It's no secret that the Wii U underperformed for Nintendo. While the iconic games giant had released some unpopular hardware in the past, muddled marketing led to an absolute trainwreck of a generation, leading to lifetime sales figures of right around 13 million units for the Wii U. That might not sound bad on the surface, but Nintendo Switch sales have blown it out of the water in just four years. However, the Wii U still has its supporters.
It's not entirely clear what started the trend, but Nintendo fans are taking to Twitter to share appreciation posts for the device, which originally launched in 2012. The flood of support has moved between fans citing the console's library, its support for the often-requested Virtual Console, and the under-appreciated nature of the handheld screen, which was a core component of the system.
Of course, it hasn't all been positive. Others have taken the chance to highlight where the console failed, or in some cases, how dusty their Wii U has become due to lack of use. The trend certainly seems to be weighted towards positive, but there's sure to be some negativity anytime the Wii U is brought up simply because of its reputation in the industry.
It's difficult to say what the perception of the Wii U will be in a few decades. Nintendo has had hardware failures in the past, with the Virtual Boy – a headset that could only display black and red – being one of the most often cited examples of the company releasing a product before its time. The Wii U failed largely due to how confusing it was for Wii owners to differentiate between the two, though it's easy to see how its design helped shape the Switch.
Nintendo has released a number of Wii U-era ports for the Switch, which does go to show that the console had at least some promising titles in its library. Whether or not that should have saved the Wii U is a matter of debate among fans, though some have been pointing out standout titles from the console's library throughout the trend.
Regardless of one's opinion on the Wii U, Nintendo has certainly broken from the mold of what other console manufacturers are doing. Plus, Nintendo is constantly thinking of new console concepts, which does make whatever comes after the Switch seem a bit more interesting. An entirely new console likely won't hit shelves for a while, but fans can hope for the best when it does.
The Wii U first launched in 2012.