Wii U ceasing production

[jdollatari]

i am hoping the library carries over to the switch as i missed out on wii u and do not want to have to buy it as well as switch especially if prices go up due to scarcity my local game shops and craigslist rarely have them used for sale or at all. this and the vita were such disappointments and should not have been

[Mord]

I don't know how practical that would be to expect. Most of the Wii U games expected the tablet controller with it's extra screen. I don't think the Switch will have that functionality.

[Atariboy]

If we're talking ports rather than backwards compatibility (Which is basically already confirmed as not happening), I don't see much of a problem at all. In fact several big name Wii U titles are already confirmed or rumored to be heading to the Switch. Toss in some 3DS conversions like Yoshi's Woolly World and Super Mario Maker, and the list of Wii U exclusives looks set to thin dramatically.

 

If you take a look at the Wii U Pro Controller compatibility list at somewhere like Wikipedia, the vast majority of the Wii U's worthwhile games are listed. That's a testament to just how little even big name Wii U titles rely on the gamepad's unique features. It was great for enabling offscreen play and handling secondary chores like inventory screens and a more detailed map, but few games were built around this feature and would actually necessitate needing a second screen with touch capabilities present to keep the experience intact.

 

And even those that do put it to good use like Super Mario Maker, largely don't seem out of reach. Nintendo is clearly making is easy to dock and un-dock the system. So for this example if they wanted to limit course creation to touch screen mode on a future Switch port or sequel, they simply have to display a message instructing the user to remove the system from the dock if they're playing in console mode.

 

I see few roadblocks to porting Wii U's top experiences to the Nintendo Switch.

Edited December 16, 2016 by Atariboy

[cybercylon]

Has it been confirmed whether or not the Switch will use a touch screen? Honest question as I have not been keeping track.

 

What I don't want to see is a bunch of ports, 3rd party games that were already published on another console, and a trickle of first party releases. I keep seeing articles how it won't be even as powerful as the PS4 (the old one) which could hinder 3rd party support.

 

I also read that GC games might be compatible. I assume digital versions. Never understood why that wasn't available on the Wii U or even the Wii for that matter. There are about 5-6 games I would like. I'd happily buy a cheaper digital version than pay $70-$100 a pop for the original discs.

[0078265317]

I'd happily buy a cheaper digital version than pay $70-$100 a pop for the original discs.

 

As long as they are good dumps. Some emulation is a little wonky. Sound, graphics, etc.

[Atariboy]

A recent patent says it has one. Not to mention that it only makes sense. People expect the feature at this point for handheld screens, so I don't see Nintendo being able to avoid it. But it remains to be confirmed.

 

The GameCube rumors are in regard to the Virtual Console, not original media.

Edited December 16, 2016 by Atariboy

[cybercylon]

 

As long as they are good dumps. Some emulation is a little wonky. Sound, graphics, etc.

 

I am not sure I get your point on that one. I am referring to something Nintendo legally sells in it's own store.

 

I don't doubt for a second that GC games probably would have played fine on the Wii U with very little emulation involved. When they dropped BC for the Wii, didn't they just get rid of the controller ports, memory cards slots, etc. I am surprised they didn't sell some GC games on the VC then

[Atariboy]

There would've been no emulation involved. By virtue of the fact that the Wii was backwards compatible with the GameCube and that the Wii U's guts are able to run Wii code natively, it by extension also meant that GameCube code runs natively on the Wii U. The feature is available via homebrew and works just fine. Nintendo just never took advantage of this capability.

 

As for the lack of Wii downloads on the Wii Shop, remember that the Wii's internal memory was just 512 MB's (And in reality, a fraction of that space was accessible to the end user). Nintendo had very strict caps on file sizes for Wii Shop releases.

Edited December 17, 2016 by Atariboy

[Atariboy]

Not only are Wii U consoles now gone from my local Wal-Mart, but they've even stripped the price sticker off. I imagine that can only mean that they've not slated to ever get another one in.

Edited December 24, 2016 by Atariboy

[Mord]

I looked around several places around where I live and I didn't see a single Wii U available for purchase, even used at Gamestop. Granted there are still a bunch of stores on the other side of town I haven't checked, but it ain't looking the best. If they really do end up not being in town I guess this'll be the first time I've seen the console disappear before the games! (For buying quality non-bargainbin stuff I mean. There's ALWAYS shovelware for years after a console is put to bed!)

[Jinks]

Nintendo stuff at stores is amibos and maybe 4 u games. everything else is gone.

Real lame anyways. It is the 5200 of today.

[cybercylon]

Just checking GS online, limited availability for some blast from the past bundles, but not much else. A few local locations still have the console only for $259. That is what I paid last year on a sale, but at least I got Nintendo Land and SuperMario 3D World with it.

[Austin]

Looks like it's sold out everywhere, even online. Crazy.. I didn't think that would happen so quickly.

