Wii U Console Review

NOTE: This review was written back in December of 2012.  I just got around to posting it now.  =P

Introduction

Hello, everyone!  It's been a little over a month since the Wii U console has launched in the United States.  I’ve had a lot of time to play the Wii U for the month that it’s been out.  And so far, I’ve been pretty impressed.  The Wii U had some quirks with it at launch.  Mainly the very large console update that enabled a majority of the console’s features was not welcome at all.   I personally had a lot of trouble with its insane amount of updates.  It wasn’t until I purchased a Wii ethernet adapter that I was finally able to keep a stable connection online.  I’m not putting this against the Wii U in the review because mainly, they provided a day 1 update to enable the features that they promised. Lastly, I’m putting the game reviews aside as this post will already be pretty big in itself, but I will be referring to a few games as the review goes on.

Wii U Console

The Wii U console is Nintendo’s eighth generation home console.  It’s hard to believe that after two rocky E3 presentations that the console turned out being not so bad.   Everyone was worried about its online features and the game to TV streaming technology which Nintendo almost never commented on until launch.  The console itself is not exactly good looking, in fact, it’s really long.  Perhaps, too long.  Compared to the previous Nintendo consoles that came before it, the Wii U seems a bit large, but not nearly as large as the (first two models of the) PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 (both models).  For whatever reason, the Wii U excluded an ethernet port.  The Wii U has a SD card slot, 4 USB 2.0 slots, and a drive which I’m going to consider a Blu Ray drive even though Nintendo does not call their disc format Blu Rays (but they are the exact same size – 25 GB per layer, similar to how Wii discs were more or less DVDs).  One final thing I want to note is how the Wii U put a sync button for other Wii & Wii U accessories right on the front of the console.  It always annoyed me how the Wii sync button was behind a lid which confused a lot of new users.

Wii U Gamepad

The Wii U gamepad (or tablet) is an interesting piece of technology.  It’s not that heavy, in fact, it’s actually very light.  The screen isn’t amazing by any means (it’s no OLED, like the Vita) but it’s also a touch screen (single touch, no multi-touch).  The Wii U gamepad does take a while to get used to, but after a while, it starts to feel natural.  I played and beat Call of Duty: Black Ops II on the gamepad without any problem and I never had any issue with the controls at all.  The streaming technology that the Wii U uses to stream the game to the gamepad works for the most part.  Not all games support it, but for those that do, it works great.  The range isn’t exactly impressive, I’d say it’s roughly 30 feet max, and it likely work within any room that the Wii U is in.  Just don’t bring it into the bathroom, as you will likely lose the signal.  The final thing to note is the gamepad’s lackluster battery.  I’d say on max settings with constant game play, the Wii U’s battery lasts about 2.5-3 hours.  You can extend its life by putting it on power saver and lower brightness settings, but the gamepad will need to be charged constantly.    

Wii U Pro Controller

The Wii U also offers a “hardcore” gaming controller known as the Wii U Pro Controller.  This controller isn’t included with the Wii U console, but it does offer a more console-like gaming experience for games such as Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops II.  The controller is very similar to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controller.  The buttons with the exception of the right analog stick are placed in the exact same spot as Microsoft’s controller.  That aside, the Wii U Pro Controller is actually much lighter than the Xbox controller.  Thankfully, unlike the 360 controller, the Wii U Pro Controller does not require batteries and can be recharged.  Nintendo claims the on a single charge that the Wii U pro controller can last up to 80 hours.  I personally was not able to buy one until today, so I’m unable to verify if this claim is true or not yet.  Other than that, I like it.  Since I already used the Wii U gamepad for a month, the controller and button placement worked for me on the first try with the pro controller.  I like it.

The Wii U OS

The operating system for the Wii U is very similar to the OS that has been seen on the Nintendo DSi and 3DS portable consoles.  On one screen (which can switched at any time), you can see squares that have a list of the applications and games available to use.  The other screen you can see the Mii plaza where you can see what other Wii U gamers are playing and talking about.  After the day one update, the Wii U has a wide variety of features to use.  As of end of the December, the Wii U now has access to popular media streaming apps such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant Video.  For each game, Nintendo has setup message boards for gamers to talk about the games that they are playing.  They can also exchange drawings if they please.  The boards are heavily moderated and do give the option on whether or not if your post will contain a spoiler or not.  I wouldn’t worry about seeing troll like or offensive posts, as Nintendo seems to rapidly delete any post that maybe causing trouble.  I personally don’t see a need for the boards, but for newer gamers that aren’t used to googling on what to do next in a game, the boards may provide them with the help they need in a Wii U game. 

