SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

January 18, 2017 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Video Games Weekly: Why You Should Buy a WiiU for Teen Game Nights Soon!

January 18, 2017 by Karen Jensen, MLS   1 comments

I’ve been reading posts on various Youth Services-related FB groups about the best console for Teen Game Night programs. I would first suggest you ask your teens for their input before you make any hasty decisions. If you are considering a Wii U, time is of the essence because the Nintendo Switch will be released on March 3rd. This means the Wii U will no longer be available for purchase! My library hosts Teen Game Night once a week after school for two hours. We have a PS4, Wii U, and and Xbox One hooked up on different TVs, along with a cart full of board games. While the PS4 and Xbox One are popular, our Wii U has received the most attention because of one game: Smash Bros.

Super Smash Pays for Itself

My teens love this game for many reasons. First, Smash Bros. can have up to 8 players at once. This is an excellent plus for my Teen Game Night program because we get about 20 teens per week, and I have the teens take turns playing games so everyone gets a chance. There aren’t many games that can handle 8 players at once (the majority of video games can only have 2-4), therefore the wait time for the Wii U is significantly shorter compared to the PS4 and Xbox One.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Another plus is my teens can bring in their own controllers from home or use their 3DS as a controller. Our library has 4 controllers with a charging station, and I highly recommend purchasing one! Otherwise, you will be going through batteries like crazy. We have been using this one for about a year now, and we haven’t had any issues yet.

Finally, teens (and quite frankly, adults) love Super Smash Bros because it is fiercely competitive. The competition is so high that my teens run their own tournaments. They run the tournament themselves and all I have to do is provide paper/pencils for a sign-up sheet and grid. I don’t give out prizes except for large events; bragging rights are enough of a reward for my group of teens. If you’re interested, I can write a more in-depth article in the future about hosting a Smash tournament.

Most Games on the Wii U are Teen Friendly

Besides Smash, the vast majority of Wii U games are rated E10+ and have teen appeal. This is beneficial because my library does not allow video games that are rated M, much to the dismay of my teens who want to play Halo. There are many other Wii U games that my teens like to play including Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Super Mario Maker. That is, if I can convince them to put Smash away!

Where to Buy

Production on the Wii U has stopped, meaning you will not be able to buy the Wii U from stores for much longer. As of January 13th, Amazon is selling Wii U’s for $289.00, and I bet that price will increase as stock becomes scarce. Other retailers such as Target, Walmart, are selling it as a bundle for $299.99 and I couldn’t find any on Best Buy’s online store.

Compared to the Switch

Now, the price for a new Wii U is the same as pre-ordering the Switch. You might be wondering why you should spend that money on an old console instead of a new one, and that’s a fair question. I’m hesitant to buy the Switch because my teens would much rather play Super Smash than any game available on the Switch. From what we know about the Switch, it does not appear to have a Smash game lined up, nor does it have many multiplayer games that can accommodate more than 4 people at a time. Not to mention, the Switch isn’t out yet, so the only information/reviews available are from a small group of gamers who are probably more focused on playing the console at home rather than at a large program.

Right now, my teens are content playing Smash on the Wii U, and I plan to keep it that way for the foreseeable future. If you have any more questions about the Wii U or about our Teen Game Night program, feel free to ask in the comments below!

Questions? Comments? Tweet them at me! By: Alanna Graves Twitter: @LannaLibrarian

Filed under: Video Games, Video Games Weekly

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
Mario Super Smash BrothersWiiU

About Karen Jensen, MLS

Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

August 2017

Video Games Weekly: Sonic Mania

by Karen Jensen, MLS

August 2017

Video Games Weekly: Slime Rancher

by Karen Jensen, MLS

July 2017

Video Games Weekly: Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

by Karen Jensen, MLS

July 2017

Video Games Weekly: Stardew Valley

by Karen Jensen, MLS

June 2017

Video Games Weekly: Magikarp Jump

by Karen Jensen, MLS

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

One Star Review, Guess Who? (#184)

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Announcing the 2023 Winners of the Annual Blueberry Literary Award!

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Review: Victory! Stand!

by Esther Keller

Heavy Medal

March suggestions: early Mock Newbery possibilities

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

The Transformative Power of Books, a guest post by David Aleman

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Newbery Medalist Amina Luqman-Dawson visits The Yarn

by Colby Sharp

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Not Just for the Pre-K Crowd: Picture Books To Share with Tweens and Teens

Summer Camp and Beyond: 24 Middle Grade Graphic Novels | Summer Reading 2021

Kids Chase Their Dreams in These 'Better Nate Than Ever' Read-Alikes

11 Middle Grade Series Updates for Eager Fans

18 Engaging, Informative Nonfiction Books for Middle Graders | Summer Reading 2020

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Heather says

    January 18, 2017 at 12:19 pm

    This is a great article. We have had great success with our Wii U for all the reasons mentioned in this article as well. The ability to have 8 players on Smash Bros. is a huge assett for library settings. In seeing what small tidbits are out there for the Switch it really seems designed more the individual first player user that wants to take it on the go. The controllers on the Switch also have me skeptical of their durability and practicality for library use.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023