If you’ve ever had an interest in video gaming, Nintendo is a brand that needs no introduction. Since the early 1980s, the Japanese company has sold hundreds of millions of consoles, accessories and in-house game titles. They have introduced the world to household names like Mario and Luigi, Donkey Kong and Zelda, and pioneered technology like light guns, motion sensors and portable gaming systems.
With an exciting new range of consoles and games on the horizon, this buyer’s guide explains how to buy Nintendo products, and how to find the best possible Nintendo deals.
Nintendo was actually born in the Japanese city of Kyoto in 1889, but at that stage, Mario wasn’t even a glimmer in the founders’ eyes. In fact, Nintendo’s first products were playing cards, a sign of the company’s future direction.
Things started to change dramatically in the 1970s when the company began distributing American made consoles like the Magnavox. In 1979, the firm introduced the first ‘game and watch’, a precursor to the Gameboy and 3DS. Next came the Famicom, which became famous across the world as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
1989 saw the release of the Gameboy, the world’s first genuine handheld gaming console, followed by the advanced Super Nintendo (SNES) in 1991. Famous titles continued to flow, including Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario Kart.
Another milestone was reached in 1996, when the Nintendo 64 was released, the first mainstream 64-bit console. In the interim, Nintendo had even made a brief foray into virtual reality, launching the experimental Virtual Boy in 1995. Innovation continued with the Game Boy Colour and Advance in 1998 and 2001 respectively, before the Nintendo DS arrived in 2004.
The 2000s also saw advances in home consoles, with the GameCube debuting in 2001, before the Wii came along in late 2006. Integrating sophisticated motion sensors, the Wii was something completely new, and it was followed in 2012 by the Wii U.
In the meantime, handheld gaming moved forwards, thanks to the 3DS, launched in 2011, which brings us almost up to date. Well, not quite, as 2016 also saw the announcement of the Nintendo Switch, the latest in a long line of advanced gaming products.
Nintendo’s most recent consoles are not conventional gaming systems like the PlayStation or Xbox. Nintendo have always taken a different approach to their products, incorporating educational, child-friendly features.
That’s why the Wii was designed to facilitate things like workouts with sports-themed titles becoming some of the system’s most popular offerings. Both the Wii U and the Switch include active games that carry on this theme.
The new Wii Remote controller included with the Wii U also allows you to hook up different controllers and play collaboratively with family and friends. The system can also play a range of downloadable entertainment, including a range of games and apps.
A web browser is included with both the Wii U and the Switch, which function as social media consoles, allowing you to check the news, send e-mails and stay in touch with friends. There’s a camera on the controller and the Wii U can even be used to stream online movies.
The Switch adds a few extra capabilities. Most obviously, it doubles up as a standard console and a handheld due to its innovative controller. You can hook up eight separate Switch systems for huge multiplayer games, but you don’t have the option of streaming from online services like Netflix or Amazon.
OK, so that’s the basic uses of the Switch and the Wii U, but what about their specifications? The Switch has built on the Wii U in many areas, but the Wii U remains an impressive gaming product. For hardcore gamers, the devil may be in the details, so here they are:
For the Wii U, released in 2012:
25GB Blu-ray disc and 8GB of internal flash storage capacity
Processor: Tri Core, 3GHz PowerPC-based 45nm
Graphics processor: AMD Radeon-based High Definition GPU. 2GB, 0.35 TFLOPS, 550MHz with 12.8GB/s DDR3
Memory: 2GB GDDR4 RAM
OS: Nintendo’s own ARM-based Wii U operating system
Dimensions: 17.2 x 4.6 x 26.9cm
Weight: 1.5kg
Outputs: Video: HDMI 1.4 Audio: AV Multi Out connector
Max Graphics resolution: 1080p
For the Nintendo Switch, released in 2017:
Processor/Graphics processor: NVIDIA customised Tegra processor
Memory: 32GB
Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.1 and Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compliant
Dimensions: 10.2 x 23.9 x 1.39cm
Weight: 297g
Screen: capacitive LCD touchscreen
Video output: HDMI
Audio output: linear PCM 5.1ch, with a stereo headphone jack
Max Graphics resolution: 1920x108 at 60fps
Charging: USB Type C when connected to Nintendo Switch Dock
It might also make sense to compare the Wii U and the Switch to the most advanced Nintendo handheld, the New 3DS:
Storage: 4GB Micro SD Card
Processor: 804MHz quad-core ARM11 & 134MHz single-core ARM9
Memory: 256MB FCRAM
Screen: 12.4 cm Autostereoscopic (3D)
Max Graphics resolution: 800 × 240px
Wi fi: Integrated 802.11b/g
Dimensions: 16 x 9.35 x 2.15cm
Weight: 329g
Battery life: 3.5–7 hours (max)
Nintendo have a huge list of historical products, many of which are still available (if not manufactured). For example, you can always expect to find 3DS deals and even first generation Wii consoles are available from time to time. Here are the most important products to look out for:
NintendoDS – The first 32-bit handheld console, the DS was launched in 2004 and its fold over appearance has become familiar on trains and in cars across the country. It is marked by a pair of LCD screens, the ability to easily link multiple DS consoles, wireless connectivity and a built-in microphone. All in all, the DS, the DS Lite and the DSi, sold 154 million units becoming a worldwide success. They are still popular today.
