While Microsoft and Sony are celebrating early sales victories for their Xbox One and PlayStation 4 video game consoles, the prognosis for Nintendo and its Wii U are quite different.

Nintendo's sales of their Wii U console surged 340% in the U.S. last month, the sudden rise is due in part to a price drop to $299 which was instituted in September. Also,  an arrival fresh, original games are steadily arriving, most notably the critical darling, Super Mario 3D World.

Wii U has "really struggled," said DFC Intelligence's David Cole. He said that by the end of November both the PS4 and Xbox One had already surpassed the Wii U's total sales in 2013.

According to USA Today, "The rocky start for Wii U - available since November of last year - is a far cry from the success of its predecessor, the Nintendo Wii. Global sales for the Wii U reached 3.91 million as of September, compared with 13 million for the Wii during the same time frame after its 2006 debut."

Wii U's sale struggles reminds gamers of Nintendo's similar dilemma when it launched GameCube in 2001. However, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime remains optimistic after "very strong" holiday sales said the CEO.

"A number of key games we hoped to launch very early in the system's life were delayed and launched later," said Fils-Aime. "We're seeing the positive impact now."

Despite the influx of new games like Super Mario 3D World and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, DFC forecasts sales of the Wii U will approach only a quarter of the Wii's tally, which topped 100 million as of September. Meanwhile, rival consoles PS4 and Xbox One continue to gain momentum, each topping 2 million in sales.

EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich said the console has many advantages, including a lower price and "more games that target that family friendly audience." However, upcoming forecasts for Wii U appear daunting. "They are definitely in a difficult spot right now," said Divnich.