Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime has been doing the promotional rounds lately, talking the usual corporate mumbo jumbo about the value of Nintendo’s products. One of his major points is that of all current-generation consoles, the Wii U has the best exclusives. Looking at the solid library that the console has built up over the two years it’s been out, it’s hard to argue with that point.
Sure, gamers all went ga-ga over the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 during the holidays last year. I was one of those gamers, and I still think my PS4 is a very solid system. When it comes to exclusive games, however, both Sony and Microsoft are still pretty thin on offerings. It’s only been a year, so that’s not unusual, but it certainly helps Reggie’s point.
Most console gamers will want either an Xbox One or a PS4, but there’s little reason for most of us to get both machines. It’s pretty easy to gauge your own personal gaming preferences and choose which small set of exclusives most appeals to you. Like shooters? You’ve got stuff like Sunset Overdrive and the future promise of Halo games with Microsoft. Like action adventures and RPGs? Sony’s got inFAMOUS and Uncharted , along with future niche JRPGs. Maybe it will even have The Last Guardian someday. Maybe.
Many of the rest of Sony and Microsoft’s exclusives have been a bit disappointing. Ryse and Knack were the typical launch exclusives that simply didn’t deliver the value gamers wanted from full-price titles. Even-more-HD remakes have limited appeal. #DRIVECULB has been a mess. Meanwhile, the Wii U is hanging out there with a library of exemplary exclusives. Just about everything Nintendo has put out for the system has been high-quality and had lasting gameplay value.
Nintendo’s Wii U titles were slow to come out, but the system now has a nice, solid library of games worth playing. For big games alone, we’ve got two Super Mario Bros. titles, LEGO City Undercover, Pikmin 3, DK Tropical Freeze, Hyrule Warriors, Mario Kart 8, The Wonderful 101, and Bayonetta 2 . Having had the chance to play them, I can also vouch for the upcoming Super Smash Bros., Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, and Yoshi’s Woolly World . All three consoles have a solid library of digital and indie games, but Nintendo has some nice exclusives in that area such as Pushmo World, Shovel Knight (exclusive to Wii U and PC), and the NES Remix games.
In addition, Nintendo is offering the best downloadable content deals around. While most publishers are charging $5-$10 for small packs of cosmetic content or single levels, you can get sixteen new Mario Kart tracks plus new cars and racers for $12. Even the Nintendo/Koei collaboration, Hyrule Warriors , offers better-than-usual value with huge new adventure maps in every DLC pack. I’m hoping this pro-consumer bent continues, because it’s a nice feeling to find post-release content that I’m actually happy to buy.
I may not be the biggest fan of Mr. Fils-Aime’s particular brand of marketing-speak, but I think he has a point when it comes to the Wii U’s library of exclusives. Nintendo and its close partners make damn good games, and the Wii U’s library deserves a lot more respect than it’s been getting from the gaming community. Maybe you want to buy a PS4 or Xbox One first, but the Wii U is worth it as a secondary console for its excellent library alone.