2. The Wii U's Upcoming Software Lineup Is Very Strong
Before you laugh, scroll down, and click the "Next " button, try this one on for size: the Wii U may have the strongest software lineup this fall/winter out of all the next generation consoles. Hopefully that got your attention, because it should. Starting with the release of Pikmin 3 toward the end of this past summer, the Wii U has slowly begun to amass a library of exclusive titles that easily allows it to compete, and arguably surpass, what the Xbox One and PS4 are currently offering. The remade & remastered version of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker released to universal acclaim earlier this autumn, and Wii U owners have quite the slew of excellent-looking titles to look forward to over the coming months. Super Mario 3D World, which is being developed by the team behind the excellent Super Mario Galaxy titles on the Wii, looks absolutely stellar, bringing back the character selection option from Super Mario Bros. 2 on the NES. This winter will also see the release of new entries in the storied Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. franchises on the Wii U, which should shine like they never have before thanks to the Nintendo Network, which for the first time has brought real, functional multiplayer to a Nintendo home console (sorry, Wii, but your convoluted mess of a "network" doesn't count). It is also worth noting that the Wii U remains the only console to do so free of charge. The rest of 2014 looks promising as well. Two of Nintendo's biggest non-first party exclusives, Bayonetta 2 and "X", the successor to the wonderful Xenoblade Chronicles, should both see the light of day next year. Nintendo has also promised a major announcement about the the new Zelda title coming to Wii U at 2014's E3 conference. All of this, combined with other exclusive announced and unannounced titles that will be hitting the Wii U in 2014 make it a very appealing alternative for gamers who are looking for new gaming experiences, yet don't want to jump into the PS4/Xbox One pool quite yet. Making the deal even sweeter is the new lower price for the 32GB model, which puts it at roughly half the cost of the new consoles from Microsoft and Sony, as well the Wii U now being bundled with a very solid game in the form of New Super Mario Bros. U and its accompanying Luigi DLC. The Wii U has gotten off to a rough start. It is quite clear that the console will not be replicating the unbelievable success of its predecessor, and will most likely end up being something of a complimentary console, like the Gamecube was. But if there's anything we should always know about Nintendo, it is that they aren't going anywhere, and they will always continue to make great games with qualities that nobody else can replicate. Even with its limited library, Nintendo defines quality over quantity, and the Wii U is well on track to having software lineup that should make any gamer happy to own the system. The Wii U is a viable, lower-cost option for gamers who are in the market for a new console, yet are unimpressed with the launch window offerings coming from Sony and Microsoft.