Nintendo 3DS – The successor to the DS, the 3DS was launched in 2011 and is still being updated today. Copying the dual-screen approach of the DS, the 3DS introduced 3D graphics, without the need for special glasses and added new non-gamin features like access to Nintendo’s Miiverse social network and streaming services like Netflix or Hulu. The original 3DS was soon joined by the 3DSXL, with a longer battery life and the cheaper 2DS, a slightly stripped down model. Finally, in 2015, the ‘New’ Nintendo 3DS was launched, adding different controls and a faster processor (see the specs section for details).
The Original Wii – When it was launched in November 2006, the Wii took the gaming world by a storm with its motion-sensing controller. In fact, it outpaced both the Xbox 360 and the PS3, selling over 100 million units. Featuring excellent backwards compatibility with GameCube titles, it was an instant success.
Wii U – As the Wii started to seem technologically outdated, Nintendo brought out the Wii U in 2012. A direct competitor for the Xbox One and PS4, the Wii U was much smaller than the Wii and featured a wholly new controller, with a touch screen. Again, backwards compatibility was included, as was compatibility with new controllers like the Nintendo Balance Board. Extra non-gaming features like the Miiverse were included too, adding more functionality than the classic Wii.
The Nintendo Switch– In 2016, Nintendo dropped another bombshell by announcing the release of the Nintendo Switch. In this new system, the console unit spends most of its time in a docking station connected to a home TV. However, users can remove it and use it like a conventional tablet as well. The new Joy-Con controller is another innovation, allowing gamers to grip it like a normal controller or attach two controllers to create a handheld system. With high-end processor specs, the Switch is the most advanced system available after its release in early 2017.
Retro gaming has become a craze amongst nostalgic gamers (and even a younger crowd), and Nintendo has embraced the trend. Drawing on their long history of gaming systems, they have brought out a product called the Nintendo Classic Mini - A tiny version of the 1980s NES that plugs directly into your TV and has a classic NES controller.
The NES Classic Mini comes with 30 pre-installed games, including classics like Super Mario Brothers, Metroid and the Legend of Zelda and it comes in a collectable 1980s-style box as well.
You could also think about getting hold of an N64. Cutting edge in 1996, the N64 remains fun to play, with great games like Mario Kart 64 and a well-regarded controller. N64 titles are freely available from Amazon and plenty of other hotukdeals merchants, so if you have a desire to step back in time, it’s easy to do so.
Obviously, Nintendo buyers have plenty of choice at their disposal. The first thing to think about is what kind of gamer you are. If you are into high-spec action games like Call of Duty, it may well be that none of these Nintendo systems fit the bill, and you might look into Xbox or PlayStation models. If you are looking for an accessible, family-friendly system, Nintendo is the company to turn to.
If you intend to play on the move, the 3DS is clearly the best option. It has an excellent range of titles, you can download extra content if needed and it competes well with the PS Vita, the main alternative. However, if you want a semi-portable system to use in the home, think about going for the new Switch. With its adaptable tablet format, you can take it to bed or use it in the lounge, and leave it to charge in the TV room when not in use.
For pure gaming, the Wii U remains the best choice. The Switch may be more advanced, but the Wii U has a huge library of games like Mario Kart, Super Mario World, Splatoon and Super Smash Bros., as well as backwards compatibility with the Wii. It may be four or five years old, but the Wii U still measures up favourably with the PS4 and Xbox for sheer fun (although with its limited graphical power, it’s not the system for death match fans).
