Did you happen to pick up The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the Wii U instead of the Switch? If so you might feel a little bit left out, but Nintendo hasn't forgotten about you.
Update v1.4.1 was released yesterday for the Wii U version and promises "Various fixes to improve gameplay". We can only imagine what delights this update might offer, perhaps you can use the Wii U Gamepad like a Sheikah Slate now? (Don't get your hopes up!)
Let us know if you are still playing Zelda BotW on your Wii U and if this update has brought with it any noticeable improvements with a comment below.
[source en-americas-support.nintendo.com]
Comments 91
It now has the Triforce hidden somewhere within Hyrule. I'm not telling you where though. My Precious!
I'll play the DLC over Christmas.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Oh you tease...
Damn, if they patched the gamepad functionalites back, that would be super awesome and would make the Wii U version superior to the Switch one.
Never got the Wii U version but I'm glad they are still helping those that bought it.
Miiverse support?
I had fun using Miiverse to journal this game, got some really nice screenshots over my 150+ hours. Then to take Miiverse away just before the DLC released was a huge jerk troll move on Ntinedo's part.
If I could change 1 thing game related it would be that voice inside one of the Divine Beasts that keeps saying over and over again - "Throw something metal at him, throw something metal at him". So after throwing every chest I could move, every weapon I had, pieces of my armor, I finally had to look up online to see what piece of metal the voice wouldn't' shut up about. The one that looks like it's carved out of stone, of course. Just say that, moron voice, I'm getting killed here over and over again. Metal my behind.
Whatever they fixed/added/changed I'm 99.99% sure I wont' notice when I finally get around to playing the DLC. But if I do, I'll report it back here.
I have BotW on Wii U and now Switch but I'll still update this version just to give me a reason to turn my Wii U back on. You know, to make sure it still boots up and all....
I put a crazy amount of hours into the Wii U version,really made the most of it. After 300 hours I was about 70% of the way through the game. Then I bought a Switch and haven't turned my Wii U back on again since . I bought BOTW again on Switch along with DLC pack but not feeling the urge to go through it all again, not yet anyway. It'll be a long time before I ever see what the Champions Ballad DLC is all about. I should have just bought the DLC for Wii U.
The stability is so great now that Link can plank on the spire of Hyrule Castle while taking a selfie. I would post the evidence to MiiVerse but.....
Are both games identical in performance?
@rjejr "Throw something metal at him"? Do you mean during the boss fight within Urbosa's Divine Beast? Because I fought that boss multiple times in my playthroughs and never got that message... It woulf have been super useful if I did though because that was definitely the hardest boss in the game for me!
Hoping for better frame rates in towns. Hateno Village and Korok Forest get really choppy sometimes.
@Darknyht I REALLY want to see this.
@rjejr I had that same "issue", although I happened to have a couple of Lizalfos boomerangs so that's what I threw at him (over and over) and somehow beat it. It was only later that a friend told me you're supposed to use one of the pillars he throws
@RodSD64 No, the Nintendo Switch version renders visuals, frame rates, and audio better the Wii U version. However, other than these technicalities, both versions of the game are virtually the same.
@HopeNForever Having played 200+ hours on the Wii U version and then 100+ on the Switch one, I can confirm this, at least the visual part. I personally didn't notice any difference in audio, but Nintendo does say the Switch version has more dynamic audio or something along those lines
@HopeNForever Playing BotW undocked seems to be the superior version according to Digital Foundry.
Still, nice to see the Wii U version getting some love.
@nab1 @-DG Glad I wasn't the only one. I did throw a metal sword at him that worked, which just made me more determined to throw more metal stuff that I had at him. Carrying that chest around w/ the magnesis was kind of crazy, I was holding the chest literally inside of his body and it never worked.
The voice wasn't saying exactly what I typed, I was paraphrasing, it was probably more like "Link, if only there was a metal object lieing around that you could use to turn his own attacks against him". But after hearing it dozens of times it was just "throw something metal at him". Maybe I was reading it and not hearing it, but I don't recall reading anything during that battle, just the whispery little voice in the background that I could barely understand. "Link...whisper whisper whisper whisper."
If I ever go back and replay that game I would probably just skip all the Divine Beasts - inside, the outside battles were always fun - and deal w/ Ganon the best I could. As my son said, the Divine Beasts were the parts most like other Zelda games, which made them the parts he liked the least. We';re not huge Zelda fans in our house, but this non-Zelda like game was great.
