OK, so that headline is Wii-lly bad. In fact, the whole Wii, Mii and U thing has always felt a bit cute and kitschy to me. But I guess we’ve got it better than France. Over there they’re stuck calling it the Nintendo “Yes.” Ba-dump-chingggg.
The newest Nintendo console, the Wii U, has hit the store shelves and quickly sold out. But fortunately we here at Plugged In were able to get our sweaty mitts on one and we’ve been playing through a few games (the first one, Nintendo Land, is posted here). So for those of you who haven’t seen or grabbed a new U (and are interested) I thought we could briefly chat about this new gaming console.
As I mentioned in our Nintendo Land review, the really big change here is the new GamePad controller. At 10 inches wide and a half-foot tall, this multifunctional, touchscreen-packed device is really more of a tablet than what you’d consider a typical game controller. It’s a device that generally works in tandem with what’s happening on the TV screen. And in some cases you can even let somebody else watch their favorite episode of Once Upon a Time on TV while you play your game on the controller all by itself.
Of course, one of the first questions that a current Wii user might ask is, What about the old wave-around-and-throw-into-your-flat-screen remotes we’re used to? Does this mean that granny and her league of virtual bowlers are out of luck? No fear, my good bowlers. You can still play the old Wii games on this new unit, and some of the new titles will incorporate those skinny motion-sensing remotes, too. But things are obviously shifting in the Nintendo universe.
Frankly, there probably won’t be as many swing-your-arms-and-dance-around titles being created for this new Wii. But it seems like the Nintendo braintrust is hoping they can build their casual gaming reputation in new directions. The touchscreen in the controller offers a bunch of possibilities ranging from stylus- and finger-flicked controls (which can be a lot more user-friendly than a series of punched buttons) to just an extra screen of info that gamers can readily glance at mid-game (such as a readout of digital supplies). There are a ton of possibilities.
Like what?
Well this new gizmo takes a kitchen-sink approach to that question. Game developers will have a wide array of options. Dual analog sticks, a half-dozen buttons, bumpers and triggers will serve the traditional game demands. Motion games get an internal accelerometer and gyroscope. There’s a camera designed for video conferencing and on-TV augmented reality games. (Web browsing and entertainment access to things like Hulu Plus and Netflix are also a quick-pick option.) There’s an infrared sensor, a voice-recognizing microphone and something called an NFC chip that can transfer info and even perform wireless transactions like a credit card reader.
Of course, developers will have a lot more processing power and full 1080p HD graphics to work with, too—elements that the previous Wii never had. Does all that packed-in stuff make this bad boy controller a bit bulky? Uh huh. Useful and innovative? Could be.
So, I guess the next question would be, Is this new gaming and controller approach an attempt to appeal to both casual gamers and a more “hardcore” gaming crowd? I’m pretty certain that Nintendo would admit that it is. In fact, out of the first 20 games released with the Wii U, six were M-rated titles. That’s the kind of game that generally tanked on the older Wii console.
On the other hand, there were plenty of Mario and Scribblenauts types of games available, too. Which means that the grab-the-kids-and-play casual fun will still be a big part of Nintendo’s scheme. All in all, there seems to be a real mix here of the new and novel and old and familiar. And that bodes well, I think, for the gaming future.
At least it’s not just another Wii-peat of what’s come before.
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