Saturday, November 21, 2015

If you don't want a Wii U, that's okay

    So many of you probably know that I enjoy playing the Wii U and 3DS. There have been some great games for both systems and there still a few I look forward to playing. However, I am not you. If you are not convinced by now of the catalog filled with variety and many unique ideas, then there is no reason for me to try and convince you otherwise. If your decision is solely based on the "okay" E3 digital event as opposed to the E3 week, then I have some concerns. The concern is quite simple and is that "Do you enjoy games?" This question is fair because it is often tossed around in the gaming community about who is a true gamer. It is especially fair in light of the backlash surrounding a game in which its only "crime" is its name. Are you a true fan or a fanatic? The game looks interesting and I might get it but I'll reserve judgment for when it actually releases.

    If you care more about a single title than actual gameplay, then I would argue you are not a gamer. Do you consider games art? Then you shouldn't care about what title is on it and let the developers do what they want. Do you just want something to play and then toss it aside to play through another title and repeat the cycle? I would say you are either a game reviewer or addicted. The first bears no real problem but the second can be devious. The thing about addictions is that you stop being able to enjoy what you are addicted to. A real glutton doesn't care so much about taste but the feel of something going down his throat. Likewise, the "gamedicted" becomes incapable of really enjoying the games he plays but rather sees it as a chore or just something that needs to be done. Sometimes I asked myself if I was addicted but I am reassured when I find I can go a few weeks without caring to play a game. Yesterday, I was intending to play something but it never happened and I didn't care. Perhaps we have destroyed the art of gaming for ourselves by obtaining loads of games instead of being content with very few per year. You have likely heard it not only from me but also others that buying only a few games per year actually helps you enjoy them even more and that should be the goal of playing games in the first place and having unique experiences. At least that is what Nintendo has had as its mission this entire time. Yes, they make some horrible mistakes, but I do appreciate their philosophy as their focus is not about competition but about the actual enjoyment of games they want to make, even if we don't want to play them. Splatoon's DLC model? That's perhaps the biggest clue that we need to start small and focus on that.

    Let me go through and list the great exclusives that I have enjoyed for Wii U and heard others have as well (In no particular order other than what comes to mind first).
  1. Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
  2. Pikmin 3
  3. Bayonetta 2 (plus the Original packed in even though I probably will never play these two)
  4. Wonderful 101
  5. Lego City: Undercover
  6. Super Smash Bros for Wii U
  7. Mario Kart 8
  8. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
  9. Affordable Space Adventures
  10. Shovel Knight (began as a Nintendo and PC exclusive but still touts off TV play)
  11. Batman Arkham CIty: Armored Edition
  12. Super Mario 3D World
  13. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
  14. Splatoon
  15. NintendoLand
  16. Zombie U
  17. Hyrule Warriors
  18. Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze
  19. New Super Mario Bros. U
  20. New Super Luigi U
  21. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
  22. NES Remix
  23. Sonic and All Star Racing: Transformed (Not an exclusive but has the exclusive feature to allow for 5 local players, not even MarioKart 8 does that)
  24. Wii Party U
  25. Various Virtual Console releases (Metriod Prime Trilogy, Mega Man Battle Network 3, etc.)
  26. Yoshi's Woolly World
  27. Art Academy
  28. Super Mario Maker
Here are games for Wii U that I and others look forward to
  1. Xenoblade Chronicles X
  2. StarFox Zero
  3. Legend of Zelda U
  4. Various Virtual Console releases
So yes, Nintendo has arguably the best exclusive lineup out of all of the current consoles. So if these titles don't catch you eye, then I don't need to talk to you about buying one. The only thing I ask is that you don't try to keep others from enjoying the system and its greatness. Otherwise I will really think you are not a true gamer because you would be acting in direct opposition to the enjoyment of playing games.
Other things to consider in no particular order:
  1. Can play all of the Wii Classics from Wii Sports to Skyward Sword (as well as that Capcom fighting crossover)
  2. Unique gameplay opportunities
  3. Some multi-platform titles are actually best on the Wii U (E.g. Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Arkham City, etc.)
  4. Other Multi-platform games are playable on PC and some extend their lifetime even more due to mods
  5. At $300 (or $250 for the Smash-Splatoon Bundle this Black Friday) for the Deluxe set, it's still the cheapest console on the current market
  6. Has External Harddrive support (so you can just buy the basic model and just buy a 2TB external drive for the $50 you probably saved)
  7. It will be more playable when you have children due to content as well as off TV support. Even Amazon Instant Video and Youtube can be watched on the Gamepad alone
  8. Easier to convince your family and non-gamer girlfriend to play and have a good time
  9. Still the best party console (Wii Party U can actually be a bit fun)
  10. Virtual Console Titles have Restore Points which make overcoming some difficult sections a lot smoother
  11. Miiverse has a lot of neat art
  12. Asynchronous multiplayer means less screen cheating
  13. Unlike with Kinect and Move as well as likely Project Morpheus and the PS Camera, the gamepad continues to be used and supported, even in games where it is completely optional
  14. You have plenty of options for controllers and possibly already have all the controllers you need to play

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