Wow! Awesome. Gonna go and download now.
The only thing I care enough to check is the framerate in the towns.
Wow, glad they haven't forgot about us Wii U owners, will update later. Hope they added Wii Remote support
As someone who's played through the Wii U version (couldn't find a Switch for ages), I highly recommend it to anyone who doesn't have a switch that wants to play the game. It's very solid and supports all the Amiibo and DLC. I imagine it has more frame drops than the Switch version, but it's nothing that ruined the game for me.
Why would I feel left out
Maybe they will start giving WiiU owners the free tip/gift thing.
I had Zelda BOTW on WiiU but sold it with the console so I could buy a Switch, now I don't even have Zelda (again, yet)
@gokev13 Doubt it, specially after miiverse shutdown, there's no similar delivery mechanism. Plus you're not missing anything you couldn't get from walking for a few minutes through the world. And it sucks because if requires to restart your running game if you click on a gift link while playing it. This is the main reason I don't even bother with those gifts.
That explains why I had to update my game before I could buy the expansion pass. This happened a couple of days ago though.
This was out of the blue, but glad they continue to support the title with updates.
Only played the Switch version myself but the Wii U version makes a very nice shelf piece. Plus the case's main blue colour moulds better into the cover art's colour palette better than the Switch's red.
Since I am flying for short vacations I will be able to tell (or not, you mainly can't notice any difference--except 1.3.0! It made the game slow at some points in towns) in 5 days. It would be good to fix some of the frame drops and also to add another page of armor items since we 7 items short after the Champions Ballad.
Some of you are mentioning differences between the switch and Wii U versions. Only when the switch is docked has a better (900p) resolution while both games have different programming and even though on average switch has a better frame rate, there are cases where the Wii U version has more (check a comparisson video on youtube for this). As for the sound, the sound on Wii U is awesome already and despite the fact that Nintendo says that the switch version is superior than the Wii U one, all the reviews state that you have to have a super sound system to notice any difference.
I wish I had bought this for Switch. I don’t feel like starting over though.
I got all 120 shrines and beat trial of the sword on the Wii U.
Later got the Switch version and beat master mode on that.
I don't really notice any difference between the 2 versions.
Trying Champions Ballad on both of them but haven't figured out what to do once your off the plateau.
So, has anyone played the Wii U version and saw any improvements? Like improvements to frame rate in Kakariko Village and the Korok Forest?
Did anyone have issues with the Voice Acting DLC after the update to add in the Champions DLC?
I didn't get the Champions DLC yet, but I was unable to use the VA DLC since it said I needed to update the DLC, but was unable to when I tried. Don't really want to redownload the whole VA DLC pack again, so I wonder if this update fixes that
@Hikingguy Did you play the Wii U version on version 1.4.1?
@Hikingguy Oh okay. So based on your impressions, slowdown is still evident in Kakariko and Korok Forest (especially if you sprint/run in those areas)?
I won’t be getting a switch until next year. It’s nice they still are supporting the version I got.
Ok so I just tested it.
I think there may be a slight improvement in the towns. It's definitely not consistent 30fps but I think the drops to 20fps in Kakariko might have been fixed. It seemed more like drops to 26-28fps to me now.
Impossible to assess this sort of thing objectively with your own perception though. All I can say for certain is there are still SOME drops. Have to get Digital Foundry to do it.
@blaisedinsd Is the DLC crossbuy, i.e you brought it once on Wii U and got it for free on Switch?
@Hikingguy
I still haven't got a Switch so I played it on the Wii U!
@Hikingguy
You could maybe further test it by trying out more towns. I only tried Kakariko and Hateno. If maybe one of the other towns is flawless 30fps, that would at least tell us something.
I'm still playing Champions' Ballad on Wii U. And have yet to find 34 Korok Seeds.
I haven't played the Switch yet, but the Wii U version has amazing surround sound. Easily the best mixed 3D Zelda. Only Wind Waker comes close.
Frame rate has definitely improved over the last several updates. And I don't get the Moblin death screen freeze anymore.
One thing they really ought to update is the ability to carry more than 80 food items, plus removing the 100 armor pieces max cap. If I want to carry one of each food type available (including all roasted items), I'll run out of space pretty fast. And anyone who has Amiibo unlocked armor parts will run into the same problem.
@dudujencarelli
The moblin death freeze went a while ago. Definitely before this update.
