GoNintendo 'End of Day' thought - Your Wii U impressions

by **robometal cowboy** » 28 Nov 2012 05:40

GoNintendo 'End of Day' thought - Your Wii U impressions
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Thanks to Poopaloop for the image!

How in the world are there Christmas decorations up at my place already? Where is the time going?! What time warp did I step into?! I cannot believe how fast time is going. Hopefully things slow down once the weekend gets here! See you in a few, short hours.

The Wii U has been available in North America since Nov. 18th. Our friends in Europe are just a few days away from launch, with Japan following up just a week after that. It's crazy to think that after years and years of waiting, the system is finally going to be available worldwide.

You've listened to what the boring press has had to say about the Wii U. The complaints, the praise and everything inbetween. You don't want to hear us drone on and on about the system anymore. There's only so much you can take of people telling you about a new piece of hardware.

I wanted to turn to you guys in the states that have already picked up a Wii U. I'm looking for the early adopters that were more than willing to plop down their hard-earned cash on a Wii U during this launch month. You've had some time with the system and it's workings. I want to know what you think of it all so far.

What elements of the Wii U have surprised you? What are the little quirks that make you smile? What aspects of the system really don't sit right with you? Leave us a comment and let us know the good, bad and ugly that has been floating around your head. Has Nintendo's leap into the next-gen made you a believe or a skeptic?

by **coffeewithchess** » 28 Nov 2012 05:53

In short:
Trine 2 looks incredible.
Nintendo Land is interesting, though we haven't put a lot of time into it. Mario Chase, Luigi's Ghost Mansion, and Yoshi's Fruit Cart have been hit games with our oldest (3.5). Even DKC's Crash Course is fun for him, though he hasn't completed the first level just yet (close).

ZombiU is incredible. Please do not read reviews, try it for yourself. From what I can tell, the majority of "reviewers" on the game did NOT even complete the game before they published their reviews...which is quite sad
Is the game perfect? No. Is it fun? Yes. Especially if you're looking for a survival horror type game.

The TV button/function is awesome. Miiverse is an awesome start, and hopefully can be updated with a few things in the future (a message from developers at the top of each section would be nice). Adding friends is a GREAT improvement over the Wii.

*Edit - some negatives:
1) While my system has only frozen twice (TWICE TOO MANY!), not having a hard reset work on the system is baffling. How a system released and made it out to the general public without the hard reset power button option working, and being forced to unplug it... :shock:

2) The YouTube App is worse than the Browser functionality of YouTube...which makes me wonder who made that decision, and if it will be updated.

3) Adding another... The Wii U seems to constantly read the disc when one is in the drive, which hopefully can be patched to solve that. When I'm using Netflix, the Browser, or just browsing Miiverse, it would be great if the system wasn't constantly reading the disc. I think the Wii was able to not read discs when Netflix is being used, so hopefully that is something that can be patched (maybe it already has, but as of now I remove my disc after each play session).

What I have seen so far though, is very promising, and I really do hope they are able to patch/update stuff very easily for/on the system. Again though, if you own a Wii U and have been on the fence for ZombiU...get it. If you go in expecting survival horror, and not FPS action, you should enjoy it. I completed the game last night with more than 20 hours played...and the local multiplayer is a very good option for friends/significant others that might not like FPS/zombie type stuff, because they can use the GamePad and avoid the "gore" aspect by not looking at the TV...really is a great option, and fun.

If you are playing the Wii U on a SD TV (like me), buy Trine 2 on the eShop, and it will show you why you need to upgrade your SD TV to a HD TV.

by **kdognumba1** » 28 Nov 2012 06:54

There's a lot that I can and need to write here.

First off, I want to go out on a limb and say nothing about what the Wii U is doing feels new. I mean, relatively speaking, it will be very hard to ever make any system ever feel as new or revolutionary as the Wii or DS were when they first came out. With that said, even though nothing truly strikes me as new or completely original, so much has improved over the Wii, I'm still trying to soak it all in.

Positives

1. The Miiverse and online in general, while still not Steam Quality, it's absolutely amazing. Its imo, a lot more addictive and fun then any other online service and is constantly giving me some incredibly impressive pieces of art and some absolutely hilarious ones to boot. I'm loving not having to deal with the dreadful friend codes (I had about 25 completely separate friends lists on Wii). I love the fact the system has several accounts per system allowing a customizable experience for each user, yes I know this is a feature on other systems but I'm glad we finally have it.

2. I love the eShop, it's a huge improvement over the Wii Shops horrible design and tedious shopping experience. I love the fact that so many games have digital versions. I even got NSMB U digitally to avoid stores.

