My earliest gaming memories are of coming home from kindergarten and playing Super Mario All-Stars on my sisters Super Nintendo. I grew up on Nintendo, moving on to the Nintendo 64 and owning a Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Advance.
| This gaming monopoly was broken when I received a PlayStation for Christmas in the early 2000’s, but I continued to rally behind my original team. I waited with bated breath when Nintendo announced that they were working on Project Dolphin, the codename for what would be the Nintendo GameCube. But then Sony released the PlayStation 2. My allegiance was shattered, set in cement by a PlayStation 2 for christmas and some time spent with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4. The next time I’d own a Nintendo console would be in 2008 when my sister sold me a Nintendo Wii. My relationship with my Wii was rocky, and I eventually succumbed to trading it in when Sony refreshed the PlayStation 3 and I purchased a 120GB Slim. This month I was excited about a Nintendo console. It’s not a new release slated for 2015 or a secret project. It’s the Nintendo Wii U and the future promised to me during the latest Nintendo Direct. |
The Nintendo Wii U was released in the end of 2012 and was heavily criticized for using underpowered hardware and launching with a poor line-up of playable games. Ridiculed and kicked to the gutter, Nintendo saw extremely poor sales, with the company changing their sales forecasts and pricing in an attempt to stay relevant. For the first year of it’s life things looked dire for the Wii U, with fears of Nintendo becoming the next Sega amongst calls for Nintendo’s President Satoru Iwata to resign. With the world telling you to stop making consoles and start selling software on smartphones and tablets, it would be hard for the company to get out of their slump, but not impossible.
Just when all seemed lost, Nintendo started to pull themselves out of the mud with Mario Kart 8. The grandfather of franchise racers returned to blow the start of 2014 out of the water, and helped the Wii U see an 666% sales increase in the UK alone. Critically and financially successful, Mario Kart 8 seemed like the only game worth getting a Wii U for. One game doesn't save a console, but Nintendo’s upcoming line-up might.
Nintendo Direct is an online presentation that streams directly to the public and stars leading figures from the company talking about Nintendo Hardware and Software. Usually boring and awkwardly Japanese, the latest Nintendo Direct renewed my interest in the company and everything that it’s doing or plans to do. With a pinch of nostalgia, Nintendo are using familiar characters and franchises coupled with impressive gameplay videos and new ways to interact with existing characters and the worlds they inhabit. Creating levels with Mario Maker, leveling up characters with the Skylanders-like, Amiibo and returning to Hyrule in the new Legend of Zelda is just a glimpse into the crystal ball.
It seems like the perfect time to purchase a Wii U. The poor start to it’s life has lead many retailers to advertise the console and it’s accessories below recommended retail pricing, with the consoles and bundles selling from anywhere between £100-£220 pounds. Pricing like this takes it out of the sights of Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One, and brings it in direct competition with quasi-consoles like the Ouya. But where the Android based console market appears to be stalling, the Wii U may be in the perfect position to strike.
Just when all seemed lost, Nintendo started to pull themselves out of the mud with Mario Kart 8. The grandfather of franchise racers returned to blow the start of 2014 out of the water, and helped the Wii U see an 666% sales increase in the UK alone. Critically and financially successful, Mario Kart 8 seemed like the only game worth getting a Wii U for. One game doesn't save a console, but Nintendo’s upcoming line-up might.
Nintendo Direct is an online presentation that streams directly to the public and stars leading figures from the company talking about Nintendo Hardware and Software. Usually boring and awkwardly Japanese, the latest Nintendo Direct renewed my interest in the company and everything that it’s doing or plans to do. With a pinch of nostalgia, Nintendo are using familiar characters and franchises coupled with impressive gameplay videos and new ways to interact with existing characters and the worlds they inhabit. Creating levels with Mario Maker, leveling up characters with the Skylanders-like, Amiibo and returning to Hyrule in the new Legend of Zelda is just a glimpse into the crystal ball.
It seems like the perfect time to purchase a Wii U. The poor start to it’s life has lead many retailers to advertise the console and it’s accessories below recommended retail pricing, with the consoles and bundles selling from anywhere between £100-£220 pounds. Pricing like this takes it out of the sights of Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One, and brings it in direct competition with quasi-consoles like the Ouya. But where the Android based console market appears to be stalling, the Wii U may be in the perfect position to strike.
Ouya and other Android based consoles promised quality gaming for roughly £100, but failed due to limited developer support and a tiny user base.
I could see the Wii U being the perfect companion to my PlayStation 4, which still lacks an exclusive, console selling title. Worse still, I’m currently building a gaming PC, further voiding my need for a next-gen console. What I really want is a console that I can have fun playing. I want to sink into something bright and fun, with the option to play by myself or with someone else. Nintendo might not know how to make fantastic console’s, but at the right price and with great software, the Wii U may be set to make a comeback.
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