it's collected dust. Honestly, I'd say the vast majority of my playtime on the WiiU has come from Splatoon, which is pretty sad. I like Splatoon, but it doesn't come close to justifying the system for me. Overall, there haven't been many games worth getting. Probably the best on the system is the Wind Waker, but eh. I really, really enjoyed the game on the GC, but I've also never really had any desire to play it a second time.

 

[Vanessa28]

Not at launch nope. I waited for more than a year before I finally bought one. And now there seem to be games released which are pretty much worth to buy one. The hours I spend on playing HW already made up for the money I spent on the system. I don't think you can say it's reign is coming to an end if there was not even a reign to begin with. But if you plan to buy the system only because of Zelda U, you're wasting your time I guess. There are some cool games which make it worth to buy a Wii U.

 

[Mange]

was it worth it?

No, simply: No.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

I waited to get a Wii U when Wind Waker HD came out. I barely got any games for the Wii U, which is kind of my own fault but the thing was not that many games interested me. I feel like the Wii U wasn't worth the time or money.

 

[Moonstone]

I actually just bought my WiiU a few months ago, early 2015. Was it worth it? Definitely! I'm super happy that I waited to buy it until it had some titles that I wanted to play, and knew I could spend hour after hour on without getting tired of the games. Now I have Splatoon, Mario Kart 8, and of course, Smash 4. All fantastic titles that made the system worth it. And with Zelda WiiU on the horizon, and possibly a new main series Animal Crossing, it still has some value left in it.

When Nintendo comes out with its next console, I will be doing the same thing. I will wait a few years to make sure it's a system I really want, and once there are some worthwhile titles for it, I will buy it.

 

[Iridescence]

The Wii U has its flaws and weaknesses, and it may not have been as rewarding of an investment for me as the Gamecube or even the Wii... BUT it still has provided me with enough entertainment for it to be worth the purchase.

If at the end of the life span, it has 10 great exclusive games, then it'll go down in history as a good console. Because around 10 is all you need.

 

[Dio]

This is a thread I wanted to keep until the release of the NX, but today with the news of Dragon Quest XI potentially releasing for the NX, it would seem that Nintendo's next console is closer to release than we may have thought meaning that anything that isn't already available for the Wii U could potentially have a re-release on the NX with added features etc...


So, as it stands (even though we're yet to play Zelda U, which could still [like TP] have an NX release) for those of you wh own a Wii U, was it worth it?

Has the time and and money spent on your Wii U felt worthwhile now that you know its reign is nearing its end?
Did you want more games for it to feel more worthwhile?
Were the games released for it the games you were hoping for?
Do you feel shortchanged in any way knowing now that the NX will have what the Wii U was lacking in terms of software (like a true 3D Mario or HD Metroid title?)

The Wii U has been a waste of money. It is probably the worst console I have ever owned in terms of games and unlike what Iridescence said it will probably go down in history as the piece of crap that it is.

I have had more joy with my Xbox One I got in January than I have had with the Wii U and I have had the Wii U over a year now.

Because this console was such a colossal failure I doubt I will buy Nintendo again as I feel betrayed by the companies direction.

 

[Iridescence]

The fact that I'm more of a casual gamer now makes me appreciate it.

If I were the kind of gamer that wants to buy a new game every month or something like that, I'd be underwhelmed by the Wii U. But a few virtual console classics, 15 mins here and there of Smash and Mario Kart are just fine for me. If Star Fox, Mario Maker and Zelda turn out nice, it still won't be one of Nintendo's best consoles, but I can say I had fun with it.

 

[the8thark]

it still won't be one of Nintendo's best consoles, but I can say I had fun with it.

Just like every other Nintendo hardware. NO one was like "oh that Super Nintendo was amazing". With Nintendo it's all about the games. The hardware mostly is forgettable. It's the gaming experiences that matter more. Was the WiiU worth it? That's the same as asking, Did you really enjoy any game released on the WiiU? We need to stop thinking about them as consoles and more as eras of games. This era of games was not the highest quantity but it had a lot of quality from Nintendo at least.

 

[Iridescence]

In terms of exclusives:

Gamecube > SNES > N64 > Wii > Wii U > NES