3. Even though I'm not a fan of the fact the systems memory is as small as it is, I'm loving the fact that I have a pretty good list of options for additional memory. I originally was very upset that I couldn't use a SD card for memory, till I found out that putting my 128 gig SDXC card into card reader and plugging it into the back makes the Wii U recognize it and format it for additional storage! So far, the Wii U is the console that handles this the best.

4. The controller, while not an entirely new original idea, is really REALLY good. It has so many input features but they all also work very well. The d-pad is vastly better then my 3DS's, my DSi's, my Wii's, my 360's, and my PS3's. The screen is a lot more sensitive and responsive then the 3DS's. The analogs are *REAL* analogs with push down click buttons (yes I'm looking at you Vita). The button placement is perfect for me, I have 0 problem with it. The pad doesn't give me cramps (like playing shooters for 8 hours at a time with the Wii remote) and I don't have to worry about throwing one thumb into the other (like when playing FPS's on PS3 and the CCP with the stupidly close analogs). Also the TV features are surprisingly more useful then I thought they would be.

5. The line up is one of the best console launch line ups I've seen since the Dreamcast. Even being a multi console owner, this is still pretty amazing. And the titles coming within the next few weeks are beyond stellar. I can see myself getting a lot of mileage out of the system.

6. I'm loving the fact that the resolution on Wii games on the Wii U looks noticeably better. The visuals are a lot crisper and cleaner, definitely higher resolution.

7. I'm loving that people have so many control options. You have your standard style controller, you're pad controller, you're Wiimote, Wiimote+nunchuk, the balance board, I mean, you seriously have more then everything you'll ever need.

8. I was completely blown away at how well the Wii U chat works. I'm an avid Skype user and I have to say, the Wii U video chat works even better.

Negatives

1. The Wii isn't correctly integrated into the system at all. This is a major disappointment for me. I was hoping to see all the Wiiware and VC games when I went into the eShop like how when I look for DSiWare it's all in the 3DS eShop. Having to go into the Wii menu to look at Wii saves, the Wii Shop, and play Wii games is unacceptable. This needs to be changed.

2. Because the Wii isn't integrated into the system correctly, you can't just throw a SD card into the SD card slot and let it be used for the Wii U memory as the slot is only used for Wii memory. The only way you can expand the Wii U memory is to plug something into a USB slot which is a bit of a disappointment. Again, the BC is there but its not fully integrated, it's segregated.

3. Nintendo ID's binding to the system is a bad, BAD mistake. It's counter productive to what Nintendo has done and imo needs to be completely abolished. Nintendo ID's should work like Apple ID's, Steam ID's, Blizzard ID's, PSN ID's, gamertags and other such services. They should work on any Nintendo device or product that uses Nintendo ID's. This also stands for the shop as well. If my system is stolen or system dies, my system isn't fixable, and they won't give me back my games, I'll never buy another Nintendo system again.

Over all the Positives far outweigh the negatives but the negatives are major problems that I do hope they change. With that said, I'm loving the system and can't wait for a lot of the games that will be coming to it.

by **LegendofSantiago** » 28 Nov 2012 06:59

I've enjoyed it a lot. The controller is amazing and a lot of the features of the system show potential. The loading times and the crashes are a bit annoying, but nothing that can't be fixed via an update. I can easily see it as my go to system this next generation

by **wiitennessee** » 28 Nov 2012 07:13

Awesome coolness. 'Nuff said.

by **Autosaver** » 28 Nov 2012 07:20

@Kdog

The Wii U actually does do background downloads. Simply press don't download and it'll download while playing.

by **Elfteiroh** » 28 Nov 2012 07:51

I didn't get much time on it because of college, but I must say I have ONE big point that came to me very quickly after just a few hours with it: The Miiverse will be a very big thing in the coming years on WiiU, and all devs should really work with it in mind to promote their games. I'm maybe talking more as a future game designer than a player in this case, but this is what I see. It's great to get your game to be talked about. And as ZombiU is showing, you don't even have to integrate it at all, you just have to have a great game.
Also, the online on the other consoles feels... claustrophobic. This online is very fresh and feels so much open... I have a lot of friends on my PS3, but I never feels like messaging them or looking at what they are doing. On WiiU it's quite the opposite!
Also, the gamepad screen is such a great idea, and is of such great quality that it basically rendered my TV obsolete. It doesn't help that it's a very small TV (21") and that I need glasses (but don't have money to buy them, yeah I know, I should buy some instead of consoles)...
The launch lineup is so awesome that it hurts. With the 3DS I bought Street Fighter because, well, there wasn't any other game to buy. Now I already have 4 games and wants more! But as a college student, I don't have any money to buy more (in fact, I haven't eaten well for more than a month to be able to buy the console with a few games in the first place...)

