The Wii U

[dark-daventry]

Well howdy, everyone! Been awhile, hasnt it? I thought it was time I came out of the woodwork a little. I've been dormant on here for far too long. Anyway, I'm surprised how dead the gaming talk board has been during my absence. With that said, what does everyone think of the wii u? Nintendo just announced that it'll launch in the US on November 18th in two bundles; a white 8 GB bundle for 299, and a black 32 GB bundle for 350. What are your thoughts on the system and the games for it? Are there any your looking forward to? Would you change anything about the system?

[MusicallyInspired]

Ridiculously small storage space for a 2013-era game console. I mean look at phones nowadays. The smallest size you can get is 16GB. And the Wii U, which is supposed to have next gen games and support a digital download service, is just as nerfed as the Wii was when it came out? You'd only be able to have one game installed at a time!

Nintendo, unfortunately, hasn't learned from their mistakes.

[wilco64256]

Ridiculously small storage space for a 2013-era game console. I mean look at phones nowadays. The smallest size you can get is 16GB. And the Wii U, which is supposed to have next gen games and support a digital download service, is just as nerfed as the Wii was when it came out? You'd only be able to have one game installed at a time!

Nintendo, unfortunately, hasn't learned from their mistakes.

While I was initially annoyed at the size, I took a look at my PS3 that I've had for a couple of years and even with everything I currently have on there I'm only up to 20 GB, so personally it isn't too much of an issue. Anything that helps keep the cost of the initial system down I'm basically ok with, and it supports up to 3 TB of external USB drive connection so it's plenty flexible for people who will need more than that.

[dark-daventry]

I think an initial launch storage of 32 gb isn't bad. The fact that you can expand it is great. Like Weldon said, if it can keep the cost of the initial system down, that's fine by me.

[inm8#2]

Wii U I look just like Buddy Holly, oh ohhhh and you're Mary Tyler Moore...

Sorry, had to.

[MangoMercury]

I'm definitely looking forward to getting mine at the end of the month, having played it at Eurogamer Expo in September.  I ordered the basic unit, firstly because the black is shiny (fingerprint magnet!), and secondly because I didn't need or want any of the extras.  I don't download many games and if I do?  I will buy an external harddrive.

I know people are talking about how low the storage is, but I like it better this way.  When it comes to PS3/360, you have to buy their specific drives and they have their limits.  You can have as big a harddrive as you can buy for the Wii U - a smart move!

[dark-daventry]

So, I am now the owner of a Wii U (I was one of the lucky few who was able to pre-order the deluxe bundle at gamestop before it got sold out. I think I was one of the first five people to put a pre-order down), and the controller is definitely different. I haven't played many games with it; I only played a little Scribblenauts Unlimited, but I have been watching Netflix on it a lot. I love the ability to watch netflix on my tv, and with the press of a single button, it'll near instaneously appear on the gamepad. That's useful for me as I go downstairs to cook dinner or something. The range of the controller is about 20-30 feet, but the apartment I live in isn't so big, so it can reach pretty much every corner of it, which is pretty convenient.

[MangoMercury]

One week to go here!  I can't wait.

I also managed to find out my old external harddrive and cleared it out in preparation.

[Neonivek]

I am going to hold off on buying it until there is not only a price drop but a collection of games I want to buy.

I sorta learned my lesson on that. It is why I returned my Vita as soon as someone gifted it to me (Sorta, long story and I do feel guilty about it)

[stika]

So, I am now the owner of a Wii U (I was one of the lucky few who was able to pre-order the deluxe bundle at gamestop before it got sold out. I think I was one of the first five people to put a pre-order down), and the controller is definitely different. I haven't played many games with it; I only played a little Scribblenauts Unlimited, but I have been watching Netflix on it a lot. I love the ability to watch netflix on my tv, and with the press of a single button, it'll near instaneously appear on the gamepad. That's useful for me as I go downstairs to cook dinner or something. The range of the controller is about 20-30 feet, but the apartment I live in isn't so big, so it can reach pretty much every corner of it, which is pretty convenient.

did it take you a long time to get used to it? It just seems so big and heavy

[Rosella]

The Wii U controller is surprisingly light. It really doesn't weigh much more than a normal controller, if at all.

[stika]

The Wii U controller is surprisingly light. It really doesn't weigh much more than a normal controller, if at all.

color me surprised, I own a PSP and I remember my hands would get tired after a few hours of use

[LadyTerra]

It also feels nice to hold.  With the PSP and the DS, when I try to grip the sides, my fingers would still be curled and not have much support, so my hands would cramp after a while.  With the Wii U, there are grips on the back edges where the shoulder buttons are.

[wilco64256]

Yeah the Wii U tablet controller is designed to be very comfortable to hold, it feels far more natural than any handheld system I've ever had. It definitely weighs more than a PSP or 3DS but it's much easier to hold and play. I also really love that I can be watching something on TV and my kids can play Mario or watch Netflix without interrupting me at all. They've used it far more than I have in fact, but I'm very happy with the system so far.

[dark-daventry]

I echo everyone's comments on the comfortability of the controller. While I still prefer the 360 in terms of ergonomics, the Wii-pad is still very comfortable. The touch screen, though not multi-touch, is surprisingly good. And there's little, if any, visible latency when streaming to the game pad, which is something I imagine Nintendo is very proud of. Overall though, I feel as if its really just the Wii HD; the PS4 and Xbox 720 (or whatever name you prefer for Sony and microsoft's next-gen systems) will almost undoubtedly out-perform the Wii-u in raw power. My concern is whether people will buy the more innovative systems, or the more powerful systems.

[LadyTerra]

You probably have bigger hands than me.  The 360 controller is one of the worst controllers ergonomically for me, though I have small hands and short fingers.  I've always found the PS controllers to fit my hands perfectly.

I hope that someone actually implements Penny Arcade's idea for a DMing game, where the DM uses the tablet to set up the dungeons and monsters, and everyone else uses a Wii-mote to control their characters.

[kyranthia]

I've seen ads for this thing and am a bit confused.  Do you have to use the tablet controller for all games or just some of them?  Does it take away from some of the motion feeling that the regular Wiimotes have?

[dark-daventry]

Most games are designed for the tablet controller, yes. Regular Wii-motes do work with the system, but games have to be specifically designed to play using those. Usually, the Wii-motes would work with multiplayer.

[Neonivek]

Most games are designed for the tablet controller, yes. Regular Wii-motes do work with the system, but games have to be specifically designed to play using those. Usually, the Wii-motes would work with multiplayer.

Some games can even be played entirely with the tablet.

At least though unlike the Wiimote the Tablet being instead of a screen is because it is easier rather then because it is being forced upon you.

[dark-daventry]

I wish more games supported the pro controller, because the tablet controller only has like 3 hours or battery life and it can get tiresome to play on it for extended periods of time.