Kinda surprised there isn't a dedicated Nintendo hate thread.
Anyway, I kinda/sorta hate how the Wii U is designed. Don't get me wrong, I think the tablet was slept on
hard by third party devs, but both the physical console and the firmware is pretty bad.
On the subject of storage....
- At most, you've got 32gb of onboard flash memory that's basically unupgradable, if you're a sucker who bought an 8 gig model, sucks to be you.
- Because of how handles USB power, you practically need an externally powered HDD enclosure if you want to expand, as a Y-cable won't supply enough power when it's shut off, and corruption is a bitch.
- It carries over an issue the Wii had regarding flash drive burnout, as it constantly reads and writes to flash drives when loading games off of them (I ruined a brand new 128gb flash drive just by 100%ing Metroid Prime 1 and 2, didn't even get to touch 3).
- Storage devices are keyed to your console, meaning you have to reinstall everything if you ever switch consoles.
- It complains when you unplug a storage device when it's powered off. As in, it puts up a screen you have to do a hard shutdown on to get rid of it bitching about you should unplug the console before removing devices. Which then triggers another message telling you that you shouldn't do a hard shutdown. A console in 2013 barely supported USB hotplugging.
The system UI's not much better. In 20 years, when all of the battery packs have lost their life, or the tablet screens have been out of production for a decade, you won't be able to do shit in the options menu, because it forces you to use the tablet to do even the most basic of things, like set up an internet connection.
And finally, it's biggest flaw is the case. Unless you bought a special edition Wii U that came with clips so you could lay it upright, you're only ever going to lay it flat. Why on earth they decided it needed rounded edges, I'll never know.
Still makes a pretty good emulation machine. Been meaning to replace my power supply with a USB-C port, I'm surprised that massive thing can be replaced with a dimpy little phone charger.