Seriously, I can't wait to make games for this console! O_O

by **SatoAilDarko** » 28 Nov 2012 07:56

Typing on my phone so I'll be short. At first after trying it I was quite a bit down. It was neat but a lot of the media functions I could do on my phone. My main problem is with tech specs funnily enough. Wii has been my main system so I don't care about graphics. What I care about is how easy it is for developers who already work on 60 abd PS3 to port those games to Wii U. Despite it being over six years the fact Nintendo couldn't create a system with same ability as a 360 is extremely disappointing. I wouldn't care so much if Nintendo had many a big dea of all these third-party games that run worse than other platforms. Iwata hinsref made a big deal about how the Wii U had the most ram of any home console in a Nintendo Direct. It feels misleading though because the ram is so slow compared to the two others. If Nintendo hadn't made a big deal (and still do, see Reggie on CNN) I wouldn't have felt so mislead. Its also makes me question Nintendo's commitment to third-parties when they dint seem to care if the system is easy to develop for. Especially when the find the budget to put in such advance motion controls in a pad thats can't really utilize them (as opposed to a new wii remote that could) and a camera only used for a chat function that can't even be used during gameplay!!! This additions to the pad are just gimmicks.
There are positives as well but I think they've already been stated.

by **kdognumba1** » 28 Nov 2012 08:06

@Autosaver
Very awesome! Thanks for the heads up!

by **WesFX** » 28 Nov 2012 08:51

Huh. Missed that coffee decided to get one.

Miiverse was a hell of a surprise, as is the browser. Overscan is baffling.
Otherwise, it's about the games. But that's another topic.

by **Mirr0rR3flection** » 28 Nov 2012 08:52

Where should I start…

…Well the update took me more than hour. The Youtube Wii U app sucks. The internet browser is great, but not perfect. The Wii U eShop currently lacks demos. Miiverse surprised me with how fun it could be to communicate with others, plus the fact that the usual internet negative nancies are almost nonexistent here is a huge plus for me. Wii U Chat was great but also awkward for me since I've never video chatted before. (XD) Btw I thought it was great that I didn't experience any sort of video lag communicating from Texas with someone from Iowa. I've not experienced any freezing like others have on my end which is fantastic for me.

New Super Mario Bros. U is ok from what I've played. It isn't hugely impressive but it gets the job done if you don't expect much from it to begin with. I'd like to say I've enjoyed the hell out of playing challenge mode more than the actual game. It just feels refreshing and new to me. I've never felt more happy (or pissed off) completing/failing a challenge in a mario game in so long. Its quite nice to have that feeling back again. Thought I'd mention on a smaller note that I gave my niece the GamePad to place blocks with and I've regretted doing that ever since. :lol:

(…so many deaths cause of her on such easy courses that I could have done just fine on my own…)

As for other Wii U launch games, I currently have no others that catch my interest. Still waiting to see other unannounced Wii U games.

by **bryan** » 28 Nov 2012 09:01

how many of you out there have experienced system freezes? I've had 2 hard locks where I had to unplug the console.

by **slider64** » 28 Nov 2012 09:02

The Wii U has been a whirlwind of emotions during our brief time together. After the first day with a lot of hiccups, slow downloads, crashes, a Nintendo Network that did not work until Monday for me and a scary audio sync issue that was due to my sound system (if you have any lag its likely your fault, I have hooked the Wii U to 4 tvs it works perfectly, you just may need to adjust your sound system and speakers) The load times have gotten significantly better, plus I haven't had any other issues just a crappy day one.

Well that was pretty much the negatives, I am madly in love with the Gamepad and find myself wanting to look at it instead of the tv all the time. The controller simply feels next-gen, when I am using it as my primary tv controller, surfing the browser, watching hulu, miiverseing, off tv playing etc... on that beautiful resolution Gamepad its an amazing experience that puts the Wii U in a must buy territory.

I have been shocked that non-gamers, gamers and my nintendo hater friends that have tried the Wii U have all loved it. I have convinced 5 different people to buy a Wii U just by playing it with them and showing off its features, one person calling it the "Ultimate Relationship Console" really made me laugh and its so true, from off tv play to the brilliant uses of GamePad multiplayer. Playing is beliveing this console.

The Wii U is full of Nintendo charms, curtains on the tv when I browse, UNYEAH!, how much I enjoy skimming the Miiverse for comments and drawings (so many talented artists out there) It's a quirky cute console that will have small touches such as the music mixing from tv to Gamepad.

