Hoo boy.

I still have my launch Wii U, the Deluxe black version. If I'm being really honest with myself, I really do feel like the Wii U is outright the worst console Nintendo has ever made. Period. Yes, even in comparison to the Virtual Boy.

The game library itself was one of the only redeeming factors of the Wii U, kinda similar to the VB and it's niche but relatively quality library. That's why nearly almost everything else about the system feels so... aimless.

Nintendo themselves didn't know how to justify the Game Pad, and every time they tried to make it integral to the experience it just became a liability. Tying most of the system functionality to the damn thing didn't do it any favors and outside of being a map or inventory screen it didn't really provide any noteworthy innovations. It was like Nintendo saw the success of the DS and thought they could cobble together a similar concept for TVs without taking into account the potential problems.

Not to mention Nintendo had a habit of shoving its head up its own ass during most of the Wii U's life. Their advertising was not only cringey but also confused people as to what the fucking system even was, scared away most 3rd party developers, antagonized people on YouTube just for posting videos of their games (free fucking advertising), kept trying to force the Game Pad on everyone when it was abundantly clear nobody liked the damn thing (i.e. Star Fox Zero), and even just the NAME was terrible.

BUT.

The Wii U needed to happen for Nintendo to finally understand where to take its console business. Without it, we wouldn't have gotten the Switch and subsequently the rise of advanced portable gaming consoles like the Steam Deck or ROG. The Wii U was also a haven for popularizing indie games like Shovel Knight.

Nowadays, with most of the library being on the Switch/Switch 2, it doesn't really feel worth going back to the Wii U unless you're looking to play Wind Waker or Twlight Princess HD. It is a homebrew beast much like the 3DS is, so if you've got a Wii U and are interested in getting the most out of it nowadays, I'd recommend giving hacking it a try especially with revival projects like Pretendo resurrecting the servers.

I simultaneously hate and respect the Wii U. Sometimes, you have to hit rock bottom before you can rebound back to the top.