The Wii U - in our eyes, at least - deserved so much better than to be forgotten in a dusty heap in the attic, and today it's been spotted in an advertisement for a major television network. We almost cheered for it, happy to see its grand return, before we realised that the whole thing was just a mistake. The poor thing just can't catch a break.
Yes, the home of Game of Thrones, HBO, has a Wii U Pro Controller currently sitting amongst other devices in its latest ad for its HBO Now streaming app. The controller is obviously there to represent the fact that the app works on gaming consoles, but it's only available on PS4 and Xbox One. If anyone out there is thinking, "ooh, I can finally watch my favourite HBO shows on my Wii U", we're sad to inform you that this isn't the case.
We can only imagine that whoever was putting the ad together simply grabbed any old image from Google - perhaps a quick 'game controller' search was as far as the thought process went? Indeed, Nintendo Enthusiast noticed that the controller in the image looks strangely similar to this Amazon listing, complete with the lack of Nintendo branding to avoid any legal issues.
Now then, excuse us while we head off for a quick round of the impeccable Nintendo Land and treat our Wii U to a good bit of playtime.
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[source nintendoenthusiast.com]
Comments 65
Poor wii U .. i loved it so much:(
So HBO is now the new "gandpa who doesn't know what gaming is"? You know, the one who gets you an old sports game for the PS3 and an Xbox controller when you clearly told them you have a Switch.
I still play my Wii U for my gba virtual console library, they look great on my hdtv.
Loved that system
The Wii U never got the respect i thought it deserved not even from HBO it appears.
Well after the abuse they got in regards to the ending of Game of Thrones, they just dont care as long as they make money
You mean Great Grandpa @Trvial as even my father who is know 67 and a grandpa to my 13 year old daughter knows Halo, Mario, Zelda, Earthworm Jim, Mortal Kombat, Sonic and all the major console makers after the Atari 2600.
The Wii U Pro Controller is way better than the Switch version.
Symmetric sticks (the Switch version is asymmetric to match the joycons) and a D-pad that isn't broken.
It's a shame the Switch doesn't support it out of the box.
Reminds me of that TV host who called the 3DS the Three Dees.
They probably just realized the Wii U is the best system of all time and that's why the choose the controller because they had freedom to use any controller and knew very few people would realize what they did.
Stop stepping on the Wii U's grave, HBO. It's already suffered enough.
Perhaps someone at HBO needs to get fired?
@HumanDog Asymetrical is the best way to go. Nintendo got it right very early with the GameCube which is one of the best controllers that has ever existed. The Switch pro controller only improved on it.
My Wii U is still my go-to for Virtual Console stuff. I’ll never let it go.
@Xelha An intern probably googled "Nintendo Xbox controller" and used the first image.
The Wii U is probably my favorite Nintendo console. The game pad does feel childish, but those games were AWESOME.
You know they were awesome because the Switch stole most of them! I thought my Wii U was done when Mario Maker 2 was announced, but here I am still playing Paper Mario Color Splash.
I will never forget the Wii U. Please understand.
Love my Wii U... HBO, the home of Game Of Thrones and fantasy child abuse propaganda movies. Yeah, someone needs to get fired.
I’m not seeing it lol
Nintendolife hates the WiiU so this would be extra strange, right?
Wii U in my <3
Now i want Nintendoland Online deluxe !
@Zyph “Love that console”. There, I corrected your use of the wrong tense.
Yeah, that sums up the normies' ignorance about the poor Wii U's fate. I still have mine connected for finishing my backlog of games. College prevented me from finishing Bayonetta 1 & 2.
Interesting controller choice. The marketing group for HBO probably used it thinking they would catch the least flak for using an old Nintendo controller instead of the instantly recognizable XBox and PS versions.
The Wii U is still in my living room, dust-free.
To be honest, the WiiU became my favorite system when it's about Nintendo.
I regret how stupid I was to pretend that the Switch was 1 Million times better at launch.
The reality is that I prefer almost everything on the WiiU compare to the Switch.
For example, the joycons are awful compare to the gamepad. The pro controller is way better on WiiU too.
@mist Click bait
Title says ''Wii U controller'', and thumbnail shows an image of the GamePad (+ console), but they actually used a Pro Controller in the image (next to the TV). So yeah, naturally I expected them to use the GamePad in their advertisement, and not the Pro Controller.
@Octane
Ahh! Thanks buddy
Well, could be worse. It could’ve been a Starbucks coffee cup in the ad! :3
@koekiemonster "Nintendo Life hates the Wii U"? How did you possibly manage to get that impression from this article? 🤔
Ah, this reminds me of the good ol' days of the Wii U. Back in those days we had things like Virtual Console games and backwards compatibility. You won't see that on a Nintendo Switch console now days, lol
Jokes aside though, I was just taking a break from my Switch recently to replay Twilight Princess HD and Wind Waker HD on my Wii U. Great games.
It -is- a very nice controller.
That's sad lol
Reminds me of those Chinese bootleg game console listings on Amazon/AlliExpress/Wish/etc. that just slap whatever video game controller, console, or game graphics on it.
Btw, HBO, if you're reading this, that's not a good comparison to have made about you. You seem kinda new at this, so glad I could clear that up.
@Pod
I completely agree. I've actually been using mine on my Super Nintendo by way of the Retro Reciever. It feels great, especially for those weird times when I feel like playing Doom on it for some reason.
I still play my Wii U when I need some classic Virtual Console action while lying in bed! I still love the GamePad, even though the battery isn't all that great.
