That's a little pointless to say though. That's like saying "What if Sega Saturn had launched with the games it had by 1998?"
Of course it would have helped for Wii U to have some kind of "Killer Ap" like Mario Kart at launch. It didn't really have one. Nintendo obviously hoped Nintendo Land would be the next Wii Sports, but the problem is, Wii Sports was very easily accessible, "pick up and play", and it was actually fun. Nintendo Land was basically none of that.
NSMBU is a great game, fantastic really. I personally prefer NSMBWii better, just because of level designs and etc., but the Wii U game was good. It's problem was that they were stupid and released NSMB2 just a few months before on 3DS, a major folly on their part. A lot of people just felt like "oh, another one?" If they had WAITED, and released the Wii U game first, there would have been more enthusiasm for it. However, it still wasn't that "killer ap" to sell the system. Wii U honestly didn't have that until, argubly, Mario 3D World came out, but even then, the real answer is when Mario Kart 8 came out........like almost a year and a half after launch, in 2014.
They also really fucked up by even making a 3DS version of Smash Bros. The Wii U game should have had an Adventure Mode, but that's an obvious statement. What would have helped the GAME, and thus SYSTEM, sell more, and help Smash U be a "killer ap", would have been it being what every other Smash game had been: a home console exclusive, you could ONLY get it on that one system. They shot themselves in the fucking foot, and undermined their own game and Wii U console that was badly in need of sales. A lot of people already owned a 3DS, or it was cheaper to get one, so they just got the (crappier) 3DS version. If they had been smart, they would have made Smash U a stand alone game, and then developed and released an unrelated 3DS Smash, if they wanted, LATER down the line. The 3DS game would sell like hotcakes anyway, and the Wii U game would have gotten more sales, and perhaps helped the system.
But, all of this is conjecture. All of these countless "what could save/could have saved the Wii U" threads are really redundant, because the main answer to MOST of it's problems, has been obvious all along: Nintendo of America fucked up big time when they decided to have SHITTY launch ads that told people absolutely nothing about the system or games, and then proceeded to basically have VERY LITTLE advertising going forward. Wii had massive TV presence, for the system and MANY of it's games. Wii U has had relatively little. Yes, there have been commercials for many of Nintendo's published titles, but how many of those commercials did any of you ever see on TV?
If they had MARKETED and ADVERTISED Wii U right from the start, then maybe sales might have sustained, and then maybe 3rd party support wouldn't have dried up, and they might, MIGHT, not be in the position they're in now. They did this to themselves, as far as Wii U's state of affairs in NA goes. I wouldn't blame that ALL on Reggie, in fact I think overall he's a good guy and genuinely cares about the product, and the fans. But he also obviously had to have signed off on their shitty NA marketing strategy. It's just a shitty situation all around.
You want to know what Nintendo can do, THIS fall, to help the Wii U out? Drop the goddamn price by at least $50, and actually have a BIG media presence on TV and the internet this holiday season. There is zero rational reason for them not to drop the price, it WOULD boost sales, and having a big marketing blitz promoting Mario Maker and Splatoon and Mario Kart and Smash Bros., ALONG with "hey it's cheaper now", would get into people's minds, and they might go "oh hey, let's get one for Xmas". That's called good marketing, accentuate your positives, hide your negatives, and make people WANT your product. NoA used to have that down pat. And then at some point right before Wii U launched, they magically forgot.
So if NX wants to do better? Just MARKET the goddamn thing better.
