New York Times: Only Wii U Is Worth It

I now have the brand-new Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s even newer Xbox One under my television set, but I spent the weekend with the Nintendo Wii U instead.

If you live in one of the perhaps two million households with a brand-new game console — the number is fuzzy in part because it is impossible to know how many of the one million Xbox Ones and PlayStation 4’s that Microsoft and Sony each sold in separate 24-hour periods in the past week and a half were bought by the same people — you’ve probably already discovered that new consoles, with rare exceptions, don’t come with particularly exciting games.

Ryse: Son of Rome is probably the most enjoyable game exclusive to the Xbox One, and it’s a trashy, repetitive romp that plays, in ways both good and bad, like a violent version of Simon, the color-matching memory toy introduced in 1978. The games that can be played only on the PlayStation 4 are even weaker. The star attraction there is Resogun, a reimagining of the 1980s arcade shooter Defender that’s terrific fun and impossible to employ as a justification for a $400 console.

But the Wii U is also the only new console with a video game worth playing. Super Mario 3D World, which went on sale Friday, is the best Mario game in years. It’s not just the best game for the Wii U, it’s the most entertaining game that has been released this fall for any system.

One great game won’t save a console. There are other good Wii U titles, but the console’s lineup is still pretty thin, especially in comparison to Nintendo’s own hand-held 3DS, which has shipped almost 35 million units worldwide in its two and a half years on the market, including more than 11 million in the United States.

But for the first time, you need a Wii U to play one of the year’s best video games. For beleaguered Wii U owners, that’s probably enough.

SOURCE

Slowly but surely, the Wii U seems to be turning itself around in popular perception, and of course it was Mario who led the charge.

The Wii U finally as 1 good game, after how long?

Seems like exactly what happened with the 3DS. It started out painfully bad as well.

haha wiiu. im still waiting for nintendo to do the honourable thing and drop that garbage. even m$ will crush them over the next few months

It has more than one 'good' game. It has one incredible game, and a host of good ones, all built over the year.

How long did it take for the PS3 or Xbox 360 to get their killer apps? Consoles start out slow, more at 11. People just weren't willing to give the Wii U the time it needed.

Whereas I agree, I also highly doubt the Wii U will ever be the success the 3DS was.

Makes me wonder how this holiday would have panned out, had Nintendo released Wii U this year with SM3DW, Pikmin 3, and Wii Sports Club at the helm.

Really poorly, I think; the Wii U's lack of power would have meant it would have gotten completely swamped by the shinier Xbox One and PS4.

After TWELVE MONTHS!!!! WiiU is a success!

Hey, remember when it took the PS3 eighteen monthsto get anything worth a shit? Of course you don't.

Shame it only has 3-4 million sold.

It'll turn around. But they're comparing it to consoles that literally JUST launched.

Which was exactly the same thing that they (and everyone else) did with Wii U w.r.t Xbox 360 and PS3.

That's how things work: you look at what is worth your money in the here and now. You don't think of things like 'oh, but this is newer so obviously this doesn't have as many good games' when spending $300 or more. You consider the present, the here and now, and the future. The past is useless to your purchase.

I bought mine at the end of 09 so i wouldn't know. That ps3 wasn't one gen behind neither.

Good, you made a purchase when it was worth it. Just like the Wii U, which is worth a purchase now. And also not a generation behind either.

Who the heck cares what the NYT has to say. Nothing but a propaganda machine.

not quite yet.... bring out smash bros and a zelda game.... then maybe, but then THAT is the problem, once the new kart/zelda/smash are out what then? a whole gen of what? MAYBE 3d super mario world 2 in 4 years time? oh a yoshi game.... what else?

Understandably the PS4/X1 look bad right now. but at least massive 3rd party franchises from all over the world are guaranteed for them.

Nintendo has this system that nobody wants, but people want THEIR games. £250 for a device for a handful of great nintendo games... is a steep asking price considering you would need another system to get the majority of games this gen.... and they start at £350.

@MBirdy88: the thing is that Nintendo usually outclass the competition by a great deal. There are clearly some amazing titles that come from 3rd party developers, but it's about consistency. Smash, Mario Kart, Zelda, Mario (main games), Pikmin, Metroid, Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem are consistently good to incredible games. You're rarely severely disappointed and when you are it's because of how good their predecessors were.

There are very few developers out there with a repertoire like Nintendos.

If naughty dog had their own console and it really lacked third party support then I would still buy it because ND are consistently excellent.

