The Wii U will go down in history as one of the biggest failures for Nintendo. Trying to recapture the lighting in a bottle that was the colossal success of the Wii, Nintendo revealed the Wii U at E3 2011 and I can assume that they thought they had another success on their hands. This would not be the case. Small sales figures and a tiny library of games marred the Wii U's life and though it did have some great games released on the console, it wasn't enough. In 2017, Nintendo officially declared that they would no longer be producing the console. Luckily for Nintendo, they released the Switch which has been a financial success and is one of my favourite consoles. I always wanted a Wii U, even though I knew it had a small library of games. There is something special about a Nintendo console that always makes me want to own one and now, in 2018, I made that leap. Looking at the lifecycle of the Wii U, it may seem like a disappointment and a waste of money. But, I want to tell you why you should buy a Wii U in 2018. Yes, even if you already own a Switch.

So Many Amazing Games And They Are Dirt Cheap

So many games! Source: NeoGAF

This recommendation may seem a bit weird considering I stated that the Wii U had a small games library. Though it was small, Nintendo had a mentality of quality over quantity. Sure, you could buy Assassins Creed III on the Wii U for some reason. Or, you could grab some truly unique first and third-party titles that were exclusive to the console. Also, they are dirt cheap! Who doesn't like a bargain? Capitalists, that's who.

First, I shall list off some of the amazing first-party titles on the Wii U. You've got the HD remakes of The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker and Twilight Princess, which are fantastic remakes of classic Zelda titles. If you don't own a Switch, you can also grab Breath of the Wild. Nintendo has rarely released so many The Legend of Zelda titles on one console, so if you are a fan of the franchise, or are interested in it, the Wii U is the perfect console.

What would a Nintendo console be without some sweet, sweet Mario? A lie, that's what. Whether it be mainline titles, such as New Super Mario Bros. U or Super Mario 3D Land, or spin-off titles such as Super Mario Maker, Mario Party 10, Mario Kart 8, or Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, the Wii U had loads of Mario games throughout its short life cycle. All of these Mario games are fun to play and offer a variety of different gameplay styles that make each title different from the other.

One title that deserves its own paragraph is Super Smash Bros Wii U. This franchise is one of Nintendo's most popular and beloved. The idea of pitting a massive roster of Nintendo characters, and some characters from other franchises, against each other in an all-out brawl is as fun as it sounds. The Wii U version is the latest entry and provides hours and hours of fun and may even destroy some friendships.

Besides the first-party Nintendo titles, the Wii U also has loads of amazing third party games. You've got the crazy The Wonderful 101, which is developed by the iconic Platinum Games. They also released Bayonetta 1 & 2, which are both amazing action titles. The definitive versions of Batman: Arkham City and Mass Effect 3 were also released on the console. Not to mention all of the amazing indie titles available on the Wii U store. So, once you have finished with the first-party titles, there are still plenty of games to try out.

The best part about all of these games is that they are dirt cheap. Since the console has been out for a while and physical titles aren't really in demand, the price for them has dropped significantly. Considering how many of the first-party games released on the Wii U are either available or coming to the Switch at the full retail price, the Wii U versions are that much more desirable. Also, some of these ports aren't much of a graphical upgrade or feature more content compared to the original. You can save some money and enjoy some great titles. Which, is pretty damn fantastic.

The Beautiful Virtual Console

Old school games all in one place. Source: Kotaku

The worst part about playing games on older consoles is either trying to find a game you want at a cheap price, a retro console and once you have all of that, you will constantly need to plug and unplug cables just so you can play the game you want. If those games are on different consoles, you will be swapping out cables constantly. Ever since the Wii and the 3DS, Nintendo has provided gamers with a wide variety of classic titles via the virtual console. The Wii U is no different.

The virtual console provides games from the NES, SNES, N64, Gameboy Advance, and the Nintendo DS. Each of these consoles has amazing titles from franchises such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Metroid. These games are available at a low cost and you don't need to worry about swapping out consoles to play them. They are all in one convenient place, which is a godsend. Besides the virtual console games, the Wii U is also backwards compatible with the Wii. Nintendo knows how to keep it in the family.

Such A Bargain

One of the biggest reasons to grab a Wii U in 2018 is that it's dirt cheap. That is the beauty of a console that isn't in high demand. Retailers need to move units, so they drop the price in order to encourage customers to buy one. I picked my Wii U up for $140, which is a bargain. Another reason why you should grab the Wii U while you can is that, since Nintendo has ceased production of the console, the stock is limited. We all know how collectable discontinued consoles are and with a high demand, the price will greatly increase. Grabbing one before the market changes and at a low price is a must. You don't want to turn around in a few years and find that the Wii U is hundreds of dollars more expensive compared to 2018. Remember, shop smart. Shop S-Mart.

Come On. You Know You Want To.

Though the Wii U is infamous for being an extremely underselling console, that doesn't mean you should avoid purchasing one. The consoles low price-point, the number of cheap, great games and the virtual console are more than enough reasons to go and pick one up. It has provided me with hours of entertainment and I can't wait to buy more games. The only downside to the Wii U is the battery life of the gamepad. The stupid thing barely lasts three hours. Don't be like me. Grab a Pro Controller while you're at it. You will thank me later.