On November 18, 2012, Nintendo will release the Wii U console in America. Compared to its predecessor, the Wii, the Wii U is better in every single way except for price. The Wii U has all of the functionality of a Wii, including backwards compatibility, ability to use the same controllers and peripherals, and access to the same downloadable games. Additionally, the Wii U includes the new Wii U Gamepad, has better graphics, more powerful hardware, new games, and the brand new Nintendo TVii feature.
All of these improvements beg the question whether the original Wii, at a price point of $150 (or more likely dropped down to a price point of $100 after the Wii U is released) is worth buying at all. After the PS2 was released, the fully backwards compatible system made the original PlayStation practically worthless. On the other hand, it was still worthwhile to buy a PS2 after the PS3 was released due to compatibility issues with the PS3 playing PS2 games. Potential Wii buyers need to consider whether these two systems are an example of the first case or the second.
In terms of backwards compatibility, the official Nintendo Wii U website claims that “nearly all of your existing Wii games can also be played on the Wii U console” (emphasis added). The word “nearly” suggests that Nintendo is aware of at least one or more games that can not be played. Still, assuming Nintendo isn’t exaggerating, the Wii U should be compatible enough for the average gamer and it is possible that any existing compatibility issues can be solved with hardware updates.
The question then becomes whether there is any value to owning a Wii over a Wii U if there are no compatibility issues. Odd as it seems, it probably is. The Wii U console is much more focused to hard core gamers than the original Wii. Already the projected slate of games includes multiple multi-platform games and much less family friendly games than its predecessor. Any casual or family friendly games that do come out for the Wii U are unlikely to be significant better than similar examples on the Wii, in part due to the fact that the Wii U can only support, at most, two Wii U Gamepads at once and plays much better with only one.
Additionally, one of the best features of the Wii has nothing to do with the controller options, hardware potential, or graphics of the Wii: the ability to download retro games from older Nintendo consoles, Sega consoles, TurboGrafx-16, and arcade classics. These cheap classic games are one of the best arguments for owning a Wii in the first place. The games themselves only cost between $5 and $10 a piece, so only the initial investment is meaningful. An original Wii, almost certainly dropping down to $100 before the end of the year, is simply a better deal for owning these bargain classics. The serious gamer will still want to buy a Wii U, but the casual or retro gamer is better off buying the original Wii.
