The Wii U was Nintendo's eighth generation home console. It combined elements of home consoles and handheld systems. The system consisted of a Wii U Gamepad, and players could alternate between playing games on the Gamepad or putting the image onto a television screen. It was also the first Nintendo console to feature HD graphics. The system had mixed reception and was met with sales figures that were much lower than expected. In 2017, it was succeeded by the Nintendo Switch, which refined a number of the Wii U's features, and the Wii U itself ceased production in January of that year.

Features[edit]

Wii U
Manufacturer	Nintendo, Foxconn
Type	Home Console
Generation	Eighth
Lifespan	2012-2017
CPU	1.24 GHz Tri-Core IBM PowerPC "Espresso"
GPU	"Latte"
Media	Wii U Optical Disc, Wii Optical Disc
Storage	Internal flash memory (8 GB in Basic Set/32 GB in Deluxe Set); SD/SDHC Card; USB Storage Device
Controllers	Wii U Gamepad, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Controller
Connectivity	Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.0; 4 x USB 2.0
Online Service	Nintendo Network
Release Date	JP December 2, 2006 ; US/CA November 18, 2012; MEX/SA November 29, 2012; PAL November 30, 2012; JP December 8, 2012; BR November 26, 2013
Units Sold	13.56 million
Top Game	Mario Kart 8
Compatibility	Wii
Predecessor	Wii
Successor	Switch

Controllers[edit]

The Wii U Gamepad acts the primary controller for the Wii U system. It included a number of input methods, including two analog sticks, a D-Pad, the standard set of four buttons and a pair of shoulder buttons. The Wii U also featured a touchscreen, a microphone and a gyroscope, and a sensor that made motion controls possible.

It was also possible to use some other controllers on the Wii U. A controller resembling a more traditional controller known as the Wii U Pro Controller (a successor to the similar Wii's Classic Controller) was released to appeal to hardcore gamers. The Wii U is also compatible with various Wii controllers and accessories, such as the Wii Remote and Wii Remote Plus, as well as the Nunchuk, Classic Controller, Wii Wheel and Balance Board accessories. Compatibility with GameCube controllers was also made possible through a USB adapter exclusively for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Up to four Wii Remotes or Controllers could be used at a time at a system, and two Wii U Gamepads could be connected at a time.

Interface[edit]

The system featured a home menu through which different games and apps could be accessed. The other interface screen (shown on the television by default) is a lobby known as Warawara Plaza in which Mii characters congregate.

The Wii U could be used to play various video streaming services such as Youtube, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video and CrunchyRoll. There was also an app called the Nintendo TVii service that could interact with a user's television provider and online video on demand services to form a program guide for the user. However, the TVii service's release was cancelled in Europe, and it would later be discontinued in North America in 2015 and Japan in 2017.

Compatibility[edit]

The Wii U was backwards compatible with all Wii software. There was a method in which an HD card could be used to permanently transfer all data from a user's Wii to a Wii U. To play Wii games on the Wii U, players had to enter a special menu called Wii Mode, in which the system's interface emulated the Wii's menu. Wii Games could also only be played used Wii controllers and not the Wii U Game Pad or Pro Controller.

Online Connectivity[edit]

This system utilized the Nintendo Network, an online service that replaced the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. This service utilized individual Nintendo accounts, of which up to twelve could be made per system. Through this service, video chats were made possible through the Wii U Chat Service, until that particular feature was discontinued in 2017.

Like other Nintendo systems, it could also connect to a digital shop known as the Nintendo eShop, were other games and apps could be purchased and downloaded. This also included a Wii U iteration of the Virtual Console program. The Wii U version of the Virtual Console included many of the systems/games that were previously made available through the Wii version of the program, and it also added games from two handheld systems: the Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo DS. Those systems had notably been left out of the 3DS Virtual Console.

The Nintendo Network also enabled compatibility with an online community feature known as Miiverse. It acted as a message board, through which players could share screenshots and achievements from individual games, and they could also post messages and drawings. The Miiverse was ultimately shut down in 2017, at the same time as the Wii U Chat Service.

Games[edit]

Wii U

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