From Wii to U - Ugrading to Nintendo's next generation console
Towards the end of 2012 I made a deal with my kids: save £75 each and I will pay the difference to buy a Wii U - Nintendo's successor to the Wii game console. Remarkably they stuck with it and in November 2013, just as attention was turning to Microsoft's and Sony's next generation consoles, we were taking delivery of a shiny new Wii U. In this post I share some thoughts about our experiences moving from Wii to U.
First some context, I have not progressed through the console generations. I'm not a 'hard core' gamer. The Wii was the first console in our household It brought gaming into our living room. From Wii Sports action to Wii Fit activity, from Mario Kart racing to exploring Super Mario Galaxy we have enjoyed our time with the Wii. It has certainly served us well.
Over time the Wii has seen the arrival of several competing attractions: handhelds, tablets, smart phones and an Xbox 360. The Wii started to look a little 'smudged' after we upgraded to bigger HD TV. Slowly, it was seeing less and less use.
Enter the Wii U. Not wholly different in size. It fits in the space the Wii ocuppied. The main obvious difference is the addition of an extra controller with its own touch screen the Wii u gamepad, more on this in a moment
First set up, this was relatively straightforward and it was not long before the Wii U was up and running with new Mii characters created for each of our family members. There has been some later tweaking to find the right mix of parental controls linked to online functionality. We never dabbled greatly in the on-line elements of the Wii so I can't make much of a comparison there. What I can say is I found it easier to set up than the 'Xbox live' service previously bought for my son. It was also free.
The main change is the new Wii U gamepad controller. As well as acting as controller with the usually array of buttons and sticks, the addition of a touch screen has changed the experience in two main ways:-
First, as an extra hand held screen to continue playing games when someone wants to watch the TV so called 'off TV play'.
Second, as an extra screen to interact with and change the way games can be played. In some titles the gamepad is totally integral to the gameplay experience. For example, in Zombi U, it becomes a scanner zombi detector map, gun sight, and 'live' inventory management screen. In some multiplayer games it creates a second view on the game for 'asynchronous' play - one player with the game pad sees one view, the others watching the TV another. Play the Mario Chase or Luigi's Ghost Mansion mini games in Nintendoland you'll soon realise what fun this can be! Riotous laughter prevails with some squabbles over whose turn it it to play the gamepad role.
A key thing to point out is the controller is not a seperate independent portable console, you need to be in range of the console. You also need to keep it charged up!
Of course games consoles are not much good without games. Our bundle came with two games on disc -Super Mario U and Super Luigi U, plus codes to download tennis and bowling. At Christmas the game count went up and to include ZombiU(2nd hand), Rayman legends, Sonic All Stars Racing, Just Dance 2014 and Nintendoland. Post January sales we added Pikmin 3, Assassins Creed 3, Deus Ex the Wonderful 101 and Lego City Undercover(2nd hand). By shopping around none of these games have cost more than £20 and some less than a tenner. The only launch day title we have bought has been Mario kart 8. For just around £40 it came with a free racing wheel. The launch offer included a free download code so was in effect two games for the price of one (we chose Legend of Zelda Wind Waker HD). Add a few more downloaded titles in the 'pocket money' category, our entire back catalogue of Wii games -plus some new and second hand Wii games - and we have amassed plenty of games to play!
So the experience. The Wii U is not a radical addition like the Wii. Games are part of the scene now. Its another platform to play them on. It's more an evolution than a revolution. It feels like the console has caught up with the HD TV and the games look good crisp and vibrant and the sound is good. Nintendo's characters look and play well again. Family friendly party gaming is now very much back on the menu in our living room. Mario kart online racing is on the agenda too.
Of course whether you choose to buy a Wii U will no doubt depend on your own circumstances and preferences. If you enjoyed the Wii, the WiiU is a logical progression. If you have invested in Microsoft or Sony consoles I'd say the Wii U is best seen as a contrasting 'companion' rather than a duplicate replacement. In our household the Xbox 360 is still in use. But it is used almost exclusively to play Minecraft and Fifa games (I'm loathe to buy an Xbox One at its current price when the likelihood is that it would used to play Minecraft and Fifa!).
I'd sum up the main positives of the Wii U as follows:-
Some excellent games - a strong family friendly line up - but reasonable variety and some mature titles too
Budget conscious gaming - especially if you are prepared to shop around
Off TV play -keep playing in the same room when someone wants to watch TV
Interesting ways to play - not all games exploit the game pad, but several do in imaginative ways.
Strong 'in room' social gaming. Party gaming lives on.
Relatively easy to use online play options in some games - no need to pay a premium to play online
Wii mode to play existing Wii disks (if you have them)
Wii controllers compatible with many games (if you have them).
Good deals to be had.