The Eighth Console Generation: Will the Duck Buy…the Wii U?

With a new generation of consoles upon us, every gamer has to think about if they’ll be buying the new consoles and which ones.  With unpleasant rumors circulating about and consoles seeming to emphasize games less and less, it is more than just a matter of buying a new console that has the games you want on it.  And so I decided I’m going to write a short series on the new generation of consoles and my thoughts on them, including why I will or will not end up buying a particular console.  Today, I start out with the console I am most familiar with, the Wii U (information obtained from Wikipedia).

The Wii U (reasonably priced at $300, making it the cheapest console out there) is Nintendo’s successor to the Wii, a console that was a lot of fun, even if the motion controls of the Wiimote eventually got old.  Well, I suppose it is good timing then that the Wii U is coming out, with a somewhat more traditional controller than that of the Wii (aside from the huge screen in the middle, which I have mixed feelings about).  The Wii U will finally have HD graphics, which doesn’t matter to me either way, but I know others will be happy.  And it also appears that they will eventually be adding GameCube games to the selection of Virtual Console games because they decided to not make the Wii U backwards compatible with the GameCube even though the Wii was.  At least, this console is backwards compatible with Wii games, but I think some may be bothered that they might need to start using their Wii as a GameCube while they play Wii and Wii U games on the new console (or else they will need to buy their GameCube games over again on the Virtual Console).

Hmm, so I really have mixed feelings about this console.  I love Nintendo, so I will likely buy it so that I can get the new “Zelda” games and “Metroid” and “Super Smash Bros.” (though, I am less than thrilled about the new “SSB” ever since finding out the Wii Fit Trainer and the “Animal Crossing” main character will be two of the playable characters, when we could have possibly had, perhaps, characters people like a lot more and that actually have fans, maybe, I don’t know).  I am excited to get new entries in some of my favorite series, but at the same time, I certainly can’t be certain those games will actually be released during this console’s lifetime or will be any good (“Wind Waker” HD is not a new “Zelda” game; try again).

I also find making it not backwards compatible with GameCube games a bit silly.  For me, my Wii won’t read GCN memory cards, the stupid thing, so I still need a GameCube to play my games.  It seems, if the Wii U will play my Wii games just fine, my Wii will become obsolete before my GameCube does (I’m not buying my games over again on the Virtual Console; games are expensive enough as it is without buying them twice, and then a third time once the next console comes out, probably).

I also am not sure about that new controller, which appears to be like playing a giant GameBoy Advance, but with different buttons.  I think it’s pretty neat that you can continue playing the game on the controller instead of the TV, which should make console games more portable, but at the same time, I wonder how awkward it will be playing this thing normally.  People wanted a normal controller after the Wiimote.  This isn’t quite that.  But, maybe I’m a complainer.  (And I hear the rechargeable battery only lasts several hours before losing power, which sounds quite annoying.  And I whined that my Wiimote only lasted a month when my 360 controller lasted a couple months….).

So I think the biggest thing the Wii U has going for it, at least for me, is the fact that this console is a Nintendo console, meaning there is the potential for some good games, and because it is the most traditional of the consoles being released at this time.  (I miss the days when game consoles only played games….)  At the same time, I still am not sure about the strange controller or its inability to remain charged for very long.  Well, I suppose someday I will get this console, but I’m going to wait a while until some better games come out.  And for prices to go down.

The Duck Wants a Wii D; Guess What the D Stands For

6 thoughts on “The Eighth Console Generation: Will the Duck Buy…the Wii U?”

    1. Yeah, I’ve always liked Nintendo consoles because they are something you can just have fun with. Sometimes I’m just in the mood for something nice like “Mario” or “Zelda” or even “Animal Crossing”.

  1. I really thought I could ignore the “I want a Wii U NOW!” feelings long enough for another price drop, but I can’t quite get over just how much I want to play Super Mario 3D World. I have a feeling that I might break before Christmas, but we’ll see. I don’t even mind the goofy large controller anymore. I like the idea of not being tethered to a console to play games now-a-days.

    1. For now, I am able to resist the call of the Wii U, but it all depends on what games come out. I always think I can resist, until a good game comes out, then I’m powerless to say no, as was the case of the Wii. (I couldn’t help but buy one once “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” came out.) And I guess I’ll just have to see how that controller is when I finally do get the Wii U. It looks silly, but I guess I won’t really know until I try it.

  2. Got mine for my birthday. It feels like a home console version of the DS models, with the controller screen being an options screen in order to not interrupt game flow. That you can drag the main screen onto your controller, and play while others use the TV, is a nifty trick.

    Have had Nintendo Land, NFS: Most Wanted, Sonic Racing, Darksiders 2 and Batman: Arkham City. NL wasn’t as addictive as Wii Sports was, NFS was useful but the controller screen a bit optional at times, Darksiders 2 was great for switching weapons and looking at maps, and Batman does some good and bad things with the second screen.

    Since PS4 and XB1 are both planning a similar controller (Downloadable app and Smartglass), the ‘second screen’ idea is an available option whichever system you buy.

    Like you, Duck, I buy a home console to play games, not run an entertainment centre. But that’s old-school thinking these days.

    The battery life depends on how you use it. Play with controller screen only and the battery does not last as long. With normal use, it can last a full day of playing, and a week with a couple hours play per day. Not weeks, but supposedly the PS4 and XB1 controllers are in a similar boat.

    I believe it a reasonable step up from the Wii, with HD for those who are swayed by graphics quality, and the usual Nintendo quality first-party games.

    I am happy I got the system =)

    1. I’ll likely get the Wii U someday, but I’m going to wait a while longer until there’s more games I want. And while I do wish they’d go back to regular controllers again, that second screen does look like it can be pretty handy.

      Ah, so the other consoles are going to have similar controllers, you say? Neat. That’ll be a good feature for those consoles if that Wii U controller does end up being to my liking.

      Good to see there’s another person that likes their consoles for games only. Ah, the olden days…not that I want to go back to memory cards and cartridges. I would like controllers with wires again, though. Darn batteries.

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