Oh, the Wii U. You weren’t the best console in the world, but I don’t think you deserve the fate you’re receiving. Last year, following the closure of the eShops for both the 3DS and the Wii U, Nintendo subsequently announced that the console’s online services would soon follow. That day is today, in fact, with only hours to go at the time of writing until it’s impossible to play either console’s games online forever. I know that the Wii U wasn’t a perfect console, but you know what? I’m sad about its death all the same.
This might be a strange way to start this argument, but let me get there: I admittedly haven’t played tons and tons of the Wii U’s library. I’ve certainly played a good few rounds of Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon, and had a good go at Super Mario Maker, but outside of playing The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Wind Waker in crispy HD, it’s mostly become a way to play OG Wii games with HDMI quality visuals.
So why am I sad that the console is on its deathbed today, if it’s not the Nintendo console I’ve spent the most time with? Well, it’s because it represents a big change for Nintendo, one that has made its even deeper dive into being just another video game corporation all the more obvious.
