One Life Left: Wii-U

Both the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One made their debuts earlier this holiday season, ushering in the next generation of video game consoles. With each company vying for early supremacy and gamers around the world chomping at the bit for information on the two new machines, I did what any responsible game reviewer would do: I went out and bought a Wii U.

Nintendo released the console in November 2012 to resounding “meh”. Dismissed as a gimmick by hardcore gamers who felt burned by the original Wii, the Wii U had trouble finding an audience outside of die-hard Nintendo fans. Fast forward a year or so, and Nintendo has had time to fill out the Wii U’s library to respectable levels and it only looks to be getting better. I figured it was time to give the console a shot.

While the two main competing consoles are vying for technical supremacy, Nintendo has stuck to what it knows best and made a console with some unique features that will allow for more interesting game design. In this case the touch pad controller is this console’s claim to fame. The controller sports all of the buttons that most gamers will expect on a controller, but swaps out smooth triggers for more traditional shoulder buttons.

The first game I picked up was Super Mario 3D World. Mario’s latest outing is a joy to play, and despite some frustrating holdover mechanics (can we get rid of lives, please?) the game is a must have for any Wii U owner. While the majority of the game consists of fairly standard Mario platforming, some sections of the game require the player to manipulate the environment by touching parts of it on the screen, or blowing onto the microphone. These moments flow quite well with the rest of the gameplay, and satisfied my need for a game that actually used my fancy new controller.

After finishing up most of 3D Land, I decided to take a look at Rayman: Legends, the sequel to the excellent Rayman: Origins. Legends features the co-op platforming that its predecessor did, but with an added bonus. Some levels require one of the players to take the Wii U Controller and play as a frog fairy named Murphy to manipulate the environment. This might sound similar to 3D Land’s use of the gamepad, and it is, but Legends executes the idea so much better. While early levels have the players navigating the environment by cutting ropes and stunning invulnerable enemies, later stages include more complicated segments such as the one where Murphy has to keep the rest of the players hidden from lasers. Playing these levels with friends provides a manic, but somehow doable co-op experience that you will not find anywhere else.

While I did not get to play more than a couple of games using the touch pad, I quite enjoyed the games I did play. That being said, there are some noticeable downsides to Nintendo’s focus on innovation over technology.

Because the Wii U is more comparable in power to an Xbox 360 or a Playstation 3 than it is to the next gen consoles, it will most likely not be able to run many of the new titles hitting store shelves in the upcoming years. That means that if you are going to want to play any of those games, you are going to have to shell out for one of the other consoles, or a powerful PC. The Wii U is far and away the most interesting home console out there right now, and Nintendo is making strides to make it a console that can appeal to casual and hardcore gamers alike. On the other hand, it will most likely not be able to run the slew of new games that come out for the Next Gen consoles.

Nintendo has produced a respectable library for the Wii U, but it is up in the air as to whether they will be able to support it in the future. As for whether you should buy one of these things, I can only give you a resounding “maybe”. If the games keep on coming out for it, it will probably give you some of the most enjoyable and interesting titles you will see this generation. If not, your Wii U might end up gathering dust.

Even with that risk, I love this console so far, and if you are willing to bet on some more interesting games coming out, the Wii U will not disappoint. I hope.