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Topic: First Console: Considering a Wii U Your Thoughts Please

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Edie

Hello Everyone,

I am 25 (sigh) and not much of a gamer, I have never owned my own games console before. Thus I have no loyalty to one manufacturer over another and anything I say that may be seen as negative is not an attempt to bash Nintendo or the Wii U. From what I have read online this goes on quite a bit. Basically I am not a troll is what I am trying to say.

I am considering buying a games console. Just now the Wii U is the most appealing to me for many reasons but I have my concerns about it as well and I wondered if you would be so kind as to share your opinions and maybe address my concerns?

First of all my reasons for liking the Wii U:

The games seem more my style. I could see myself playing the likes of Mario, Zelda and Pikmin. From what I've read the Wii U is also a virtual Wii console as well which is nice I don't mind playing older games as graphics are not important to me.

While the cost of the console is not important as it doesn't matter to me that it's cheaper than the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One it's obviously a plus. I live in the UK and the basic white model (8 GB) is £169.99 with no games and the black model (32 GB) is around £240 with Mario Kart 8,

Now my concerns:

First off all from what I read and this may be bias coverage but the Wii U hasn't sold very well compared to the other consoles. It's been out roughly two years? I've read that Nintendo are even planning their next console. Again I don't know how true that is but I would hate to see support for the Wii U halt if the next console is already in the works. Granted it won't be next year but perhaps the year after?

One other thing I noticed is that Nintendo games don't seem to be discounted at all or if they are it's only very slightly. Even second hand games demand a higher price than games from the other platforms. This isn't a big deal as I don't mind supporting the developer or Nintendo but I am curious to know why this is the case as surely it costs less to make games for the Wii or Wii U compared to CGI and motion capture filled games on the Sony and Microsoft machines.

What do you think should I buy a Wii U or should I hold off?

Also any games recommendations you can give me for either Wii or Wii U would be most appreciated.

Thank you very much for your time,.

Sincerely,

Edie x

Edited on by Edie

Edie

Blast

The Wii U isn't a bad purchase at all. Like seriously, its not. The only really bad thing about it is that the Wii U misses out on many 3rd party games (sometimes for good reasons and sometimes for bad reasons). The Wii U isn't dying anytime soon. Its gonna hang around until 2017 or maybe 2018. The games for it are so much fun and the games coming will make many Wii U haters cry tears.

I own a Wii U and 3DS. I also own a PS4!

Master of the Hype Train

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shaneoh

Edie wrote:

Now my concerns:

First off all from what I read and this may be bias coverage but the Wii U hasn't sold very well compared to the other consoles. It's been out roughly two years? I've read that Nintendo are even planning their next console. Again I don't know how true that is but I would hate to see support for the Wii U halt if the next console is already in the works. Granted it won't be next year but perhaps the year after?

IIRC plans for the Wii U started before or as soon as the Wii came out, we've likely got years before we see a new console.

The price of games is so high because you are buying quality.

LEGO City Undercover is an awesome game and deserved GOTY. Little Inferno is good but not very long. Rayman Legends is a fun alternative to Mario

TL:DR = BUY

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CaviarMeths

First off all from what I read and this may be bias coverage but the Wii U hasn't sold very well compared to the other consoles. It's been out roughly two years? I've read that Nintendo are even planning their next console. Again I don't know how true that is but I would hate to see support for the Wii U halt if the next console is already in the works. Granted it won't be next year but perhaps the year after?

Correct, it has sold rather poorly. I could make excuses, but that doesn't change the fact. On the bright side though, momentum is likely to increase greatly this holiday with its blockbuster titles out (Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros.) and 2015 will likely be its peak year.

As for Nintendo already developing another console, this is standard in the industry. Sony and Microsoft are already planning their next consoles too. Research and Development is an ongoing cycle. It never ends. There's no reason to believe that Nintendo will pull support for Wii U suddenly and leave you with a $300 brick. I wouldn't expect a new Nintendo console until 2017 or 2018, giving it a pretty industry-regular lifespan of 5-6 years. The last console generation, Wii, PS3, and XB360, was just unnaturally long at 8 years because of the economic recession. It's not typical.

One other thing I noticed is that Nintendo games don't seem to be discounted at all or if they are it's only very slightly. Even second hand games demand a higher price than games from the other platforms. This isn't a big deal as I don't mind supporting the developer or Nintendo but I am curious to know why this is the case as surely it costs less to make games for the Wii or Wii U compared to CGI and motion capture filled games on the Sony and Microsoft machines.

Nintendo is pretty notorious for being very hesitant to mark down their software. Nintendo, more than any other publisher, tends to release "evergreen" titles, titles that buck the usual sales trend of most of its sales being in the first week and then quickly dropping. Games like Mario Kart sell just as well 2-3 years later as they did when they first launched. This seems to make them believe that they can continue selling the games at full price indefinitely.

What do you think should I buy a Wii U or should I hold off?

The time is now.

Also any games recommendations you can give me for either Wii or Wii U would be most appreciated.

Well, Super Mario 3D World, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, and Pikmin 3 are all good choices, as you said you're interested in those IPs. All three are fantastic games. Mario Kart 8 is a pretty standard investment too.

