My sons recently turned 5 and i was going to be buying him a wii for xmas but then i found the wii u and not sure if its all that different from the wii. Is it still just as easy to use? Is the game pad just like the old controllers?
I have two nephews (6 & 3) that come over and play on my WiiU, both are able to navigate the WiiU menu to get to the games that they're allowed to play.
On the WiiU menu you can set up folders . I've got mine set up with my games, kids games, and tools. My nephews know they're allowed to go into the kids games, but they have to ask me first to use anything else.
The gamepads touchscreen is really easy to use, but it can't wonder too far from the console, or it'll lose signal.
The WiiU has parental settings on it, so you can set up anything that you do or don't want your son to have access too.
You can also set up multiple profiles on your WiiU, should you wish to do so. If you do,I would suggest that you make your sons profile the default profile, so he doesn't have access to anything you have set up on your profile.
As for games, my nephews like playing these. Duck Tales Remastered (eShop), Minecraft (eShop, retail soon), Mario Kart 8, New Super Mario Bros U, Mario Kart Wii, Wii Sports (there is Wii Sports Club on the WiiU which is an updated version of the original), Super Mario Maker, Blocky Bot (eShop), Lego City Undercover, Legend of Zelda Wind Waker.
New Super Mario Bros U and Legend of Zelda Wind Waker are a bit difficult in places for younger players, so I tend to help them out my nephews when they get stuck, but they enjoy me playing the games with them.
As mentioned, the Wii U is also backwards compatible with Wii games and the Wiimote/Wiimote+. Some Wii U games allow you to use the Wii Remotes as additional controllers; you'll have to consult the manual for each game in order to find out if they're compatible.
Some games also have off-TV play, so your son could still be using the console by playing on the Gamepad while someone else is watching something on TV.
Currently playing: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr's Journey, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (Switch)
Thanks everyone thats been really helpful. Think ill go with the wii u. So with the controllers if a game doesnt allow it will i have to buy another game pad seperatly?
No current game supports multiple gamepads, so you'll only need the one that comes with the system.
If a game supports multiplayer, you can use a WiiU pro controller or Wii remote+accessories, which are sold separately.
To play wii games, you'll need at least one wii remote and accessories (nunchuck or classic controller, depends on what the game asks for), so it might be a bit pricy.
Because the Wii U's touchscreen is similar to mobile phones/tablets, it's likely that most kids will be more comfortable with it than getting used to how the Wii Remote pointing system works.
Assuming you want to do some multiplayer with your son then an additional controller/s will be required, and Wii Remotes (preferably also with nunchuck attachment) offer the most compatibility with the range of games available, but they're not a cheap as you'd hope, so might be worth trawling eBay for a used Wii bundle with some good condition Wii Remotes included.
Super Mario 3D World is an excellent game to play as a family. A game for 3-103 year olds playing together.
You guys had me at blood and semen.
What better way to celebrate than firing something out of the pipe?
When I first got the Wii U my twins were 5 years old.
By activity log the games they played the most originally were TANK! TANK! TANK! and Lego City Undercover.
Lego City is single player and only uses the gamepad. Tank! Tank! Tank! was free to try when I downloaded it and buying a small piece of the game unlocked unlimited play, not sure if it is still that way. It does support pretty much all controllers for multiplayer.
The other games that are great with the 5 years olds are the couch co-op games. Nintendoland was played a ton too but that game can be a bit of a pain with its controller requirements. NSMBU/NSLU and Super Mario 3D world are great co-op games with the kids because you as the more skilled player actually helps them get through the game...they can skip parts that are too hard by turning in to a bubble. NSMB Wii is also a 4 player co-op blast to play with your kids. I believe the mario games were patched to allow all controllers for multiplayer but NSMBU doesn't allow the gamepad to be used other than boost mode in multi-player
@isaiahhoyt you are hilarious and edgy. Not a single one of us can believe we didn't think of the joke first. We all want to be like you and you mother is very proud of you.
Buy one of the high capacity batteries for the Gamepad because the standard one runs out of charge quickly.
If you are considering buying a Wii U Pro Controller be aware that they can be a little hard to get and the price seems to only be going up.
Look into getting a good quality screen protector and hard case for your Gamepad; plus teach you son to put it away after use and be careful with it as replacements / repairs are expensive.
Get all the DLC for Mario Kart 8
Get Super Mario 3D World
Do not get Xenoblade Chronicles X for yourself unless you have the time or don't mind playing over a year+ (Or get it anyways because it's amazing)
Here's a question for everyone else; you think Wonderful 101 would be a good game for a 5 year old? Can't remember it's PEGI rating.
Buy one of the high capacity batteries for the Gamepad because the standard one runs out of charge quickly.
This may not so important since a lot of people don't have a problem to play with the charge cable on the GamePad. This is only a problem in games like Nintendo Land when you have to give the GamePad to other people a lot. And even then 3 hours seem mostly fine for game sessions.
Look into getting a good quality screen protector and hard case for your Gamepad; plus teach you son to put it away after use and be careful with it as replacements / repairs are expensive.
I bought the original Nintendo screen protector on day one and I did a great job. I would recommend to buy it, too.
I would also recommend Yoshi's Woolly World.
You could also get Super Mario Maker if your Kids are creative, or you can make Levels for them youself.
Rayman Legends might also be a good pick.
My 7-year-old has also enjoyed Splatoon, Nintendo Land, Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed, Fast Racing Neo, and Dr. Luigi (in addition to other games mentioned already). Also, don't forget the Virtual Console - there's lots of great stuff there for both of you. Just double-check the controller requirements and the memory requirements - you only get 24GB or so out of that 32GB for downloadables (eShop games, game saves, patches, DLC, etc.).
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Topic: What to buy my 5 year old
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