NintendObs Thinks: Nintendo's success is a victory for Wii U gamers.
You who had to deal with mountains of trolls, from the Internet to real life, know that you are now vindicated.
Remember the Wii U era? I do. Remember the doom and gloom that were everywhere surrounding Nintendo at the time? I do. Remember how even on Miiverse, Nintendo’s own social network, you could find people dumping on the Wii U from the Wii Us they actually owned? I do. Remember how every single media outlet was cashing in printing articles on the end of Nintendo? I do. Remember how… It doesn’t stop. It didn’t stop. And now, it is close to being officially over.
But if we are to celebrate Nintendo’s success as do the very media and influencers who were at the forefront of the company’s downfall, let it never be forgotten who are the consumers who trailblazed the beginning of that victory. Nintendo’s glorious strategy aside, it is you, the Wii U gamer, who began the success of the Nintendo Switch. It is you, the Wii U gamer, who allowed the sequel to Nintendo’s previous home console to become the irrefutable frontrunner that it is today. And in the long run, it is you, Wii U gamer, who sticked with Nintendo in their darkest of times, who are the reason why this company can now be on the rise with no sign of falling ever again.
You are the ones who allowed Splatoon to turn into a major Nintendo franchise. Tatsumi Kimishima, Nintendo President at the time, even acknowledged us in an investors meeting for being the “core gamers” of what then was a brand-new IP, and now Splatoon 3 is coming to Nintendo Switch in 2022. We, Wii U gamers, are the ones who certified Mario Kart 8 and allowed Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to have a sweet landing on Nintendo Switch, and now the game just announced it has reached 35.39 million copies sold, on track to surpass Mario Kart Wii’s 37.38 million units sold as the standalone best-selling Mario Kart game of all times. Finally, it is us, Wii U gamers, who hold the hype alive for The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and stood there for Hyrule on day one on Nintendo Switch, a game whose success arguably saved Nintendo the company as we know it, averting the calamity.