The Most Magical Era of Nintendo Consoles

The era of the 3DS and Wii U has a certain magic and charm to it that I've always loved. Whether it's the all the amazing features these consoles have or just nostalgia, there's something about this time period that feels really special to me. So I tried to capture just a small amount of that magic with this video.

Music Used (In Order of Appearance):
-Wii System Transfer
-Main Menu - AR Games
-3DS First Time Setup
-3DS Theme Shop
-3DS Home Menu
-Wii U Startup (Gamepad)
-Mii Maker Main Menu (Wii U)
-Activity Log Software Library (3DS)
-Daily Log (Wii U)
-December 2013 - Nintendo eShop
-Malo Mart - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
-November 2012 - Nintendo eShop
-8AM - Animal Crossing: New Leaf
-3DS Initial Setup - Nintendo eShop
-Letter - Tomodachi Life
- 3DS System Settings
-Wii U Download Management

Old eShop footage from YouTube channels:

#3DS #WiiU #Nintendo

[voyan]

Honestly feel like the Wii U and 3DS having shop music made it feel more like an actual store, like I wanted to hang around and browse even if I didn't have plans to buy anything. Maybe it was atmosphere, maybe marketing, maybe both- but it definitely worked. When it comes to the silent Switch eShop, I just get whatever I need to do done and close it as quickly as possible 🤷

[giangeegibb]

The charm of the 3DS and Wii U era is undeniable, and it’s a big reason as to what makes the consoles so beloved even though their player bases aren’t nearly as big as things like the Switch. I still use my 3DS and Wii U constantly, and I really hope that Nintendo’s next system brings back some of that atmosphere in the menus that the Switch definitely lacks. Wonderful video!

[Pengun]

StreetPass is the single best Nintendo feature ever in my opinion. The fact that it’s not on switch in insane to me

[PGReviews_]

Safe to say there’ll never be a dynamic like the Wii U & 3DS again as I don’t see Nintendo ditching the hybrid model. An era that I will forever cherish (no matter how miserable it was at times).

[WiiMii.]

Playing that paper airplane game while listening to Fireflies was a piece of hard-hitting nostalgia I didn’t think this video would bring out lol

It was always Fireflies and random Phineas and Ferb songs for me

[Nokjaw]

Memories of playing games like Nintendo Land, Super Smash Bros. 4, Game & Wario and even Mario Party 10 while drunk with friends were some of my most cherished memories growing up in my early college years. The Switch just doesn't hold a candle to the Wii U.

[luminglas]

8:57 you’re right. I am 40 now and I look at the N64 time period as the time I long for. But I love watching these videos. Every few years on decade a younger/newer YouTuber makes a video like this longing for their childhood. We all want the same thing in the end.

[MrNiceguy]

This era of Nintendo was so good because everything had so much charm and personality. Not just the consoles but also the Nintendo directs of that era. Unfortunately with Iwatas passing and Reggie leaving, the Nintendo of today just doesn't feel the same. The Switch has better games sure, but I still think the Wii U is the better console because of all of its features.

[bartsimpson]

I love my 2DS. After going through a rough patch where I had zero dollars to my name for a couple years, plunking the money down at Gamestop to get a used one and a couple of games was a great feeling. It marked the end of hard times and I'll always remember that.

[thedisneyguy]

3DS and Wii U music make me cry of nostalgia. So thanks for the tears man

[farinhajr]

Sadly, when i was 5 my dream was have a 3DS and a Wii U, but my parents never care too much about that and when i was 9 they offer me the switch, i've just ignored the switch and keep playing on my wii, but in 2023 with 13 years old i finally bough my 3DS🥲🥲🥲, i spent tons of time in mk7, in miitopia, nsmb2, team kirby clash, yoshi's wolly world and so much more❤❤❤

[BondforgedSky]

I never owned either a 3DS or Wii U during that era despite wanting both. But I was always watching from the sidelines at how wonderful everything looked, imagining myself enjoying those games and consoles for long periods of time. While I may never get to experience what you and everyone who owned those consoles did, I still have a weird nostalgia for that time and I will always cherish that. Also I absolutely LOVED the music that you played during the video. It was my first time hearing some of those tracks, and I need to listen to them again.

