The Nintendo Wii U is Great Thread

[JonCole]

Keep in mind that Mario Kart for Wii sold some obscene number of copies like 20 million.

[Roderick]

I love it. I love it. This is the Nintendo thing, the magic, the element that no other company has. They can turn around a console with a single game, an 8 in a franchise no less, just by being Nintendo, by being the best at what they do.

[Griddlelol]

Can anyone recommend a game friendly to people who don't play a lot of games? My girlfriend has taken an interest in the wiiu and mario kart. She tried 3d world but couldn't get past the 3d platforming. Are there any more "newb" friendly coop games?

[Bjorn]

Trine 2 is on the WiiU.  I've played the PC version of it, and it's a stunningly good looking and quite fun 2d platformer.  Most of the main puzzles aren't too complex, though a few of the optional puzzles to reach secrets can take quite a bit of skill. 

 

Edited to add:  There's a site Co-optimus that keeps a database of pretty much ever co-op game made for each platform.  Great resource if you specifically want to look at all the co-op options on a console.

[N1njaSquirrel]

Can anyone recommend a game friendly to people who don't play a lot of games? My girlfriend has taken an interest in the wiiu and mario kart. She tried 3d world but couldn't get past the 3d platforming. Are there any more "newb" friendly coop games?

 

Nintendoland. There are some great coop minigames on there, such as the zelda one, which is so much fun. The wii+ controller is for one link who's got a sword, and the fella with the pad has a bow and arrow. simple tactics quickly emerge, and it's a lot of fun. Also the pikmin game is great on that too.

 

Finally another pimp for rayman legends. The person on the game pad can play as the frog fella who helps out by tickling enemies and touching everything to get you more lums and stuff. There are also some sweet levels where the frog has to pull levers and the like for p2.

[Dewar]

Nintendoland. There are some great coop minigames on there, such as the zelda one, which is so much fun. The wii+ controller is for one link who's got a sword, and the fella with the pad has a bow and arrow. simple tactics quickly emerge, and it's a lot of fun. Also the pikmin game is great on that too.

 

Finally another pimp for rayman legends. The person on the game pad can play as the frog fella who helps out by tickling enemies and touching everything to get you more lums and stuff. There are also some sweet levels where the frog has to pull levers and the like for p2.

 

Every time I hear someone describe Rayman, I have no idea what's going on.

[Thrik]

Christ, the Miiverse comments alone are worth the price of entry.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/00m284jtfklgwi9/Photo%2024-06-2014%2023%2035%2030.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9q47s7cvy6xqyqm/Photo%2024-06-2014%2023%2037%2024.jpg

[lobotomy42]

Can anyone recommend a game friendly to people who don't play a lot of games? My girlfriend has taken an interest in the wiiu and mario kart. She tried 3d world but couldn't get past the 3d platforming. Are there any more "newb" friendly coop games?

 

Kirby's Epic Yarn (for Wii classic) is two-player co-op platformer where, as I understand it, you literally cannot die.

[Griddlelol]

Cool, thanks for the ideas. I forgot to consider Wii games too! 

 

The only one I won't touch is Rayman. I just loathe that character, he looks so freaky and gross.

[Larsen B]

Everyone will tell you it's a boring series but New Super Mario Bros. Wii/U are some of the few games I've started AND finished in co-op. The actual character control hasn't changed in 30 years and most people at this point have played a Mario Bros. game in their life so it doesn't take too much to get into it.

[Forbin]

Am I the only one that doesn't like the cars in Mario Kart 8?  I feel like they've stripped out a lot of character and unique feeling in favour of modular blandness and ugly designs.

 

Also, why are they doing this?

http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4526133/mkmb.jpg

[Dewar]

Because people didn't buy enough Wii-Us, that's why.

[Thrik]

So yeah, Mario Kart 8 is great. The well-executed multiplayer adds so much value — it was excellent racing against 10 random bastards all as shit as me. Even better if I get to play with non-random bastards. I love how unbelievably familiar this series feels after years away.

I've also been playing DKC: Tropical Freeze, and holy shit what an improvement over Returns. The controls feel great now there's no motion bullshit, the enemies somehow feel a lot more 'Rare' this time, and the music... god damn. Getting the original composer to do a new soundtrack was a master stroke, with hearing each new piece an incentive to play in itself. I'd say that Returns felt more like a lacking tribute act, whereas this feels like the real deal — a worthy successor that is remarkably close to being Rare had a hand in.

[BigJKO]

Am I the only one that doesn't like the cars in Mario Kart 8? I feel like they've stripped out a lot of character and unique feeling in favour of modular blandness and ugly designs.

Also, why are they doing this?

http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4526133/mkmb.jpg

I'm not opposed to the new designs, there are some fun ones (evn though I always just Stock with the standard Kart..) and the motorcycles allow for a change of play style due to how differently they handle. But I still miss the personalized character karts..

But at least they skin the cars differently per-character.. :-/

[Forbin]

I guess I don't object to the cars all looking so similar, just that the short list is so strange. MK64 and the Wii version had fairly similar karts, but these ones just don't feel like they belong enough. The bikes seem fine.

