Developed by Nintendo, Wii U is the direct successor of Wii and belongs to the eighth generation of home consoles. It was released all over the world in different stages at the end of 2012. Xbox One from Microsoft and PlayStation 4 from Sony were its main competitors.
Wii U came out as the first console from Nintendo that boosted HD graphics, hence its popularity among Nintendo fans. The platform features a unique gamepad, as well as a touchscreen, action buttons, sticks and a D pad.
The screen has a multipurpose profile. It’s useful to complement the main display, but at the same time, some games also support playing directly on the pad. In terms of compatibility, Wii U is backward compatible with elements from the classic Wii.
Wii U has also been praised for its online functionality. The console provides access to the comprehensive Nintendo Network, but also the Miiverse, which acts like a social network for gamers in different communities.
The release brought in both positive and negative reviews.
For instance, the gamepad controller featured an innovative profile. Compared to its predecessor Wii, the online capabilities have been dramatically improved as well. Then, it was praised for the affordable price, as well as the compatibility.
Like any other console, Wii U wasn’t perfect either. The user interface wasn’t great, so players needed a bit of time to get used to it. The gamepad didn’t have a solid battery either.
While not necessarily Nintendo’s problem, the lack of launch games limited the sales as well, since gamers didn’t have too many options. Third party support was also quite limited. All these things kept the sales at a low level.
Given the sales, Nintendo ceased the production of Wii U at the end of January, 2017. Meanwhile, the brand focused on its successor, Nintendo Switch, which was released about a month later. Nintendo Switch borrowed many concepts from Wii U too, but it fixed some of its minuses.
Online services allowed access to the Nintendo Network, so multiplayer was never an issue. Purchasing and downloading games wasn’t an issue either, not to mention the U Chat and video chat features. The console could store up to 12 different accounts.
The social service Miiverse was built into the proprietary software. This means players could exchange content, share ideas and interact in real time. Accomplishments, screenshots and even notes were transferred through this system.
Not all games were integrated into Miiverse though.
Some of the most popular games for Wii U include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, Bayonetta 2, Mario Kart 8, Shovel Knight, Nintendo Land, Rayman Legends, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and Affordable Space Adventures.
While it looks like many of these games are lost now with the discontinuation of Wii U, the truth is they’re still available as downloadable ROMs. Feel free to explore the list of ROMs for Wii U and emulate them on your computer to enjoy the old school Wii U experience.