ItsMihali here.
I've been in Nintendo-land for the past couple of weeks and what a joy it's been! I do mean that I've been playing games primarily by the Japanese video game company as opposed to their game on the Wii U of the same name.
From 'The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds' to 'Mario Kart 8'; child-like joy was abundant as I discovered all sorts of clever mechanics and narrative spins.
These experiences have reminded me as to why I thoroughly enjoy (most of) Nintendo's ventures; clever, fun, imaginative and gameplay centric.
When the Wii U was announced, I was initially disinterested in the console due to how similar it seemed to its predecessor. To me, at first, it just seemed like a shallow and gimmick driven upgrade; not recognising the Wii U's aspirations to attain its own identity.
The name, along with Nintendo's marketing campaign, did not discourage my negative assumptions. The advertisements seemed to be pushing the paper-thin and wacky elements of it, without touching for very long on the amazing capabilities; you can essentially go from playing on a console to a handheld whilst maintaining quality, awesome social network integration and you can merge your Wii with the new iteration.
What I'm trying to say, is that the system has impressed me with its capabilities and games.
Speaking of which; oh, wow. Please forgive the fact that I'm about to speak in generalities, but most good games that I play these days are visually impressive, thought provoking and intense. These factors allow my to appreciate the experience and hence, have fun with the game. Wii U games, however, have generally been enjoyable almost purely due to gameplay. Titles such as 'Rayman: Legends', 'Super Mario 3D World' and 'Pikmin 3' have incorporated creative and fluent game mechanics that have set the Wii U apart from other gaming experiences. Occasionally, there is an aspect of the game that has obviously been added to show off controller functions, but they seem to be few and far between.
The high-definition graphics are a pleasant improvement, but they don't really effect my opinion of the console.
The last thing I want to address is the Miiverse. Mid-game, you can bring this screen up, post some general comments about the game, put up a screenshot, draw a picture or just browse through other players' contributions. Two home button presses later and you're back in the game. It's so smooth and effortless; it's fantastic! This feature leads to spontaneity and allows for anyone to easily share amusing or interesting occurrences.
Hopefully what I've said has given you insight into how fun the Wii U has been.
The 3DS, Nintendo's current generation handheld, has been my on-the-go gaming device, as of late. Since this dual-screened contraption has been around for quite a while now, I won't go into too much detail to do with its functions.
It is very convenient, having this gaming console on hand if in transit, waiting or just have some spare time. Great games (mostly), unique controls and fun social features such as street pass; I don't regret purchasing my 3DS.
'The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds', 'Pokemon Y' and 'Fire Emblem: Awakening' are my most recent purchases. The foremost, much like the Wii U, seemed to incorporate gimmicky gameplay mechanics; turns out these additions were integrated into the story and general gameplay in a way that improved the entire experience! The same can, for the most part, be said about the aforementioned Pokemon game.
I have yet to complete Fire Emblem, so I can't speak for it's achievements just yet (from what I have played, it's been quite a bit of fun).
So yeah! I'd like to think that what I've put to paper, so to speak, has effectively summarised my thoughts and experiences with Nintendo's current consoles. I'll quickly conclude with this; Nintendo has re-peaked my interest with their current hardware and software. Their games bring something different to the table by incorporating distinctive mechanics and focusing on fun gameplay, the social network that they've developed stands out and both of their handheld aspects allow for diverse usage.
If you've already condemned Nintendo, I implore that you give them another chance; hopefully, what I've shared with you gives you a good understanding as to why that's the case.
Well, that's enough from me.
Happy gaming!
*Tips his hat*
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