Wii U Gamepad is the best home console controller this gen

My first video game console was the Atari 2600. It was a great console for its time with a joystick controller with a single large orange button that made gaming simple and fun. Consoles and controllers have come a long way since then thanks to Nintendo. All of the consoles and controllers are fantastic, but the Wii U Gamepad, while not perfect and not appreciated by the masses, is the best controller this gen. Really sad if you have no intention to try it out. It may be your last chance to game like this when the Wii U is discontinued. Come at me.

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I disagree. It feels ackward in my hands. It's not really a relaxed hand positioning in my opinion. I prefer the wii u Pro controller, X1 controller, and PS4 controller to the gamepad. This is just my opinion though, if you prefer the gamepad, that's awesome.

Oh it's the best...for causing cramping in hands.

I agree, its easily the best imo. It can do bout anything.

• Off-screen play
• Gyro
• Touchscreen
• Netflix in 1080p at 32w
• Dual screen coop
• 3-way Mics
• 2-way Camera
• NFC Reader
• Remote-play
• Control TV

It totally innovated the way we play games solo and together.

It's so great that no one wants it and Nintendo is ditching it.

@flyincloud1116: The best is not always the most popular, just ask Justin Bieber.

It definitely has some cool features for sure... if only Nintendo (and others) used it better.

in terms of using it as a normal controller i found it to be fine...no issues. used it for epic 5 hour xenoblade X sessions with no issues. it was also grand for the likes of bayonetta 2. i mean its a pretty standard controller.

the integration of the controller into the wiiu was also excellent. it was like the game was being run on the controller itself...nintendo did a top notch job with the streaming tech. for any game that needed or could make use fo 2 screens the wiiu was ace.

or it would have been......if any games on the wiiu had a good use for it. the best i have seen is the inventory in zombiu. having to look away from the TV adds to the tension. ubisoft turned a problem into a strength...good on em :P. but no games to justify it killed the wiiu.

other than that it was all for nothing really which is a shame.

Edit: in terms of controllers this gen i have to give the nod to the steam controller (not technically a console controller i know). a seriously cool bit of kit. the software side of it is getting better now...no need to enter BPM to configure the controller anymore. progress.

Despite what people may think about the Gamepad, I never had an issue with it, I just adapt to it when I pick up my Wii U 2 years ago. It's okay, and it's something that both PS4/Xbox One doesn't have but to me, the best controller for this gen is (and my opinion) DS4. Overall Gamepad is okay in my books.

I like mine. Replaced the shitty standard battery and now it lasts longer than my DS4 controller. Only negative is: it's too heavy.

As a controller it's good, not the best. But all the extras makes it special. It's the best to play open world games. Having the map and inventory on the 2nd screen makes it perfect for that specific type of game.

It's alright. I enjoyed playing 3D World on it.

The Wii U Pro controller is better.

@Seabas989: If Wii U Pro controller had Gyro, i think i would have enjoyed it much more, otherwise its an awesome controller and i hope they use it for NX.

It's good, but I prefer the Pro controller. Dat 80 hour battery life. Completely bonkers.

I agree, but only because you can play most games right on the screen. I once took the WiiU on a bus trip before I sold it because all you needed was power outlets and you were good.

Wii U Pro Controller does feel good too. When I use one controller type for awhile it takes a little adjustment time to switch to something else, but I wouldn't describe it as uncomfortable. You are being reasonable I suppose since comfort is different from person to person.

Lets not be overly dramatic.

Exactly.

13 million people who tried it are hardly no ones. Did you try it? The Wii U will have had a 4 year lifespan when its successor emerges. How long is the lifespan of your console of choice going to be before its successor comes?

All of the Gamepad's features have been used to some extent across a variety of games. Every game need not have used every feature, and every feature need not have been used excessively to justify its existence. Other controllers lacking a feature of the Wii U Gamepad missed opportunities for a more complete or immersive gaming experience. There are probably too many examples to list of standard controllers not being used to their potential either. But you seem like a fairly reasonable person so I respect your opinion.

Your a somewhat reasonable person to acknoweldge some good points about the Wii U Gamepad. I have Zombi U, but have not played it yet. I want to play when the little one is asleep or pre-occupied. There are probably too many examples to list of games not using standard controllers to their potential. It is no big deal if dual screen gaming does not work for every game. But there are numerous examples of the second screen being useful: Art Academy, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Rapala Pro Bass Fishing 2012, Splatoon, Super Mario Maker, Star Fox Zero, Tank! Tank! Tank!, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and Zombie U among others. Art Academy, Miiverse , and off TV play alone justify the existence of the second screen.

You are being reasonable here so I am not going to quibble with you. You have other game systems and you admit that the Wii U Gamepad is ok even though you prefer the DS4.

I have had to plug my Gamepad in on a couple of play sessions when the battery life was low. A weaker battery was probably included to keep the cost down. I might invest it a stronger battery at some point to. Yes the Gamepad is heavy compared to standard controllers, but also sturdy.

The WiiU controller is a controller that I prefer to never use again.

It's attitudes like this that make me very pessimistic about the NX.

wouldn't call it best controller, but I love playing on it, especially when doing remote play w/o a TV

Why didnt you like it? Gimmick stuff? Too big? Its just a controller.

I've never held the WiiU controller, but the XBox One controller makes my hands cramp after a few hours. It's far too small, especially the part that my hands grip. It makes my ring and pinky fingers hurt. I miss the original XBox controller...