There's a pretty wide variety of content on the Wii U, so it's hard to make recommendations without knowing much about your tastes, though if you've never really been a gamer, it may be even more difficult!

My suggestion would be to pay attention to developers. If you find a game that you really enjoy, there's a good chance you'll also enjoy their other games. For example, if you like Hyrule Warriors by Koei Tecmo, I would also recommend Warriors Orochi 3 and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge by the same studio. If you like Wonderful 101, definitely look into Bayonetta, both by Platinum Games.

Speaking of Wonderful 101, it may be a good rec for you too. If you play Pikmin 3 and think "what if this was an insane, over-the-top action game?" well, that's Wonderful 101.

If you're looking for great games without having to shell out full retail price, the Wii U also has a lot of games by independent developers (indies) on the eShop that typically got for $10-20 (not sure what that is in GBP). I'm not really the one to ask about that, but I have and really enjoyed Child of Light.

Also, as well as being compatible with all Wii games, there's also a Virtual Console service in the eShop with games from Nintendo's old consoles. NES, SNES, and Gameboy Advance games sell for $5-8 each.

Edited on by CaviarMeths

So Anakin kneels before Monster Mash and pledges his loyalty to the graveyard smash.

Edie

Thank you all for taking the time to comment., your answers have been great .I will definitely have to check out some of these games on YouTube before making my mind up. I apologize for rambling on in my original post.

Edie x

Edie

dumedum

Edie wrote:

Thank you all for taking the time to comment., your answers have been great .I will definitely have to check out some of these games on YouTube before making my mind up. I apologize for rambling on in my original post.

Edie x

Definitely for a first console, Wii U is a great choice, much better than Sony/Microsoft, as was the Wii, mostly because of backward compatibility and the virtual consoles.

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jariw

Edie wrote:

First off all from what I read and this may be bias coverage but the Wii U hasn't sold very well compared to the other consoles. It's been out roughly two years? I've read that Nintendo are even planning their next console. Again I don't know how true that is but I would hate to see support for the Wii U halt if the next console is already in the works. Granted it won't be next year but perhaps the year after?

There will be a couple of more years yet before the next console arrives.

Edie wrote:

One other thing I noticed is that Nintendo games don't seem to be discounted at all or if they are it's only very slightly. Even second hand games demand a higher price than games from the other platforms. This isn't a big deal as I don't mind supporting the developer or Nintendo but I am curious to know why this is the case as surely it costs less to make games for the Wii or Wii U compared to CGI and motion capture filled games on the Sony and Microsoft machines.

One of the reasons I've heard regarding the high second hand prices is because customers tend to keep the Nintendo 1st party games for the replay fun, so there are very few available on the second hand market. The major Nintendo titles are evergreen titles that sells many units in the long run.

Edie wrote:

What do you think should I buy a Wii U or should I hold off?

You should absolutely buy if you like some of the current games. It's a great console with many great games.

The only reason to not buy is if you want to play lots of 3rd party games. But other than that, there is absolutely no lack of current quality titles (except in some categories, such as sports games), with many promising titles arriving.

Edie wrote:

Also any games recommendations you can give me for either Wii or Wii U would be most appreciated.

  • Even though the Wii U is compatible with Wii games (through tie Wii mode), the gaming experience between the 2 consoles are very different.
  • Get the 32GB system. The 8GB system is too small other than for just some updates.
  • You might want to get an external hard drive for downloadable content
  • Research all the available controller options available (if you want secondary controllers)
  • Make sure to research the eShop for the indie game releases. There are some really excellent gems to be found there, and lots more arriving.
  • Never focus on the sales. Focus on the gaming fun.

jariw

Octane

SpookyMeths pretty much answered all of your questions. However he forgot to mention one thing; Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze. Another brilliant game if you ask me.

Octane

MikeLove

Just get a 3DS for now to get your Nintendo fix, then at the end of 2015 get either a Wii U or PS4/Xbox.

MikeLove

CaviarMeths

MikeLove wrote:

Just get a 3DS for now to get your Nintendo fix, then at the end of 2015 get either a Wii U or PS4/Xbox.

What Wii U games coming out in 2015 would appeal to someone who didn't like the 2013/2014 games?

So Anakin kneels before Monster Mash and pledges his loyalty to the graveyard smash.

jariw

MikeLove wrote:

Just get a 3DS for now to get your Nintendo fix, then at the end of 2015 get either a Wii U or PS4/Xbox.

The OP said that a specific manufacturer wasn't of interest, so why do you suggest a "Nintendo fix"? The questions were very specific to the Wii U.

jariw

MikeLove

jariw wrote:

MikeLove wrote:

Just get a 3DS for now to get your Nintendo fix, then at the end of 2015 get either a Wii U or PS4/Xbox.

The OP said that a specific manufacturer wasn't of interest, so why do you suggest a "Nintendo fix"? The questions were very specific to the Wii U.

Oh gee, I dunno....maybe because he posted this question on a Nintendo website and said he feels he has an interest in Zelda and Mario titles (i.e. Nintendo games)???

