Nintendo's Wii U video game console may be a flop - but it's also an underrated work of genius

Pity the poor Wii U.

Introduced in 2012 as Nintendo's successor to the smash-hit Wii video game console, expectations were high that the Japanese game company would once again create a monster hit.

Instead, the Wii U has proven to be a huge flop, selling just over than 10 million units in the past three years. The original Wii sold 73 million in the same period.

It's caused Nintendo to post losses for the past three years, while the company regroups to work on its next console, codenamed the "NX."

Meanwhile, the Sony PlayStation 4 leads this generation of video game consoles, with Microsoft angling its Xbox One hard for a comeback.

But don't listen to the haters. This Black Friday, you're going to be able to get some seriously great deals on the Wii U console and some top-shelf games, and it's more than worth your consideration.

Here's why the Wii U is actually a work of misunderstood genius.