It used to be easy to get behind new consoles. Sure, I had the benefit of unwrapping my Nintendo 64 as a 9-year-old child, with all the whimsy and blissful eagerness that comes with that, but still, there was something else. A certain obviousness, or simplicity to it. It didn’t take more than a cursory glance at something like Super Mario 64 to realize that, like it or not, the next-gen train was leaving, and you couldn’t expect to simply climb aboard once it had reached full speed. You had to jump, and you had to decide then and there. You had to take a leap of faith.
As powerful as the on-schedule new boxes from Sony and Microsoft stand to be, I’ve yet to feel that emotional rush, that punchy next-gen high, when I think about owning them. Maybe it’s because they’re still in their early days, but so was the N64. So was the PS3, for far too long, to an embarrassing, money-hemorrhaging degree. I’ve watched PS3 grow, develop, and evolve into one of my favorite consoles, and as I stand on the precipice and consider its new-and-improved successor, I repeatedly turn and walk away. What compels me otherwise? It’s only a short drop, after all, and I can always come back later.
Of course, this would all be drastically different if gaming’s holy grail and purported paradigm shift, virtual reality, were ready for primetime, but alas, this is not yet the case. Had Sony launched Morpheus alongside the new generation, I’d have purchased a PS4 immediately, but instead we find ourselves at a very different place. Morpheus is years off, Facebook owns Oculus, and gamers of a more traditional ilk are left to lurch and flounder in their own blog-comment smut, debating output resolution, spec sheet minutia, and which game-publisher executive has bigger testicles. It’s always been bad, but right now, it feels worse.
The reality of the situation is that currently, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 lack both a next-gen selling point (first-time polygonal 3D, consistently improved visual resolution, motion control, virtual reality) and an extensive library of must-have games, neither of which seem as though they’ll improve in the near future. Just take PS4’s upcoming games list. I won’t rattle off titles for you, because it’s obvious–near everything worth playing before Q4 2014 will also be available on PS3 and Xbox 360. Given that neither next-gen box is backwards compatible, and given that PS3 is getting titles that aren’t even coming to next-gen (Persona 5, for instance), there couldn’t possibly be less motivation for me to switch. The fact that most games aren’t running in 1080p, in an era where 4k televisions are soon to be commonplace, is far more ridiculous than people are making it out to be.
Amid such dissatisfaction it’d be easy for a gamer to lose his or her way, but thus far I’ve been lucky. I’ve found my solace, and I’ve found a place to bide my time, all within the confines of a cheap plastic tablet and a rounded, unassuming box. I found the Wii U, and thus far this generation, it has saved me.
You may now be wondering “just what is this guy getting at?”, but don’t worry, I aim not to be coy. I just want to convince you to play Wii U. You may not realize it, but all this next-gen talk has you depressed. You think you’re wowed by the number of individually rendered yarn-strings that make up Delsin Rowe’s off-red beanie, but in reality, you’re about as angsty as he is, back-flipping majestically from this next-gen disaster as your frame-rate chugs in slow motion. You wear a self-reassuring smirk as it happens, but the truth is, you have no idea where you’ll land–or if you’ll like what you find when you do.
Enough metaphors, though. I propose a trip to camp Nintendo, and despite the clever-but-modest promise of the Wii U, it currently stands as the only next-gen console to deliver exactly what it claimed it would. Clever gameplay implementations? An impressive collection of exclusive, next-gen only games? (and that’s multiple true exclusives, not next-gen multiplats). And what about 1080p? Check, check, and check again. Though it’s not swimming in examples currently, both Wind Waker HD and Rayman Legends tout full HD resolution, with Mario Kart 8 reported to be planning the same—at 60 frames per second, no less.
I want to talk about Super Mario 3D World. The reason is because it’s the first game of the emerging generation that has stirred my cold, dead insides enough to excite me about a new round of consoles again. Maybe it’s a result of Nintendo absolutely shattering the 480p barrier after being forced to work within its confines for so long, but Super Mario 3D World looks and plays amazingly. It’s not that I don’t think a Mario game could possibly look better, but rather that I can’t think of one thing to complain about regarding this game’s appearance–it is, truly, a pristine experience.
