For anyone that’s already got the Nintendo Wii U, you’ll know how impressive it’s been and for everyone else the news that Nintendo has announced both a price reduction and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD game bundle pack just in time to compete with the upcoming release of the Xbox ONE and PlayStation 4 could be a significant factor in your decision making process. We’re also expecting them to hit commercials and other advertising pretty hard over the next few month in the run up to Christmas as they press ahead with the next generation console that will have more games available than any other thanks to the 1 year head start its had over Sony and Microsoft.
In terms of the all important price, the console will be dropping from around the £290 price tag down to between £250 and £260, depending on the retailer, for the 32gb black premium version. If you’re even more strapped for cash there’s also the white 8gb basic pack, which we’ve seen available new online for as little as £215 (although, it doesn’t come with a game, so the premium console will be the best buy when you take into account The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD bundle detailed below).
The prices of both Wii U options compare very favourably with the price tags of both the Xbox ONE and the PlayStation 4. The Xbox ONE has now been confirmed for release on the 22nd November in the UK with a fairly significant price tag of £429, while the PS4 will be hitting the shelves in Britain on the 29th November, setting you back £349. Neither of which will come bundled with a game.
To add even more strength to the Nintendo option they’ve also announced the release of a The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD bundle pack which will give you both the 32gb premium version of the Wii U and a copy of the game itself for just £249.99. This equates to being nearly £180 cheaper than the Xbox ONE and just under £100 less than the PS4, plus you get the brilliant game all packaged up in the mix.
However, Nintendo isn’t quite done with their news as the bundle also includes a Zelda customised touch screen game pad, with gold lettering, the Hyrule crest and other well recognised symbols from the game. You’ll also get a boxed copy of the game at retail, and while stocks last they’ll be throwing in exclusive Zelda artwork and a Ganondorf figurine. It’s a pretty epic bundle for the price, but the most important aspect will be getting to play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in HD with super charged graphics on the Wii U and the gamepad for easy access to inventory items.
If you’re looking to compare the consoles on other gaming merits there are some positives and some negatives to take into account. Firstly, the Wii U already has quite a healthy back catalogue to choose from ranging from the cute and fun New Super Mario Bros. U, Pikmin 3 and Lego City Undercover to the more brutal, serious gaming might of Assassin’s Creed 3, Zombi U and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.
It’s also got an impressive looking list of exclusive future releases including Mario Kart 8, Super Mario 3D World, Bayonetta 2 and Wii Fit U, as well as cool cross console releases like Watch_Dogs and Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag. However, there are other significant game releases that won’t feature on the Wii U based on the latest information including Fifa 14, but Call of Duty: Ghosts has been released on the console, proving its place as a potential rival to the PS4 and Xbox ONE.
It will, however, miss out on Xbox ONE exclusives, Forza Motorsport V, Halo 5, Dead Rising 3, Ryse, Quantum Break and Titanfall, plus the slightly less impressive PS4 exclusives, DriveClub, Infamous: Second Son, Kill Zone: Shadowfall and Knack.
There are other negatives to consider about the Nintendo Wii U when compared to the Xbox ONE and the PS4, as there are some limitations you should be aware of before you make a decision. For a starters it’s not quite as powerful as the other next gens, so there’s going to be some titles that possibly don’t look or play quite as well on the Nintendo console. It’s also had a slow start in terms of sales, so you might not have too many friends with the console that you can connect up with, although with the price tag of the other two systems that could be the same across the board this side of Christmas.
In general though, if you’re looking for the cheapest next generation console or the one with the most games available then the Wii U’s The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD bundle is definitely the best option. However, if you can afford it and you prefer the hard hitting realism of serious gaming then the PS4 or Xbox ONE will be too big a draw.
Read our Nintendo Wii U review for more information about the next gen console and our The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD review for more info on the game itself.
