Well, I finally got around to really playing with the Wii U...and now I want one.
Nintendo reminded me why we fell in love with the Wii. It wasn't about the graphics, it was about the experience. I believe the Wii U is failing, not because of the product, but because of branding and promotion. The product itself, it is incredible. The Wii U is really a step up for the Wii, building on the already established concepts, but making them smoother and more enjoyable across the board.
I played three games pretty extensively. Two of which have been out since the early days of the console and one which is brand new:
- Nintendoland: a Nintendo virtual theme park where the attractions place your Mii characters into the world of Nintendo's video game franchises. These are mostly party games, and I found myself challenged at times, fully engaged, and always smiling. This game is a ton of fun and it really levels the playing field for gamers and non-gamers to play together.
- Mario kart 8: This popular series is always a huge seller, but the past two console iterations have failed to bring as much excitement to the series. Mario Kart: Double Dash for the Gamecube was too slow, co-op controls were often awkward and unnecessary. Mario Kart Wii, was fun but didn't seem to really improve by adding bikes. It really just maintained the status quo. However, MK8's smooth graphics, high speed action, and added kart customization makes this game a much more thorough and exciting experience.
- Super Smash Brothers Wii U: The Smash Bros. series is one of my favorites. I fell in love with it at church group tournament where we played the N64 version. I had never played it before, and it was so much fun that it (along with 007: Goldeneye, of course) led my brother and I to save up our money so we could by the console. Melee for the Gamecube was a step up, increased speed and precision made for hours of fun with my friends. But Brawl on the Wii was a disappointment. It was cluttered, random, and certain characters were overpowered, and beloved characters were weakened. It was so bad, a group made a mod called Project M, just to fix what Brawl had messed up.
Then I played SSB for Wii U and it is everything that Brawl should have been. There is character customization, and level editing, but what really matters is the gameplay. Beautiful, smooth, fast paced, and engaging. Smash Brothers battles are fun again
So I quickly described these games and didn't once mention the Gamepad. The massive (yet not uncomfortable) controller with a touchscreen that makes so much of these games possible. It works wonderfully, and while Nintendoland cannot exist without it, it alone is not what makes this system special.
Nintendo has created games that bring people together, they want you to sit around and enjoy company. They want people of all ages to be entertained. Multiplayer on other next gen consoles creates seperation. You play at your house with a headset on and I play at mine with a headset on. No one playing the game is truly interacting, and in your own home you separate yourself from what is going on around you.
There is a local community centered feeling around the Wii U, which is maybe a reason why Nintendo has been so reluctant to online gaming for so long. Perhaps they didn't want people to be apart from one another. Perhaps they wanted to remind people what it is like to go over to someone's house, sit down, talk, laugh, and play a game together. That is the type of atmosphere that will produce more gospel centered conversations, not headsets and faster internet speeds, but people being together and sharing life with one another. I think the Wii U helps people do just that.
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