Wii U - General Discussion Thread

Just came from the West Nyack, NY event. My brother and I got there 30 minutes early and the nice Nintendo employees prompted us to the sign up sheet. You wrote your name and preferred game to play from the list of four. We were the 5th and 6th person to sign. The sign up table also had the Luigi loot spread out which consisted of a Luigi hat, (which is made of cheap styrofoam material unlike the Mario hat from Club Nintendo) a checkered flag with Mario and Luigi on karts on each side, a bumper sticker (Donkey Kong related I believe) and a sweet 30th anniversary Luigi coin.

The Nintendo people queued everyone up as soon as it was 4 PM and they called each person up in order. Unfortunately for my brother and me, we went to get some food and came back to see they skipped over us but we were able to go immediately after once we told the Nintendo lady we were on the first page of the list. We played Mario Kart 8 which played exactly like the previous iterations. The demo didn't really showcase any of the new driving upside down tracks which was disappointing. After the demo you would head over to the desk and pick one of the prizes. My brother and I picked up the Luigi coin as it is the most appealing of the four in our opinion. I'll update this post with a picture as soon as I'm at my PC.

Overall it was a great idea for Nintendo to allow regular folk to try out their games. A lot of people came to the event on a Wednesday, and I'm sure Saturday will be a mad house.
 
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I just happened to walk into a Best Buy that had the Nintendo Experience going on in it.  They had to change locations at pretty much the last minute to this store.  I was the 4th person in line and I got a Luigi hat, flag and a coin.  The two people ahead of me tried Mario Kart 8. It looked pretty nice and I didn't notice any blue shells.  The AI didn't seem to rubberband because they won the race by a very large margin.  Looked like your typical Mario Kart with better graphics.  I tried out the Mario 3D World.  I played I believe it was World 2-1 and the world 4 boss battle.  This was one of my first times ever playing the Wii U as well.  The controls seemed fluid and the graphics were nice.  I didn't really care for the cat powerup.  The boss fight was your standard 3 hit dead formula.  Nothing really unique about the boss battle.  The game seemed fun and I would definitely buy it if/when I have a Wii U but I wouldn't buy a system for it.  

 
Tons of people showed up at the Best Buy I went to. I had to wait an hour before I got a chance to play Super Mario 3D World. I wished they had more than one demo kiosk. Nintendo Rep didn't allow anybody to choose the luigi loot they wanted here. He gave them out based on how well you did in the demo. Got a 25 page Wii U guide pamphlet, and luigi hat.

 
htz said:
Tons of people showed up at the Best Buy I went to. I had to wait an hour before I got a chance to play Super Mario 3D World. I wished they had more than one demo kiosk. Nintendo Rep didn't allow anybody to choose the luigi loot they wanted here. He gave them out based on how well you did in the demo. Got a 25 page Wii U guide pamphlet, and luigi hat.
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Same here, it was a huge turn out, not bad for being a Best Buy where no one lives or whatever Wombat said. The guy let us pick whatever we wanted though (got a Luigi hat). I got to play Mario Kart, the guy said the obvious "This is not the final build, blah, blah, blah." I had a hell of a time playing it. Nothing much to say other than it's Mario Kart and it's fun now. I'm sure they took out the blue shell for the demo so everyone can have fun with the game. After I was done, I watched everyone else play the other four games. Like knight said, I'm sure Saturday will be crazy.

 
Glad everyone had a different experience than I did with this Bestbuy nonsense. 

I got there, and noticed they had a single demo unit setup...yes a single unit.  You had to stand in a ridiculously long line to be allowed to play a single game for a few minutes.  Then you were allowed to remake the line. 

This is NY! Come on Nintendo!.  This is how you showcase your games?  Pathetic.  These games seem to have the same polish that you can see in NSMB U, but there's nothing beyond that.

Finally, I went with my kid, and it would've been nice to at least have a unit for them.  Instead, the line was full of 'I haven't shaven in the last 10 years, and live in my mom's basement 30 somethings...'  Come on, at least give the little ones a different demo unit.

 
Awesome (eventually) experience for me today.

So...I went for the "Luigi Loot".  Playing the games would be nice, but, I am a collector.  I wanted the stuff!

Due to work, I got to the closest Best Buy at 4:10 or so with a friend.  20-30 people standing around in line, wearing their Luigi hats.  We signed in (at 4:10) and got slots...for 7:30!  :/  I wasn't going to be able to wait around that late.  

The guy handed us the lanyard and pin.  I inquired about the hats, but was told they only had 25 and they were all gone.  We were seeing people come away with a Mario Kart flag and the coin.  I asked how to get those and was told 1st place in MK (during your four-player slot) got the coin and 2nd place got the flag.

I started chatting with the Nintendo rep.  Told her I was an avid collector and mainly came for the stuff.  After 15 minutes or so, she gave me a special Luigi hat.  It's way nicer than the ones that were handed out earlier!  It's a different green, too.  Then, she mentioned that if I were unable to play the demos (due to time) to come find her.

Well, we got paired up with two other people to play Mario World.  I was a little bummed not to get the chance at the swag for Mario Kart.  On the way out, she handed me (and my friend) both the flag and the coin.  She also gave me a pack of Kid Icarus cards!  

