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15 reasons you should buy a Wii U right now
There's never been a better time to buy Nintendo's latest game console, the Wii U.
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The console is the cheapest it's ever been at just $250, which includes a great game (like "Mario Kart 8," for instance). And in 2015, some of the best games ever created by Nintendo landed exclusively on the Wii U: from "Splatoon" (our favorite shooter of 2015) to "Super Mario Maker." And that's to say nothing of the excellent back catalog!
Head below for our top 15 reasons you should buy a Wii U right now.
At just $250 (including a game, remember), the Wii U is the least expensive game console you can buy, brand new, today. It's a solid $50 cheaper than the least expensive Xbox One or PlayStation 4 bundle, and it's far more kid-friendly than the competition.
From the games to the hardware itself, the Wii U is the only console aimed at both kids and adults. The gamepad is far tougher than something like Apple's iPad, and feels intended for use by kids (rubberized thumbsticks and a touchscreen that's just as happy being used with a stylus as it is being jabbed by sticky little fingers). Moreover, there are many more multiplayer games for Wii U that can be played on a single television with multiple people — something that many games have moved away from on other platforms with the rise of online multiplayer gaming.
"Splatoon" is the first major new game series from Nintendo in quite some time. And it's totally unique! It's a shooting game, but you're shooting paint instead of bullets in an attempt to cover as much of the world as you can in your team's color. If that doesn't do it for you, the fact that you're also a squid who can dive into the paint and swim around should — it's a frantic, fast-paced, thrilling game that takes traditional, stodgy shooting games and turns them into a colorful delight. Don't sleep on "Splatoon," y'all.
Everyone's favorite mustachioed plummer can only be found on Nintendo's platforms — thems the breaks, folks. But that doesn't mean Nintendo's relying on name recognition to sell its games; "Super Mario 3D World" on the Wii U is one of the best Mario games ever made, and certainly the best Mario game in the past 10 years. Better yet: stuff like "Mario Kart 8" and "Splatoon" help supplement the massive gaps between major Mario game launches.
Nintendo has a new toy line called "Amiibo," and not only are they adorable figurines of Nintendo's incredible roster of characters, but they also grant players free stuff in games. In "Smash Bros.," for instance, you can bring your Amiibo to life in-game, where they'll learn your fighting moves and level up. There's a little chip in the base of the Amiibo that enables you to tap the toy on the Wii U gamepad where it interfaces with whatever game you're playing.
BONUS: They're really great for decorating your work desk.
"Super Mario Maker" is the "Super Mario" toolbox of games. Fancy yourself a game designer? "Super Mario Maker" puts the tools in your hands to create your very own "Super Mario" levels, brick-by-brick. Don't fancy yourself a game designer? There are hundreds, if not thousands, of player-created levels just waiting to be downloaded and played. And Nintendo's not letting itself get outdone — there are plenty of Nintendo-crafted levels as well!
Instead of fighting with your relative/significant other for control of the TV to play games, the Wii U gamepad can often be used as a screen for playing whatever game you want to play. No more fighting! Just pick up the gamepad and launch the console and get going, without a TV.
BONUS: You can totally travel with the Wii U and never use a television. Simply plug the console in to power and use the gamepad, like you're using some type of super-powered portable game console!
When the kids are asleep and you and your partner are looking for something engaging, silly, and hilarious, "Bayonetta 2" is waiting. It's a third-person action game that stars a lady who's very fond of handguns. So fond, in fact, that she has a couple of extra ones implanted into her boots — kick enemies while simultaneously shooting them in the face!
Maybe you've got a fat shelf full of great old Wii games, just burning a hole in your living room waiting to get played? Good news: the Wii U can play basically all of them. Sure, there are better versions of many of the old games available now, but there's certainly no harm in going back to play classics. At very least, you'll never have to worry about where your next game of "Wii Tennis" is coming from.
Sure, wireless controllers are a standard part of modern game consoles. But for "Super Smash Bros." players, the ideal is getting a bunch of friends together in one place, plugging in a bunch of old GameCube controllers (that's an old Nintendo game console) and playing together. Unbelievably, Nintendo actually re-created this concept on by re-releasing old GameCube controllers and this controller hub for use with the Wii U. It's an amazing throwback to a time passed, and one that's perfect for playing games with your family.
"Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker" is an adorable, mind-bending puzzle game starring Super Mario's oft-forgotten buddy Captain Toad. He can't jump, but he can run for his life — and he'll need to, repeatedly, as he's attempting to gather stars and coins all the while solving three-dimensional puzzles.
BONUS: "Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker" is less expensive than the average game, and started at just $40 when it launched. It's even less expensive at this point!
Would you rather jump right in to Nintendo's latest and greatest when buying the Wii U? There are bundles for that as well! Both the "Super Mario 3D World" bundle (that also comes with "Nintendoland") and the "Splatoon" bundle are great options, save you some money, and come with great games.
Maybe you'd rather spend your time playing Nintendo's gaming classics, like "Super Mario Bros." and "Balloon Fight?" Nintendo's digital storefront, the eShop, is loaded with this stuff. Yes, you'll have to buy it once more, but the prices are reasonable (in the $5 to $15 range) and there's tons of great stuff there.
No more blowing on cartridges!
(That doesn't work anyway.)
One of the best games for the Wii U is, bizarrely, an update to an older Nintendo game. "The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD" is a beautiful revisiting of a classic that not so many folks played back on the Nintendo GameCube. It's the classic Zelda formula: you're playing as a young boy named Link as he explores an open-world full of dangers. Unlike the classic Zelda formula, however, is your means of transportation in-game: a boat!
Despite years of growing pains and missed opportunities, Nintendo's Wii U is the first game console from Nintendo to fully embrace online connectivity. There are great games like "Splatoon" that are primarily played online (which works seemlessly), the quirky and unique social media service "Miiverse," and a shockingly serious level of support for major games with ongoing downloadable content.
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