Wii U

[DimensionWarped]

* crickets *

You know, when the Wii and PS3 rolled around we had topics talking about them on day 1.

So yeah, I got one of these the other day on account of having given my Wii to my little (very little) sister and wanting something to play Wii stuff on.

Anyway, the tablet gimmick is mostly enjoyable. The display is quite nice and the feel of the controller is generally good. I had a couple connectivity issues with it (distance ~5 feet) for a little while but they seem to have been caused by my audio receiver (need to upgrade that thing soon...)

One thing worth noting about it though is that while you can use Wii remotes in games and on the menu, the effectiveness with which you can do so varies greatly from app to app. Oddly, you can't even log in to your user account without using the tablet controller. This kinda pissed me off the first time around with the Wii when it comes to GC controllers since the lack of being able to use them to control the menu was irritating (since you could use the classic controller to do it just fine).

Shopping, Youtube, and a couple others are just plain impossible without using the tablet. It's not a big deal, but sometimes I just want to pick up the remote instead. It's a lot lighter and I just feel more like I'm interfacing with my TV when I'm using it.

Minor complaints about interface aside, the look of everything is just terrific. I don't know why, but there is a certain since of moderness that simply isn't present with the 360 and the PS3 (and certainly not with the Wii) when it comes to interface.

Here's what absolutely sucks ass though... in order to use old purchases from the Wii shopping channel, you have to enter a sandboxed wii mode and this thing just sucks. It's basically a stripped down Wii, you can't use gamecube controllers, and the system settings have been removed.

For some reason, it seems that native Wii U virtual console stuff isn't available yet, so you are stuck using weird upscaled Wii mode crap if you want to play them. Also naturally since the Gamecube controller ports are gone, you are required to use the classic controller if you want to use them. I don't think the classic controller pro is supported in Wii mode either (though I'm not sure since I don't actually own a classic controller).

As far as games are concerned so far all I have are Nintendo Land and New SMB U. Nintendo Land is pretty cool and generally better in my opinion than Wii Sports was (in terms of being a fully featured game and just being full of more interesting stuff). The balloon fight game is pretty spiffy and one thing that seems perfectly clear playing through it is that the tablet controller makes for some interesting challenges which haven't really been seen before in games. All in all I'd say it's remarkable.

Can't really complain about NSMBU aside from the fact that it's (surprise surprise) not as good as SMB3 or Super Mario World. It's a solid game of course, but in borrowing on specific elements from the old games they really highlight how they miss things. SMW spin jump is back for instance, but using it doesn't have any apparent advantage like bouncing on harmful enemies/objects. Also the satisfying effect where an enemy explodes into nothingness from SMW isn't on it either.

By far though so far, the most irritating thing about NSMBU that I've run into so far is that you can't use the tablet controller to control a character in multiplayer mode. It makes no bloody sense whatsoever. You can use it in single player mode. You use none of the controller specific features in single player mode. But if you want to play with friends, you have to use Wii Remotes no matter what. It's absolutely ridiculous. Burst mode is stupid and might as well be "here, transcend the game's obstacles by making platforms at will". It just completely breaks the point of level design and irritates the crap out of me. In any event, there is just no reason for not being able to use the tablet to control a character so that I don't have to have more than one Wii remote to play with the number of wii remotes I have + 1 people. Makes me rage.

All in all I wouldn't recommend buying one right now unless you just have plentiful reserves of cash lying around in your coffers since the selection of games is still fairly minimal, but if you don't mind the fact that the price will probably drop a hundred dollars within a year or two, go right ahead. The games might not really be there yet, but it's shaping up to be a much more legitimate console than its predecessor.

[GSF]

1-Hugeass update that would take years to download with crappy connection

2-Console bricks if update is interrupted

Yeah, I'll just wait until a pre-updated version comes out. I have my eyes on a ps3 for now.

I've read that wii mode doesn't support the inverse x360, er, pro controller by the way.

How's the tablet battery life?

[Duckboy]

I won't be getting one until Smash Bros

[TailsSena]

With our internet crapping out all over the place lately, I'm not really sure if getting a Wii U would be a good idea at the moment... Either way, I really do want one.

[Serephim]

I won't be getting one until Smash Bros

^

[DimensionWarped]

1-Hugeass update that would take years to download with crappy connection

2-Console bricks if update is interrupted

Yeah, I'll just wait until a pre-updated version comes out. I have my eyes on a ps3 for now.

I've read that wii mode doesn't support the inverse x360, er, pro controller by the way.

How's the tablet battery life?

It took me 15 minutes to update on a 10 Mb connection. I think either the update thing was some kind of mass confusion or the preupdated ones must already be out or something like that.

So far I haven't run out of batteries on the tablet ever, but at the same time I've never played the Wii U for more than a few hours and I always put the tablet back on the charger when I'm done.

[GSF]

Well, down here a stable 2 Mb (yeah, megabit) connection is a near-miracle... So it's still a substantial risk.

Prices are ridiculously steep anyway. I prefer to be a late adopter (I still have a good amount of Wii games left to go over, and I got my system in 2009...)

It would be a completely different story if the console could fully download and THEN install the update... But since it has a small amount of space to begin with, guess that's out of the question.

[DimensionWarped]

It does download and then install the update though. At least that's how it worked for me.

I got the deluxe, so space isn't that much of an issue aside from for having lots of games installed. I figure I'll just use a USB hard drive for that though.

[TailsSena]

Our connection is a shaky 8MB most of the time, but into the evening it can chug down into the 3MB range. (Why, Comcast... Why?)

