The Wii U (officially stylized as Wiiᵁ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo and is the successor to the Wii. It's Nintendo's first home console since the Super Nintendo Entertainment System to share a portion of its name with its predecessor. The Wii U was Nintendo's first console to support high-definition graphics.
The Wii U GamePad is the primary controller for the console, featuring an embedded touchscreen that can either supplement gameplay on the main screen, or be used to play the games directly on the GamePad independently of the television. There are two versions of the Wii U: the "Basic White" with 8GB of storage and the "Deluxe Black" with 32GB.
The Wii U is backward compatible with Wii software and accessories, and as such all Sonic the Hedgehog games released on the Wii are also playable on the Wii U, although the system does not support GameCube controllers. The Wii U also offers an online service called the Nintendo Network and previously featured an integrated social networking service called Miiverse (that has been shut down on 7 November 2017). The Wii U was plagued with slow consumer adoption, a lack of strong launch titles, and bad marketing and third-party support. It's ironically been considered to be one of Nintendo's worst selling game consoles.
Nintendo officially ended the Wii U's production in 2017.
Controllers[]
Wii U Gamepad[]
The Wii U GamePad is the primary controller for the Wii U. It features a built-in touchscreen, which can either supplement or replicate the gameplay shown on the main display and can function as a standalone screen without the use of a television screen.
Wii Remote[]
Aside from the console's backward compatibility with Wii games, the Wii Remote and its peripheral extensions (Nunchuk, Classic Controller etc.) are also supported in most Wii U games.
Wii U Pro Controller[]
The Wii U Pro Controller is the second controller released for the console, available separately. Like more traditional controllers, it features standard control sticks, buttons, and triggers. Many video game journalists have noted the similarities between this controller and Microsoft's Xbox 360 Controller. However, Nintendo claims that the design of the Pro Controller is an “enhanced version” of the Wii Classic Controller and "offers a richer experience".
The Wii U Pro Controller is compatible with most supported Wii U games but is incompatible with Wii games.
Nintendo Gamecube Controller[]
Nintendo GameCube controllers can be used with the Wii U via a USB accessory, although it is only compatible with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and cannot be used for any other software.
Amiibo[]
As of 21 November 2014, the Wii U began supporting amiibo, a series of figurines which uses near field communication to add special features to compatible software.
Yoshi games[]
 Yoshi's Woolly World (2015)
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Virtual Console[]
Similarly to the Wii, the Wii U also features a Virtual Console section in the Nintendo e-Shop where past video games, most of which were previously released on past Nintendo consoles, can be downloaded and played on the Wii U.
 Yoshi's Story
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 Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island
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 Yoshi's Island DS
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 Yoshi Touch & Go
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Trivia[]
- The Wii U is the only eighth-generation console to have complete backwards compatibility with its immediate predecessor.
- The Wii U is Nintendo's final home console since the Super Nintendo Entertainment System to have a budget label. As of November 2022, no Nintendo Switch titles have been re-released under the Nintendo Selects label.