I'm not making an argument for WiiU to be you're main or only console (that would be absurd, and I'm a hardcore sheep and proud of it.) I just think it's ridiculous for any true gamer to miss some of the BEST titles of the generation because they have some sort of bias against Nintendo.

Naughty Dog is great, but they would have to seriously ramp up production to make a console worth the money.

@PurpleMan5000: not disagreeing, just mentioning a developer that I feel has the same level of quality. I agree they would, but Nintendo has NUMEROUS franchises that are up there in quality.

It had 2 good games at launch (NSMBU and Zombi U). It did take the system 1 year to get its first GOTY, though.

Lets see how it performs against xbone and PS4 this holiday. :>

WiiU has been out for a year so duh?!

Glad to see your hope is back Charizard :D

What a win.

The problem is that PS4/xbox one have not got their best games yet

The question is who would get a WiiU over PS4 whrn Demons Souls 2 or Ni no Kuni 2 are revealed, or FF15, or Last of Us 2 or Last Guardian etc

Only a proper real new Zelda could help WiiU imo

They have good taste. They know what they're talking about.

You sound so Butthurt.

It's literally giving you the only option you have because everything else is sold out. Also no the past isn't useless to your purchase.

What happened to all the third party software? The Multiplats? Supporting the core gamer? It plays a very influential roll for people like us.

Saying "now's the time for Wii-U" Is like saying look at how much better this year old baby can make sounds and word noises than this infant that was born two weeks ago.

I don't know what make me angrier.

NYT getting paid off to write a BS article or the fact no one there including most people on this forum don't know what Defender is. The comparison make as much sense as comparing GTA to Left 4 Dead.

Some people are just going to want to play the best game of 2013.

Lol the irony, first trash talk WiiU for a whole year... and now when the "true next gen consoles" is out it is time to crawl back to WiiU...LOL

Next year, NYT will start to trumpet the virtues of owning a PS4. To be fair, though, newspapers such as the NYT is only reporting the now and not the future. Right now, the Wii U is your best buy this holiday.

Just remember those who put their bet on the right horse one year too early (like me).

Everybody was writing off the 3DS a few years ago also, and it was turned around by some good games and a price drop. The same thing the Wii-U has going for it now. It wouldn't surprise me if the console sells well this year.

Only one difference, Japan has already moved on to handhelds since the DS. Home console games are practically ruled by western publishers, who wants to maximize profits and decrease costs (i.e., all consoles should share the same architecture, the same control scheme, and be able to invade privacy and charge overpriced DLC).

And the Wii U has got its best games yet?

The question is who would NOT get a Wii U once Smash Bros, the next Metroid, Zelda U, Mario Kart, X, Bayonetta 2, Donkey Kong and SMT X FE comes out?

Stop being foolish and realize that the Wii U has its own quality exclusives that will more than justify the purchase, and perhaps those titles better suit the taste of certain gamers, regardless of age.

I would much rather play the next Metroid than Demon Souls 2, Zelda than the Last of Us 2/Uncharted 4, Smash Bros than Ni no Kuni 2, and to use Last Guardian and FF15 as reasons to pick up a PS4 is silly (One is vaporware and the other is multiplatform)

Whether or not it winds up being a better consoles that the Xbox and PS4 is the debatable part.

You sure do make a lot of Wii U threads for someone who doesn't have one.

Okay, let's tackle these one by one:

Comparing the 'past' of the Wii U to the past of the Xbox One and PS4 only helps the Wii U. Not only does it have most major multiplats released in the last year (though there are some obvious omissions), it has also quietly amassed a library of some great titles in the meanwhile. Wonderful 101? Pikmin? Wind Waker? Monster Hunter? New Super Luigi U?

Which of those games, exactly, is not aimed at the core? I'd like to see grandma play The Wonderful 101 or Pikmin. Nintendo's own output with the Wii U has been core. Yes, there is a Wii Fit and a Wii Sports for the console, but those are never the highlight. Guess what games Nintendo pushes most? Guess how many 'casual' games have been announced for the console? Guess how many 'core' ones now?

The third party software situation sucks. Period. Wii U is never winning that battle. It is never going to be the primary console of choice, and it is stupid to expect otherwise. What it will be is a very good purchase. What it is now is a very great purchase, and better than either the Xbox One or the PS4 in the present moment of time.

Also, why resort to personal interests, man? Where in the world did I sound butthurt? I am trying to have a proper discussion here with one of the few posters on the board who are capable of having a proper discussion.

Why are you so obsessed with a failing company?

They can't even surpass the graphics of the Xbox 360/

Okay, I think you need to take a rest from this whole Wii U business.

Wii-U, failure since inception