Wow, way to get my hopes up, NLife. The title and subtitle genuinely made it sound like Nintendo had added something major to the game. Clickbait.
I have a XC2 quest now, is that new?
@Dezzy @Hikingguy Thank you for the info!
I also do not have a Switch and played BotW on Wii U. But yeah it does feel like we are in the minority on this site. That being said, most people (not just those on this site) bought the game for Switch (as revealed by game sales), so that makes sense. It sounds like things perhaps slightly improved, but cannot be determined confidently without Digital Foundry. Regardless it does sound like it's still noticeably worse than the Switch version.
Despite this, anyone who has a Wii U and not a Switch really needs to get this game. It's worse but the slowdowns happen infrequently, and most of the time the game runs well.
Wait, I played BotW on Wii U. Why am I supposed to have felt left out?
@Hikingguy Yep it’s been a while. Got the new gear, it’s kinda neat.
One other change I’ve noticed is that I can no longer change my language to Japanese. It sends me to the eShop where it then indicates that I’ve already downloaded the update. (Maybe it’s cause I haven’t bought the DLC?)
110+ hours on the Wii U version. Wish I’d waited to buy it on Switch though, I’d probably be over 1,000 hours
@shadow-wolf The Wii U version isn't "noticeably worse" than the Switch version. The differences between the two versions are mostly related to resolution and are minimal enough that you're not going to notice a downgrade in the Wii U version unless you're running it side by side with the Switch version and are actively looking for differences. The Switch version even suffers from some of same types of frame-rate hiccups as the Wii U version, and in some locations the frame rate is better on Wii U than on Switch, and vice versa. Remember, the game was built specifically for Wii U and then ported to Switch, so it runs great on Wii U.
@Hikingguy I'm with you on the Wii U version being perfectly good, but I don't really follow you on the Switch not being worth the investment. Sure, if Zelda were the only game you ever bought for the system, then yeah it's dumb to spend that much money just to play one game. But I'm fairly confident that most if not all Switch owners play more than just Zelda on it, or at least plan to.
@Hikingguy Right, I wouldn't do that either. I eventually bought a Switch over the summer and I'm definitely happy with it, but I'm keeping my Wii U forever. I love the system and there's a lot of good games on it that I don't want to lose access to.
@Hikingguy Yeah, I mean, I'm not trying to dump on you or argue, just going with how I interpreted what you were saying about your bro and his Switch. It's cool, though. And hey, if you have access to a Switch without having to buy one, that's fantastic. I made it through the entire N64/PS1 generation just playing various friends' systems. No price can ever beat free!
The one system I ended up selling was GameCube, and I've come to regret it more and more over time. So now I make it a point to keep all my old systems when I upgrade to a new one, if I can afford to do so. I'm extremely grateful that I can afford it at this point in my life.
And I'm definitely in the same boat on 3DS. I really wanted one at launch, but the 3D effect seemed sketchy when I played it at stores. And knowing Nintendo's history of improving pretty much all their handhelds over time, I decided to wait. Then eventually the "New" line came out and I'm really glad I waited. I got a much better system and had the benefit of a full library to choose from.
@Hikingguy Agreed. Although most people I feel bought Zelda on Switch because even if it's slightly better, it's still better, on top of the fact that they were going to soon buy the Switch anyway so might as well buy it at launch and play Zelda on it.
@BAN I should probably elaborate on what I meant. There usually isn't a noticeable difference in the grand scheme of things, because 90% of the time you'll be in the wild and there aren't any noticeable frame rate drops IIRC on Wii U. What I meant with "noticeable drop" was going to a place like Kakariko or Korok Forest and running. Frame rate drops noticeably in those areas. I heard (and think saw from a Digital Foundry analysis) that Switch runs those areas better from the 1.1.1 update on, so that's what I meant in my original comment.
@Hikingguy Yep, I wouldn't be surprised if they started selling revised Switch systems at some point. It seems like an obvious opportunity for Nintendo to print money, so they'd be wise to go that route. And yeah I just couldn't wait to hold out for Switch, mainly because of Mario. There's no way I could wait to play that game!
@Angelic_Lapras_King Never heard that it was cross buy. I double dipped. I bought it on Wii U and when I got my switch the only way I could find one was in a bundle that came with the DLC.
I got for both because I love both.
