Rest in Peace, Wii U (one final time) | Kaser Focus

We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of Nintendo’s most misunderstood console, the Wii U. Yes, again — because Nintendo Japan announced today that they’ve run out of repair parts for the console, and as such will no longer be repairing it. Once its bricked, it’s bricked for keeps. That’s not to say that the Wii U was necessarily robust up to this point. Nintendo shut down the store on the console earlier this year, which essentially put the console’s community on life support.

But still, I want to take a minute to once again talk about how much I like the Wii U and how much I miss being able to use it freely. Without the Wii U and its awkward, boxy handheld controller, you don’t have the Switch with its sleeker design, nor do you have the hybrid system that’s made the Switch such a runaway success. The Wii U may not have had quite as redoubtable library as the Wii or the Switch, but it’s still the console where I played Bayonetta 2, Metroid Prime, Breath of the Wild and Shovel Knight for the first time. Sure, my Wii U is basically just a repository for retro games at this point, but it still holds a place of honor in my console cabinet.