For parents, the key thing is that Nintendo is a family-oriented company. They always seek to control the content of games produced for their systems, avoiding bloody, graphic titles and focusing on pure gameplay instead.
There’s no point in owning a Nintendo Wii U or a 3DS without having the games to play on it, but how should you go about finding the right games for you and your family to play?
Naturally, you’ll find plenty of discounted titles at the Nintendo hotukdeals listings, but pay attention to a few things before making a purchase. For instance, if you are buying for a child, think about their age and skill level. Racing games, action games and sports titles tend to be more accessible for younger children, while RPGs appeal to older children as their imagination and cognitive skills develop.
Look at the ratings of each game too. Each title will have a rating sticker on the front of the box. Look out for games marked ‘EC’ (early childhood) or ‘E’ (everyone) for games that won’t pose any risks to your kids.
If you need any information about the gameplay, head to Nintendo.com, where you’ll find a database of every title available (something that you don’t get with Sony or Microsoft).
Before you plump for a Nintendo Switch, it’s worth thinking about the alternatives. After all, you could also go for a PS4 Pro, a PS Vita, an Xbox 360 or an Xbox One S. A new Xbox is slated for release in 2017 (‘Project Scorpio’), so that may be a factor as well.
Generally speaking, PlayStation and Microsoft systems deliver faster, higher resolution graphics and are suited to hectic action games. If you enjoy playing multiplayer fighting games like Call of Duty or Destiny, an Xbox or PS4 will be ideal.
The catalogue of titles available for Xboxes and PlayStations is also larger (although Nintendo focuses on producing quality, not quantity). Both the Xbox One and the Wii U have good backwards compatibility, while the PS4 does not. However, the PS4 Pro is better suited to virtual reality gaming thanks to PlayStation VR, which could be a deciding factor if VR gaming intrigues you.
As with any gaming console, Nintendo’s Switch, 3DS and Wii U consoles have plenty of accessories which can enhance the gaming experience. Here are some of the most common to include with your original purchase:
Extra controllers – Nintendo Switch and Wii U bundles tend to come with a limited number of controllers. If you intend to play games in larger groups, add an extra controller or two when you make your purchase. You’ll often find that merchants bundle in extra controllers as an incentive.
Specialist controllers – The Wii U and classic Wii acquired an excellent range of additional controllers like the Balance Board and steering wheel. There’s also a smaller controller called the ‘nunchuk’ which adds functionality to certain titles, particularly RPGs. You can also buy something called the ‘Wii Zapper’, a housing for the nunchuk and Wii remote which resembles a gun.
Cables – You can purchase extra cables like RGB cables, which link your Wii to a standard TV, LAN adapters to connect Wii systems to non-wireless networks and Wii Speak, an audio sensing product which allows you to add speech elements to compatible games.
The range of accessories available for the Nintendo Switch isn’t clear as yet, but you will certainly be able to add extra Joy-Con controllers. Look out for other specialist controllers, speakers and cameras, as Nintendo are likely to bring out plenty of ways to add functionality to the system.
If you want to purchase a Wii U, a New 3Ds or a Nintendo Switch, what’s the best way to go about doing so?
The first place to look is the excellent Nintendo website at www.nintendo.co.uk, which features specs and details about accessories, games and bundles. But it’s not the place to make a purchase. Have a look at the bundles on offer and then search for them on hotukdeals to see if a UK merchant is running a discount. Then, head to their own website or a high street store and complete the purchase.
You’ll find Nintendo deals from big brands like Currys, GAME, Smyths Toys and Argos, as well as Amazon and eBay sellers, and the Nintendo Store itself. Compare prices and find a deal that suits you.
It also pays to check the listings at certain times of year. As Black Friday and Cyber Monday approach in late November, have a look for Nintendo offers, as there tend to be plenty of special promotions. January Sales is another good time to check. However, expect to see plenty of Wii U deals as the Switch is rolled out too.
Nintendo remains a massive player in the gaming industry. Their Wii U and 3DS lead the field in family gaming, and the Switch looks set to join them. You can save plenty of money on your next purchase by regularly checking the Nintendo hotukdeals listings.
