The Wii U represents many things to many people, but for some, it's Nintendo finally getting with the program, graphically speaking. At least somewhat; it produces visuals that can finally hang with the competition for the time being.
Granted, being able to match the graphical output of consoles that have been on the market for about six or so years now is perhaps not worth bragging about. And when the PS4 or Xbox 720 (or whatever the heck they will be called) finally comes out, Nintendo might once again be last place.
But right here, right now, it can handle current multiplatform releases with ease. Or can it? Over the past days there have been various comparisons made, that stacks Wii U games against their Xbox 360, PS3, and PC counterparts. While results vary, it's mostly good news for owners of the new console.
Here's an excellent example that stacks Assassin's Creed 3 for the Wii U vs. the Xbox 360 port. It is recommend that one watches the clip in fullscreen and in 720p:
As you can see, other than the contrast being slightly higher for the 360, which some people might definitely prefer, they look neck and neck.
Now, granted, this is just one game being compared. But it's one of this year's biggest releases by a AAA developer, and so it's a fairly significant example. Though if one looks around, similar comparisons featuring Black Ops 2 also yields impressive results as well.
Hopefully when the next-gen systems come out, the Wii U will be able to hang in there. And given all the reports of how difficult it will be to produce games for those future platforms, one has a feeling that the graphical leap that they will provide might not be as drastic as one might expect (especially when one looks at history as well).