It’s not just looks, either. Perhaps the most “next-gen” thing about Super Mario 3D World is that it respects me, the player, and rewards me for my investment. Not just my investment in the game, either, but in the Wii U itself. “Why couldn’t this game happen on Wii?” I ask, and immediately upon entering most every level that question is answered. One stage contains towering dirt structures rife with dozens of crawling ants, all moving fluidly and independently on their pre-determined worker-ant course. In many cases, the horizon is obscured by dazzling heat blur upon entering, the camera revealing vistas more sublime than I ever remember being possible on past hardware.
Most importantly, though, is that the game is simply overloaded with ideas. Levels introduce mechanics and discard them immediately, only to dream up new absurdities mere moments later. You’ll tap crystalline structures with the GamePad to raise and lower them, blow into its microphone to send propeller-drawn platforms to Mario’s side, and the number of times you’ll chuckle or remark aloud–though not all that unheard of for Mario–is simply unprecedented otherwise. To me, the thrills of discovery and gorgeous visuals coming together are what define a “next-gen” experience, and Super Mario 3D World is a felicitous poster child for exactly that. Please, for you own sake, I urge you to forget spec sheets and put yourself in front of this game.
Perhaps the juiciest tidbit (from a consumer standpoint) is that just over a year into its life, the Wii U is already quite easy to get your hands on. GameStop has them refurbished for as cheap as $230, and if you really want it to be painless, I’ve seen used prices below $200 on Amazon. Sure, a used purchase doesn’t help Nintendo all that much, but you’ll still be buying games, which most certainly does.
I gushed over 3D World because I truly believe it has the power to turn 90% of next-gen frowns upside down, but once that game has re-kindled your spirit (after defibrillation and CPR, of course), there are a lot of other options to help keep that new console smell in the air. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, despite its age, is now a full-on Wii U game running at 1080p, and the results are truly are fantastic. Unrestrained by Assassin’s Creed IV’s incessant loading times connecting its “open world” seas, Wind Waker’s bright blue ocean extends seamlessly on Wii U. The game features an entire map rife for exploration, effortlessly streamed into itself Grand Theft Auto V-style as your sailboat hurtles across its open waters. Wind Waker HD transcends its age, and though it doesn’t push the most polygons, it looks truly remarkable. Beyond the next-gen trimmings, it features some of the series’ best combat, and if you haven’t ever played the game, you’re in for a treat.
Elsewhere there’s Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, all games that look and play wonderfully. I daresay that if it weren’t for the disappointing sales thus far, the Wii U would bear a striking resemblance to its handheld cousin, the 3DS. It may not have the breadth of games 3DS has just yet, but I suspect Wii U’s small-but-robust library will continue to grow quietly. Mario Kart 8, Shovel Knight (as seen in the trailer above), and Bayonetta 2 will drive things through to the holiday season, where Wii U owners will then be treated to Hyrule Warriors and a new Super Smash Bros game. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Of course it does, when you put it that way. It’s also worth noting that with the exception of Shovel Knight slated for PC, Mac, and Linux, these are all Nintendo exclusives. If you’re a console gamer, Wii U may very well be your best option right now.
I could go on about how easy it is to migrate your Wii system to the Wii U, how it’s fully backwards compatible, how it upscales Wii games with surprisingly decent results, but I’ll refrain. For a very reasonable cost, you can experience the feeling of the next generation right now, and ditch the message board frustrations until the dust settles. To me, the peace of mind alone makes it a terrific value proposition.
It may surprise you to know that PlayStation 3 has, over time, become the primary love of my gaming life, and it’s with great passion and resolve that I hope for its mighty heir to succeed. In terms of sales, it already has. But there’s no glory in being a martyr. Rather than trudge through this bloodied warzone we call the next generation, do yourself a favor and step off the grid for a few months. Buy a Wii U, enjoy its games, and spend a holiday with it. Your PS4 will still be there waiting in January, happy as a clam, and when the time comes to strap on Project Morpheus and experience gaming’s new frontier, you and it can do so together.
In the meantime, though, it’s time for gamers to drop their platform loyalty and simply enjoy great games. It’s good for your soul, it’s good for developers, and it’s good for the community. Just be sure that when the time comes, you talk trash to Nintendo for not having a VR headset. Are you kidding me? What is this, online and HD reluctance all over again?! Talk about out of touch.