Next, the Wii U is operated on the Nintendo Network that was recently introduced with some 3DS games.  The Nintendo Network is very similar to what was Nintendo’s WiFi connection in the past with the original Wii and DS systems.  The Wii U is the first Nintendo console to not rely on friend codes, and that Nintendo IDs can be exchanged with friends instead of an annoyingly long code.  This Nintendo ID will also be used in every online game you play, so choose your name wisely! 

Wii Transfer and Backwards Compatibility

As expected, the Wii U is backwards compatible with all original Wii games.  Of course, this means that Gamecube games are no longer supported (and this should have been obvious since it doesn’t have Gamecube controller and memory card ports).  The transfer process between the Wii and Wii U is a little tricky, and it requires some patience.  Both consoles need to be powered on at the same time.  Both also need to be on the internet, and you will have to have an SD card to swap data (which the Wii/Wii U will do for you).  Thankfully, the Wii U will transfer saves that will were previously copy locked such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Animal Crossing City Folk.  However, at the end of this transfer, it completely wipes your Wii.  Meaning that if you had any desire to have a Wii Sports game on the older Wii with your grandparents or a Smash Bros tournament with the vastly superior Gamecube controllers, consider your night ruined. 

After the long transfer process, the Wii along with most of your applications (not all of them transfer) and virtual console games, the original Wii menu can be accessed from the Wii U menu.  The Wii menu on the Wii U is basically an emulated Wii.  The original Wii also cannot use any of the cool new Wii U features such as the putting games on the gamepad or playing them with the new Wii U Pro Controller.  However, the Wii U does upscale games similar to the how earlier models of the PlayStation 3 upscaled PS2 games.   

The Wii U Shop

The Wii U Shop app is a vast improvement over the clunky Wii shop channel that was seen on the original Wii console.  The format is way more streamlined and is very easy on the eyes.  Several Wii U games can bought digitally without having to go to a store and buy games.  Sadly, most of these digital games are still sold at retail prices ($60 for most games).  The only problem I see with this is that most people will probably fill up their Wii U console memory after buying 2 games with the basic set or roughly eight games with the premium set.  Nintendo does give gamers more options for expanding the memory such as using SD cards or external hard drives, but I feel that a console that was this expensive should of expanded more on the console memory.  The Wii U’s cheaper previous gen competitors currently offer cheaper consoles with 4x or more space than the Wii U does.  Something tells me that in the future that Nintendo will update the console with more built in memory so that it will appeal to more hardcore gamers, but time will only tell.  That aside, the Wii U also offers demos, applications (that I previously mentioned), and smaller digital games similar to what has been seen on Xbox Live Arcade.

Launch lineup, graphical capabilities, online gaming, etc.

This is more or less the misc. part of the review. 

The launch lineup for the Wii U was actually very big.  Probably the biggest ever for a home Nintendo console.  However, most of these launch titles were already on last gen consoles before the Wii U was released.  The Wii U had very few exclusives to the console.  New Super Mario Bros. U and Nintendoland are decent launch titles, but will not keep most gamers occupied for very long.  Zombi U on the other hand is actually a very good game.  But the difficulty and game play will likely turn most gamers off.  That aside, if a gamer for whatever reason wants a new console to play Assassin’s Creed III, Call of Duty Black Ops II, and Darksiders II on, then the Wii U will keep you occupied for quite a while.  If not, you might want to wait a little longer for the Wii U to bring out some games that are worth playing.

Speaking of games, many have been debating on how powerful the Wii U actually is.  It honestly seems that nobody has any idea on what the Wii U may or may not be capable of.  Apparently games such as Ninja Gaiden 3 run better on last gen consoles than on the Wii U.  But then other multi-platform games such as Call of Duty Black Ops II and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 seem to run just as good as its other versions.  All in all, just treat the Wii U as a console that can handle last gen games.  Sure, after next year, the Wii U will likely be underpowered compared to what Microsoft or Sony may offer up at E3 2013, but then again, the Wii U may have another year to finally show off what it’s made of.  Pikmin 3, Bayonetta 2, and the upcoming Super Smash Bros. game aren’t expected to be released until next year.  It might be even longer until we see not only Smash Bros, but also a new 3D Mario and Zelda game.  Nintendo has been well known to deliver on its first party titles, but hopefully they will convince more third party developers to make more exclusives for the console.

