The Wii U's Killer Feature

The "killer" feature of the Wii U, and why a Wii U console should be on your list.

[Moonman]

Well written, well said. :)

[kwandar]

I agree - that is clearly the Wii U's killer feature.

[josephayal]

The Wii U is a good, But not a great console, I like it more than I did my Wii

[DoublePlusGoodGames]

I think Nintendo's biggest mistake this holiday was not reducing the console to a sub $200 price point. Had they pulled that off and touted the "remote play" capabilities, they could have easily doubled their holiday sales.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

they didn't need to. Wii U had many deals below 300.

Plus dropping the price means selling at a loss again.

[LOL_WUT]

Yeah but what happened to them being able to take many losses and still not be in the red?

I'd rather they sell the console below $300 in order to get it into as many hands as possible thus getting more recognition and in return some 3rd party support. Just imagine where they'd be if the X1 managed to pull it off i'm sure Nintendo could too ;)

[uth11]

The ps4 remote play is no longer limited to Vita. You can now use cell phones, tablets or the PlayStation TV device. You can use an actual dualshock 4 with these, so key remapping is not a problem. Finally the PS4 has a second-screen capability via the PlayStation App for phones and tablets. I don't see how the Wii has much of an advantage in this area.

[Amigaengine]

"With the Wii U, playing a game using the controller screen is completely seamless, since you’re using exactly the same controller. There’s no button mapping to worry about, no re-learning involved, you simply pick up and play. For anyone who doesn’t have a dedicated TV for their gaming consoles, playing on the Wii U controller screen will be nothing short of liberating."

[kwandar]

Wii U has a huge advantage in this area, Uth11. Outside of the "no mapping required", EVERY game is built with this in mind as it is an integral part of the unit.

Nothing against what the PS4 provides, but it isn't the same as playing with a gamepad. Try it out with friends.

[LamerTamer]

The Wii U is not doing great because of Nintendo. When they released it the FIRST party support was dismal. They had no must have titles for the first year and what third party games they had were worse versions of Xbox 360 games.

It was like they were caught off guard by the release of their own system. There was no Smash, No new Zelda, No 3d Mario (there was only a 720p 2d sidescroller that looked like a buffed up SNES game), No Mario Kart, etc. There is still no mention of a Metroid which should have been known by now. They should have had the stuff that they have now AT LAUNCH. After all the architecture is basically a next gen Gamecube (which is why the BC with Wii and download Gamecube games) so they could have started work on their signature titles much sooner. Instead they choose to ride the Wii gravy train and not start Wii U game dev until later.

Finally they have some decent titles but again the Wii U has been out a full year sooner than X1/PS4. It is a bit late now as X1 and PS4 will have started to hit their stride this year.

[kwandar]

As Nintendo explained, the Japanese Tsunamai threw back their production schedules by about a year. Nintendo can take part of the blame on delays, but so can acts of god.

[AJBACK2FRAG]

kwander. I absolutely agree with you. Only the delusional Sony or Microsoft fan will disagree with you.

[slane3]

LamerTamer, i absolutely agree with you. Only the delusional Nintendo fans will disagree with you.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

Wii U is my primary. Exclusives.

[jcnba28]

Same here, only have PS4 for the odd game here and there.

[AJBACK2FRAG]

I think you're incorrect lol! Why would would Nintendo release games at launch that aren't finished? That's ridiculous!!!! You complain about broken games in your comments then you demand Nintendo release incomplete games? Sorry that statement is so ignorant it defies logic! What you say about riding the Wii train is completely incorrect! By the end of the Wii's lifecycle there was no triple A software coming from Nintendo! THEY WERE TO BUSY WORKING ON VIDEO GAMES FOR NEXT GEN IE; THE WII U! I've said it before and I'll say it again I'll wait for a masterpiece you'll wait for incomplete games! Guess who win's? Oh yeah keep clinging to that abyssmal year head start it really mattered! Decent titles lololol! Nintendo has been able to produce some of the best reviewed content of the year maybe in the whole history of the company! PS4 and Xbox One hitting their stride lol! Maybe in two to three years!! No mention of a Metroid game which there should have been by now? Says who? You? You are not responsible for announcing Nintendo software! Nintendo is! My comment was heavily modifyed so as not to appear as a personal atack which it is not. Plus I excised a whole lot of punctuation! You're trying to shit in my sandwhich why? Get lost!

