The Wii U has reached the one year anniversary in North America. The Pure Nintendo staff takes a moment to reflect on its first year.

What do you think of the Wii U a year later?

Thomas Jones 

So the Wii U has suffered somewhat of a “bad year” (if 95% of the gaming media’s opinion is to be trusted), but momentum is growing for the Eighth Generation system. After what was a rather muted and unassertive launch, sales are on the up and there’s definitely life in the Wii U yet.

Many have branded the Wii U a failure, a ridiculously harsh and overly judgmental summary of a system barely 365 days old. True, the Wii U hasn’t set the world alight with its sales, but should it have? It is arguable that the system has only had one major first party release in Pikmin 3, and let’s be honest, would any Nintendo system have performed quite as well as they have without major first party titles? The boost in sales following the release of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD just goes to show how important Nintendo’s IPs are to its system’s success. With the likes of Super Mario 3D World releasing in time for the holiday season, soon to be followed in the coming year or so by the likes of Mario Kart, Smash Bros. and a brand new Zelda title, it’s certainly far too early to write the Wii U off yet.

Happy Birthday Wii U. Your first year has seen you finding your feet, but you’ll grow in time and have many bright years ahead!

Justin Sharp 

It’s hard to believe it’s been a full year since the Wii U launched.  It seems like yesterday that I was waiting outside Best Buy for the midnight launch.  I can remember staying up late downloading the Day 1 update and then playing New Super Mario Bros. U for another couple of hours.  As I look back on the past year, there are a couple of key experiences that stand out for me.

First, the Wii U is great to play with friends and family.  Nintendo is definitely not known for having the best online experiences but it definitely holds the crown for best local multiplayer experiences.  There have been many great experiences over the past year like playing Zelda: Battle Quest in Nintendo Land til 3am, or playing intense Rayman Legends play sessions.  Trying to play through the whole Battle Quest is an immense challenge but one that is well worth it.  I usually play as the archer and love how the Wii U GamePad is used for aiming/shooting.  Rayman Legends is another example of utilizing the GamePad to its full potential.  The Murphy levels are some of the most fun and in-depth of any co-op experience I’ve ever played.  Murphy is far beyond a simple ‘assistant’ like the co-op mode in the first Mario Galaxy.  Playing as Murphy is both challenging and rewarding.  I never felt like I had a lesser experience playing as Murphy than playing as one of the other characters.

The Wii U’s Off-TV capability is awesome.  The first time I played a game using Off-TV play, I couldn’t help but walk around my house to see where all I could play.  It’s one of the best features of the Wii U.  Being able to play console quality, HD games in a portable fashion is groundbreaking.  I hope Nintendo continues to expand the capabilities and range in the future.

The Wii U has definitely had its ups and downs over the past year but I’m excited about the future.

Justin Hinton (J-Money)

The Wii was a juggernaut last generation selling a massive amount of units.  Last year entered the Wii U to kick off this generation of video games.  The Wii U was the first console that I have ever picked up launch day and over the past year it has had some ups and downs.  The launch saw a great line up of games but was soon plagued with delays, small release droughts and many shouting that the console was doomed.

There are still many people even now, a year later, saying that the Wii U won’t make it.  Especially with the launch of the PS4 and Xbox 1 upon us people are touting that the Wii U just doesn’t stand a chance.  I never doubted that the Wii U had a spot next to the PS4 or Xbox 1.  The games for Nintendo’s new home console continue to get better and along with support from major publishers, indie game developers are flocking to the Wii U and have their games published on a major home console.

There are still some major game publishers and developers that decide not to support the Wii U with their games.  Some of these companies are passing up the Wii U because they are not convinced the Wii U is powerful enough to handle their games and others blame the lack of consumer support for the console.  Either way if the Wii U ends up blowing the other consoles away in sales numbers like the Wii did last gen, these companies would likely have a change of heart to make sure they got their piece of the pie.

Regardless of the naysayers and the companies that have turned their noses up to the Wii U, I have had tremendous amounts of fun with Nintendo’s new console, Wii U, over the past year.  Nintendo should definitely just keep doing what they do and keep giving us new ways to interact with video games.  I have not run out of things to do or play with my Wii U yet and I don’t expect that to end anytime soon.  I look forward to what Nintendo has to bring to the Wii U next and what things I will be able to do with my Wii U over the next several years.

