Topic: Reasons why you love/like the Wii U (an actual positive Wii U thread)

Backwards-compatibility minimised the risk of this machine being a doorstop and meant I didn't need to buy a bunch of new accessories or build a console collection.

I like the fact that I can do a quick check of the eShop, sync my Wii Fit Meter or play a game of Contra III without turning on a TV.

After a couple of years of using an iPad having a touchscreen menu interface reinforces what I'm already used to in terms of leisure computing interfaces and makes navigating game menus a breeze.

The Wii U has cemented my appreciation for Nintendo's commitment to quality in game design, which had started after trying out many Nintendo franchises for the first time on the Wii. Pikmin 3 and Super Mario 3D World are beautiful games visually, but also show a great deal of polish in their level design. Super Mario 3D World is delightfully varied in its level design - so far beyond any Mario game I've seen previously and accessible for people who haven't been raised on Mario games (like me - all green stars and stamps through World 6 so far!).

Stamps are a brilliant alternative to more traditional achievements and promote the use of Miiverse, which is a selling point in and of itself - especially if you're artistically inclined and enjoy an audience.

Playing multiplayer games like Spin the Bottle, Tank Tank Tank, Game & Wario and Wii Party U with my partner and our kids - even if Pikmin 3 and Super Mario 3D World and Need for Speed U didn't exist, this would make the Wii U a worthwhile purchase.

Seeing Nintendo extend the life of games from the Wii by upgrading the graphics and adding online components. I hope we'll see Super Mario Galaxy and Xenoblade Chronicles with a fresh lick of paint in the coming years.

I forgot a few that some others have mentioned...

1. Miiverse is amazing. I love being able to interact with other Nintendo gamers from the Home Menu on Wii U, in game, and from my computer.

2. Backwards compatibility is awesome. I don't need to keep my Wii because I can play all of those game on my Wii U.

3. Virtual Console is incredible. Retro gaming is at home on a Nintendo console.

2014 should also be pretty good for Wii U. Alotta exclusives that should turn out pretty fun.

I love the Wii U because it brought me back to gaming. Having just completed a slog of 7 or 8 years of post high school schooling, I needed something to remind me that while growing up is cool, being a kid is still a lot of fun. I bought myself a Wii U for Christmas along with 11 games (not to mention I am getting 6 more in February for my b-day!). The last console I played on was the gamecube about 10 years ago.

For the first time in a long time Christmas felt like Christmas. As a kid I always got video games for Christmas. As a young adult I am once again getting video games for Christmas. On Christmas I played Ducktales (and beat it), and then played a ton of Mario 3D, played some Wind Waker, and have since played Rayman, Monster Hunter, Injustice, Arkham Origins, Need for Speed, Mario and Sonic, and still haven't touched Arkham City or Sonic Racing. It has been a blast. I haven't beaten any of them 100%, but I have a good library that gives me something to play no matter my mood.

The backwards compatibility has been amazing. I missed out on a ton of Wii games while doing my post graduate training. I have the Metroid Prime trilogy to play through. I love the eshop. It's zippy and reliable. I love that the Wii U doesn't overheat. I will always respect Nintendo with their policy of extreme quality over quantity.

1. Game Pad is truly innovative and makes gaming so much more fun. Again, my favorite use was actually Mass Effect 3: SE with Zombi U and Arkham City: AE being other excellent examples. Best innovation since the Wii Remote/nunchuk combo
2. Super HD - SM3DWorld just looks gorgeous.
3. Miiverse is brilliant.
4. TV control very convenient
5. Great Internet Browser when you pause
6. Size/shape/color is great

It's kind of funny, but one of the reasons the WiiU is great in my opinion is the very fact that it is "failing". I do not doubt Nintendo can stomach it, and as an end user I profit from the even bigger pressure Nintendo has to endure to pump out great games and get good exclusives. I suppose Bayonetta 2 and maybe even X are results of this (though they might have been in the making before release, I don't know really) and it can only get better.
This is also the reason I enjoy my recently acquired 3DS so much after a relative short period of it's life time - it's got a great library.

I do not see any reason for the whole console war anyway, the more great games that are out there, the more fun I can have, so it's win/win

@Finnroth Honestly, competition has to be the best thing that could happen in this industry of ours. It pressures the companies to create games that are so good that you'll just have to buy their console. It's one of the few times where desperately wanting sales AKA 'Greed' actually benefits us for a change.

In other words: No matter the outcome, we're the real winners.

1. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is such a rad upgrade over the original Wii title. It looks gorgeous.
2. Super Mario 3D World was easily my favorite game of 2013.
3. The console gets even more playtime than my 3DS these days.
4. The library is surprisingly solid, and with 2014 looking even better, I won't have to buy a PS4 for years to come.
5. Damn thing is QUIET.
6. I can play Xenoblade on it in 1080p, and save shelf space by retiring my Wii.
7. Miiverse is a damn cool social network. I like it more than both Twitter and Tumblr.

It's different!

I love that there's a black color option because that white color from the Wii was lame, it lead to some yellowing and other typical stuff that happens to white colored objects.

Forgot to add something: no requirement to use proprietary storage or headsets.

More internal storage would have been nice, but I'd much rather have an external hard disk I can swap out myself (and the ability to add another drive for periodic backups) than having to either buy a new unit or spend more for one that fits the machine or requires opening it up.

At first I was slightly annoyed my Black Ops USB headset wasn't supported (now just used to make work calls from home), but when I found I could use my iPhone earphone/mic combo with the Gamepad for online chat in-game that made it okay.

Feeling kinda down about Wii U sales? Look at this thread to help

Wii U has Earthbound, proof that Nintendo cares

With all the crap that has been said about Nintendo and the Wii U today, you really have to ask yourself not so much what's wrong with Nintendo, but what's wrong with the gaming community nowadays? People wishing ill on companies that make entertainment for people that enhances people's lives, people wanting apps and microtransactions over great games.

Gaming used to be about the games and having fun and having great experiences that you remember and cherish, and Nintendo still operates based on that mindset. I hope they continue operating in that way.

@SkywardCrowbar AGREED FULLY!

Some negative Nintendo news appears and suddenly we see all these new and depressing threads about Nintendo and the Wii U... on this site and multiple others.
Just.... great.

Off-TV play is great.
The controller is solid.
Mario 3D World is way better than I thought it would be.
In the few games that take advantage of asynchronous multiplayer, it's a ton of fun.

EDIT: Oh, the internet browser is fantastic.

The games, 'nuff said.

@Blast Yes, I noticed it, too. Just bummers up and down.