RIP, WiiU, how will we remember thee?

Game, set, match. The WiiU is done.

A Japanese report released today confirmed what many saw coming- Nintendo will cease production of the WiiU this year.

Surprising? Not so much. Sad? A little bit.

I can't help but feel as if the WiiU was just mismanaged and neglected. Left alone by itself by Nintendo to fend for itself against the mighty Playstation 4 and Xbox One. It seemed doomed from the start.

However, there were some bright points-- I promise, there were! I owned a WiiU on two separate occasions. My first was one of the spiffy Wind Waker HD versions. The gamepad was decorated around the edge with gold trim-- it was gorgeous. My second was a 32 gig black model. Simple, it was a Christmas gift. Both times, I lost interest and traded it in, both times, I made some memories. Here's a few of my favorite personal WiiU memories as we prepare to say RIP for good to the little guy that never could.

Are yours similar? Do you have any at all?

1. Seeing Wind Waker HD for the first time:
OK, OK, so in all fairness, this was my first WiiU game. It came bundled with my system but, damn, was I impressed. The game looked stunning. Far more vibrant than I remembered it on GameCube way back when.

And the controls were so streamlined. The game was a joy to control and remains one of my favorite entries the console has to offer.

Also, consider that using the gamepad to manage your inventory and drag and drop items is genius.

Wind Waker is a classic and, as far as I'm concerned, required gaming for anyone who considers themselves a fan of Zelda or games in general. Whether it's the GameCube version or the remaster, do yourself a favor and trek through it.

2. Mario Kart 8's chaotic mayhem 
Mario Kart 8 was a great game. Let's face it- one of a handful of must play gems on the system.

It controlled well, it had everything we love about Mario Kart, especially multiplayer fun.

I was a senior in college when this launched. I had my WiiU and routinely fired it up with a couple of my buddies. On one particular night, we had several friends over and played the crap out of this.

Man, most of them weren't good, but item drops and the general chaos of Mario Kart kept them all close to me and a couple of my buddies who are also seasoned gamers.

Oh, the booze probably didn't help.

3. Smashing again in Super Smash 
I'm hitting all the obvious choices here, but Super Smash WiiU was a fantastic entry into the series.

It had everything. The unlocks, the great stages, the music, you know, the "everything" that Nintendo delivers when they're firing on all cylinders.

4. Playing through 3D World 
Super Mario 3D world was to my 22-year-old self what Mario 64 was to my 5-year-old self- magic.

It delivered that magic feeling again. It had it's moments of frustration, but wasn't particularly tough. What it was, however, was a true love letter to anyone who has loved Mario and his 3D platforming escapades.

I played a bit with friends in the dorm, but 3D world is a dish best enjoyed solo. And what a fine dish it is.

5. Charging the gamepad
Yep, you always had to charge the sucker.

Particularly when you least wanted to.

Smack dab in the middle of a Mario Kart race? (low batt., please charge)

A lot was weird about the gamepad, but damn, thankfully it didn't take double As.

6. Dropping the gamepad
I knew it was inevitable. Eventually, I'd drop the gamepad. Would the screen shatter on impact? Would a button be rendered useless?

The thing feels fragile. And my room was tile. I knew this couldn't be good.

I was a couple hours into a late-night session on a Friday night at college. Couple hours, couple beers? Maybe. I had it on my thigh while I checked my phone.

Time seemed to slow as the gamepad crashed onto the tile floor.

CLACK. No damage, though. Breathe.

Now, where's that charging cable?

7. Feeling Nintendo again
I don't consider myself a fan boy of any developer, publisher or company.

But, I'll level with you-- Nintendo has a special place in my heart. They represent my ascension into the hobby I love so much (or descension, as I'd argue some days). My Nintendo 64 was a gift when I was four years old, and I never looked back. I felt magic the first time I held an N64 controller (as awkward as it always will be) and at times with the WiiU, I felt that magic again.

As I guided Mario and Link through some of their best adventures in recent memory, I thought "this is why I love games".

Those moments were few and far between. There was no Metroid. No f-Zero. No Banjo Kazooie-like wonder.

There were glimmers. Brief sparkles in the night sky.

I don't know what is next for Nintendo. The NX may flop, or it may be Nintendo's mighty punch they've been waiting to unleash while taking their licks in the rings from the current industry leaders.

Whatever it is, all we can do is wait. Wait, and reflect on the WiiU- a largely forgotten and abandoned little piece of gaming history that has none the less marked my memories, as fleeting as they may be.