Trevor Gould

It’d be fairly easy to point out Nintendo’s missteps with the Wii U over its first year, but I’d rather focus on the high points.  The launch was a success, and the post launch drought (though disappointing to many) allowed smaller titles that might normally have been overlooked to get more attention.  Speaking of which, I’ve been pleased to see Nintendo becoming more of a focus for indie developers over the past year.  With less restrictions and additional support, this is one area that should continue to see growth.

Of course there were some high profile releases.  Early in the year saw the arrival of a few well received games, with March proving especially noteworthy as titles like Lego City: Undercover, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and Need for Speed Most Wanted U landed on shelves.  The summer saw more big name games including, but not limited to, the challenging Super Luigi U, the return of SNES classic Earthbound, DuckTales Remastered (which just got a welcome promotion to a physical release) and the long delayed Pikmin 3, which I just picked up and can’t wait to finally play!  With the xmas releases now upon us, I’m actually finding myself in a position withtoo many games to play, and not enough time (nor cash) to tackle them all.  Thankfully increasing eShop demos can play a part in helping me decide which games to buy vs. those that’ll just be rentals only.

With new console bundles (and lower prices) I think the next couple months should prove quite successful for the Big N.  The New Super Mario titles, Wind Waker HD, and Skylanders, are all very popular games, and by offering plenty of choices Nintendo will reach a wider audience with greater variety and an increased presence at retail. Plus we’re seeing attractive game bundles with Wiimotes.  I hadn’t played a Mario & Sonic Olympic game, and Wii Party U wouldn’t normally be at the top of my most wanted list, but thanks to bundles (and holiday sales) I recently bought both!

I look forward to the next couple months, and genuinely believe the Wii U will see holiday momentum not just expand its installed base, but also silence (to an extent) the haters.  And with games like Mario Kart 8 on the way, things are only looking up for the consoles 2nd year (all this and not even taking into account the continued dominance of the 3DS!)  As always, Nintendo continues to entertain me, my family and my friends.

Tristan Meiman 

When you’re having the most fun, that’s when time always flies. I still remember when I first picked up my Wii U. It was the day after its launch and as I was walking around a local store, there before me was the last Deluxe version. Its sleek black casing, its copy of Nintendoland included and it was mine for the taking. Could you believe though that I was skeptical when it came to buying one? Skeptical in terms of spending money, not so much about the capabilities of the Wii U itself. I decided to walk around the store to think it thru…this of course lasted all of 60 seconds until I quickly turned around and told the clerk in the nicest way possible “Shut up and take my money!”.

While I do love Nintendo, the launch titles in the past have usually been on the weaker side of things and this one was no exception. Sure I was excited to play New Super Mario Bros. U and while it was a great time and looked pretty, I wasn’t blown away by what the Wii U could do. But this was a console launch. You don’t want to throw your best cards on the table right away. You have to build things up a little.

Later on, games like Resident Evil: Revelations, Wind Waker HD and Arkham Origins would show me how well the gamepad can be used during gameplay by really immersing the gamer into the action. You know, the big selling point of the Wii U. But it was attending E3 and PAX Prime this year that concreted the bright future that Nintendo has going for it. Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros., Super Mario 3D World and we still haven’t seen the Wii U Zelda title that Nintendo is hiding behind the curtains. Sure the Wii U had a bit of a slow start, but the pace is picking up and I’m excited to see where it goes. Here’s to one year Wii U, Happy Birthday! You’re just getting started!

James Higginbotham

I still remember that cold November night of the Wii U launch. I had recently moved away to South Carolina, making this the first Nintendo launch I was away from the crew. I made it a point to find my way, the six hours, to meet up with Justin, Kevin and Eli. For me the best part of console launches are not always the systems themselves, but the memories of waiting and playing the system for the first time with friends. This launch was also the first of our “adult” lives. It’s still amazing that after all these years and miles, our love for Nintendo can bring us all together, even if it is for a night.

I have never been a part of something that had such a polarizing year. Everyone had/has their own opinion on Nintendo and the Wii U. Sadly, most of those opinions are negative. This attention has led to some interesting conversation, articles and opinion about gaming and Nintendo. For me, the year wasn’t about the sales or Nintendo’s future, but how the Wii U has become a central part of my home.

In my home, the Wii U is more than a video game console; it’s the center of my entertainment world. The Wii U gets heavy use out of both my wife and I. Besides the obvious gaming, ninety percent of our Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube watching is done through the Wii U.  On-top of that, a lot of our TV controls, internet browsing, football score keeping, is done with the help of the Wii U Gamepad. Nintendo has accomplished their goal of making the Wii U a central part of my life. I won’t go as far to say that it has made my life better, but at least more convenient.

Thanks for an interesting year Wii U!