First of all, I’d like to mention that I own a Nintendo Wii
U, and I love it. With friends, I’ve had a blast playing first-party titles
such as Splatoon, Super Smash Brothers for Wii U, Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario Maker. As far as I’m concerned, Nintendo’s taken a step
in the right direction in improving online multiplayer capabilities and
expanding their roster of IP’s. However, the Wii U’s improvement over its
predecessor, the Wii, has been one hell of a small step. In some aspects, it’s
been a step backwards.
This Eighth-Generation console has failed to meet the
standards of what hardcore gamers expect from an Eighth-Generation console.
Point for point, the Wii U just doesn’t have what it takes to match the Xbox
One or the PlayStation Four. Almost all the way down the line, Nintendo’s
latest console is in dead-last in each technical category. Where it’s winning?
It’s got a low, low price of $299.99 for a deluxe model, which includes a free
game bundled with the 32 GB model. I don’t know why Nintendo’s putting 32 GB as
a selling point on the box of a system they’re trying their best to sell, but
double-digit Gigabyte storage spaces are “sooooo last generation”.
To be fair, graphics and GPU and all of that technical
jargon don’t matter if talented programmers know what they’re doing. However,
that’s another problem. Third-party developers are having a difficult time
programming games for the Wii U. Part of the problem is the system’s “Game Pad”
controller. The Game Pad functions much like the Nintendo DS’s bottom screen.
While having a touch screen may sound cool and cutting-edge, it makes porting
games an absolute nightmare for programmers. Not to mention, one of the draws
to the DS was the fact that it was a portable system. While the Wii U is
basically a console version of the DS, its lack of portability makes the
touch-screen a waste of a programmer’s talent.
There’s been a load of rumors surrounding Nintendo’s new
console, dubbed “NX”. The closest thing anxious fans had to details of the NX
came in the form of a leak of what was thought to be the console’s controller,
but ended up being a 3D-printed fake. Still, you have to appreciate the lengths
some folks will go to make it look like the real thing. After all, it fooled
me… And then I felt like an idiot post-truth-reveal. What can we really expect
from this new console, and what will Nintendo have to do in order to boost
sales and earn back the trust of third-party developers?
Sources have claimed that Nintendo’s going to revolutionize
the way they make games. Rumor has it that they’re going to make first-party
titles at a faster rate, and possibly expand their staff. Some sources have
even boasted that Nintendo will release more titles then ever during the NX’s
lifetime. A bold claim, sure. But, can they draw third-party support?
Some information has claimed that the highly-anticipated Final Fantasy VII remake will be on the
NX’s roster of titles. Also among these rumored titles are Square Enix’s
upcoming Final Fantasy XV, Dragon Quest X and XI, Ubisoft’s sequel to Beyond
Good and Evil. Also rumored are re-releases of Splatoon, Super Mario Maker and
Super Smash Brothers, with the
addition of Pikmin 4 and the
currently-unnamed Legend of Zelda
title. Until Nintendo officially spills the beans and shows the public some
information aside from some pictures of patents made for the system, players
will have to wait, and hope for the best.
For now, gamers have to ask themselves a few questions. What’s
the deal with the screen on the controller? Will it run 4K? Will it even use
disks as sources claim? One thing can be said for certain: Nintendo’s not
afraid to play by its own rules of what gaming really means. If anything,
Nintendo’s colossal fan base won’t let this titan of the gaming industry go
down. Until then, Wii U owners will have to settle with what they have. Hey, at
least Bayonetta 2’s fun to play.
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