Since the Wii U’s launch on November 12 last year, it’s been at the center of some mixed reviews and much discussion about Nintendo’s current business model. It launched with some good games, but it took the entire first year to branch out and really start to get some solid, unique titles. At $349.99 for the 32GB “Deluxe” model, it has struggled to reach its target market by competing with PS3 and Xbox 360. That may not change with the upcoming Xbox One and PS4, but Wii U is seeing a drop priced at $50 on September 20, and either way it shouldn’t be ruled out just yet.
The system is a nice piece of hardware; it feels robust and not cheap, despite being slim and streamlined. Even after being on for hours, it doesn’t get hot or make much noise. It has HDMI and composite outputs (comes with an HDMI cable), an SD card slot, and 4 USB ports. The Wii U comes with 8GB or 32GB of system memory that is expandable with a USB hard drive (up to 2TB), so plenty of memory can be added if you ever need it. Being able to buy a base system with some memory and expand it that much should be cheaper than what current systems have been doing at least. Even though it has a USB slot, you can’t use SD cards to download games, that’s just for Wii stuff and saved games.
Much of the discussion and controversy is based on how it compares to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and the upcoming next generation systems. Honestly, the Wii U games look good, with very modern and clean HD graphics. new super mario u looks very strong and ZombieU (like most launch titles) it had some good stuff and some sloppy stuff in the graphics department. I haven’t experienced any framerate issues yet, which is a huge plus and more important than other parts of a game’s presentation. So is it really underpowered? On paper, yes, but remember that when the 360 launched, some of its games looked like Xbox games. The Wii U has some games that resemble current PS3 games. But look how far those systems have come in 6 years: the Wii U hardware is more current than the PS3 and 360, and it shows promise. The games on the way and those released since launch have shown some very nice HD graphical presentations and can really only get better over the years. Nintendo has a knack for getting the most out of its systems, just watch. super mario galaxy on the Wii.
The actual game is very interesting and very new, and at the same time feels familiar. Most of the WiiU experience (at least for now) involves the GamePad, which provides a dual-screen experience (your TV and the screen in your hand). Every game uses this differently and it can be as complicated a dual screen experience as the DS, or just used for maps and inventory or extra buttons and/or just to allow for TV play. ZombieU he uses it primarily for inventory and maps, but it’s also used for in-game events and as a camera, all great features that help flesh out the game. It also allows mini-events, such as picking locks, to be performed on the GamePad screen while the game on the TV changes views for optimal awareness of your surroundings. nintendo land It makes use of the Gamepad with more camera control, full gameplay, secondary buttons, and as an input device. balloon ride (Based on balloon fight for the NES), has you use the touch screen to control the wind and move your character. This is a very relaxed approach and is very reminiscent of many DS games and will probably show up in many casual titles. More recent titles like Pikmin 3 used it as a map and for off-TV play; the always-ready map allowed for fast multitasking. Of course, some games may not use the GamePad at all; possibly those developers targeting more “diehard” crowds will forgo it altogether. That would be a shame; the GamePad doesn’t really slow anything down and allows for more options. But using both the Pro controller and having the GamePad sit on its stand to use for other things could be a cool feature too.
The GamePad is an impressive and comfortable controller to use. It’s not too heavy and the handles make it easy to hold, relaxed on your lap or with one hand. All the buttons (familiar ABXY) feel very responsive. The D-pad feels classic and well sized and the joysticks are very responsive and clicky when used as buttons. The shoulder buttons – not triggers like the Gamecube controller, but buttons like the classic Wii pro controller – are well done. There’s a camera built into the controller that works well, plus loud and clear speakers. Battery life isn’t an issue – by the time it runs out, you should probably let your system take a break anyway. And while the system can’t charge the GamePad, the dock with the deluxe package makes it easy to charge and looks good on screen.
The Gamepad screen is the main focus and really brings a lot to the table. It’s just as responsive as the DS and 3DS touch screens, just much bigger and with pretty good resolution. It won’t be as clear as your HDTV screen, but it won’t look sloppy either. I also found that achieving quick taps with my thumbs is easy (even with my shortest fingers). The last thing it does is function as a remote for your cable box and TV. You can change the input on your TV or turn up the volume while you play without having to get up or use another remote control.
Nintendo has finally taken a big step towards online play and connectivity with Miiverse. Sure, you have video chat and friends lists, but MiiVerse integrates everything when you turn it on or play. MiiVerse as an app is essentially where you manage your friends and your profile, but it also doubles as a giant Nintendo forum or social hub where you post Twitter-like updates and photos of your gaming experiences. It also allows you to chat with friends; hopefully later you can send him a notification when your friend replies.
While all of this is great, the best part is how it integrates directly into games. when playing new super mario u, MiiVerse upgrades may appear on the world map related to each level. Or when you’re sitting in the Mii Plaza, the Miis that appear are basically talking using the MiiVerse posts. You can even see Miis appear in games; the best example right now is on nintendo land where they walk through the square of your theme park or appear in the background of the games. MiiVerse can also be accessed on the go while playing any game, so you can always update it or see what someone else is saying about the game. When you switch to MiiVerse, your game pauses and that screen is what you can post to MiiVerse if you wish. Some games may even implement a sort of achievement system where you’re asked to post to MiiVerse when you do something cool; new super mario u does this now.
All of this is linked to and used with a Nintendo Network ID, also known as your username. This makes it easy for users to find and make friends, a big and welcome change to the deservedly maligned friend codes. Unfortunately, these IDs are tied to the console where you log them; Surely this is related to some sort of privacy and protection policy, but it’s inconvenient if your system dies or you want to upgrade to a special color edition later on. Nintendo has hinted that it will change this, but nothing has happened yet.
The Wii U is backward compatible with Wii versions, and Wii U games are compatible with Wiimotes and other Wii accessories. Compatibility features for Wii games cause you to boot into a new menu. At this point, you will be using your Wiimote and only Wii accessories. Wii games actually play in 1080p, as do all menus and everything else. I played golden eye for a while and you can see a difference, both good and bad. Some things in the game look much smoother from the top level, but bugs or ugly filters stand out more; the cut scenes looked really gross. This is because it’s a higher resolution, but it’s not playing, no new filter or anything. This is not like emulation where new rendering processes can be applied; it’s just a resolution increase. You will get good things and bad things from playing Wii games on Wii U, it depends on the game. Either way, backwards compatibility is a nice and welcome feature.
All in all, I’m pretty happy with my Wii U and feel it has a promising future even after a very slow year. My Wii had its moments of constant gaming and heavy dust buildup and even if my Wii U meets the same kind of fate, I don’t feel like my money was wasted. The system was decently priced which is only better with the recent $50 drop and has already proven that it can be a lot of fun and opens up a world of new gameplay possibilities. As the game library grows, we’ll see some fun games; if you are a social gamer and social media lover then it can be a system to check just for that. The only issues the Wii U has are a sparse library, which should improve, and the fact that, despite being a good piece of hardware, it won’t hold up as well during this next generation of games. It’s a sharp HD system, but due to the small gap in power, it will eventually go back to being a Nintendo exclusive system.
