Wii U
BeckyStrause
The new Nintendo Wii U will be released in just a few days. The Wii U is a new console that comes with a GamePad, which acts as a controller with a built-in 6.2″ touchscreen. This allows for game play for up to 25 feet away from the console. That means you can keep playing on potty breaks!
The GamePad can also control the TV, acting as a universal remote. Being able to press a few buttons, switch the input of your TV over, turn the Wii U on and start playing a game all using one device is pretty nice. Some games allow you to play solely on the GamePad, meaning you don’t need to use the TV. So while you’re running around with Mario & Luigi your family can be watching TV.
Included in the Deluxe Set and otherwise sold separately, NintendoLand is the Wii Sports of Wii U, the collection of mini-games intended to show players the various ways they might use the novel controller to play games that are unlike anything you’ve tried before. Nintendo Land features fun-filled theme park attractions based on Nintendo’s greatest game worlds, including Mario Chase, The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest, Pikmin Adventure and more. There are 12 attractions in all. Some of the different activities use the GamePad controller in different ways, and in some attractions a player has a different experience using the GamePad versus playing on the TV.
Some of the features with the Wii U include:
- Internet Browswer – lets you browse the Internet from the comfort of your couch. No need to interrupt your favorite show—browse purely on the GamePad while your program continues on the TV. You can also pause a game, launch the browser to search for tips on the game you’re playing, and then re-enter the game right where you left off.
- Nintendo TVii – enables you to find, watch, and engage with TV shows, movies and sports programming in entirely new ways. Using the Wii U GamePad, you can browse and search for programming from sources you subscribe to, including cable and satellite channels, video-on-demand services, and even recorded TiVo shows.
- Miiverse – a brand-new online gaming community that is built directly into the Wii U console. It lets you share experiences, discuss games and discover new content with gamers from around the world. Using your Mii character within Miiverse, you will see games, applications or entertainment content that either you have used recently, expressed interest in learning more about or that your friends are using or discussing.
The new Wii U definitely seems to have enough features to make it end up on some holiday wish lists. It will be interesting to see how the release goes in 3 days, 10 hours, 57 minutes, and 10 seconds (according to the official website from the time I’m writing this).
