Lets face it, the Wii U is an interesting console that I’d like to someday buy, but the one thing that has kept me from buying the system is the same thing that pushed me away from the Vita and the 3DS when they first launched: there’s no games!
Granted the Wii U has a few stellar names out there that would have been able to carry the Wii U on for ages, they just suffered from one drawback, none of them were anything we didn’t see before on the current consoles and handheld many of us probably already on.
But McLain, there is New Super MarioBros U! My reply to you would be that we have the same game for our Wii, our DS, or 3DS, the catch is that none of them are in HD. Am I willing to shell out $300 and $60 more for a game I’ve already basically played? Nope.
But what about Nintendo Land or Zombie U? Well, as for Nintendo Land, sure it looks like a fun game, but it is nothing that would keep me entertained for hours and hours to come, just something I might whip out to play with some friends to pass the time with a fun, harmless game. As for Zombie U, the game was poorly received by most critics, which derives me from spending the pricey sales price the game inquires.
So after Nintendo Direct (1/23/2013), you could probably imagine the surprise I got when I hopped on the good old internet only to find my news feeds buzzing about the, you name it, Wii U. There was an explosion of new info on all the new games coming out for the system later this year from today’s Nintendo Direct. E3 is the Christmas of video games in my world, and I think it just came early!
For starters, something crazy erupted from the crater that is Nintendo Direct for Zelda fans, aka this guy, with news of a new HD Zelda game on the way that strides to rethink “the conventions of Zelda” that will jump into some of the series early history for inspiration.
Also inbound is a remake of my favorite Zelda game to date, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. Other than the usual stuff for a remake of an old game, such as the updated graphics and flashy new lighting, I can’t wait to see what the new Wii U Gamepad features will be and how the will use it.
For the Mario fans — yes I’m one of you guys too even though I “ranted” on him somewhere up above! — is that other than the already announced Mario Kart that should be coming to the Wii U later this year, Mario will also be making separate appearances on the console in two other games in Smash Bros. and a new 3D game from none other than the makers of Mario Galaxy! Better yet, all of these Mario games will be playable at E3 coming in June.
On top of Mario and Zelda, yes there is more, an NES and SNES virtual consoles are set to roll out this April with various games to be supported for them and good old Yoshi is going to be coming to the big screen in the style reminiscent of that found in Kirby’s Epic Yarn as a 2D platformer. Wii U Party is also happening which doesn’t come as much of a surprise since Wii Party was one of the best-selling games of all time.
Also on the way are some cool updates to Miiverse that will allow people to create their own communities, Pikmin 3 in May, which was the deathblow to me for not buying the Wii U on launch day since I wanted this game so badly, a new RPG from the Xenoblade Chronicles Studio, and a new Fire Emblem X game!
What more could owners of the Wii U possibly ask for? Nintendo has successfully convinced me today that I need to buy a Wii U because of all the fantastic games on the system’s horizon and has probably drawn in the crowds of those who were skeptical of buying the console. In a year that I feared the Wii U would tumble and get lost in all the news concerning the new Xbox and PlayStation consoles, I’m not so fearful of its future and I’m left craving one and not detesting one.
2013 should be a fantastic year for Nintendo and its fans alike.