And as I've said... For no reason I can discern, our internet is fairly stable, but if the timing is bad, it's going to crap out; little question about that.

So, I guess the update would only take half an hour here? (20 minutes to download, a little longer to install, right?)

[ila]

Can't believe i'm saying this, but unlike the PS3 you can actually download the system update in the background. the only reason the system bricks is if you do something really fucking stupid like unplug the damn thing while it's updating.

No I don't actually own one myself but my friend confirmed this for me during "Update Gate" or whatever.

I've played some Nintendo land, and I thought it was kinda nifty. The tablet controller isn't as stupid as I thought it would be. Nintendo's new favorite phrase "Asymmetrical gaming" actually does make sense a little bit.

I probably won't purchase one myself until something big ends up on there, like... something... Nintendoy....

Okay I've got nothing.

[lone8643]

I'm waiting on Smash Bros. as well...but I might not get it at all. With my recent PC Gaming Addiction, I hardly use the Wii.

[GSF]

@ila: Thanks for clearing that up. That makes things a lot better.

Still not going to buy one anytime soon, though. I'm still enjoying the previous generation.

If atlus released some kind of new trauma center game with clever usage of the pad... that's another story altogether.

[TailsSena]

One thing I can say for sure about the Wii U and the Gamepad though...

Now, full-scale console versions of DS and 3DS games are not only possible, but plausible too; without sacrificing control, since we no longer have use the stupid Wiimote.

[Serephim]

Wii-U is interesting for one reason

Current Generation visuals on Zelda/Metroid/Mario/Smash Brothers

God dammit, if only Retro Studios was still doing the Prime games....*sigh*

[Betaman]

I haven't really gotten to play much of the Wii U. I was at a Best Buy for about 10 minutes and found a display, so I stepped on up and started playing. The tablet, like DW said, was pretty enjoyable to use and felt good to hold. Only complaint about the demo unit was that there was only 1 demo game to play and it was Rayman Legends, a game that I don't really want as much as the other games that launched with the system.

I enjoyed it quite a bit, the tablet didn't really affect anything gameplay-wise, though I later saw someone using it as a way to affect some obstacles using this little green fairy guy. (I think his name was Murfy or something) The visuals were nice and the demo really shined in the graphics department, because it looked just like something out of a cartoon.

I got to play a level or two of Legends before this little kid came up to watch me play the demo. He looked bored so I handed him the tablet and said "Wanna play?". His mom looked pretty busy, but she thanked me for giving him something to occupy him. Oh well, I think I'll wait until the inevitable price drop Nintendo seems to love doing for their new systems and then I might think about it.

[DJ espeed]

Probably pass up on the thing for now.

[1LT Worm]

I probably wouldn't get it until the next really Mario game comes out. Or Zelda.

Although, I really wish I could go back to playing Zelda with a normal controller. I have not been able to get into Skyward Sword for that reason. (Twilight Princess was great, but I had it for the GCN).

[BlitznBurst]

I'm probably not going to get it for a while, not until some big games come out. The new games look cool and all, but they're not really games I'd buy a whole new console for. Once the next new 3D Mario or Zelda or Smash Bros. comes out I'll probably get one, since those will probably be games I'd want a lot more.

[TailsSena]

You know... I'd love to see a new Starfox game on the Wii U... Just wondering what that would look like with today's visuals.......

[ila]

I'm trying to picture that but all I can visualize is Star Fox 64 with excessive bloom effects.

[Serephim]

but wait, the Wii-U is using current gen (now last gen) hardware, so it should finally be able to use a normal map.

Or even something more amazingly new, like light beams...!!

or even SHADERS OMG i cant wait

[TailsSena]

Hmm... I'm visualizing Assault with the shaders from 643D. Should look nice, right?

[shadowgoten]

I just got a vita in the midst of all this price droppage and actual game boom and have been enjoying hte hell out of it. I think I'm going to wait on the wii U until they've got their game boom. Which I'm guessing will be like...mid to late next year?

Great write up though DW, I have a feeling I would love the tech once I have it in my hands, I just can't justify the purchase at this juncture, especially since I really don't like the NSMB series at all compared to the older mario games.

[DimensionWarped]

I'm a lot further in NSMBU now (specifically I've completed all the regular worlds and am now working on completion type tasks) and I've gotten used to it's quirks...

So I think today I've decided that NSMBU is actually a more enjoyable game to me than SMB3 is. Between all of the extra challenges with the star coins and such as well as having the secret powers you can earn in the post game.

I'm actually having trouble now deciding whether I think it is a better game than SMW or not. You could argue that too much of its foundation comes from SMW and SMB3 for it to be a fair comparison, but eh... it actually has a good deal of genuinely new content. It's also an absolute riot when you have a semi-competent friend to play with. The only thing that really keeps me from wanting to say it is better than SMW is that SMW had more plentiful secret exits to find in stages and the best method of flight ever in a Mario game, but it's actually a really tough call.

You've got to stick with it until about world five for fresher stuff to start kicking in. That's about the only thing you can really say against it. Yes, I'd recommend this game at 60 dollars, and that's in spite of having found NSMB and NSMB Wii to have been uninspired and bland.

[Nemox]

I got a Wii-U a few days ago, and it really is a nice console. I'm highly impressed with the graphical power, and the touch screen does add a nice touch. (rimshot)

The library is indeed lacking a bit, and as it is now it wouldn't be worth the money. But I'm certain said money would be an investment given the games that are sure to come, especially given the fun that existing games have been.