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Wii U Architecture

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Re: Wii U Architecture

#101

Post by aidenn0 »

lynguist wrote: post #82

Another badly designed Nintendo console. Now hear me out: NES: Well designed. SNES: Well designed. N64: Hampered by the originally 12-24 MB cartridges as opposed to 650 MB CDs. GameCube: Well designed. A little hampered by the 1.4 GB mini DVDs as opposed to 7.8 GB DVDs. Wii: Underpowered, but a surprise smash hit capturing that era’s sensibilities (like the PS2). Wii U: Clunky and awkward, which however led to the Sw…

The original GBA screen was terrible; I needed a dedicated work-light to play it.

Re: Wii U Architecture

#102

Post by frosted-flakes »

djur wrote: post #11
causi wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem was that albatross of a gamepad. Not only did it have garbage battery life, but its presence led Nintendo to actively make games worse just to force mechanics onto the gamepad. Anyone else remember how godawful Star Fox Zero was, for absolutely no good reason?

I really liked the Wii U pad and used it a lot. The Switch is a more fully realized version of the concept, but it has its downsides -- it's not as comfortable to hold and play for long periods, and the lack of a two-screen mode makes certain concepts less effective. Mario Maker, for instance, worked perfectly with the Wii U and feels compromised on the Switch in comparison. The battery life was completely irrelevant…

Zelda Wind Waker was also great. You could assign weapons or items to the buttons whilr you were walking, or scroll through the map.

Re: Wii U Architecture

#103

Post by mkw2000 »

msh wrote: post #9
mikepurvis wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which games really used the secondary screen in an interesting way? The main ones I can think of are: Splatoon— second player without split screen. New SMB U— gamepad player can spawn blocks to help you reach secrets. Wind Waker— map and inventory. But an awful lot of titles just mirrored the TV or had a button to enable off-TV play.

ZombiU also used it well and the mass effect port let you use it to issue commands to your squad mates.

One of the most unique multiplayer experiences I have ever played

Re: Wii U Architecture

#104

Post by IntelMiner »

Bondi_Blue wrote: post #93
IntelMiner wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Minor correction. The Wii came with Opera Mini, aka the "Internet Channel" in 2007 https://learn-about-anything.fandom.com/wiki/Internet_Channe...

My bad, I thought this was an optional install. Edit: This is an optional install, not OTB.

I remember it being OOTB on our Wii. Though we didn't get it until 2009 or so

Re: Wii U Architecture

#105

Post by DCKing »

Steltek wrote: post #96
DCKing wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Nintendo always uses slightly older hardware. This is a bit of a meme, but it isn't generally true. The Nintendo 64 and GameCube were pretty cutting edge in their day. At the time the Nintendo Switch released, the Tegra X1 was still about as cutting edge as mobile GPUs came (in early 2016). What Nintendo is about - to a fault, some would argue - is cost cutting. Sometimes that means they use older stuff, but using…

Hang on there. I think the more accurate sentiment is "Nintendo hardware has lackluster graphics". Switch is as much a console as it is a mobile device. Compared to an XBox, a Switch is a few horses short of a full stable. Even the blockbuster Wii could only do 480p while contemporaries were doing HD. What Nintendo does well is make the tradeoff worth it. Both the Wii and Switch make up for their reduced graphics by…

Well it's about perspective I guess. I understand the expectations for a home console, but especially between 2016 and 2019 Digital Foundry kept gushing about what kind of graphics the Switch enabled specifically on a handheld. Handheld gaming is not necessarily my preferred mode either, but I don't think the generalizations about Nintendo are fair - neither that their hardware is old, nor that their graphics are lackluster. For the Wii and Wii U both things are true, but for the GameCube and Switch I just don't think that's a fair thing to say.

The one generalization that is maybe fair is that Nintendo's design goals don't seem to satisfy all of the desires of enthusiast gamers, and are not aiming to satisfy them.

Re: Wii U Architecture

#106

Post by monocasa »

TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #46
DCKing wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Nintendo always uses slightly older hardware. This is a bit of a meme, but it isn't generally true. The Nintendo 64 and GameCube were pretty cutting edge in their day. At the time the Nintendo Switch released, the Tegra X1 was still about as cutting edge as mobile GPUs came (in early 2016). What Nintendo is about - to a fault, some would argue - is cost cutting. Sometimes that means they use older stuff, but using…

I still wonder if the 4KiB texture cache in the N64 was a cost-cutting decision. It totally defined the look of N64 games.

If it was a texture cache, it would have been fine. Unfortunately it was a manually loaded seperate bank of memory for textures.

Re: Wii U Architecture

#107

Post by mch82 »

IntelMiner wrote: post #104
Bondi_Blue wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My bad, I thought this was an optional install. Edit: This is an optional install, not OTB.

I remember it being OOTB on our Wii. Though we didn't get it until 2009 or so

Yes, Wii had a web browser and a JavaScript API for the Wiimote. I prototyped a simple web game for my Wii at the time.

Re: Wii U Architecture

#108

Post by tiagod »

Bondi_Blue wrote: post #88

The Wii U had a rich feature set. Firsts for a Nintendo home console: - OTB web browser - OTB audio and video chat with friends, native support for 3rd party headsets - real-time direct messaging (via Miiverse) notifications and other friend notifications via the home button LED - Ability to view online status of friends - High definition graphics - 5+ player synchronous local multiplayer - built-in Nintendo TVii ser…

>full backwards compatibility with a prior console (Wii)

Wasn't the Wii, at least initially, compatible with gamecube? Mine even has gamecube controller and memory card slots.

Re: Wii U Architecture

#109

Post by AlwaysRock »

actionfromafar wrote: post #16
ace2358 wrote: post #3

The Wii U was unfortunately not a very successful console, but I feel that it had plenty of power to make fantastic looking games and great experiences. It came out in a weird time for technology and Nintendo always uses slightly older hardware. As a homebrew device it is amazing. There are still exploits being found with a new, safe, simple method out now thanks to some crazy dedicated modders. There’s a whole homeb…

When it hit the stores, the reaction of most I know of was something like "I have a Wii already". So I think the naming was incredibly hampering. Especially considering a lot of Wii buyers were not exactly deep gamers, but very casual customers.

Especially since the original Wii sold so incredibly well and had such a great price point for so long.

Re: Wii U Architecture

#110

Post by drewzero1 »

tiagod wrote: post #108
Bondi_Blue wrote: post #88

The Wii U had a rich feature set. Firsts for a Nintendo home console: - OTB web browser - OTB audio and video chat with friends, native support for 3rd party headsets - real-time direct messaging (via Miiverse) notifications and other friend notifications via the home button LED - Ability to view online status of friends - High definition graphics - 5+ player synchronous local multiplayer - built-in Nintendo TVii ser…

>full backwards compatibility with a prior console (Wii) Wasn't the Wii, at least initially, compatible with gamecube? Mine even has gamecube controller and memory card slots.

Yes, ours had that. There was a door on the top that concealed four GameCube controller ports and two memory slots. We never had a GameCube but I ended up buying some controllers and GC games to play on the Wii.
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