Kizyr wrote:What's the big thing that makes it so great for you? I'm genuinely curious -- maybe I'm missing something.
Re: the 3DS models, yeah Nintendo has a way of really working out bugs in earlier versions of their handhelds (ever since the Gameboy really). Though I also like the fact that they don't do any planned obsolescence BS like with phones -- my first-generation 3DS is still working just as fine as the day I took it out of the box. KF
Maybe I know the WiiU almost as much as you actually! But here's a few examples on how the WiiU won my heart over the same things the N64 tried to do and couldn't:
1. Mario Kart 8
This was my first WiiU game. And man, is it an awesome game!
Mario Kart 64 didn't impress me back in the day. I'll blame early 3D / Cartridge limitations here.
Even the SNES game got the physics right, and Mario Kart 64 was a lot messier.
I thought I just didn't know how to play. But after playing every other Mario Kart, the N64 Mario Kart is still the worst to play.
My racing game back in the day was Gran Turismo. It came out only a year after Mario 64, and it's a world ahead.
It just can't compare. It's like comparing PacMan on NES versus Lunar on PS1.
However, Mario Kart 8 is such a great game, that even with all these modern racing games (and that still includes any Gran Turismo) Mario Kart 8 stands out really well. So at this point, this is the first Mario Kart game that WOW'd me since the SNES.
The game is about the same thing as the N64: Same amount of courses, same ideas, most of the same powerups...
But graphically, musically, and gameplay wise, it's just strengthened enough to a point where it can stand out in a crowd of great games.
2. Super Mario 3D World / New SMB U
See, in Super Mario 64, I never felt at home. It's an ok to good game, but annoying platforming and annoying music hurt it. My favorite parts about it were just exploring the castle and being shocked by scary paintings / weird places. Actually playing the levels was, to put it in 1 word: Stressful.
A step down from Super Mario World and even bigger step down from Super Mario Bros 3.
However, these 2 WiiU Mario games stand up really well in comparison. Especially 3D World. There's no stress, the levels are really fun even as multiplayer or 1 player! The music isn't annoying. Oh and let's not forget Super Mario Maker.
3. Super Smash Bros
Actually, N64's Super Smash Bros was an awesome game. For its time its the best it could be.
But in WiiU/3DS, Super Smash Bros got REALLY STRONG. It's one of the biggest games I've played ever. Online helped it a lot too, since I could play with friends from anywhere even outside my town. Also, it has MegaMan in it. THAT character being in this game alone would be a system seller for me
so that's a bias that only someone like me would have, but maybe not anyone else reading this.
4. Backwards compatibility
When the SNES got the Super GameBoy, the world changed for me. I'm a huuuuuuge fan of that cartridge that lets you play GameBoy (and black cartridges, but without much Color) on a TV!
If the N64 had something like that with improvements (and maybe GBA later in its life) I probably would have gotten an N64.
The WiiU can play Wii games, and VC. Of course you have to pay for old games rather than use an adaptor, but for those games you don't own, a lot of them have the best low cost alternative on WiiU. (And its Wii VC)
5. Internet navigation
In this case Im not comparing with N64, but rather, with PS4 (which I also own). So this is a relevant thing for modern systems.
Simply put the WiiU wins here because of its touch based gamepad.
This has nothing to do with games of course, but in those rare times when I need to show my family and friends something from the internet and we're only in the living room with the console hooked, it's the WiiU that provides pleasant internet surfing
(Smooth zoom options + touch keyboard on WiiU vs the awkward clunky navigation + slow arrow + slow as hell typing to search things)
The things N64 had, that I cared about, but that the WiiU will sadly never deliver at, is mainly Zelda.
Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask proved to be awesome games to me, but the WiiU has nothing like that, just ports of other Zeldas and Hyrule Warriors, which isn't really a Zelda. Even Breath of the Wild doesn't catch me, so the N64 totally wins here.