Shortages ofNintendo Switchconsoles during theCOVID-19pandemic have left Nintendo - hungry consumer out of a virtual quarantine flight , but there ’s an easy solution :   theNintendo Wii U. It ’s relatively easy to find this last - gen console table for cheap , and the Wii U has a library of authoritative games that makes it just as worth buying as a Switch .

By several metric unit , theWii U was a failure . It is Nintendo ’s worst - marketing   system , reaching only a little over 13 million units . In fact , the system performed so poorly that the Switch’sSmash Bros. Ultimateoutsold the Wii U. Much of the cabinet ’s problem have been attributed to its confusing name and marketing , which made it unclear whether it was a new , freestanding console or just a tablet MBD - on to the Wii . The Wii U ’s remote play shape well in practice , but it was a hard idea to get across in commercials .

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In many manner , the Switch feel like a fulfillment of the Wii U ’s   " cabinet - quality gambling on a tablet " promise . While the Wii U was tethered to a console , the Switch is completely portable , and its " convertible console " delivery is wide-eyed enough for anyone to understand . But the Wii U was not without its positive aspects , and these make it worth buy in a time when theSwitch is sold - out .

Why The Wii U Is Worth Buying In 2020

The Wii U ’s miserable sales intend it has nowhere near the third - party supporting of the Switch . rarified statute title likeMass Effect 3andBatman : Arkham Citymade it to the console , but those seem for a broad variety of non - Nintendo games should reckon elsewhere . Instead , the Wii U ’s strong - suit is a Brobdingnagian depository library of first - party biz . Sure , several of theWii U ’s best exclusiveshave since been ported to the Switch , but that also intend several of the Switch ’s good game - such asMario Kart 8,The Legend of Zelda : Breath of the Wild , andDonkey Kong : Tropical Freeze- are playable on a crummy console .

The Wii U ’s principal value , though , come from plot even older than last - gen ’s . Every Wii U console table can bring all Wii game - leave participant have the right Wii   controller - mean Wii U owners have admission to games likeSuper Mario Galaxy , Metroid Prime Trilogy , andThe Legend of Zelda : Skyward Sword , many of which are available for digital download via the Wii U ’s eShop . Unlike the Switch , the Wii U also has a genuine Virtual Console , allow player to buy ( and own for secure , also unlike theSwitch ’s NES Online military service ) more than 300 game from the NES , SNES , N64 , DS , and Game Boy Advance .

It ’s gentle to find a nice - condition used Wii U on sites like Ebay for around $ 100 to $ 170 . These will believably involve a decent bit of cleansing , and buyers should look out for scratches on the true cheap - feeling Wii U Gamepad restrainer ’s plastic CRT screen , but used Wii U bundles can furnish admittance to a massive number of classic Nintendo games for much less than the prices of newfangled Switch console during current shortages . The Wii U may have been a unsuccessful person , but it ’s an excellent path to dive intoNintendo ’s back catalogduring coronavirus ego - isolation .

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TheNintendo Wii Ureleased on   November 18 , 2012 .

Nintendo Wii U Worth Buying In 2020

Hands holding a Wii U GamePad and playing a Mario game.

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