[UltraHylia]

Where the Wii, DS and to an extent GameCube played a huge part in my childhood, the Wii U (and later 3DS) played a big part of my teenage years. I remember really loving the Wii U's UI when I first got it back in Christmas 2014! Both (or rather, all three?) generations are extremely important to me. Lots of good childhood memories, however my teenage years are particularly special to me, as that's when my personality (and a lot of the humour and inside jokes I still have) really developed, and technically the Wii/DS/GameCube/Wii U/3DS were *all* heavily involved in those teen years.

Wii/DS/GameCube are technically the most nostalgic for me now but it's still very, very weird that the Wii U/3DS are also nostalgic these days. Something is seriously wrong with how fast time moves lol.

[paulhudalla]

I used to play Nintendo Land at a friend's house for hours at a time. I loved those days, everyone just playing together, having fun. I only got a Wii U recently and I wish I could have some more people to play with again, but I do not. I'm also in the process of trying to get a 3DS, so hopefully I'll get one soon. I hardly knew anything about games during this era, as it was my very early childhood so I never asked for them. Looking back, I really wish I could have been apart of that community, but at least I am now.

[wizawhat]

In the gaming community, nostalgia is most commonly used as a way of discrediting someone's experience, and because of that, I feel like people like you and I have to make these concessions to people regarding our feelings about these consoles because they can't understand why we can look back on them fondly when they can't.

But the truth is, there is something to be said about these consoles that Nintendo could apply to their future hardware if they could hear how important it is. Yes, there are rose-tinted glasses at play, but those memories are amplified in our heads because of the masterful user experience, like you so beautifully put in this video. I wish people could try to understand that before shitting on people who miss what these consoles offered that the Switch lacks. The feelings are valid and there are a lot of us. Lovely video!

[NamlessOctarian]

This is a perfect video essay for a perfect era of Nintendo. There's a certain charm and personality that came with the Wii U/3DS era that I don't believe can ever be replicated again. Weather you actively playing on your Wii U/3DS, socializing with others about the game you were playing, watching the new Nintendo Direct format of news, participating in Club Nintendo, going into a store to see the new releases or the amiibo kiosk, this special Nintendo joy followed you or at least I know it followed me. I remember the day I found out about the Wii U in early 2013 and just how excited I felt, I wanted this console and I was going to get it no matter what. I remember talking about the games announced for it with my friends and then showing me their progress in various 3DS games. I remember the days I finally received my Wii U and 3DS and just never putting them down for a week. I remember the friendships I strengthened and made just bonding over this era of Nintendo. I remember going from sucking ass at MarioKart Wii to figuring out how to improve my skills through 7 and 8. The time I spent on Miiverse and Streetpass felt wonderful, making purchases on the eshops felt special and more than just a game purchase. I've always held the Wii U up as my favorite console and what I personally believe to be Nintendo's greatest console of all time, I always will.

[fullmissileaim]

Leave it up to Nintendo Hero to have the memory feels of what is like to be a Nintendo fan during this era. This was my early adulthood when I got to experience these systems no matter how flawed they were. They left an impact of my life during 2011-now. I freaking love these systems deer to my heart because how it felt like you're home with Nintendo that wasn't corporate now with the switch.

I still love the Switch don't get me wrong but it won't beat the magical memories I keep dear to my heart with the Wii U and notably the 3DS. Thanks for this video essay man!

[ensndkdndne-Eusjsnsns]

Don’t forget the precursor, the Wii and the DSi era music ＳＬＡＰＳ

[victorportella]

Love your channel, bro... It's like you can put in words what we only feel. Keep up the great work! You deserve millions of subs! Greetings from Brazil.

[megamanzero]

The 3ds is my most played handheld console. I have fond memories of going to the midnight release, playing OOT3D long into the night, browsing the eshop everyday Thursday after high school, or even watching Nintendo show 3D. I remember keeping up with Wii U news during E3 2012 and despite all the game droughts I really liked the Wii U. It was definitely a good system with amazing games and a LOT of good games from the eshop.