Going into E3, the Wii U was the thing I was most excited about. After being announced last year, Nintendo's newest console has gotten a ton of hype and I was anxious to spend some time with the console, as well as learn what games would be headed its way.
If you've been out of the gaming loop, Nintendo's newest console puts a tablet of sorts in your hand in the form of a new controller called the GamePad. The GamePad can be used as a second screen, or can let you do things like play against other people in the same game, showing you a different screen than other players see on the television. You can also stream games from the console to the controlled and play them while your TV is being used for something else like watching a movie.
The console has gotten a ton of hyper, and after it all I have to say: I'm pretty disappointed.
Don't get me wrong, the Wii U is cool. The game console offers the ability to do a number of things that weren't possible on the console –- or any other for that matter -– before. For instance, in a demo of Luigi's Ghost Mansion, a part of NintendoLand, the player with the GamePad played the role of a ghost that was out to get the other four players using traditional Wii controllers on the screen.
The game is made possible by the GamePad, simply because the player playing the ghost can be shown an entirely different screen than what the other players are seeing on the television, and consequently play against them. The functionality comes into play again with the Super Mario Brothers U, where the GamePad player is given the ability to assist others player the game by creating things like platforms to help them get to their destination.
Wii Fit has also been updated to work with the Wii U, and other games will use the GamePad as less of a controller and more of a second scree, giving you access to things like maps or your weapons.
It's a great idea when you hear about it on paper, and a no so great idea when you actually see it executed.
This controller is big
The Wii U GamePad is about the size of an iPad, but considerably thicker to include rear buttons and controls. While it's certainly not gigantic or heavy by any means, it's also a little bigger and heavier than you'll likely be comfortable playing with for any extended period of time.
I did quite a few demos with the controller over the course of the week. After a 10 minute mini-game was done, I was often ready to hand over the controller for someone else to play. Playing for any extended period of time will definitely take some getting used to.
Playing is awkward
Trying to play a game with two screens is a lot more awkward than it sounds. In several of the demos, in fact, I was encouraged to just play the game on the GamePad and ignore the television all together. While that's well and good, if I had wanted to play a game on a small screen rather than my television then I would have been better served to load up the title on a Nintendo DS, or a tablet rather than my giant high-definition set.
Playing a game physically on the GamePad defeats the purpose.
When playing games such as Scribblenauts Unlimited, I actually started to feel like playing on the GamePad was even hindering my gameplay in a way. In the game you tap on characters to interact with them and then input in things you'd like to do on a virtual keyboard. The bit of the game I got to play had to be played almost exclusively on the GamePad, and could have very easily have been played on something smaller and lighter, while removing my TV entirely from the equation.
Why you'll still want one
While at the end of the day using the GamePad seems like more of a gimmick than an actual improvement to the console, like most gimmicks it's a pretty attractive one. You're going to have ton of fun playing NintendoLand the first 3 days you have the console, and at parties a new months later when friends come over and say "Oh! Is that a Wii U?!?" It's going to be a great thing to have at parties.
Long-term, however, I don't see very many people using the console to play games outside of the occasional party atmosphere, forcing the console into the dark dusty corner of your entertainment center where you've probably already stashed your original Wii.
What do you think about the Wii U? Let us know your thoughts about Nintendo's next-generation console in the comments.
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