Retrospective: Nintendo Wii U (2012)

Remembering the innovative but ill-fated console.

The Nintendo Wii U is regarded by many critics and fans as Nintendo's biggest failure in recent years. It was the follow up system to the immensely popular Wii console that took the world by storm. Released back in November 18, 2012, it was billed as a Wii for "Core" gamers after the latter's aim on the casual audience. Featuring HD graphics (a first for a Nintendo console), better online infrastructure, and increased focus on third-party game output, it ultimately flopped due to multiple factors. It also just turned 10 years old! As a fan and early adopter of the console, I'll delve into the system's short lived life in celebration of its 10th anniversary with a retrospective!

Part One: Origin

After the juggernaut success of the Wii, Nintendo began early development of its next console shortly after the Wii's release back in 2006. Known as "Project Cafe", the new console would bring a unique twist. When finally showcased in 2011, the Wii successor would be paired with a new, innovative controller and be given the name, "Wii U" (relying on the familiar Wii name). Dubbed the "Gamepad", it's a tablet with a touchscreen that serves as the main controller for the Wii U, allowing you to navigate through the system menu, watch videos, use as a map or second-screen in games, continue playing games when someone is using the TV, and double up as a TV remote to change channels. A neat innovation but not without a few drawbacks as the console needs to be turned on for the Gamepad to fully function and not more than a couple of meters away-- basically it's a streaming tablet and the concept of a handheld/console hybrid would later be seen in the Nintendo Switch. What gave the Gamepad an edge, however, was its low-latency as the signal from the console was smooth and rarely choppy.

The Wii U Gamepad also came with a
stylus for touch inputs.

As for the system itself, its design was closely based on the Wii featuring a more sleeker, rounded look that was pleasing on the eyes. The Gamepad's design was neat, packing an 6.2-inch screen and just being overall comfortable to hold despite its size. In terms of performance, the Wii U was mostly on par with Xbox 360 and PS3 featuring HD graphics, which the Wii lacked. However, it released a year before the actual competition, the PS4 and Xbox One, both of which outgunned the Wii U in terms of power. This would factor in the low third-party support it received with publisher EA stating that the "Frostbite" engine that powered the Battlefield games couldn't run on the hardware.

The likes of Ubisoft, Activision, and EA supported the system with Assassins Creed III, Mass Effect 3, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 initially but games like Assassin's Creed Unity, The Division, and Far Cry 4 would immediately head to the competition due to hardware limitations. Still, the system got a few impressive ports with Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge. In the end, the third-party offerings were so dry that I eventually bought a PS4 to keep up with the newest games.

The Legend of Zelda tech demo showcased during the
Wii U's announcement.

Part Two: What's New?

The Wii U had some cool features that made it an appealing console for Nintendo fans despite lacking in power. The introduction of Nintendo Network was a direct move to compete with PSN and Xbox Live and meant that players can exchange ID tags rather than the archaic "Friend Codes" of the Wii. It was also free like PSN and players can interact with each other by playing online, sharing screenshots, status updates, and even drawings among others with "Miiverse", a Facebook-like app for the system. It was a super neat feature as many Wii U games had Miiverse communities and it was easy to chat with players about their favorite games. It was so popular that Super Smash Bros for Wii U featured a Miiverse stage that showcased players' drawings and notes in real time, which was a nice touch. The iconic "Mii" avatars are back and you use them to post on Miiverse as well as be playable characters in games like Nintendo Land and aforementioned Super Smash Bros.-- You could import your old Miis from your Wii as well.

The Gamepad acted as a second-screen or map in games.

The Wii U featured an "eShop" that sold digital games and more notably classic Nintendo games from the NES, SNES, N64, GBA, DS, and Wii eras, making it a perfect place for fans of Nintendo's retro catalog. Well, mostly as the absence of GameCube games was a jarring move. I remember spending tons of hours scouring the eShop looking for deals and anxiously waiting for the newest retro games to drop every couple of months-- I was obsessed with getting GBA games as I missed out on many great games on that system. You could additionally download streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu for the system and watch on the Gamepad as well.

This year had me buying up a lot of games as Nintendo announced that the Wii U and 3DS eShops would shut down for good in March of next year. The Wii U was backwards compatible with the Wii as you can play Wii games and even use accessories such as the Wiimote and Balance Board on the newer system too by tapping the Wii Mode on the menu. Amusingly, the Wii U's discs were quirky in classic Nintendo fashion as the edges of the disc are softly padded, giving them a soft and nice feel.

You could shop till you drop with the neat
selection of retro offerings in store.

Part Three: Why did It Fail?

As a concept, Wii U sounded good on paper and packed features that would entice both hardcore fans and casuals, but it ultimately fell short of Nintendo's expectations. Among the reasons why the Wii U struggled to gain traction was its naming. Relying the popular "Wii" name created confusion as the general public would think it's just an add-on accessory or game for the Wii and not a full-on console.

During its announcement, Nintendo of America's then-president Reggie Fils-Aime commented on the name, stating: "It's a system we will all enjoy together but also one that's tailor-made for you". A confusing statement that didn't help the already confused public. Regarding the issue, former Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata stated that: "We feel deeply responsible for not having tried hard enough to have consumers understand the product" in a financial briefing years later.