This is what nightmares look like

Finally, online gaming was something I only got to try with Call of Duty Black Ops II.  Even before I had my ethernet adapter come in the mail, Black Ops II ran without a hitch.  It ran just as well as its only last gen counterparts.  Sure, it may not have had as many players playing, but the Wii versions of previous Call of Duty games have sold millions of copies, despite them being watered down versions of the games.  I can only see that number skyrocketing likely if the next Call of Duty stays last gen for next year (which it likely will).  Online gaming aside, online applications such as the Wii U Internet browser, Netflix, and Amazon Instant Video ran great.  I feel these three apps are perfect for the Wii U.  Nothing really beats the feeling off watching Doctor Who on the gamepad during the night, and being able to turn off the TV with the gamepad and going bed (forgot to mention that the gamepad doubles as a universal TV remote). The YouTube app on the other hand, seems to be rather finicky at times.  I’ve had several issues with it such as constantly hanging while loading videos or simply stopping mid video and never loading the rest of the video.  Thankfully, all Wii U games and apps can be patched at any time, so hopefully the YouTube team will fix this issue soon.  I do not have a Hulu Plus subscription so I never had the chance to try it out.

Conclusion

Overall, the Wii U is a step in the right direction for Nintendo.  It’s trying really hard to impress everyone, and so far, I think it’s doing a decent job.  Every console has a bumpy first year, and it’s always a determination on whether or not a system will fail.  After the massive 3DS bomb in 2011, hopefully Nintendo will make sure that the system won’t stagnant and lose steam, or it may join the likes of PlayStation Vita and be on life support.  Despite me really digging the Wii U, it’s extremely hard to recommend due the last gen Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 having more storage space for cheaper, more games to choose from, and overall a cheaper console that more people have.  The Wii U doesn’t have the “wow” factor that its previous console had because with the exception of the TV to gamepad gimmick, the Wii U has little to nothing that we haven't seen before. 

It’s sad to say that the Wii U gamepad is what likely what made the console so expensive.  I feel if the console had itself for $250 (for basic) and $300 (premium) that it will appeal to more customers.  But unless sales completely tank after launch, I don’t think that the price will budge for quite a while.  Reggie Fils-Aime has already stated that the Wii U is selling at a loss, but if a consumer buys at least one Wii U game with the console, that it will sell at a profit.  I don't believe he ever specified on which set he was referring to, but I found that info to be fairly interesting. 

If you are a gamer, I’d say wait another year to see what happens with the Wii U.  We’ll have to see what Nintendo announces for the Wii U in the coming months and see if Nintendo can jump back and say “Hey, we games you have to play.”  All in all, the console a very much a step in the right direction for Nintendo.  I'm just having the problem of seeing if it will be worth it in the end.

Overall Rating for the Wii U:

7.5/10

The Wii U Experience

With my last few posts, some of you probably think that I hate the Wii U.  It's actually quite the opposite.  I like the Wii U.  I'm just a little upset with the way that Nintendo presented it.  At E3 2011, a lot of non-gamers mistook the Wii U as an add on accessory for the original Wii console.  Why was that?  Well, despite Nintendo's "hardcore" presentation, they failed to show the actual console itself in the presentation.  At E3 2012, Nintendo was like "Oops, hey guys, we ARE making a new console!"  As you can see in my last post, E3 2012 wasn't exactly good for Nintendo either.  Fast forward to now, Nintendo has everything set in stone for the Wii U, and the next console generation will finally begin.

I already covered what the Wii U was capable of.  So let me just go over what was changed about it since I last talked about it in January. 

•  The Wii U is releasing in two versions: A Basic Set that is $300 which includes the console, the Wii U gamepad, sensor bar, and hookups (even a HDMI cable).  And a deluxe set that is $350 and includes everything I said above except it's Black, comes with the game Nintendoland, a Wii U stand, and some eShop bonuses.
• The Wii U will have a wireless pro controller that will last up to 80 hours.  This controller is said to last a whopping 80 hours.  The controller layout is very similar to the Xbox 360 controller.
•  IT HAS NO FRIEND CODES.  Yes, I was required to put this in caps.  The console will have Nintendo ids.  Praise da lord.
• The Wii U Console has four USB ports, and will be able to expand on the existing 32 GB memory with a SD card or an external hard drive (up to 2 TB).
• The Wii U is slightly longer than the original Wii console.  I didn't notice how long it was until it was until I saw it at GameStop.

