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I, like many people, first saw the Wii U at E3 2011 when Nintendo showed off a tech demo of the new thing they were working on. It was obviously a home console, as the graphics were way too good for a handheld system and the 3DS was still very new, and I, like many people, was intrigued. Even more so when it was shown that franchises such as the new and awesome Batman, Mass Effect, Tekken, and Darksiders would be coming to a Nintendo system for the first time ever, not to mention getting Bayonetta 2 exclusive. Then when the actual system was shown off at E3 2012, I knew I'd have to get a Wii U eventually, especially when Nintendo began talking about the games they had lined up for it and showing off bits and pieces of third-party fare like the new Warriors Orochi, Ninja Gaiden, the games MonolithSoft are making, and Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem, a collaborative effort between themselves and Atlus. And did I mention that Valve has said recently that they are interested in the Wii U? That's kind of a big deal. Anyway, even if none of this were true, I'd probably still have gotten it, as unlike some people, I still recognize a good, fun game when I see one. That, and I happen to want to see Nintendo succeed.
Now, some people have complained about some things that Nintendo should have known better than, like wanting to confirm installation after downloading digital content rather than automatically doing it like on the PS3 and XBOX 360 and various other devices, and they're right. There's no reason for me to have to confirm a download by allowing installation after I already told the machine I wanter the content in the first place by buying and downloading it. I like the eShop a lot better than Playstation Store, it looks better, it navigates better in my opinion, I just think it was a shame for Nintendo to make that decision and hope that if they can change that with a system update, they do.
Another gripe I've seen that I have to agree with is the menus. It can get a little confusing at times, so some streamlining and clean up is in order there, too. It's not terrible, though, so if an update does come addressing the issues as others have pointed out in better detail, then the menus should look the same but for those changes.
One thing I would like to touch on as a point of contention from at least one other reviewer's review, and that's the automatic shut off when the system is idle for too long. I don't know if he and his family just missed it or if they didn't notice during the first update that it could be done or whatever, but he was complaining about the system automatically powering down when he downloads stuff, only for it to lock up and only download when he tells it to stay on while his content loads, but it is possible to go in to the System Settings and tell the system to not power down at all when idle. I noticed during system updates that it said that the automatic power down would be temporarily disabled, so I went into System Settings, and sure enough, there was a setting for the automatic power down. I have it set to Do Not Use.
Anyway, I don't have many complaints about the Wii U besides the two things I've already stated. The ability to play games on a touch screen and without a TV is cool, the menus are easy enough to navigate before the confusing parts that other reviewers detail better, and most of the "hardcore" games already out for it, like ZombiU, are in fact rated highly by gamers.
One thing I would like to talk about that I see other people saying when it comes to the Wii U, they say it has "last gen" graphics when the "next" generation of consoles hasn't officially begun yet, and that the Wii U is still underpowered and doesn't have third party support and all this. And I see all of that and I have to call BS.
For one thing, on the subject of third party support, EA is madly in love with with Nintendo these days. Anything they can release on a Nintendo system, they're going to have made for a Nintendo system. Namco Bandai is making the new Super Smash Bros., and several developers are collaborating with Nintendo to help keep the cost of making games down. Then there's Bayonetta 2, which is exclusive to Wii U because Nintendo bought the company who made Bayonetta because they wanted to make a sequel but were about to be shut down. And that's just what we know so far. MonolithSoft has two games slated for Wii U, only one of which we know a lot about, that being The Wonderful 101. The other, which I'm just going to call X, all we have of it is the trailer, and the trailer doesn't tell us much besides that it looks like it's going to be totally awesome. Then there's Valve. PC and 360 players know Valve. Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead, Half-Life, that Valve. Yeah, they've expressed an interest not too long ago in possibly making a game for the Wii U. And again, with the Wii U only being a few months old, there's still plenty of time for developers to come out and say they are in fact on board with it. Remember that Nintendo is notorious for being secretive and keeping their big announcements under wraps until the time is right to announce them. Remember also that E3 2013 is just around the corner and that we never thought we'd see Tekken on a Nintendo system, or Assassin's Creed for that matter.