The Wii U Gamepad is more comfortable than I ever thought it was going to be. I was on the skeptical side until I gave it a shot at one of the demo kiosks in Gamestop. It has a lot of great features and the touch screen functions are superb when used right. I wish the system got all the big 3rd party games this gen, because they could have benefited from the controller.

It's not the best controller I have used this gen. That goes to the Wii U Pro for me. It feels better in my hands and the battery life is amazing. Plus, I can use it with my PC and Nvidia Shield.

Wii U had the best gamepad by far IMO. When people say they don't like it, it most likely means they are not used to big size of it, seeing they used normal controllers for the last several decades. But once you get used to the Wii U gamepad, its hard to go back to small controllers :P

As far as controllers go, its my favorite. It finally adapted the standard controls for 3rd party games, plus it has neat extra features. I love using the gyroscopic aiming for Splatoon. It gives you much better accuracy than the right analog stick. As far as I'm concerned, it is only second to KB/M and even that could be worked with. I hope that moving forward Nintendo brings the gyroscopic aiming to NX. I think its the best thing that came out of Gen 8 hardware innovations.

Nope, the Gamepad and Pro controller are both inadequate in both ways. I'd take the One's or DS4 over either any day.

@Blabadon: Small hands? I always wonder how people play on DS4. Seems so small.

Aren't you a fan of the Gamecube controller? Which size wise is about as big as the older Dualshock design? Which has less bulk than the DS4?

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Anyways, the WiiU gamepad is cool in that it has potential for so much functionality... but at the end of the day those functions are rarely used in any meaningful way. And a lot of it comes at the expense of ergonomics.

It's not a bad controller, but there are plenty of controllers I'd rather use.

@ConanTheStoner: When i had smaller hands i enjoyed it i guess. Now that im an adult, i like the Pro Controller and Gamepad more. Id adapt to that beast though, nothing stops me from enjoying my game, ill rock that DS4 like no tomorrow.

I mean, I hear ya, but... it still makes no sense lol.

DS4 dimensions - 7.4 x 6.7 x 2.6 inches

WiiU Pro dimensions - 6.8 x 6.5 x 3.2 inches

Everyone has preference, you like what you like, but the "small hands" claim doesn't hold water.

@ConanTheStoner: Yeah, it was a guess, kinda like a question. Thats why at the end i put, seems small. When i saw and used my brothers it felt kinda small. The tumb sticks etc was smaller then im use to. But i still have little experience with it. It also felt very cheap, like light plastic. Made me scared to drop it.

@iandizion713:

Could be the thumbstick placement, or the fact that the WiiU Pro controller weighs a bit more.

@ConanTheStoner: It might be how they are placed so close, cause they do appear to be the same size. But yeah, i love the new Pro Controller layout, i dont think i could ever go back.

@iandizion713:

I've grown so used to the DS stick placement, but I do appreciate the WiiU Pro placement as well. I'm just glad that neither company caved into having offset analog placement.

People say that offset analogs are more ergonomic, but it always just felt weird to me. When it comes down to it I can adapt to any layout. Been gaming for about 30 years so I've experienced my share of terrible designs lol. But offset analogs are just... why?

@ConanTheStoner: Thats how i am too, i dont think ive ever found a controller i didnt rock.

Reggie, is that you?

@Collie_Lover: I have a WiiU, and I'm one of those 13 million that thinks the controller stinks. 13million in a 4 years is pathetic. Lifespan shortened because of awful sales. Now go play spin the bottle somewhere else sheep.

I don't know, maybe. Wouldn't count it out honestly. The XBone controller just feels more right to hold and play with, but I've never had any issue using the gamepad as a controller or handheld, and really liked the Off-TV play as well. It also got to act as a holder for maps and inventory screens for certain games which is always welcome.

The only controller that really annoyed me was the N64 one at times.

My favorite would probably be the x360, followed by the DS4. The WiiU pro controller is also good.

Ps4 wins this battle in my opinion. However the wii u pad is quite comfortable to me. The ps4 controller just feels truly natural in my hands.

No, definitely not; but I'm biased towards it since it's the reason the Wii U "failed".

It's garbage.

@iandizion713: My biggest issue with the gamepad is its impracticality - the best Wii U games are better enjoyed with the Pro controller anyway, plus the sonuva b*tch is a mess to replace (mine wore considerably faster than my other controllers, except for DS4 sticks which I replaced with X1 sticks anyway).

Ergonomically it's fine, but the screen is poor and eliminates off-screen gameplay as an appealing option. All the supposed gameplay benefits amounted to little of consequence and not calling Nintendo out on their failings is something they continually manage to avoid.

The battery life is embarrassing and more annoying than even the DS4. Fail. I'll stick to the pro controller.

@jcrame10: Funny thing is DS4 controller dont have a big screen and its battery still sucks.

@iandizion713:

90 minutes on ps4. It sucks.

Yeah, how about no.

Nintendo themselves didn't really know what to do with it, yet its the best current gen controller?

@iandizion713: it has the light bar. Which is basically the same as the screen on the Gamepad

It's good. I would have liked Xone controller placement of buttons combined with the features of the gamepad.

Nah...Wii U Pro Controller...most comfortable is still X360 controller. There is a reason why the Wii U Gamepad is being discontinued & not brought over to Nintendo's new NX system. :P