I think the sound seems more dynamic now. On 1.4.1, it seems as if the volume has been increased on some of the subtle environmental sounds. The birds, crickets, even footsteps in leaves seem a bit more crisp. Maybe it's just me but, the overall mix seems more refined.
@Hikingguy Yeah, it was the only immediate difference I noticed. I do however think maybe framerate drops have been improved in some situations but, it's hard to tell for sure. One thing I have noticed after getting the motorbike, the game will actually completely freeze for about 2 seconds in loading some partitions of the game enviroment. Maybe where there's a Hinox and a Guardian. I don't know why for sure but the extra load of loading the bike on top of everything else could be the culprit.
Wait that can't be the real cover art, the game is rate E10+, not T
I have it but honestly I was disappointed by it and just stopped playing it months ago.
@Hikingguy you were correct. When I loaded it up last night it had just updated with this one
Yeah, I don't have space for that or the other updates on my internal memory anymore.
And please don't mention using the GamePad like it was originally intended.
I'm still moderately upset they designed an interface for realtime touch-interaction and only let you use it on the tv when paused, just because they didn't want the Switch version to look inferior in any regards.
Anyone has noticed a performance improvement? Otherwise I won't bother.
@Pod
I couldn't agree more with this..
After playing the 2 DS Zelda games, then 3 more on 3DS, as well as the 2 HD remakes on WiiU, all of which used the second screen for items, inventory, and maps, I really liked having the top screen cleared of all the HUD stuff... Then they show off multiple gameplay and E3 videos for BotW utilizing the same second screen technique!!!.....only to drop it all in the last few months of development to make sure the Switch version is the 'superior' version. Huge disappointment. I can't wait for someone to look back at this and break down every little thing that was changed and removed from the WiiU version.
@Hikingguy Thanks for the information about the villages, it's a shame that they still run like this.
@Dezzy Thanks for the information, should I update then?
@Ogre
I haven't even played any of those 7(!) titles, aside from the first few hours of Phantom Hourglass. Played the four original console games, but not the remakes.
But I was really looking forward to this.
I'd have felt less stupid if they'd actually then let me play the final version entirely with the Pro Controller but nope, gotta pick up the GamePay anyway once in a while to do the (mostly terrible) tilting puzzles that would potentially have worked better with analog sticks anyway.
@Hikingguy I am happy with the Wii U version too, slowdowns in the villages but not worth buying a Switch and a pro controller because of that.
I've put over 300 hours in Wii U version and urge to give it more with new DLC. This game is masterpiece no matter how you play it.
@Hikingguy I agree completely. I first put about 350 hours in then when Hard mode came out I accidentally deleted my finished playthrough. Argghh! So I played another 200 hours in hard mode. Now I've completed my third playthrough including the Champions Ballad and I've clocked a total of about 750 hours. Crazy. It's basically the only game I've played all year. Lol
Okay, dumb question, but where the heck do you check to see how many hours you've played? Somewhere obvious, no doubt.
And I haven't seen any diff yet. I'm glad they are still supporting the game on Wii U, but haven't played in too long to be able to tell.
@Hikingguy Thanks! I updated the game but, unfortunately, Korok Forest and Kakariko still have serious issues. Breath of the Wild is probably my least favourite Zelda game but I have played it a lot and still want to check a few things that I haven't completed. I will pay attention to any sound differences! It is so bad that the GamePad doesn't work like originally intended just because they didn't want the Wii U version to be any better than the Switch one. I also understand what you guys mean by not being in a rush to get a Switch. I have two friends with a Switch and I can wait too. I still have a lot of games to play on 3DS, SNES Classic Mini, Wii U and Xbox One.
@Ichiyama To check your play time launch the Daily Log app, then touch the game icon and it will tell you how much time you have played it. I have played Breath of the Wild for 228 hours.
I’ve played both WiiU and switch on a 70” TV. In portable No diffeeence due to the condensed screen but on the tv with surround sound it’s hugely noticeable. Wii U tablet VS switch portable is WAY brighter and clearer on switch. We are talking 5 years of tech between the 2 devices. I ended up trading my WiiU version of Zelda and Mario Kart towards Mario Kart Delux switch
@BlueOcean Thank you, Blue. 186:07.
The Switch is doing well and I'm all for that, but I'm not in a hurry either. My backlog is yuge, and I keep going back to Zelda games.
@Ichiyama Welcome! Same here, I love old Zelda games and the 3DS remasters are awesome.
