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

Something I don't think anyone else has said:

Welcome to NintendoLife, @Edie!

Cool thanks for letting me know but sadly I don't own a sound system or a television. My Wii U is connected to my main monitor I use for work and the speakers aren't great on it even though it's a high-end monitor. /cry

It was a big attraction having backwards comparability I wasn't that interesting in gaming at the time of the Wiis release but now it's great having two consoles in one. I'm playing "Kirby's Epic Yarn" at the moment and I must say I find it enchanting a fabulous game. I see they have a similar concept with "Yoshi's Woolly World" but it doesn't look as good in my opinion from what little I've seen, I shall keep my fingers crossed though

Why hello and thank you so much!

@IggyZX if you read this please let us know what you decide to do.

Best wishes to all.

Edie x

Hey guys, thank you for your feedback. I'm really interested in WiiU right now and having the ability to play all those wonderful Wii games is also very appealing.

I'll wait for this year's black friday and if Amazon UK has any good deals on WiiU bundles, I'll probably get one.

Does anyone remember last year's black friday? Did Amazon UK even offer any good price drops on WiiU?

there were drops on Wii U on Amazon UK in last years Black Friday, in fact I bought one (with a couple of game, think it was 180 quid) but I cancelled it later

(eventually, I did get one in Feb this year)

Wow, that's great news! Do you remember which bundle was it? I'm guessing they'll offer more than one. I'd like to buy one with MK8, Smash Bros (so far there is no such offer, but I'm hoping one might appear) or SM3DW.

There's a placeholder for a Smash U bundle at amazon.co.uk, but it's currently set for Dec 05 delivery and it's the Basic 8GB system.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Basic-Smash-Bundle-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B0...

It's not a massive hit but "commercial failure" is a bit harsh. Plus I doubt we'll see a successor for quite a while yet. Even if they cut it short it's still at most mid-cycle.

There is compression but how bad it is or isn't depends on what it's displaying. The more that's happening on the screen the more you'll notice it. Worst I've seen it is with F-Zero from the SNES VC where the fast moving ground looks pretty average. Then again if you look on youtube the same thing happens there. That said I spend more time playing games on the GamePad than I do on the TV. Also I've found that it works, without obstructions, upto around 10m.

If concern about the platform being dropped is an issue then I'd lean towards the Wii U. The reverse of what you say is true. I suspect that the 3DS will see a full replacement within the next couple of years. Even then I wouldn't worry about it too much. Enjoy the platforms for what content they have now not for what content they might or might not get.

@IggyZX

It was the Wii U black 32GB premium (with NintendoLand, if I remember well), with Rayman Legends and Zombi U - it was 188.45 quid with 6.93 for delivery to Italy

I also ordered a 3DS with Mario Kart 7 - and cancelled that too ! and, I did end up buying it again ...
so If you see a good deal go for it, I had buying remorse but I am glad I got them in the end

Thx skywake, your post alleviated most of my concerns. Now the only thing left is to patiently wait until 24th this month. I honestly can't wait to play on it, I haven't been excited about owning a console since... wait, I can't even remember when was the last time I was this excited about video games. In the last few years, I've owned X360, PS2/3/4 and none of them had me excited like WiiU. LOL, I feel like a little kid again (I'm 30). These are the games I'm looking forward to playing:

• Super Mario 3D World
• Bayonetta 1/2
• Wind Waked HD
• Mario Kart 8
• Shovel Knight
• NSMBU
• Tropical Freeze
• Wonderful 101
• Smash Bros
• Captain Toad

Is there anything else you guys can recommend?

Wow, that was a good deal!

Platformers seem to be your thing, so it would be worth trying out Rayman Legends. I know a few people on this site would even call it the best platformer on the Wii U right now.

