I think we can all agree that the Wii U was a bit of a flop, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't a great console. After all, it's the original home of Mario Kart 8, and you can pick up a Wii U copy of Breath of the Wild for very cheap these days. What's more, it's the last console to have HD versions of The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess in physical form. It was an important step in creating the Nintendo Switch, but apart from the god awful name, the design just wasn't cool or ergonomic.
Well, Nintendo, sit up and take a look at this concept design from Brendan Sullivan, because it turns the massive plastic handheld of yesteryear into a sleek handheld that would provide retro gaming fans a chance to relive Wii U titles on the go, or even at home if it came with a mini HDMI out like Helegaly Action π or the CRKD Nitro Deck Plus.
Tell me you wouldn't buy one of these WiiboyU handhelds if they became available? For me, this is so much cooler than the Switch Lite and manages to implement that retro Game & Watch meets Nintendo DS-style shape into a powerful console that can handle the likes of BotW and Yoshi's Wooly World. It looks more like a handheld and less like a toy, which is exactly how the Wii U Gamepad looked and felt.
A handheld that came pre-loaded with classic Wii and Wii U games, or with a store for you to purchase your favourites to play offline - that would be the dream. And yes, if GameCube is coming to Nintendo Switch online once the new console drops, then there's a chance that Wii games might also appear their soon, but a handheld Wii U would no doubt come in at a fraction of the price of the new Switch, and we'd all pick one up regardless.
Imagine a world where Nintendo suddenly became the makers of one of the best retro handhelds, if they didn't need to sue emulator makers or battle the likes of AYANEO or ANBERNIC for affordable handhelds that play games for their later consoles because they had made one themselves, one that looked modern and slick like Brendan'as design. Many of the comments we get asking about which is the best emulator are for people looking to play Wii and Wii U games, so if Nintendo just gave the public what they want in a handheld that shipped under $180 which played games flawlessly, it would solve a lot of their issues.
Still, Brendan's WiiboyU design remains a concept for now, though if Nintendo decide to take note or if someone makes a move to create something similar, I'll be the first to part with my hard-earned cash to give it a try.
