The problem is if Nintendo is trying to even the playing field with a next Gen console to match the PS3 & Xbox 360, they re going to be left lagging behind the curve again as Sony and Microsoft prepare to release they're new consoles in 2013/2014. From the preliminary reports I've read, these systems will be packing some serious power and graphics under the hood.
I still think that Nintendo's Wii U console is still the system of choice for family play and the 12 & under crowd. BUT if your in the market for a Wii U system, judging by the huge out-of-the-box update and some minor bugs and battery issues...you might want to wait until the Wii U Rev 2 is released.
RPM
By Raju Mudhar
Two years ago, I asked Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo’s visionary game designer and the creator of Mario and Zelda, if it was fights over the television that inspired the Wii U’s ability to move games off the TV and play them on the screen of the new console’s controller.
At the time, he just laughed, but with the Wii U now in stores, the first feature they showed off is still the best reason to buy the first new home console in six years.
Despite the ability to move games to a small screen, the Wii U marks Nintendo’s return to big time console gaming. After letting the Wii go fallow for the past two years, the company is playing catch up with Sony and Xbox, moving to HD graphics and real online play, taking on app-gaming and making a bid to be a living room hub. That’s a lot of stuff, so it’s no wonder the device is a mixed bag.
The system launched on Sunday, with 23 games, and unlike the easy to grasp motion control of its predecessor, the Wii U is a much more confounding device. It’s also launching in bits, with a day one update that enables online capabilities and more services, including its television capabilities, coming in December.
There are basically two good reasons to buy a Wii U.
1. Playing Nintendo’s latest and greatest is important to you.
2. You benefit from moving games off the TV.
This is less a next-generation console than a now-gen. It is reportedly slightly more powerful than an Xbox 360, and while it embraces some new tech like near-field communication, it really is about getting Nintendo on the same playing field as its competitors.
The big addition is the GamePad controller, which weighs about a pound, but does feel very comfortable to hold. The 6.2-inch screen is bright and quite good, if not really HD quality. Two-screen play is the Wii U’s gimmick, and while Nintendo is touting this as new ways to play, it really refines what the company has been doing on the DS for years. Some games offer information like maps or inventory on the smaller screen, while others simply mirror what’s on the TV. Some games do not support the second screen at all. For the ones that do, such as the Arkham City: Armored Edition port of last year’s Batman, it’s awesome to play a full-scale AAA game on a somewhat portable device.
The GamePad, while resembling a tablet, is completely tied to the console, and depending on your home, might have a range of about seven metres, although walls can cause interference. In my home, my bedroom is above the living room, so gaming in bed works for me. That, coupled with the fact that I have a 1-year-old running around and am already having fights with the wife about all the hardcore videogames I play in the living room, makes the off-TV feature worthwhile.
But the GamePad does not have particularly good battery life, and requires recharging after about three-and-a-half hours of heavy usage. Also, the buttons are under the right thumb stick, which requires some gamer brain rewiring, as other controllers feature buttons above the stick.
As for Nintendo’s bid for the living room, it’s too early to tell if this console can be a game changer. The Wii U set up process is a breeze, automatically syncing with set-top boxes and TVs after you input the brand name. Once done, you can control the basic functions with an onscreen menu, and it works even when the Wii U is off. That said, it’s a very rudimentary remote. There is a real opportunity for this to become a universal remote, but it needs much more sophistication in the control schemes. Nintendo has announced a new TVii service that might flesh this out, but there’s little real information available for it other than a December launch date.
The pack-in game with the deluxe bundle of the console, Nintendo Land, is basically the Wii Sports equivalent, designed to show off what this console can do. The multiplayer games, Mario Chase and Luigi’s Ghost Mansion are pure Nintendo glory: simple, fun games that can quickly turn a group of players raucous.
As a take on touchscreen gaming, I loved Takamaru’s Ninja Castle, which lets you flick ninja stars at the screen while holding the gamepad sideways. New Super Mario Brothers U is an excellent side-scrolling Mario game, which might feel more special if it didn’t come six months after the 3DS version.
ZombiU actually tries to use the GamePad’s second screen in different ways. It, and other ports like the Batman game, proves the Wii U also has something to offer for the hardcore gaming demographic, although it needs more fresh things and exclusives (such as ZombiU), as opposed to last year’s great multiplatform games, which will also hopefully be modified to take advantage of the GamePad.
With its online components, such as the Miiverse and Eshop, which will supposedly be supportive of indie game developers, the company is cautiously moving in line with the current state of gaming. But Sony’s PlayStation and, particularly, Microsoft’s Xbox have huge head starts, and there is yet to be a compelling reason to opt for the Wii U over those established online playgrounds.
Nintendo’s continued used of the Miis and its ultra-simplistic look and feel was disappointing. While it helps maintain some continuity with the Wii, I was hoping for something a little slicker.
There are countless stories of non-gaming families who bought the Wii, played it a couple of times and then let it gather dust for years. It’s those casual gamers that Nintendo hopes to recapture with the Wii U. It is still friendlier and easier to use than its competitors, and a good start for newbies. The launch lineup is OK, but the great games are yet to come. And the TV component rollout could be the Wii U’s stealth approach to victory.
At $350 — and if you are buying one, you really should get the deluxe bundle — it’s a bit pricey for the curious casual gamer. For all other gamers, it’s probably worth it to see Nintendo’s spin on some stuff you’ve been doing for the past few years, but if you were disappointed with the Wii, I don’t see much that might change that impression. The Nintendo faithful should be glad to see a re-energized brand. While, just like this console, some things are a bit finicky with Nintendo, the company has its own spin on things and I can’t wait to see what they do next.
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