Game Informer did a spectacular video on YouTube where they walked up to people to ask them about Wii U and their reactions were that they never heard of it or thought it was an add-on to the Wii with most being surprised that it was actually a console. The aforementioned third-party support waned after the initial launch with the console's low install base being a factor. Ubisoft's boss commented in an interview that "We need more sold", a financially-driven statement as the Wii U lacked the significant reach the competition had for big third-parties to bother putting in the time and effort.

Some third-party games like Rayman Legends felt at-home on Wii U.

When the Wii U launched in late 2012, it was sold in two bundles: a "Deluxe" black 32GB bundle and "Basic" white 8GB bundle. As you can guess, the storage options were puny compared to Sony and Microsoft's 500GB consoles and the ever-rising storage requirements of games didn't do the Wii U any favors-- I had to get a 64 GB USB stick for Bayonetta 2 when it launched as my console was nearly full. That and the processing power needed for 8th gen games were taxing on the Wii U.

The marketing ads didn't help the Wii U as it conflicted with the core gamer aim, pandering more to younger audiences and families. Nintendo carried the system in 2014 with big hits like Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2, and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. That year was the most I've played on my Wii U due to sheer amount of games that got released, I only wished that it would've been smooth sailing from there. The coming years would see far and few exclusives like Devil's Third, Tokyo Mirage Sessions, Star Fox Zero and Xenoblade Chronicles X coming from time to time.

A Wii U infographic prior to its release.

In my opinion, the Wii U also failed due to hardware shortcomings, which affected the console's appeal. Its biggest issue was the poor battery life which would last you around 4-5 hrs of use and the battery would dry up fast if you're strictly gaming on it. Additionally, the proprietary tech used in the Gamepad made it near-impossible to fix locally and had to be sent to Nintendo's official channels for repairs (a potentially costly endeavour). You had to buy another Wii U console should your Gamepad end up stolen or lost as Nintendo didn't sell separate Gamepads until 2015 for the Japanese market. Worse yet, the Gamepad was region-locked so the aforementioned issue still remained. All in all, a stupid move since the thing's the primary controller.

Part Four: Legacy

There were lessons to be learned from the Wii U as the console managed to reach lifetime sales of 13.5 million units worldwide, a complete disaster compared to its predecessor's 100 million units. In early 2017, Nintendo announced their plans to discontinue the system after 4 years on the market with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild being the last first-party title on the console. In the same year, it was succeeded by the Nintendo Switch, a console-handheld hybrid and evolution of the Gamepad controller where you can actually play your games on the go.

In another interview with NoA's then-boss Reggie, he stated that the Wii U was necessary step for them to get to the Nintendo Switch. He noted that Nintendo learned from the Wii U's mistakes and offered more streamlined tools for developers, more clear marketing for consumers with the Switch, and stronger third-party support. So the silver lining here is that Nintendo learned from its mistakes and quickly rebounded as the Nintendo Switch managed to break the 100 million mark, overtaking the Wii!

The Nintendo Switch was a financial success that defied expectations.

With all the good said, it's wrong to just rule out the Wii U as a complete flop. It laid the framework for what the Switch would become as well as launch games like Splatoon, a brand new multiplayer game from Nintendo that is going strong today with a third entry. Super Mario Maker was a hit when it debuted, increasing the console's appeal for a while and it recently got a sequel on Switch. PlatinumGames developed a Star Fox game for the console, even if it wasn't all that amazing. Also, the Wii U was crucial during the Amiibo craze with the Gamepad being able to scan the figures for extra goodies in games-- the Switch carried this feature as Nintendo's newer games still has Amiibo support. The Wii U's Virtual Console set the standard for what to expect from a Nintendo store with a wide selection of legacy titles and even a shop theme, and both are sorely lacking in the Switch's eShop. In short, we can say that the console had its share of positives.

Gaming visionary Shigeru Miyamoto playing a demo of the
then-upcoming Star Fox Zero.

Closing Thoughts

I've had nothing but wonderful memories with my Wii U. After the console's got announced, I was saving hard on money and getting good grades in school so I can buy the Deluxe bundle. I would scour YouTube for more Wii U news to get hyped. I vividly remember the launch period where I went to Best Buy in December 2012 and returning home and setting the console up for the first time. I instantly fell in love with Nintendo Land and had fond memories playing it with my brothers over 10 years ago.

Looking back, the selection of games was small but were stellar with Nintendo's first-party games being modern classics-- Mario Kart 8 dominated sales charts years after its debut after getting ported on the Switch! The console's menu was also cool to browse and I often enjoyed listening to the catchy system music. Sure, my Wii U collected dust at times when there was nothing new to play, but I'd still invite my cousins to play Super Smash Bros. and Nintendo Land on weekends, which was fun and a memorable part of my teen years. Nowadays, I baby my Wii U as it's discontinued with replacements being expensive and I use it as a retro-machine, playing old GBA/SNES/N64/Wii games. Recently I've been buying-up some eShop games before its closure, so it's safe to that my backlog on the console will last me for years to come.

Thanks for reading through this lengthy retrospective and if you're a fan of the Wii U, then feel free to share your thoughts and memories too!