[Mord]

Looks like it's sold out everywhere, even online. Crazy.. I didn't think that would happen so quickly.

 

Well, if so then it means I don't have to go pre-buying any of the games at this point. I gotta focus on getting some of the 3DS games I want anyhow I suppose.

[Rick Dangerous]

This console is going to be RAR3; better go stock up on NIB consoles while you can.

 

I had to hunt down a used (but minty) copy of Bayonetta 2 that includes the first game recently because i'm sure that one will be hard to find quite soon...

 

Will be hard to find stuff for Wii U in a few years, just like the Gamecube but more so. It sold less than any other Nintendo console..

[Dreamcast Gamer]

I think you will have to give it a while before people start caring that much or having nostalgia for it. Games will probably drop in price for a while, then perhaps 10 or 15 years later people will have a natural interest in it again, rediscover and start championing its library. I could be wrong, but that typically seems to be the trend when consoles die and fade away from the general public's awareness.

That's kind of like what happened with the Sega Dreamcast. Homebrew development has become very popular on DC since 2015, but before that, not that many people cared.

[Dreamcast Gamer]

This console is going to be RAR3; better go stock up on NIB consoles while you can.

 

I had to hunt down a used (but minty) copy of Bayonetta 2 that includes the first game recently because i'm sure that one will be hard to find quite soon...

 

Will be hard to find stuff for Wii U in a few years, just like the Gamecube but more so. It sold less than any other Nintendo console..

For home consoles, yes, but in general, the Virtual Boy did far worse.

Edited December 28, 2016 by Dreamcast Gamer

[omegadot]

Guess I better get my second console quickly. I love my Wii U library and I don't 100% trust it's build quality to be honest.

[Metal Jesus]

I tried finding a *new* Wii U over the holidays and they are nowhere to be found! And to make matters worse, they are selling over retail online! Could be the next Dreamcast or Saturn...

[BydoEmpire]

Nintendo stuff at stores is amibos and maybe 4 u games. everything else is gone.

Real lame anyways. It is the 5200 of today.

Except people were excited about the 5200 when it came out, and when the 5200 died the industry was collapsing around it (in the US of course). Outside of both having "unique" controllers not taken advantage of, I'm not sure there are many parallels.

 

I don't see much future love for the Wii U to be honest. The DC and Saturn (and even 5200 perhaps to a lesser extent) had a lot of great games and had some pretty hardcore fans. The Wii U has some good games to be sure, but nowhere near the library of the DC or Saturn. IMHO that will dramatically affect future desirability. There are still millions of them out there, so it's not like it's going to be that hard to find one when people unload them on ebay in a few years. Of course, I could be totally wrong.

Edited December 28, 2016 by BydoEmpire

[Guest LiqMat]

Except people were excited about the 5200 when it came out, and when the 5200 died the industry was collapsing around it (in the US of course). Outside of both having "unique" controllers not taken advantage of, I'm not sure there are many parallels.

 

I don't see much future love for the Wii U to be honest. The DC and Saturn (and even 5200 perhaps to a lesser extent) had a lot of great games and had some pretty hardcore fans. The Wii U has some good games to be sure, but nowhere near the library of the DC or Saturn. IMHO that will dramatically affect future desirability. There are still millions of them out there, so it's not like it's going to be that hard to find one when people unload them on ebay in a few years. Of course, I could be totally wrong.

 

But it can run Gamecube ISOs natively via Nintendont and Wii discs natively as well. The damn thing is a Nintendo playing monster really if you think about it. I think it will be a desirable system for some time to come especially if a homebrew scene grows. Personally, I enjoyed being able to hook up the console next to my bed and play most of the games on the gamepad without ever having to turn the TV on.

Edited December 29, 2016 by LiqMat

[Tempest]

And it has Xenoblade Chronicles X. Best game I've played in years.

[Punisher5.0]

Now I'm waiting for Zelda to be cancelled. It's like Starfox 2 all over again!

[Tempest]

Now I'm waiting for Zelda to be cancelled. It's like Starfox 2 all over again!

 

Nah, this is exactly like the whole Twilight Princess thing all over again. First it was a final GC title then it became a joint GC/Wii release (actually I think the Wii version got released a smidgen earlier, or I might have that backwards). I'm not getting a Switch (I don't do the whole mobile gaming thing) so this will be my final Nintendo game purchase.

[Punisher5.0]

Nah, this is exactly like the whole Twilight Princess thing all over again. First it was a final GC title then it became a joint GC/Wii release (actually I think the Wii version got released a smidgen earlier, or I might have that backwards). I'm not getting a Switch (I don't do the whole mobile gaming thing) so this will be my final Nintendo game purchase.

I hope it does get released but if there are no consoles at the stores then they aren't going to have the games sitting on the shelf for several months before Zelda comes out. I have a feeling retail has completely abandoned the WiiU like the Vita.