Super Mario 3D World was also very, very fun.  Really enjoyed it. 

 
I just realized, Square hasn't made any mention of Dragon Quest X coming stateside. I have a hard time understanding why it wouldn't come to us considering all of the DQ love that USA has gotten in the past several years. Hopefully by TGS we hear something.

 
 
I'm pretty sure they just have said no exclusives til sales pick up, Which is fine. I don't think anyone would've cared about Rayman going to PS3/360 if it had come out for Wii U 4 months ago like it was supposed to.

 
My sister and I went to Best Buy a few minutes before 4pm to play Mario Kart 8. There was a few people in front of us and we weren't able to get a luigi hat because they were already gone.The Nintendo rep wrote our names down and we played Mario Kart a little later. We played 3 courses with I think 2 laps each. After that the Nintendo guy told the girl to give us luigi coins. We left with a couple of little booklets, 2 luigi coins and a wii u lanyard. We had a great time! :)

 
Erad30 said:
I'm pretty sure they just have said no exclusives til sales pick up, Which is fine. I don't think anyone would've cared about Rayman going to PS3/360 if it had come out for Wii U 4 months ago like it was supposed to.
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This. It's not the loss of exclusivity that bothered me about that, it was the six month delay that was announced two weeks before the street date because of the loss of exclusivity. At two weeks out, the game was finished, so it's clear they were trying to make a statement to Nintendo by doing what they did.

 
htz said:
Miyamoto: Nintendo's game ownership policy should operate "like a toy company". - Eurogamer :bow:
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I prefer this article from Polygon about a statement (interview) Reggie gave:

If you're worried about used game sales, make better games

Best line:

That spontaneous reaction, Fils-Aime said, was likely not just a message to Sony, but "probably a bigger one to the [publisher] who went earlier in the day."
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You just know that's a shot at EA given how vocal of an opponent to used games they've been and are arguably the most annualized titles publisher.

 
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For anyone unclear. the Best Buy events are using the in store unit that is already setup and Nintendo is dowloading the software package to the units which the demo staff have to enable. This is why there is one station.

The staff at the location I attended were shocked at the turn out, where the line snaked around several ailse and totaled nearly 100.

It's possible that Nintendo understimated the expected turn out, wanted the long lines, or perhaps most simply decided that sending extra equipment was probably untenable for an event of this size.

The staffer I spoke with did indicate Nintendo would do another tour this coming summer.
 
Once they get used to it im sure they will start to crank out games.

Hell the 3ds seems to be putting out a great first party game every month now.

 
Renique's right, though, this is BS.

"Our focus is always on delivering the highest quality content, and simply increasing the development team size isn't going to allow you to achieve the level of quality that we strive for. You really have to kind of bring those people up gradually and help teach them how to develop games in order to achieve that consistent quality level."
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There's really no reason they couldn't bring in programmers familiar with HD games to consult or focus on graphics. They released few games (3?) during the last two years of Wii, and Wii U hardware was unveiled two years ago at E3. I see a management problem, not a time problem. Level design, game concepts etc can be restricted to trusted staff, but programmers were probably beating down their door looking for jobs. They sound like control freaks, and it's costing them.

A 9-month delay on Wii Fit U, which they were showing off to press in December, and had promo videos for last June, can't be easily explained away by graphics problems.

And "high quality" is open to interpretation, because Nintendo has put out some stinkers. If it means "not buggy," I understand.

 
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They had NSMBU stages running in 2011, and tablet motion control, but it was wired. I know they said wireless was a hurdle.

And I hate to sound so damn negative, but PR talk is annoying coming from any company. I'm sure the console will recover, they just blew their head start. Third parties were wary (understandably - name a 3rd party hit on Wii) and were expecting consistent success before they invested dev time.

 
I think Nintendo's using the tablet for more "social interactions" than gameplay at the moment.  Art Academy, the Tingle Bottle in Wind Waker HD, etc.  Not really gameplay things, unlike things other companies are doing.

If you look at the 3DS, you had a game like Pushmo on the eShop sell the concept of how a game could work around 3D implementation.  I'm not really seeing that same kind of concept on Wii U, and it's worrysome.

 
What about Trine 2? I used the touch controls so much I stopped looking at the tv.


Funny you mention wind waker since it appears theyre using it for the inventory (and hopefully the sea charts).


None of the new trailers seem to show exactly what the pad is for, though. I hope game and wario is a step in the right direction.
 
moothemagiccow said:
What about Trine 2? I used the touch controls so much I stopped looking at the tv.
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I'm actually stuck in that game. It's early on and I can't seem to get past one area. I think I'm just approaching it wrong. There's a log and a bridge. You seem to have to get the timing just right to get past it. I'll take another look.

 
htz said:
Miyamoto: Nintendo's game ownership policy should operate "like a toy company". - Eurogamer :bow:
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He gets it. He understands why I still own a game boy camera even though I own a 15 mp Canon Rebel T1i. I could still go back and screw around with the games on there and have fun.

