Shortages of Nintendo Switch consoles during the COVID-19 pandemic have left Nintendo-hungry consumers out of a virtual quarantine escape, but there's an easy solution: the Nintendo Wii U. It's relatively easy to find this last-gen console for cheap, and the Wii U has a library of classic games that makes it just as worth buying as a Switch.

By several metrics, the Wii U was a failure. It is Nintendo's worst-selling system, reaching only a little over 13 million units. In fact, the system performed so poorly that the Switch's Smash Bros. Ultimate outsold the Wii U. Much of the console's problems have been attributed to its confusing name and marketing, which made it unclear whether it was a new, separate console or just a tablet add-on to the Wii. The Wii U's remote play worked well in practice, but it was a hard idea to get across in commercials.

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In many ways, the Switch feels like a fulfillment of the Wii U's "console-quality gaming on a tablet" promise. While the Wii U was tethered to a console, the Switch is completely portable, and its "convertible console" pitch is simple enough for anyone to understand. But the Wii U was not without its positive aspects, and these make it worth buying in a time when the Switch is sold-out.

Why The Wii U Is Worth Buying In 2020

Hands holding a Wii U GamePad and playing a Mario game. 

The Wii U's poor sales mean it has nowhere near the third-party support of the Switch. Rare titles like Mass Effect 3 and Batman: Arkham City made it to the console, but those looking for a wide variety of non-Nintendo games should look elsewhere. Instead, the Wii U's strong-suit is a huge library of first-party games. Sure, several of the Wii U's best exclusives have since been ported to the Switch, but that also means several of the Switch's best games - such as Mario Kart 8, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze - are playable on a cheaper console.

The Wii U's main value, though, comes from games even older than last-gen's. Every Wii U console can play all Wii games - provided players have the proper Wii controllers - meaning Wii U owners have access to games like Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime Trilogy, and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, many of which are available for digital download via the Wii U's eShop. Unlike the Switch, the Wii U also has a true Virtual Console, allowing players to purchase (and own for good, also unlike the Switch's NES Online service) more than 300 games from the NES, SNES, N64, DS, and Game Boy Advance.

It's easy to find a decent-condition used Wii U on sites like Ebay for around $100 to $170. These will probably require a decent bit of cleaning, and buyers should look out for scratches on the admittedly cheap-feeling Wii U Gamepad controller's plastic screen, but used Wii U bundles can provide access to a massive number of classic Nintendo games for much less than the prices of new Switch consoles during current shortages. The Wii U may have been a failure, but it's an excellent way to dive into Nintendo's back catalog during coronavirus self-isolation.

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The Nintendo Wii U released on November 18, 2012.