The Wii U and original Wii Console (from Ign.com)

Back in July, I managed to get an invite to a Wii U Experience event in Washington, DC.  The event had a lot of E3 2012 builds of several Wii U launch titles.  I only tried out three games: Zombi U, Nintendoland, and Pikmin 3.  Before I go on about the games, let me talk about the controller.

The Wii U Experience event in Washington DC back in late July

The Wii U Controller

The Wii U controller is interesting.  If you have not seen it, it’s basically an iPad Mini with buttons and a smaller screen.  The screen however is still only a touch screen with single touch, meaning you can't do all of the fancy multi touch features that most smartphones are well known for using today.  It's not a big deal, but a bit of a bummer in my opinion (to note the 3DS that was released last year did not have a multi touch screen either).  The Wii U also has the same motion control technology that the Wii remote has, but it does not require a sensor bar (but one is included with the Wii U console in the United States).  This means you do not have to be facing the TV at all times, like you did with the Wii.  The technology that is the selling point (or gimmick as some like to say) is how you can play Wii U games without a TV.  Sadly, this feature was not available at the Wii U experience event.  When I asked about the feature to the woman in charge of coaching people in Pikmin 3, she had no idea that the Wii U even had this feature.  After describing it to her, she said to me: "I don't think that works, do you want me to ask my boss?" I kindly declined, but it worried me since the console was only three months away from launch at that time. 

The Games

The Wii U Experience had a lot of games.  But it also had a lot of lines, and a lot of game hogs.  That aside, I chose not to play games such as Super Mario Bros. U and Wii Fit U because they weren't offering anything new.  I also ignored ports of current games on display such as Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge.  The first game I tried out was Zombi U. 

Zombi U

Zombi U is a shooter with some survival horror mechanics thrown in it.  Think of how Resident Evil used to be without all of the stupid quick time events (QTEs). The level I played in the demo was somewhat linear, but was still pretty fun.  Thanks to the guy in charge of the game, he coached me on what to do/not do.  The game has a Metroid Prime like scanner system that scans any object around you for items and whatnot.  The coolest thing about it was how you can go 360 degrees with the controller to scan items.  The movement in the game is thankfully done with the joystick on the controller.  The game required me to find a key which made me backtrack a little (remember when games did that? lol), and the man in charge of the game kept constantly warning me of the stupid  nurse zombie that I would be encountering soon.  Needless to say, my body was ready.  The zombies that I encountered were relatively easy to kill.  The guy coaching me as surprised on how many headshots I pulled off and mentioned to me that no one else that night was even trying to shoot them in the head.  That's scary in itself.  Overall, from what I played, I liked Zombi U.

Nintendoland

Nintendoland at the Wii U Experience

Remember how Wii Play on the original Wii felt more like a glorified tech demo than a game?  Well, can you guess what Nintendoland is?  The exact same thing... sort of.  Nintendoland is basically a collection of mini games that are basically demonstrating on what the Wii U controller can do.  While this is cool, the only thing I have a problem with is how Nintendo is not offering this game for free with every Wii U console.  The only version of the console in the United States that offers it for free is the deluxe version of the console.  Everyone else that buys the slightly cheaper Basic set has to fork out an outrageous $60 for the game.  Nintendoland for the most part has some decent multiplayer games on it.  The ones I played were the Luigi's Mansion, Animal Crossing, and the Ninja star mini games. 

I very briefly played the same Ninja star game.  I was actually very disappointed in it because the control felt like it wasn't right and while flinging ninja stars with the Wii U controller's touch screen was cool, I was having a ton of trouble actually hitting anything.  After I noticed that it was nearly impossible to hit anything with the very limited amount of time I had (between each target), I ended up just shooting a million ninja stars at every enemy which made it impossible for me to miss.  Did I mention it had no limit on how many I could throw?  I guess that was cool.  I suppose my character was a very over prepared ninja since it felt like I threw about a thousand ninja stars by the end of the game.  Long story short, I didn't like it. 

