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I finally did it—after much doubt and soul-searching, I’ve officially joined the next-generation of gaming.

Well, sort of…I bought a Wii U.

Nintendo and I have shared a rather strained relationship over the years, one that began with the sweet, puppy dog love of the original NES, climaxed with the birth of the SNES, and then has since slowly withered from the N64 onward. Nevertheless, much like a man still smitten by his first crush, I have never been able to turn my back on the Big N completely.

And so, after Nintendo’s strong performance at this year’s E3, I began to seriously consider a Wii U, even if I have yet to buy the true system of my dreams—a PS4. But a worthwhile deal on Newegg and a moment of weakness later, I bit my lip and finally went for it. Within a few days, a shiny Wii U was waiting at my doorstep and soon adorning my entertainment system.

What do I think of it? In short, I think it’s a pretty slick machine, with some fun community features and a spiffy controller that, in truth, may be a bit fancier than it really needs to be. Below are my impressions of the system, a few games, and some other random things.

The Console (aesthetically)

Although larger and heavier than its predecessor, the Wii U’s rounded curves are a nice improvement over the more boxy and angular Wii. But truthfully, neither is as striking as the PS4.

The Interface

In honesty, I was a bit lost upon my earliest moments with the system, what with a hundred Miis storming the TV screen and another menu flashing at me from the controller. I’ve since come to appreciate these quirky displays, but it did take me a while to learn what every icon was for, how to properly navigate the dual interfaces of TV and touch screen, and why certain features are even necessary (I sometimes wish I could get rid of all those Miis ambling about, and the Nintendo TVii function offers little of real importance to me).

The Controller

As I said before, the controller is ultra fancy, with a bright, high quality display and a comfortable, ergonomic feel. But the thing also baffles me; I often find myself torn between looking at the screen or the TV, and the thing is so big, I usually just rest it on my lap as I play. Other features, like the built-in camera and headphone jack, are pleasant surprises, even if I’ve yet to really use them (outside a sad attempt of constructing my Mii’s face with the camera’s face construction software).

Various Apps and Icons

Mostly disappointing, I haven’t found the included apps to be all that worthwhile outside of Miiverse, a cool means of sharing comments and drawings with other gamers, and the web browser. Where are the nifty News and Forecast channels of the original Wii? Where are the quirky distractions like the Check Mii Out Channel, which challenged users to create Miis in the likeness of real world people or characters? (I got a snazzy one of Alf several years ago.) And worst of all, the Virtual Console is a woeful disappointment compared to its predecessor (which wasn’t perfect itself). Outside some NES, SNES, and GBA games, it’s practically a ghost town of content. To access Sega Genesis, TurboGrafx-16, and other console software, one has to return to the original Wii version of the Virtual Console.

The Wii U Virtual Console is severely lacking in content, but at least some GBA games have surfaced.

System Transfer

Speaking of which, I eventually decided to transfer all my Wii data to the Wii U, which meant having to power up both systems, download a special app to each one, activate each in the given order, and then wait as a series of Pikmin grabbed my old VC/WiiWare purchases and whisked them to the superior console. And while the Pikmin were cute, the rest of the process was long, ungainly and, honestly, silly in an era where everyone’s account is usually tied to a user name and password, not the system itself. Oh, and once the data is copied from the original Wii, it can’t ever be accessed there again. No one has ever accused Nintendo of generosity.

The Games

Lastly, I tried out some games, namely Mario Kart 8 and New Super Mario Bros. U. The latter is a perfectly fine but completely unremarkable Mario game, although the integrated Miiverse features are nifty—in a move similar to Dark Souls, players can leave messages for others around the map screen. But obviously, Mario Kart is the true star here, with vivacious graphics and fantastical tracks that can spellbind in their beauty. Indeed, the Mushroom Kingdom and its surrounding lands have never been rendered so splendidly, nor any other racer that I can recall. The gameplay, of course, is typical of the other games in the series, with nasty blue and red shells often snatching away a would-be first place trophy, but at least the on-line works well.

I also played around with Nintendo Land for a brief time—it definitely does an able job demonstrating all the quirks and features of that controller (and oddly, the older Wii Remotes), but the games are largely disposable affairs. Alas, if only on-line play had been supported.

Mario Kart 8 may be the prettiest racer in ages, and boasts a nice roster of characters.

Lasting Thoughts

I don’t regret the purchase, and that should say enough right there. Indeed, while the Wii U can’t match the competition’s in terms of true processor horsepower—a tradeoff certainly due to that expensive controller—there’s no denying that the system stands unique this generation. Its greatest fault is simply the lack of games—anyone looking for something big or epic will almost inevitably have to seek an Xbox One or PS4 at some point. (Zelda Wii U won’t be appearing until probably late 2015.)

My personal view—if you love Nintendo, get a Wii U. Simple as that. There are plenty of entertaining games coming soon.

But if you’re like me and hold a more ambivalent view of the company, perhaps buy that PS4 first, and then consider a Wii U as a secondary console. Indeed, if Nintendo ever gets smart and drops the retail price again, just go for it.

 

Thanks to www.wiiudaily.com and www.ign.com for the images.