Then there's the complaints about how much power the Wii U seems to lack and it's graphics. I would contend that the Wii U is probably more powerful than Nintendo is ready to let on, why I don't know, but Ubisoft says that ZombiU only uses about a quarter of the system's ability, and it's on par with games like Arkham City and Darksiders II in terms of how it looks. And then there's the system's actual ability. How powerful is it? Couldn't say, but look no farther than it's contemporaries to see just how much a system's processing power actually matters. The PlayStation 3, great system, I love it, I think I'll keep mine even if I do get a PS 4. Powerful system, but it did not sell as well or receive as much third party support as Sony had hoped it would. And before that, Microsoft's own original Xbox, which owes it's existence to the GameCube, was the most powerful system, and it too did not do as well as it's creators had hoped. So does a system's processing power and other technical factors really matter? I should say not, as if they did, the original Xbox and the PS3 would have been the winners of their generations, but they weren't. And then you have the fact that Nintendo has said that the Wii U is not a new system. Yes, they said that they would in fact be making an HD Wii, but they also said that if they did, there'd have to be more to it than just a graphics upgrade. It sure looks and feels like a new system to me, but if they're working on something that is going to be considered their answer to the new PlayStation and Xbox out this Christmas, then I guess I can see why they would play it conservative and have it be on par graphics-wise with the PS3 and 360, rather than going all out.
Either way, I got this system because it looked like it was going to be fun, and using the controller to play the various games in NintendoLand has indeed been a lot of fun. I don't have anything else for it yet, but there are a few indie games availabe via the eShop, indicating indie developers may not be having problems developing for the Wii U, and Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2 is available via the eShop, and to my knowledge only the eShop but maybe just digitally. Either way.
I know I spent more time talking about the console wars, but that's only because my review of the actual system was always going to be short and sweet. The Internet Browser works almost exactly like a computer, which is great for those who want to browse a site without having to turn on their computer if they have one, which is quite useful as between that and an active community of gamers, anybody who gets stuck in a game can either ask for help in the game's community via Miiverse or looking for a walkthrough online, and they can do it all without having to exit their game. And then there's Nintendo TVii, which lets users program their Wii U to act like a TV Guide of sorts as they compile lists of their favorite shows and channels from their cable or satellite provider if they have one. And games and apps and other features are accessed by having their own block on the touchpad's main menu, meaning that whatever they want, be it a game, the internet browser, YouTube, Netflix, or whatever, they just have to click it on the touch screen at the main menu.
I personally love the Wii U. The motion controls and touchpad gaming alone have certainly changed the game for the much more interesting, and then the graphics prove that Nintendo can play the graphics game, too.
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Sucked the Life out of the Kids Christmas
We were thrilled to have the new Wii U, having had a Wii system for years and loved it - never a problem. Even though it was a standard set-up, we followed the instructions page-by-page so that the kids would learn the set-up too (they were too small when the last one was installed). After the set-up we had a blast for about an hour playing the Disney Infinity games. Then it was time for Christmas Dinner. When we went to shut down the system (following those instructions again) the console gave us a message that it had to update certain items. No problem - it can do that while we eat, right? However, when we returned to the system it was "frozen". It would not shut off, send any signal to the HD Plasma TV, nor would it take any directions from the Game Pad. We called Nintendo. They said that this happens every now and then, and that the game console had frozen. Naturally, we asked what to do to 'unfreeze' it. They then told us that the console was defective, that they were aware of the problem, and that they'd send us a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) to send the console back to them for an exchange. WTF???Sure enough, looking through many, many game review sites we were able to find dozens of scenarios exactly like ours. Worked fine/went to update/ frozen. So the new "big toy" for Christmas is back in it's box with a FedEx label taped to it. Sorry kids!What gripes me the most isn't that the device was defective. Welcome to the world of technology -- not every widget off of the production line is a winner. The miracle of machine-built machinery -- no human touch. No, my gripe is that Nintendo KNEW ABOUT the problem, but marketed this piece of s**t anyway. Thank God they don't make artificial hearts! We will gladly accept a replacement of the same NEW 32 GB device. But we will NEVER trust this corporation again. Whatever their next 'big release' is, you couldn't pay me to take it. The trust is broken.
