After withholding information for what seems like an uncanny yet still unnecessary amount of time, Nintendo held a press conference yesterday (3 actually; one for Europe, Japan, and the United States) revealing nearly all of the details we have been waiting for regarding the Wii U. Excited? We are! Here is some of the info that nerds, geeks, and Nintendo fans alike will salivate over for the next two months!
First and foremost, Nintendo announced that the Wii U will be launching in the U.S. on November 18th, 2012, which is just in time for it to sell out by Black Friday. Thinking about waiting until December and getting a last minute Christmas gift steal of a deal? Forget it. If there are any left in stock by December 1st, consider it a gift from the Mario/Pokemon/Zelda/Metroid Gods.
Similar to what the Xbox 360 and PS3 did at their launch, Nintendo is releasing the Wii U in two separate packages, which have different colored consoles and a HUGE gap in memory space. The first is the Basic package, which includes a white Wii U with 8GB of memory space. The Deluxe package, however, comes with a black colored console and 32GB of memory, plus a few seemingly meaningless accessories, and a free game (don't worry, it's not a good one). Of course, both packages include the crazy looking iPad-like controller and all of its features (which we will get into a little bit later).
SPECS
The specs look decent, and are overall an acceptable upgrade to the Wii. Video output ranges from 480i to 1080p (no surprise there), while audio output makes use of a six-channel linear PCM (via HDMI connector for those unfamiliar).
For CPU and GPU, the Wii U makes use of an IBM Power-based multi-core processor, and a AMD Radeon-based High Definition GPU. Storage is based on the memory space included in the package, but USB and other memory cards are available as well.
The system console itself weighs approximately 3.5 pounds.
PRICING
The Basic package will be priced at $299.99, while the Deluxe package is listed as $349.99. Considering some early predictions were placing the launch price to hover between $400-500, it's safe to say this pricing is a win for consumers.
There is a bit of a strange concept here, though. With the Deluxe console having an astonishing FOUR times the memory of the Basic console, the price differential is a meager $50. Buying an iPod with two times the memory space of a lesser expensive model will cost a consumer at least $100, or even more in some cases. We're not complaining, of course, but we suggest that if you are going to splurge for a Wii U, spare the extra 50 bucks and get your money's worth.
GAMES
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| Call of Duty is poised to be one of the most successful launch titles for the Wii U |
Overall, it appears to be a weak listing for Nintendo, simply because there is a sad lack of Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid. While the new Mario game seems enticing, it's hard to say whether this lineup really cuts it or not. Oh yeah, and there's no Super Smash Bros. Fail.
To make it up to you, here are a few screenshots from "New Super Mario Bros. U." Don't say we don't do anything for you.
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THE GAMEPAD
Now, on to that ridiculous looking controller. In the words of Nintendo:
"The Wii U GamePad controller removes the traditional barriers between you, your games, and your TV by creating a second window into the video game world. It incorporates a 6.2-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio LCD touch screen, as well as traditional button controls and two analog sticks."
So, it's barely bigger than my iPod in terms of screen size. Great job with the first sentence by the way, Nintendo. Adding a new barrier apparently falls under removing "the traditional barriers." Aside from that, the site goes on to include that the controller also includes motion control, a camera, a microphone, stereo speakers, rumble features, a sensor bar, a stylus, and support for Near Field Communication (or NFC). Thankfully, this thing is powered via rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Unfortunately, it is unclear how exactly the sensor bar is powered.
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| Bet you can't read this. |
Through the newly created "Miiverse," players can use their virtual self-portraits to interact with others. Talking about games, challenging other players, posting comments and questions, and discovering new gaming related information are all integral parts of what is meant to be a fresh take on the "Mii" made popular by the Wii over 6 years ago. Whether or not this will seem like old news is yet to be seen.
Naturally, the GamePad includes an Internet browser and the Nintendo eShop, which can be accessed through any wireless or LAN Internet connection. The last notable feature, if you can even call it that, of the Wii U is its backwards compatibility with its older brother, the Wii. In an excerpt from Nintendo's official page covering the Wii U, the details of the compatibility is outlined fairly nicely:
"Nearly all of your existing Wii games can also be played on the Wii U console. In addition, your Wii Remote, Wii Remote Plus, and Nunchuk controllers at home are compatible with select Wii U software."
Perhaps the only concern here is the word "nearly." Overall, it's a step up from...oh, I don't know, the Gamecube days, in which you could play exactly 0 percent of every older Nintendo game. Ahh, those were the days.
The verdict here? Actually, there is no verdict. This is a lot of information to take in, and Nintendo was very strategic in waiting this long to reveal it all at once. The pre-orders are already racking up, and it doesn't appear as though the first next-gen console is going to be a flop. It's hard not to be excited, but let's all do ourselves a favor and go into this with an open mind (before we play "ZombieU" and freaking lose it).
And one more thing, Nintendo. Take down that nauseating countdown on the Wii U's homepage. We KNOW when what day it releases. We KNOW there's 64 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes and 17 seconds until it comes out. But we'd be more interested to see a countdown until Satoru Iwata's next crap; the countdown would be a lot shorter.