Cannot pick up Wii U

Ive always been a Nintendo fan. My first ever console was Super Nintendo and games like Zelda, super smash and Mario kart hold a special place in my heart.

However i am really struggling to enjoy Wii U. I have super smash bros and mario kart for it and although ive played it for a while, i can never pick it back up. I have ps4, xbox one more recently I have built a gaming pc. And hand on heart i am pretty much occupied with these consoles.

Question is: how do you pick up a nintendo game and truly put hours of enjoyment in it? What are your motivations?

It sounds like you are trying too hard. I tend like Nintendo games because they are easy to start and easy to quit, and can be played for short durations 15-30minutes, but I might play longer (2-3 hours) if I have more time. Part of it comes from knowing your self and what you like. Your tastes may have greatly changed since the SNES. Generally speaking, the mentality for Nintendo games is that they are more like action arcade game experiences, and not complex story driven games with sophisticated skill-based character development. There are exceptions in the Nintendo library like Xenoblade Chronicles X for example.

In Mario Kart 8 you pick your favorite character and your favorite cart or racer, tires and glider. Then you race and try to notice the art and various features of the tracks. When you play a championship race you try to get first place, and you don't have to come in first every race, but you just have to score the most points. But if you want to get all 3 gold trophies for that championship you need to get first place in every race in that cup. You will need to pick different carts, tires and gliders depending on the tracks or cups your racing in. Maybe you will want to build mastery of the tracks by being able to use the shortcuts skillfully. In one track in the 150cc I am trying to figure out the right cart and equipment to get to a shortcut that you have to glide to. I might not have worded things correctly, and others can feel free to correct me if needed. You just set goals for yourself. Obviously, the more you play the better you will get; but you don't have to get all gold cups to have fun doing a race from time to time.

I'm with you OP. Nintendo has done little to shake up their formulas in the past 10 or so years, so you are experiencing fatigue from their games (So am I). I think Nintendo games have gradually declined in quality since the GameCube era, but most people give them a pass.

You may want to try Xenoblade or PersonaXFire Emblem for something different, however, they are also full of JRPG cliches and tropes. I think the under powered hardware has also stifled creativity for Wii U and Wii games. That's just me though.

I'm in the same boat. I have all the systems, handhelds, and PC. It's tough to decide what to play. If you don't get into the MP, neither of the games you have will motivate you. Try something with a sick single player experience. I suppose I would recommend Kirby or Mario Maker. Those are two that I really liked.

You can try other games and see if your interest changes. I play Splatoon when I need a big multiplayer fix. Otherwise I play lots of other games like Bayo 2 and Zelda when I need a change of pace. Either way it can't always be smash and kart.

I suppose people could tire of any series like Call of Duty, Elder Scrolls, Grand Theft Auto, Assassins Creed, Legos, The Witcher, Need for Speed, Halo, Gears of War, Resident Evil; or certain types of games like Bloodborne. Nintendo games might be the answer for some people that have had enough of those types of games or just want something different.

I'm with you OP. I love my Wii U to death. I think its the best console because the Miiverse built in forum is incredible and the flow of the main menu and touch pad are fantastic. The games that come out for it are no match for games like DooM 2016, Dark Souls, Neptunia, etc. Fantastic system but the games can't stand up to others on the PS4 or Xbox One.

I might give Twilight Princess a try.

I've gone for months at a time without touching my WiiU, then I play it every day for months. It's okay to not play it sometimes. I'm currently only playing WiiU and not my gaming PC, while a month ago I was playing nothing but PC.

It helps to not care about which platform you're playing on. Just play the games you'll have fun with at the moment. Who cares which system they're on.

I agree Jordan, however, as the NX launch nears, the Wii U will be worth less and less for trade, so it's useful to think "should I keep this thing around?" if you're not using it much.

For example, M$ announcing that the PC will get all Xbone games lead me to trade in my Xbone (which was worth half as much as a PS4 for trade :p).

Did you trade in your Xbox games too, or will you be able to play them on PC somehow?

The games still exist even if nothing new is coming to the console. If owning a WiiU is the only way I'll be able to play its library in the future, there's no way I'm going to trade it in.

I have a PC, Wii U and 3DS. I just play whatever I feel like. Games like Mario Kart and Smash Bros. haven't captivated me like Splatoon or Xenoblade Chronicles X. So I'd suggest not resorting to typical Nintendo franchises, otherwise you may feel franchise fatigue.

Franchise and hobby fatigue happens to everyone, I went 2 gens without a Nintendo console so I'm not fatigued on it, and I quit gaming all together for a while so I'm extra fresh on it. They're games, not meant to be played all the time so yeah you'll get burned out sometimes.

@JordanElek: It depends, for example, no games on PS and Xbox interest me in the slightest, except a few exclusives and that's why I'm primarily buy Nintendo consoles, it's all a question of time, money and interest.