[AJBACK2FRAG]

Anyway's... I actually read this article before I commented on it! A first for sure! It was actually pleasently by the exceptional writting skills by the author. Though he makes alot of great point's I really have to disagree with some of his points. I think the Wii U is a great stand alone home video game console. I think it's definitely powerful enough for the software Nintendo is developing at present and like the man Shigeru Miyamoto said the Wii U is upgradable. How that would happen I have no clue and believe me the big man wasn't handing out any clues lol!! I think it's easy to lose sight of what a huge technical leap there is from the Wii to the Wii U. Obviously hd graphic's come to mind but in my opinion it goes way deeper. Now think of those pesky little friend codes in relation to Miiverse. In my mind that's a difference from Earth to Mar's! To be able to video chat with friend's all over the world (which everyone is to shy to actually do!) is something spectacular for a Nintendo home video game console but even more so the tactile function of being able to hand write notes to anyone who own's a Wii U is mind blowing for a previous Wii owner but the true brilliance of Miiverse is being able to not only doodle, which I love, but to actually create beautiful pieces of little letterbox shaped artwork is truly a wonder to behold!!!!! Just my opinion! I do look forward to reading more article's from this talented writer no matter what the suject! It's a refreshing change from pr bs turned into articles I'm unfortunately used to from this site!

[AJBACK2FRAG]

Speaking of the big man Shigeru Miyamoto I think maybe he is dropping some clues the spaceship the Drake in Pikmin 3 look's extremely similar to a Metroid and Bayonetta's name ironically includes the word Onett in it! Super freakyyyyy!!!!!!!

[Magicite]

No wonder WiiU is dead.

[randomass171]

Whaddya mean? The one in my bedroom functions just fine. I've been playing Smash when I'm not playing Project Diva F on my Vita. :U

[AJBACK2FRAG]

Lol!!!Far from it. Throughout the lifetime of home video game consoles the least expensive and least powerful home video game console always, always, always, always wins it's respective generation. Let's say Nintendo isn't able to sell more home video game consoles than Sony they are starting to turn a profit on the sale of every Wii U. While Sony may sell more home video game consoles they're bleeding to death. You see I read CNN before N4G! It's all over guy. It's all over for Sony. Lol! Maybe I'm wrong maybe Sony will be able to limp along to the finish line of this eighth generation but will the Playstation brand be able to survive and be profitable? Definitely food for thought. One thing I'm positive about is in fifty years Nintendo will still be in the video game business. Sony might. Oh yeah! North Korea says thank's for your social security number, your bank information, your adress, your buying habit's lol they just need your shoe size!!!!!

[uth11]

This "killer" feature is what killed the console, by pushing the base price far beyond the Wii. I was a Wii/DS/GBA owner who never owned an Xbox or PlayStation before. But I couldn't bring myself to spend that much for a system that would get mostly first party support, when for only $100 more I could get a much more powerful system that was likely to be well supported by everyone. The numbers Sony provided show that there are many other Wii owners who made that switch. If they had made the game pad optional, I probably would own a Wii U today.

[kwandar]

Be honest uth11. You had a Vita and it lined up with that.

Never having owned a console before I became a Wii user in 2006. Many like myself, moved to PS3 in 2008-2009 when the PS3 "price came back to earth". I purchased the Wii U because it frankly has better games at this point.

I'm likely never moving to a PS4 or Xbox1 as an alternative to clutter up my living room because:

1) A PC (and likely a laptop) is better and has most of those first party games at lower cost;
2) Sony is likely not to financially survive, and a breakup into its constituent pieces means?
3) MS is considering whether to continue in the business, and spinning of that unit means?

That gamepad - it IMPROVES first party games. Proof - Deus Ex, Rayman, just about any game that has a map or inventory.

[uth11]

Nope never owned a vita or PSP for that matter. The Wii was the first console I owned since the Jaguar. I was a PC gamer before that.

[N4g_null]

Where there ya go uth11 the xbone and ps4 are the poor man's pc market. As a gamer the game pad is great. There is some serious scratching being done to bring that idea into its own but the bigger idea is cross buy and cross compatible games with account downloadables. The game pad will evolve as time moves on.

Plus you simply don't value home console as much. Give it time nintendo will shrink their box for you and it will still have a game pad possibly.

[namEuser]

Really....how can the writer of this article say "if you want power and graphics,then get a ps4 or Xbox One" have u seen Mario 3d World? Maybe Tropical Freeze? All u dumbasses need to rethink what ur saying in ur statements before doing these articles, I'm tired of hearing about WiiU not be compared in graphics to a Ps4 or Xbox1.....kinda funny how all the games that look beautiful and better looking @1080p and 60fps on the WiiU are basically only using one core or of the 3..........