Hardware Review: Nintendo Wii U (32 GB)

First, I just wanna say that I scraped and saved every penny I could to get this thing. Six months of saving up got me enough to get this and a few games. I bought it because I desperately needed something to keep me occupied, but also because the controller functions as a tablet and I wanted to get back online.

I know that the Wii U is basically a failure. They've only sold about 10 million consoles since its release in 2012. Third party support is nearly extinct and games trickle out very slowly. The original Wii was a pop culture phenomenon and Nintendo bucked the trend of insane graphics to make a motion control centered system. It outsold the 360/PS3 by a huge margin, but it had very few games that hardcore gamers could sink their teeth into. There was an endless supply of shovelware and games that didn't even work entirely.

Nintendo followed up their success with the Wii U. The system launched in late 2012 with yet another innovative controller, the Wii U Gamepad. 

At first glance, it looks very bulky and uncomfortable. It does take some getting used to, I will say that. However, once you do, the worries are gone and it becomes second nature. The left side features an analog stick, Dpad, and a sensor for the amiibo figures. (they're little toys that add/unlock things in supported games) At the top of the contoller you've got the L & R buttons and ZL/ZR triggers in the back. The right side has another analog stick, four face buttons and the start and select buttons.

There's also a button that allows you to use the gamepad as a TV remote. A few simple steps allows you to control everything on your TV and cable/satellite box and the bundled Nintendo TVii software can even act as an onscreen guide.

The screen on the Gamepad is pretty amazing, I'm actually typing this on it. XD It's a high definition LCD touch screen and just about everything looks great on it. The only real drawback is the Virtual Console games. Playing a 16-Bit SNES or GBA game plays just fine, but they look very pixelated on the HD screen and there's no way to adjust it. Otherwise, the Wii U games and internet video/pics look great.

One of the best features of the system is "Off TV Play" which allows you to play your game on the Gamepad, allowing someone else to use the TV. Lacey and I do this quite often. I'll play Wii U on this and she'll play PS3 on the TV. Not all games support this feature, though. All Nintendo games do and some developers that didn't include it originally do incorporate it via a downloadable update. Even the ones that don't offer it allow you to use the touch screen for something in-game.

The controller has a camera on it, but it has limited functionality. You can only use it in Wii U Chat, a sort of Nintendo Skype and to make your Mii (your little avatar) look more like you. The only game I've played that uses it is Zombi U which has a bonus feature that morphs your face into a Zombie. I wish they'd let you just use it freely, but whatever.

The last feature I'll talk about is motion controls. The Wii U is NOT like the Wii at all. The gamepad can be used to tilt things in games and you can use the touch screen to do various things. They seem to have taken a cue from Sony, as it's more like the PS3's controller with a touch screen. You CAN play all the old Wii games via backwards compatibility. There is a sensor in the box for the Wii Remote/Nunchuck but you have to have or buy the controllers separately.

The system itself is smaller than the 360/PS3 as well as the current generation of consoles. It's very sturdy and slightly heavy, but Nintendo builds quality like no one else. When's the last time you heard of a Nintendo Red Ring of Death epidemic? Never, that's when. It also runs VERY quiet. Running a game is a little noisy, but not nearly as bad as some others. When playing Virtual Console games or going online or doing anything not involving a disc, you don't even know it's on.

Now, the negatives:

Nintendo is in a pickle. The Wii U, for all it's forward strides is sadly behind Sony and Microsoft in terms of graphical technology. The games are slightly better looking than Sony and Microsoft's last-gen consoles. They tried wooing hardcore gamers by ditching what casual gamers loved about the Wii, but hardcore gamers often want the latest and greatest looking games. I don't think games will ever be "ugly" again, but I've played the current hardware and its evolved lightyears beyond what Nintendo's console can do. Why are developers gonna waste time making games that look worse?

Nintendo is rumored to already be working on its next console, codenamed "NX". I'm not hurt or feeling cheated or stupid for buying my Wii U, I really do love it and there are great games for it. Add to that that Nintendo FINALLY has an online strategy and you can get classic games, indie games, demos and even full Wii U games from the eShop and it's a great start. 

Nintendo needs to get away from being a closed universe, though. Too much of what the Wii U does have is limited to using it soley with Nintendo users and products. It needs a bigger hard drive that lets you save more than what Nintendo says you can save. You can't download pictures, videos, music or apps. Speaking of apps, where are they? Its got YouTube, Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, and Crunchy Roll. Where are the music apps? Why can you only video chat with other Wii U users? These and many other things need to be addressed, but probably won't be.

Final Thoughts:

I'm happy with my console, I try not to pay attention to all the shithead comments online. I don't care if it's popular or not, I just wanna play great games. I love the controller and I honestly believe it's the biggest leap forward in how we play games since the introduction of the analog stick.

There's no doubting that it's a system on the rocks, but there are great games on the horizon and then it will probably walk off into the sunset. Nintendo has a chance of reviving itself if they can get the NX on the market by 2016. If it's comparable or better than the current hardware of their competition, it will be a 3 console war that we all benefit from.

I give the Wii U a 4 out of 5!

:3

Rei~