They probably dropped the second screen stuff to protect the games performance. It already struggles compared to the Switch version, why slow it down further?
"If so you might feel a little bit left out, but Nintendo hasn't forgotten about you"
Eh, its just the same game! The only thing we are missing are the "news-items" wich aren't any loss. The Wii u version is and stays the original version. Its the version I have, its the version I bought the dlc for. Nothing wrong with that!
@OorWullie
I can understand you not wanting to play through the game again, but try re-doing it in Master Mode instead....I did and found it as much fun as my first run through (though I died much more!)
The addition of sheikah slate again would be awesome. I've not doubt, Nintendo's designers have left the code in the game but unused. Some hackers will have it working again in a year or two no doubt!
@electrolite77 Actually no.
The second screen has no impact on performance. The Wii U version performs more than well enough, pretty much on point with a docked Switch.
It has been long acknowledged the removal was for FEATURE PARITY with Switch, the orders came from the top. Nintendo wanted most gamers to make the jump, the slate would've been a massive bonus to the Wii U edition and would've hindered Switch sales.
Had Wii U kept the slate is would've been the definitive version regardless.
@Hikingguy I can answer that for ya. Master mode is a separate file. It's nice because on my normal file I'm collecting everything.
@Hikingguy I'm sure that they could fix those slowdowns in the villages if they tried, perhaps disabling some effects or lowering the resolution. I notice the same serious issues after the update, fortunately in the villages only as before.
@Hikingguy For me it's just the opposite regarding 3D Zelda games but it's still nice talking with you.
@liveswired
"The second screen has no impact on performance."
What handles the processing for second screen features then? It isn't the Gamepad.
"The Wii U version performs more than well enough, pretty much on point with a docked Switch"
The Wii U version runs at a lower resolution with a worse framerate.
@Hikingguy So if you pick Master mode from the main game start screen, it goes to another start screen that looks the same but with a red background. I was so eager to get started in Master Mode instead of picking Master Mode I accidentally picked Start a New Game. I got about 30 minutes in and realized it wasn't any harder. I came to my senses and wrapped my head around my mistake. So yeah you can keep all of your orginal data just be sure to pick Master Mode from the menu.
@Hikingguy Another thing I noticed. They've actually added a couple of enemies with the latest update. So just north of Tarrey Town, there is a little patch of 4 yellow leaved trees down next to the water. There's a raft right by them. I always scour this area when looking for Energetic Rhino Beetles so I know it very well. There was never a ring of small rock enemies there before and now there is. Also, right across the lake from Tarrey Town in the Marsh, there has always been 2 walking Guardians now there is also another stationary Guardian that wakes up when you get close. I always scour this area gor Ancient Parts and know it very well. There could be more in other areas I haven't noticed. It seems as if the devs. wanted to fill in some emptier spots with a bit more challenge.
@Hikingguy Yeah I'm lucky if you see it that way. Some brilliant remasters as well: two on 3DS and two on Wii U including my favourite games.
@Hikingguy Ocarina of Time 3D and Majora's Mask 3D both have better frame rate and nicer visuals. Majora's Mask 3D has fishing added including "boss battles" and an easier way to complete the side quests which are the best in the whole series. Both games have one of the best 3D effects I've ever seen on 3DS.
Twilight Princess HD has much better resolution and textures. The controls are also a bit better on Wii U. It is an awesome game with great characters and story and looks much better than before.
I really recommend the three of them to all of you.
I got the DLC 2 this weekend and now I have a renewed interest in BOTW. I finished all shrines and final boss a few months ago but didn’t got interest in playing it again. This new DLC looks awesome so far. I loved the shrines in the game and having new shrines to discover now is really great.
Strangely I haven't seen this update pop up in the download management of my Wii U?
Version 1.4.1, AKA v192. It's a hotfix for 1.4.0. Those involved in the Cemu scene for BotW think that at the very least, it may fix a spawning issue in the new DLC shrines and for the Boss at the end of the new DLC.
Also, video evidence can now be found on Youtube for BotW in Cemu v1.11.2 that shader packs used with BotW v1.4.0 are still usable, and that frame rates may be a little more consistent, staying above 50 FPS more frequently in the field, and staying above 40 FPS more frequently in populated areas/towns, although more testing is needed.
@electrolite77 The only reason it was cut was to make sure the Switch edition was the superior edition.
Abit like when Nintendo used 16:9 to push the Wii version as the best version of Twilight Princess.
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