The second game I tried out was the Luigi's Mansion mini game.  This game has four players.  Three Mii Players (with Luigi hats on) and a ghost player.  Three players play via the TV on Wii remotes while one player plays as the ghost on the Wii U controller.  The game takes place in a dark room where the three players playing via the TV have flashlights while the rest of the room is completely dark.  The player with the Wii U controller can see the entire room.  The goal of the game as the luigi players is to point your flashlight at the ghost.  The light hurts the ghost and it will eventually die if you point the light(s) at it for too long.  The ghost on the other hand has to sneak up on every Luigi and knock them down.  Once a player is down, they have to be revived by a fellow player.  To add more challenge to the game, each Luigi can also run out of battery life on their flashlights which also make them vulnerable to enemy attacks, but thankfully, many batteries are scattered throughout the room.  I had the chance to play as both roles in the game (and winning both)!  Honestly, I had a ton of fun with this game.  I felt it was fun playing each role, and that the players playing as the Luigis had to rely on team work to survive and to kill the ghost, while the player playing as the ghost had to strategize on when to attack a player that was away from other players, or had a dead flashlight.  Overall, this is by far my favorite game that I played from the demo version of Nintendoland.

The last game I tried out in Nintendoland was the Animal Crossing mini game.  While I'm a huge fan of the Animal Crossing series, I was actually saddened on how badly this mini game turned out.  Basically, think of how the Luigi's Mansion game I mentioned was like in terms on how people played the game.  Three people play with Wii remotes on the TV and one person plays the bad guy on the Wii U controller screen.  For the people playing as the Mii animals on the wii remotes, they basically have to pick up as much candy as they can.  But the person playing on the Wii U controller has to control the police dogs from the Animal Crossing games.  While this may sound easy, the hardest part is controlling one dog per analog stick.  I had a lot of trouble playing the role of the police dogs on the Wii U controller because even if you control both dogs at once going in one direction, it is still really hard to control both dogs at once.  Needless to say, it wasn't as bad as the ninja star game, but I didn't like it.

Pikmin 3

Pikmin 3 at the Wii U Experience

I really don't have too much to say about Pikmin 3 because it was more of the same.    If you played the Wii versions of Pikmin 1 & 2, Pikmin 3 controls exactly the same as the last games. While I never was a huge fan of the Pikmin series, I really enjoyed my time with Pikmin 3.  The graphics were a huge step up from the previous games, and I had a blast with the boss battle that I had at the end of the demo.  For fans of the series, I think you'll love it.  As for myself, I'll wait for it to drop in price.

To conclude...

I was on the fence about buying a Wii U at first. Amazingly enough, the thing that pulled me over was seeing a trailer for Tekken Tag Tournament 2 with Mario characters.  And while thinking about that, I thought how amazing Mario, Zelda, and Smash Bros. will be and how amazing all of those games will look in HD and with next gen (or I guess I should say this gen?  Whatever, lol) graphics. 

I reserved the Wii U Deluxe Set the day the release date was announced, and I'm glad I did because the console seems to be almost impossible to reserve now.  I'll be back with my impressions of the final hardware and the final versions of the games I'll be playing. 

I will have Nintendoland, New Super Mario Bros. U, Zombi U, and Tekken Tag Tournament 2.  I also have the Wii U pro controller on the way as well.

As one final bonus, I saw a Wii U setup in Wal Mart a few nights ago.  I took some HD video of the controller in action.  Sadly no games were playable on it (only videos).  Enjoy!

I'll be getting my Wii U on Sunday morning!  Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!

E3 2012 and more

Hey, guys.  I know it's been a while since my last blog.  I seem to always forget I have one even though I have so much on my mind about the industry.  Since January, I finished up my Associate's degree (was technically done in December but needed a math class and 2 extra credits to graduate, so I did an internship) and now I'm starting on my Bachelor’s in the fall at the University of Baltimore.  With that said, I'm also still gaming.  I've been out of school since early May and I been catching up on my massive backlog of games, movies, and anime.  In February, I did get a Playstation Vita and I also have obtained many other 3DS/Vita games since then as well.

First off:

1. The Playstation Vita had a terrible launch and will likely end the year in misery. 

This honestly isn't much of a shocker.  The Vita is a powerful portable, but it had the same two problems that plagued the 3DS at launch as well: A lack of good games and a high price point.  At this time, I have five Vita games, and I just picked up Gravity Rush (great game) and Mortal Kombat (great port for the most part). 

Yeah, about that...

None of my friends I know own one yet and I personally think if the upcoming Call of Duty game for the system doesn't sell a ton, the Vita is sadly done for.  I can't think of any killer app for the Vita as of this point, and while Uncharted was great, it really doesn't keep you coming back after you've beaten it.

2. People are finally buying the 3DS because it now has good games and a lower price.

Just as I said above, the 3DS's second year has so far been great.

Looks like we're getting a bonus this year, woo hoo!

A lot of big games are hitting in the fall, and I feel 3DS sales will without a doubt blow the Vita out of the water this holiday season.  I also wish I wanted a year to buy one, but hey, I like new shiny things when they come out, but oh well.

