Even with the lack of third-party support, the Wii U is having a solid year in 2015 with releases such as Splatoon, Super Mario Maker, Xenoblade Chronicles X and Yoshi’s Woolly World. Not to mention that 2014’s biggest releases for the system, Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, have been getting DLC support throughout this year. Thus, this Black Friday (or anytime during the holiday season) is a great time to pick up a Nintendo Wii U if you haven’t done so already. If chose to do so, we also recommend getting the following accessories to go along with your system purchase.
Wii U Ethernet Adapter
The Wii U does not come equipped with an Ethernet port as it can only connect online via Wi-Fi out of the box. Fortunately, the system does support USB LAN adapters, which allows you to use a wired connection. This is important in multiplayer games that require a lot of network bandwidth, such as Splatoon and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. If you want the best online experience possible, you should definitely get a Wii U Ethernet Adapter. You can find a list of quality compatible adapters on Amazon below:
- HDE Ethernet LAN Adapter
- Plugable USB 2.0 to 10/100 Fast Ethernet LAN Wired Network Adapter
- TRENDnet USB 2.0 to 10/100 Fast Ethernet LAN Wired Network Adapter
- UtechSmart USB 2.0 to 10/100 Fast Ethernet LAN Wired Network Adapter
Hard Disk Drives
Depending on which unit you buy, the Wii U only comes with a 8 GB or 32 GB internal slash drive for storage. The amount of free space will disappear very quickly due to digital games, downloadable content packs and patch updates. Fortunately, the Wii U supports external HDDs.
You can check out the various size options from Seagate with the following pages: 1TB and 2 TB.
Wii U Gamepad Protector
Nintendo does not sell the Wii U Gamepad as a standalone product. As a result, you will have to pay a high price to repair the controller if you break it. For this reason, we recommend picking up Hori’s Gamepad Protector. The officially licensed product will guard the gamepad against dirt particles, scratches as well as other types of wear and tear via the hard plastic shell for both the top and bottom sides. Not to mention that you will still have access to all the buttons, ports and functions of the GamePad.
If you are interested, you can check out three variants of the product with the following links: Retro Mario Protector, Splatoon Protector and Super Mario Maker Protector.
Wii U Precision Screen Filter
While you are at it, you might also want to invest in a screen filter. This is especially true if you are playing games, such as Super Mario Maker, that require heavy use of the touch screen. Hori’s Wii U Precision Screen Filter, which is officially licensed by Nintendo, is designed to prevent scratches and smudges. It can also be easily applied as you don’t have to worry about trapping any air bubbles or dust particles if you follow the instructions. If that wasn’t enough, a cleaning cloth is also included.
Find the Hori Precision Screen Filter with here.
Nintendo Wii U Pro Controller
The Wii U GamePad can really strain your hands during longer play sessions due to its bulky build. Fortunately, a vast majority of Wii U games also support the Nintendo Wii U Pro Controller, which is a more standard pad. Not to mention that the wireless accessory can also last up to 80 hours in just a single charge.
If you are a hardcore gamer, you owe it to yourself to purchase the Nintendo Wii U Pro Controller. Purchase either of the two color variants with the following links: Black and White.
Gamecube Adapter
If you are buying a Wii U for Super Smash Bros., you should consider getting a Gamecube Adapter as well if you want to play the fighting game with the best controller option. If you are interested, you can buy the official Super Smash Bros. GameCube Adapter for Wii U here. If you don’t own a Gamecube controller, you can find the Super Smash Bros. branded ones with the following pages: Black version and White version.
Amiibo
Last but not least, many of the newer games (including the aforementioned Mario Kart 8, Splatoon, Super Mario Maker, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Yoshi’s Woolly World) support Amiibos. You can purchase the add-ons with the following links: Amiibo Cards and Amiibo Figures.
If you are getting a Nintendo Wii U for Black Friday, or anytime during the holidays, make sure you check accessories we mentioned above as well.