So obviously if Nintendo games are what he wants to play, what would require a Nintendo console, no? Hence he has a specific manufacturer in mind. If he is hesitating on buying a Wii U, and he doesn't have much experience with games, why not make a smaller investment in a 3DS first?

MikeLove

Edie

Once again I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to comment. I appreciate the time you've taken to answer my questions.

I decided to get a Wii U (the premium model) with the extra controllers (a "Wii Remote Plus", a "Nunchuk" and "Pro Pad") a LAN adapter and 32 GB memory SD card and a few games:

Super Mario Bros U, Super Luigi U (came with the console it was also the cheapest one), Mario Kart 8, Hyrule Warriors, Bayonetta 2 (with Bayonetta 1 included), Rayman Legends and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD for £465.

I'll see how things go any maybe order some more Pikmin 3 and Super Smash Bros perhaps.

Also if I may is anyone a fan of Skylanders? it looks quite interesting but there are so many packs and sets online I don't know where to start.

Thanks again for all your help. =D

Edie x

Edie

CaviarMeths

Geez you really went all out. That's hundreds out hours of entertainment you just bought, maybe thousands if you really get into the online multiplayer of Mario Kart.

So Anakin kneels before Monster Mash and pledges his loyalty to the graveyard smash.

sinalefa

Congratulations on your (future) purchase. Hope you enjoy it a lot.

I will comment in this thread, never being able to find it again.

jariw

Edie wrote:

I decided to get a Wii U (the premium model) with the extra controllers (a "Wii Remote Plus", a "Nunchuk" and "Pro Pad") a LAN adapter and 32 GB memory SD card and a few games:

This "Pro Pad", is it the Wii U Pro Controller? If so, a good choice for many games!

Excellent choice to also get a LAN adapter, so you get full duplex for online in games like MK8 and Super Smash U.

Edie wrote:

Super Mario Bros U, Super Luigi U (came with the console it was also the cheapest one), Mario Kart 8, Hyrule Warriors, Bayonetta 2 (with Bayonetta 1 included), Rayman Legends and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD for £465.

I'll see how things go any maybe order some more Pikmin 3 and Super Smash Bros perhaps.

Fantastic games to start with! You will be busy for quite a while!

And when you get Pikmin 3, make sure to test the local 2-player modes!!!

Also, please consider Super Mario 3D World, specially if you're playing locally with friends. That game has so much gaming fun! And Lego City: Undercover for single player fun, and Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze for platformer heaven, and so on...

Edie wrote:

Also if I may is anyone a fan of Skylanders? it looks quite interesting but there are so many packs and sets online I don't know where to start.

According to the recent NintendoLife "Skylanders Trap Team" review, you should get lots of gameplay just by getting the starter kit:
https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/wiiu/skylanders_trap_team

Edited on by jariw

jariw

6ch6ris6

Edie wrote:

I decided to get a Wii U (the premium model) with the extra controllers (a "Wii Remote Plus", a "Nunchuk" and "Pro Pad") a LAN adapter and 32 GB memory SD card and a few games:

Super Mario Bros U, Super Luigi U (came with the console it was also the cheapest one), Mario Kart 8, Hyrule Warriors, Bayonetta 2 (with Bayonetta 1 included), Rayman Legends and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD for £465.

holy moly you now have enough gaming entertaiment for 2 years or so

be sure to check out some old wii classics sometime. super mario galaxy is one of the best games ever made!

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SkywardLink98

[Disclaimer: I'm not going to try to persuade you one way or the other.]
Here are some things you'll want to consider before making a decision.

  • No console is a bad purchase, unless you don't like the games that the specific console has. No one can tell whether or not it would be a good purchase for you except for you
  • If you're into third party support, you won't find a lot of it on the Wii U.
  • Nintendo games will be the games you'll get. If you only like a few Nintendo franchises, you might be at a loss for games later on.
  • The Wii U has not sold well.
  • What consoles will your friends be getting? Not the most important thing in the world, but if all your friends go buy PS4s, then you won't be playing online with them from your Wii U.
  • The Wii U probably won't get a replacement until 2018, six full years from it's original launch date.
  • Nintendo doesn't do price drops or sales often. Sony and Microsoft let their games fall in price, whereas Nintendo tries to keep them as close to launch price for as long as possible.

I hope this helps you make an informed and careful decision on whether or not you want to purchase a Wii U.

My SD Card with the game on it is just as physical as your cartridge with the game on it.
I love Nintendo, that's why I criticize them so harshly.

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clvr

Well I've seen many excellent answers to all of your questions and I'm happy you're joining the Nintendo family there are so many games I would recommend, but my main advice is: if you're worried about the peice of games, I think you should keep an eye on Amazon, since their prices are usually good (especially for older games: you might find ZombiU for less than £10, for example).

P.S.: Pikmin 3 is never a wrong choice

Clover.

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CaviarMeths

SkywardLink98 wrote:

I hope this helps you make an informed and careful decision on whether or not you want to purchase a Wii U.

Psst, check a few posts up.

So Anakin kneels before Monster Mash and pledges his loyalty to the graveyard smash.

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