And as a Koei Tecmo fan, I also have to bring up Hyrule Warriors, Warriors Orochi 3, and Ninja Gaiden 3, though the latter two may just be more-of-the-same if you're tired of XB/PS games. The first two Ninja Gaiden games from Team Ninja are arguably two of the best action games ever made though, and with Bayonetta and Wonderful 101 on your list, it may be worth checking out, even if Ninja Gaiden 3 isn't as good as its predecessors.

• Pikmin 3 (you don't need to play the first 2). Great local 2-player modes as well.
• Lego City:Undercover
• Rayman Legends, as SpookyMeths already recommended (especially fun in 2-player mode, when one player is using the Gamepad)

Indies:

• Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones (one of the most well-crafted Wii U games available IMO)
• Scram Kitty and His Buddy On Rails
• Art of Balance
• Steamworld Dig (simple, fun and a really great Wii U implementation)
• Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition
• Teslagrad

If you have never owned a console before and don't care about graphics I will just get a used PS3, great backlog which you can get for cheap on used game stores and digital sales..... you are right Wii U games are very expensive (the ones that are worth it anyway, never go on major sales)

I had PS2/3/4 and X360. I grew tired of all of them. Few days ago I sold PS4 and 2 months ago I sold my gaming PC. I just want fun, colorful games, I'm tired of all overhyped AAA games that massively failed to deliver anything entertaining for me. In fact, after being so disappointed by Destiny (that's just the last game in the long line of disappointments), I decided to sell my PS4.

I've been playing the same games for years and years. I want something different, and I strongly believe Nintendo console or a handheld is the perfect destination for different.

Disclaimer: I'm not preaching some kind of universal truth, just my personal view on things.

Back to the topic, I'd like to once again thank everyone for their suggestions. I have just a few more questions that just crossed my mind:

• since I live in unsupported EU country, I'll create UK account. Can I add funds on my account with non-UK Mastercard, or do I have to buy prepaid vouchers?
• are Wii games available on eShop?
• how can I use Wii controller with WiiU? I've read somewhere that WiiU gamepad acts as a receiver?
• are downloaded games bound to account or the console itself?
• how are the console noise levels? I've read that DVD drive can be noisy. What about the console itself?

Do you mean to the eShop or to Club Nintendo? I believe the eShop is the same for the whole NoE region. I live in Sweden (which isn't actually part of NoE territory) and I have the EU eShop. I don't have Club Nintendo here, but I know some Swedes joined the UK Club Nintendo.

On the eShop, you can pay with a standard credit card.

No, you need to get those on disc, or from the Wiiware channel in Wii mode.

In Wii mode, you can use the Wii U Gamepad as the Wii screen if you want, but that's only practical for Wii games without motion control support IMO.

Wiimotes need to be specifically supported by a Wii U game. A game like Pikmin 3 only supports the Wiimote when it's connected to a nunchuck.

eShop games are connected to the account, but an account can only be active on one console. There's a system to system transfer utility in the OS.

I have also heard that some users can hear the Bluray drive spin. I can't. Sometimes I can hear a small click sound when the drive starts spinning, but it's hardly audible and I can't say it's a noise.

I'd say the fan noise on the Wii U is non-existent (all the PCs I have used had clearly audible fan noises, as a comparison). The Wii U consumes much less energy than the other (CISC-based) current-gen consoles, so I don't think the heat issue is an issue in the same way:
http://www.nrdc.org/energy/game-consoles/files/video-game-con...

Not retail games, no. Just digital stuff like WiiWare (aka ShovelWare) and Virtual Console.

how can I use Wii controller with WiiU? I've read somewhere that WiiU gamepad acts as a receiver?

The Wii U is backwards compatible with all Wii peripherals, but as with Wii games, each game has different control options. Some games, like Mario Kart 8 and Smash, allow pretty much every control option there is, whereas others are a little limited.

The Gamepad has a sensor bar on it, so you can use it to play games that require motion controls. You can also play Wii games on the Gamepad screen, but you still need to use a Wii controller for input.

• are downloaded games bound to account or the console itself?