And now for the main part of the article:

E3 2012 was terrible because the "Big 3" is holding out on their new consoles new year

Everyone should have known this before the show, but E3 was a total crapfest this year.  A lot of good games got some nice trailers (The Last of Us, Resident Evil 6, Halo 4, the God of War prequel sequel whatever game, etc.) but every conference was pretty boring.  Sony really had nothing new to offer, and Microsoft is basically ripping off the Wii U controller with its new Smartglass, go figure.

Nintendo even failed at trying to sell the Wii U to gamers.  It sure did better than last year (most people thought the Wii U was a new controller for the Wii since they never showed the system), so Nintendo finally acknowledged that "yes, we got a new console on the way!" but the games were for the most part were either on other consoles, or they weren't that great.  Everyone would agree that Nintendo is FINALLY getting on the ball for making this console for the "hardcore" gamer, but the problem is, we already have hardcore game consoles, therefore, I and many other gamers don't care about it.  

Come back tomorrow... we'll show you "more", we swear!

They had several conferences at E3 (compared to just one) and most of it was just fluff and apologizing to us that they had "no time".  Their main presentation was all Wii U and constantly told us to come back tomorrow for more stuff, and the 3DS was put on the backburner despite the system only being one year old.  Ouch.  The 3DS conference the next night was even worse and barely showed us anything that we didn't already know about.  It was just a massive waste of everyone's time for something that could have been done in 15 minutes at the main conference.  The kicker was that they held back announcements even after everything was over, and the Wii U still has no price or release date.  For that Nintendo, you made your E3 suck. 

Next year, I know E3 will be obviously be better.  But Nintendo is going to be in trouble selling the Wii U in general.  Since it's a year ahead of the upcoming Playstation and Xbox consoles, it best sell itself now before people are wowed but the "real" next generation of game consoles.  

Welcome to 2012 Part 1 - Wii U

With the exception of the apocalypse (lol) happening this year, we are expecting a lot of good games to come out!  This year however starts with our first "next gen" console from Nintendo known as the Wii U. 

The current Wii U Prototype.

Odd name aside, the Wii U is obviously Nintendo's home console successor to the Wii.  Even though the Wii sold the most consoles last gen, it's arguably the console that few gamers kept coming back to.  Last year alone, the only "big" game was Skyward Sword from Nintendo.  After Nintendo's showing of the console at E3, reactions were mixed, and most people including myself, were honestly worried of the console's future.

What we know so far:

• Will feature current gen graphics (on par or somewhat better than 360/PS3 graphics)
• Is an actual "HD" console with 1080p
• Nintendo claims it's more geared to "hardcore" gamers
• Will be backwards compatible with all Wii games, but will not upscale them (The PS3 upscaled PS2 games until they removed backwards compatibility in future models)
• Wii also use the same Wii Remote, as well as most accessories (Wii Fit scale, nunchuk, etc)
• Promised to have better third party support

At E3, a lot of guys not only groaned at weird name, but they also weren't big fans of Nintendo's new controller.

The Wii U Controller

Now, remember what I said earlier?  That you could use the Wii remote if you wanted to?  Well, you better not sell them off when you buy the Wii U, because only one Wii U controller can be used on each Wii U console.  The controller is meant to be a sort of enhancement to games.  One example was that the controller can give you a certain edge against other players in the game (since the others are using the Wii Remote).  The think the best way to think of is like the second screen on the Nintendo DS.  The top screen was usually the screen where all of the gameplay happened, but the bottom screen would usually be used for secondary tasks such as item inventories, maps, etc.  I feel the Wii U controller's screen will probably be used for the same things.

The coolest feature of the Wii U however actually lies within the controller.  Few of you may remember the remote play option that the PS3 had with the PSP.  A few games let you play PS3 games remotely on the PSP.  While I never actually tried this feature myself, the Wii U is going all out on this sort of thing.  Apparently, all games will playable on the Wii U's controller without the need for a TV.  While this may sound very strange for a home console, it's what Nintendo is doing anyway.  So if you are in a situation where you have to give up the TV to the kids or something, you can resume your game on the controller.  It's a crazy feature, but I can't wait to see it in action.

With the exception of a few games that were previously announced for other consoles, Nintendo has yet to reveal anymore details about the console (such as a release date, price, first party launch titles, etc), but it is scheduled to be out by at least the end of this year.  Let's just hope that I don't get over hyped for this console like I did with the 3DS and it's terrible launch.