Also mechanically I feel like the modular cars makes me feel like the game lacks focus. I don't feel like its that exciting to play a specific character when their stats are so washed out by car and wheel choices. I experienced some analysis paralysis when I first saw that screen, and I've seen others hit it as well. I just feel previous versions have been stronger at character and car selection because they were quick decisions based on archetypes and not min-maxing stats like simulation racers. It didn't help the first few races I played I made terrible kart choices and the game was very hard to play.

[Griddlelol]

So something amazing happened today. My girlfriend who when I first met her exclaimed at how video games are lame and childish, has now taken to playing Mario Kart 8 while I'm not there. I got a text with a photo of her coming in second at the Crown Cup on 150cc while sitting at work. An absolute revelation to me considering how much she complained when I bought it. 

 

I seriously think the WiiU, or at least Nintendo have a power that most things don't. She won't touch Steam or my Vita. I seriously doubt she'll touch a PS4 when I get one, but the WiiU caught her eye. Despite it being entirely anecdotal, it shows that Nintendo still appeal to that casual crowd, they just have to have the games to do it. Mario Kart is one, but what else can they do? Does Zelda have the same appeal? I don't think so, it's more of a gamer's game in my experience. 

 

I also think having Netflix on there influenced her. She had a reason to turn it on and learn how to use it. That familiarity with how it works undoubtedly led to her trying a game without my guidance. 

 

I think I'm going to grab New Super Mario Bros U next. It looks like a decent game, and I'm pretty sure we'll both love it. She keeps trying 3d world but just cannot get the hang of the 3d environment from a fixed camera. I looked at Trine 2, but I realised I already have it on PC from a humble bundle, and I have it on my future PS4 from PS+. It'd be dumb to buy it again.

Unfortunately I can't play Nintendo Land because I only have the tablet and the pro controller which isn't supported. I got it free but ditched it once I found that out. 

[JonCole]

I know you said you dislike Rayman, but that is totally a game that fits the mold of games people that aren't "gamers" would play unassisted. Its systems are less complex than Mario at this point and it has a potential for zen-state fluidity that I think would appeal to anyone.

[N1njaSquirrel]

Agreed. Also there's a demo on the eStore, so give the demo a shot before dismissing it

 

NSMBU really didn't click with me. I liked the first one on the DS, but my god is it really dull. I really felt quite bored playing it. Also the jumping enemies to the time messed up my game mayn. How can I perfectly predict enemy placement when they fucking jig every now and then? grumble grumble.

[N1njaSquirrel]

Oh, on top of that, NSMBU doesn't support the pro controller... It infuriated me that nintendo would release this hardware and yet not have their own games support it. I could imagine it's becuase the pro controller doesn't have sensors in it? Rayman though... rayman does support the pro controller. 

[SecretAsianMan]

I've only played NSMBU at PAX but I have to admit using the gamepad to create blocks and interact with the environment was kind of fun.  The actual Mario platforming portion of the game is rather boring though.  It seems like it would only be fun with a large enough group.

 

Also it looks like the game later got patched to support the pro controller.

[N1njaSquirrel]

It was boring even with other people playing it. Last time I played it with friends, I fell asleep whilst playing.

 

Also I might be wrong, but you can't create blocks on the game pad and play a character on screen at the same time. If I remember correctly, you have to use a non-gamepad controller if you're playing MP. SP you can play using the gamepad, but can't create blocks I think? Unless that's been patched too, Griddlelol will still have a problem (assuming he has only one pro controller), unless his girlfriend doesn't mind being a glorified luma.

 

Seriously this game sucks. Not as awful as Sonic: Lost Worlds, but it's definitely my second least favourite game I own on the WiiU.

[Griddlelol]

I played a 3d Rayman on the N64 and I enjoyed it, albeit all I ever did was sit on one stage where you swung from ropes and slid down a path which led to a weird feeling of disappointment with enjoyment, but now the image of that grotesque character makes me feel ill. I don't know what it is about Rayman, but I just hate the design so much.

 

I guess I'll grab the demo, no harm in that, but I doubt I'll buy the game. It feels incredibly dumb to hate a game because of the way one character looks. Normally it doesn't affect me.

 

I've never played any of the NSMB games, so I won't feel the blandness that everyone talks about. 

[N1njaSquirrel]

I don't know what it is about Rayman, but I just hate the design so much.

 

That's cool. You can just play as this adorable guy instead:

 

[SecretAsianMan]

It was boring even with other people playing it. Last time I played it with friends, I fell asleep whilst playing.

 

Also I might be wrong, but you can't create blocks on the game pad and play a character on screen at the same time. If I remember correctly, you have to use a non-gamepad controller if you're playing MP. SP you can play using the gamepad, but can't create blocks I think? Unless that's been patched too, Griddlelol will still have a problem (assuming he has only one pro controller), unless his girlfriend doesn't mind being a glorified luma.

 

Seriously this game sucks. Not as awful as Sonic: Lost Worlds, but it's definitely my second least favourite game I own on the WiiU.

 

You are correct, in order to use the touch screen to make blocks you have to be playing multiplayer and the person using the gamepad can only do that, not control a character.  So with two people, one is Mario and the other spawns blocks.  My experience with the game is about 15 minutes on the show floor at PAX with 4 other people and 2 Nintendo reps in the middle of their booth so it's probably not an accurate estimate of the fun. 

[syntheticgerbil]

What the hell is wrong with everyone and Rayman? When I was young the concept of no limbs was incredibly awesome. Grotesque? There's way worse characters you could pick for such a strong word.