Anyone got a download size on New Super Luigi U? It comes out this week and well I figure I should buy it at some point. Wanna see how big the game actually is so I can debate if the $10 extra for the disc is worth the upgrade.

 
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Apparently, the Super Luigi U Disc is only in print for 2013. While its $10 more, seems like its a good investment for the future if its rare like metroid trilogy, mario all-stars, etc.

 
Deader2818 said:
Apparently, the Super Luigi U Disc is only in print for 2013. While its $10 more, seems like its a good investment for the future if its rare like metroid trilogy, mario all-stars, etc.
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You said the magic words. Gonna preorder the disc. Thanks. Besides my internet is shitty enough where $10 will save me the hassle, lol.

 
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Good to know. I honestly wonder how many people are in the same boat as I am... I'm buying the digital on Thursday, and I pre-ordered the physical one as soon as it went up on Amazon. I didn't want to wait, but I also want a physical version. By doing it this way, Nintendo has effectively made this a $50 title for a lot of people. Announcing it as 'limited' is only going to stoke that.

Plus, green case. C'mon. I can't not.

Mmm. Green case.

 
007 said:
Good to know. I honestly wonder how many people are in the same boat as I am... I'm buying the digital on Thursday, and I pre-ordered the physical one as soon as it went up on Amazon. I didn't want to wait, but I also want a physical version. By doing it this way, Nintendo has effectively made this a $50 title for a lot of people. Announcing it as 'limited' is only going to stoke that.

Plus, green case. C'mon. I can't not.

Mmm. Green case.
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The green case is limited? :O

 
htz said:
007 said:
Good to know. I honestly wonder how many people are in the same boat as I am... I'm buying the digital on Thursday, and I pre-ordered the physical one as soon as it went up on Amazon. I didn't want to wait, but I also want a physical version. By doing it this way, Nintendo has effectively made this a $50 title for a lot of people. Announcing it as 'limited' is only going to stoke that.

Plus, green case. C'mon. I can't not.

Mmm. Green case.
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The green case is limited? :O
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I think it's limited in the sense that the game will only be in print for this year. All copies should be in green cases.
 
moothemagiccow said:
Unlike Metroid Prime and Xenoblade, the disc isnt the only way to play the game.
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Super Mario All Stars Limited Edition, not only are the games all downloadable but they're on just about every Nintendo platform. People tend to go a little crazy when anything Nintendo related goes out of print. Animal Crossing City Folk was a player's choice not too long ago and now it's going for $30 used and more for new...
 
Weird. Though even a 20 or 40% increase in value isnt much when the games are relatively cheap. I get that it's out of the ordinary.


I'm hoping I can pick up luigi u disc for $20 at some point
 
You guys got me tempted to pick up NSLU and I don't even have/want NSMBU. I don't think you can go wrong with first-party title on a Nintendo console for only 30 bucks.

 
It's looking like there won't be a price drop this year. What the heck are they thinking? If PS4 was 500 then yeah they could get away with it but at only 50 more...I don't think sales will be that good. Maybe they don't think it's worth it since they don't have much coming out until 2014.
 
They have no reason to drop the price atm considering we have 6 months before either system is out. They can still drop it come holiday time.

 
Bingo... I still think we are 100% looking at some kind of pricedrop this year, it's just a matter of when. The thing that people seem to forget is... look, dropping the price? Great. Dropping the price while still not having software to back it up? Not so great.

Let's think about this... Microsoft shits the bed at E3, announces $500 console. Sony comes out, announces $400. The press coming out of E3 are talking about the new consoles, Microsoft's ridiculous policies, Sony basically flipping Microsoft the bird, and Sony announcing a console for $100 less. Now, Nintendo announces a price drop... and how is that not getting lost in the shuffle? Unless they SLASH to a huge degree, no one will talk about it.

That's on top of the fact that, what, you announce a pricedrop and then go 'Pick up a cheaper Wii U now for... uh... Game & Wario? Some Luigi DLC? Some games that came out 6 months ago? I love the Wii U, but let's not pretend the library is all that strong. For Nintendo to compete, they need a pricedrop coupled with some games. My guess at this point is August (for Pikmin). September is a weird down month, offering only Rayman (multi) and Wonderful 101 (looks great, but is an unknown quantity). Waiting until October/November might be pushing it, given that we're still not totally clear on when the new consoles are launching.

I'm armchair quarterbacking this, sure, but my best guess at a gameplan would be a pricedrop around Pikmin (if you do it the next month, you run the risk of pissing off consumers who held out *until* Pikmin to buy a Wii U), then a huge marketing blitz this fall for every game coming out, all while touting the new price.

So... short version... I in no way believe there won't be a pricedrop this year. They'd be insane not to, but this isn't the time. And shit, it's not like you're going to tell consumers 'hey, hold off... we're dropping the price in two months!'. It'll happen, but why anyone  was expecting it at E3 is beyond me. That was just not the right moment.

 
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I could see them not doing a price drop but doing a value bundle-I.E. for $350 you get NSMBU, Luigi U and possibly even Mario 3D Land or Pikmin 3. That would be a great value and really move consoles when you are looking at Sony who is only $50 more but doesn't come with a game.

 
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