Both. They're bound to the console, but they're also tied to your NNID, so if your Wii U ever needs to be replaced, your games can be transferred or recovered.

• how are the console noise levels? I've read that DVD drive can be noisy. What about the console itself?

The Wii U is the quietest and coolest disc-based machine I've ever owned.

OK first and foremost - thinking about console sales and the "console wars" is pointless. You don't need to worry about how long the console will be around, it'll be in your possession as long as you want it. There is no concern that Nintendo will go bankrupt. They'll be supporting the Wii and DS families for years. When you buy a Nintendo system you will get 10 years of enjoyment out of it minimum. Maybe 20. Maybe 30.

Since Edie has pretty much been sorted, I say good luck to you! Enjoy your purchase.

To IggyZX: It really sounds like you would love the New 3DS XL. I have been Nintendo since the SNES and have owned all the handhelds the whole way too - I've kept most of these systems - and the 3DS has really opened itself up to be one of the best in my opinion. The back catalogue is ridiculous as there are a host of Gameboy games on the online store and you can play the whole DS collection on it too, which basically means incredible RPGs, but there's pretty much a great game from any series you can think of on the DS and 3DS. This generation has great games from many Nintendo franchises on both systems.

The 3DS is in absolute full swing, the DS and 3DS have been huge for Nintendo and they have delivered so many great games, you will spend many years just finding them all and playing through them. Conversely the Wii U is still fairly new and you can count the must have titles on two hands I reckon. The New 3DS XL and its amazing big screen is good enough for now, for me anyway. The Wii U needs another killer game to justify it - although having said that, I don't think you've played the Wind Waker before? The remake is on the Wii U and it is one of the greatest Zelda games ever, making it one of the greatest games ever. Then again, the Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are on 3DS.........

Whatever you buy you know will be a timeless Nintendo product.

1. I don't see why it shouldn't work but don't quote me on that
2. No
3. Yes and odds are your's will come with a sensor bar. The GamePad also has one built into it.
4. Both, AFAIK there's no way to transfer to a new console yet
5. It's pretty damn quiet. I think it's about the quietest piece of kit I have outside of ones that have no moving parts

You've covered most of the essentials but make sure you grab Nintendo Land, it's actually quite decent and I've had a lot of fun with it. Pikmin 3 and Rayman Legends are also good games as others have mentioned. For something to download when you get it have a look at NES Remix and Bit Trip Runner 2, they're IMO two of the best games on the eShop. Trine 2 is also decent and Nano Assault Neo is ok but they're more second tier. Also make sure you download Wii Sports Club and give that a whirl because it's a free trial.

Guys, I can't thank you enough for the time you took to answer all of my questions. I believe I'm now 100% informed.

The only thing left is waiting until 24th!

I don't think anyone's really said this yet, but I'll add that any Nintendo core intellectual property game you get, on any of their systems, is basically timeless.

And Nintendo has a long history of building virtually indestructible hardware.

My Nintendo games library is the smallest, of all the different platforms I've played on for 28 years; but every Nintendo first-party game I've picked up, I still play. They have all aged well.

By contrast the other platforms tend to have more outside support, but many more throw-away titles as a result.

Also, don't let worrying about predominance of sales or marketing of one platform or another concern you.

If you like the games on PS Vita, for instance, while it's selling in the West relatively slowly so far, many of the most interesting and original titles are available on it, primarily from Japanese studios. Its available library is thus huge, by current-generation standards.

At some point, probably 2018, I predict Nintendo will be the first to release a combined handheld/console 3D system, that leverages the best of what 3DS and Wii have to offer. It's clear that's the path, creatively, Nintendo is on, and the other two platform makers have a lot of catch-up to do on that front alone, on the hardware side.

2015 is going to be The Year of the Wii U, I am certain of it. . So, enjoy it! You won't have the time to finish and master what's already available before the next slate of titles arrive.

Because we all know that the Wii seriously lacked any form of shovel-ware.