I have my Wii U modded, and I'm playing Batman Begins on Gamecube, and you can use the Gamecube adapter as well with it! It's because of that "feature" that I still keep it.
@HumanDog : I love the Wii U Pro Controllers. They're my favourite conventional controllers ever.
I'm not as hot on the Switch Pro Controllers (though I do have one of each), but I like using them in docked mode, and I also have one synced to my gaming laptop, which works beautifully with DOOM.
Oh, hey, that thing. I'm sure the five people that bought it in my country jumped up in excitement, only to deflate with disappointment soon after.
Cya
Raziel-chan
I’m sure the Wii U eventually will be remembered fondly. Now, the console itself is nothing to brag about, but man there are some great games on there.
The pro controller was so ahead of its time. I use mine to predict the future and talk to ghosts with equal success.
The best failed cloning experiments made by Nintendo:
Mewtwo, failed clone of Mew
Wii U, failed clone of the Wii.
You can watch your favorite HBO shows on your Wii U. It has been possible for years. Just subscribe to it through Amazon or hulu, both of which have Wii U apps.
I guarantee whoever did this was some completely out of touch old fart working as an executive. Seems quite obvious based off their material lately.
I still love my Wii U. 42 physical games for it, 36 eshop game's and 15 retro N64/SNES and Nes games for it will mean it's not going anywhere and will have a place under my tv going forwards.
I need to get another gamepad as although mine is in very good nick, I think these will rocket in price in the coming years...... Just check ebay the Wii U console boxed is already starting to rise in price.
Facepalm Why does nobody consult anything related to the actual target material? I know graphic designers and marketing directors are, in general, capable of avoiding oopsies like this.
It looks like they corrected it.
The Wii U was a fantastic system, even if it didn't sell well. Also, the Wii U Pro Controller is currently my all time favorite controller. It's very comfortable. I love the layout of the buttons and analog sticks. I feel that layout is perfect, and is what I had been wanting for years, and finally got. I like the Wii U Pro Controller better than the Switch Pro Controller, and better than any of the Microsoft or Sony controllers.
@Kwehst it was a victim of poor timing and bad marketing. By the time it was released, it was outdated. I thought it was awesome. I think there are a lot of people like me, who loved the upgrade in graphics from the 90s and the ability to play on the gamepad while family does other stuff.
@PCkid Okay, you can be that guy.
My Wii U still serves as means to watch Netflix on my dumb TV, as well as Crunchyroll, YouTube, and a decent poor man's internet browser when I'm not using these things on other devices. Every now and then I'm also playing the random game on it. Once those services has stopped I'll finally retire it for good, but for now it's a good stopgap.
Back when I was a kid and had PS1, according to my mom every game console was a Playstation.
Did you make an article about it and not capture the advert?
Everyone here loves the Wii u. Wii u is a good time
Its HBO, do I need to say more?
Love the wii u. Love all the turbo grafx stuff and other virtual console stuff.
@Rhaoulos people say this and yet they've never been able to explain why.
The reason why the symmetrical set up of the Wii U is better is because you have two analog sticks above what is essentially a SNES button layout.
So, in that sense, it's the perfect controller not only for modern gaming, but also for the virtual console stuff. Wii U pro controller really was the best controller ever minus the lack of analog ZL and ZR.
Looks like they've already corrected it on their website, and it now resembles a PS4 controller.
Well, since it's for both the PS4 and the Xbox1, it makes sense to not use one of those and not the other.
Wii U Pro Controller esthetically looks nice, not just because of its shape but also because of the symmetrical button layout.
Maybe this has something to do with HBO picking it over the countless other results that must've turned up in Google.
@roro26
I have a Switch, but I still love my WiiU
Lol I just got my old WiiU back and started playing again, it was really a good console! But because of no good advertising it was put to its grave very early
@hihelloitsme It is very easy to explain. The main controls for most 3D games are left stick and A B X Y. Only asymmetrical controllers are natural to hold this way with main controls right under your thumbs. D-pad and left stick are secondary in most recent games
A controller like the Wii U would be better for twin stick shooters and the PS4 controller would only be better for 2D games without analogue controls.
@Rhaoulos
Well that used to be the case. Nowadays you're almost always using twin sticks instead, the left one to move and the right one to turn the camera. Mostly due to open world exploration games being all the rage this gen. And in the other hype of this gen, BR shooters, you're obviously using twin sticks as well 90% of the time.
Only some indies use left stick + XBAY, which for most people is hardly relevant. So I agree that the Wii U Pro Controller has the best layout, also because the aligned sticks are placed on the top instead of the bottom, which means your thumbs fall on them naturally and you won't have to hold them to the side.
It was just perfect and I'm sad they abandoned it. Holding the right stick in handheld mode on Switch is cringy as hell and gives me cramps.
@Sculptor The Wii U pro controller is undeniably better than the PS4 for that matter. Stick position is more important than buttons.
But in my case, I play mostly RPGs and adventure games with the occasional Smash and Mario Kart for which the Switch Pro controller is ideal.
Also handheld pretty horrible on the Switch. Joycons are way too small even for average hands and the triggers are barely usable especially when you need to use both independently on one side.
It's been updated now to a PS4 controller
Lol, Got. After the super dissapointing ending, all those supposed spin-offs don't sound that enticing at the moment.
so what other apps could you look up on the Wii u besides HBO,you have You Tube,Hulu,Crunchy Roll,Net Flix,Rhapsody and also Watchup.
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