I am extremely annoyed at the lack of a Virtual Console for the Wii U, the dream of playing my 50 plus VC games on the Gamepad, perhaps added consoles to the VC since I know have a hard drive is really disappointing. It's a great selling point and fun for me if I can show people...Yes look here is Super Mario 3 on my controller! I really hate the whole Wii Channel experience. Also, Nintendo Land is a good game but I really HATE HATE HATE Monita, SHUT UP, STOP EXPLAIN THESES GAMES, STOP THE JOKES, STOP THE ANNOYING FI ish VOICE. You slow down my experience so much especially early on. (bonus I wish I could press a button to take over the camera control, dislike using the gamepad as a camera all the time, I am not Lakitu from Mario 64, it doesn't look pretty)

Nintendo Land mostly a good demo with a surprising amount of depth, Great- Balloon Fight, Pikmin, Donkey Kong Good- Yoshi, Zelda, Mario, Metriod, Animal Crossing, Luigi Ok- Ninja Castle Bad- Octopus Dance, Boring Hub area GOD AWFUL Captain Falcon, Monita,

New Super Mario Bros. Wii U- The best "New" game, love the Gamepad playing this game, better co-op, hardcore challenge mode, perfect off-tv play game. Dislike, I WANT TO PLAY WITH GAMEPAD IN CO-OP, boost mode is fine but let me use the damn GamePad for co-op. Tired of the look despite it being a pretty version of it.

Call of Duty Black Ops 2: Plays amazingly well on the Gamepad, off tv play is great, split screen via the gamepad changes so much ^^. Solid game that shows the Wii U can handle any style of game easily.

Little Inferno- Buy it, stop being on the fence, spend $15 support a great team, enjoy a one of a kind experience. Love that game, plays great on Wii U

Trine 2, pretty game with some issues that works well with co-op, disapointed I spent $20 on it since its just a solid game

I am a believer, I have played games, watched hulu for hours without ever having the tv on or while watching Direct TV and that has been the coolest part...well actually the GamePad aka best controller ever is the coolest part.

Buy a Wii U and enjoy

by **peristalsis** » 28 Nov 2012 09:10

My biggest surprise has been how well the online features work. I will turn on the system and immediately check Miiverse, sometimes spending more time there than playing! I love being able to post my achievements there with pictures and adding my own comments or drawings. I think that is much cooler than a system wide achievement system. Although it can still improve, Miiverse has the possibility of turning into a killer app for the system. Having the second screen of the Gamepad is also very convenient; yesterday I was playing Mario and didn't even turn on the TV. On Thanksgiving I took my console to grandma's house since I didn't need to hook it up to a TV and even played some multiplayer Mario with my cousin using the Gamepad as our screen. Overall, the system is very promising and hopefully with future updates it will become even better.

by NF » 28 Nov 2012 09:11

Games - Well, I'm not really into all the shooters and action games on other consoles, so I didn't get hit by disappointment as much as the next guy. The games that do matter to me (ie: NSMB U and Nano Assault Neo) are just awesome! I tried Nintendoland but need to spend more time on it. Too busy playing the other 2 games. Did I mention those 2 games are just awesome! Anyhow, I am so looking forward to more games. One thing I'd love (but likely won't happen knowing nintendo) is the ability to install my games on the hard drive. If you're worried about piracy, then make it so that we need to verify we have the original disk every 10 or 20 plays. That would work... tell it to nintendo...

Miiverse - I'm not fully sure if I fully understand the miiverse thing (wish it were integrated with Nano Assault) but from what I can see, it's pretty neat. To see those little comments in games and being able to see folks talk in general is really cool. There's a guy who asked about anime and he got a zillion responses!

Gamepad - The gamepad is really amazing. Yeah, the display could be better but it's still pretty damned good for what it does. At times I wonder if stuff looks better on it than on my TV. Even though it's basically 480P, it looks pretty awesome. The controls are just fantastic. The first thing that I gotta say is: THANK YOU NINTENDO FOR THE ANALOG STICKS!! These have got to be the best analog sticks EVER!! To think they were going to go for the slider over these, wow! The D-Pad and buttons are just awesome too. Even the triggers feel pretty good. They seem to know what they are doing here. Battery life is okay for the time being as I'm only playing arcade-like games right now.

E-Shop - It's good but not great. I find it kinda disorganized and needs work. Also, as others pointed out, it really should be integrated with the 3DS and Wii. Tired of this crap nintendo! Anyhow, get us more games. This thing has the potential to have a ton of games/apps so don't screw it up.

Wii Emulation - CMON MAN!! Seriously, there was potential for true upscaling. Also, WE WANT WII GAMES ON THAT PAD! Make it happen. How can you have the insight to include the sensor-bar in the pad but NOT have it work with the wii?

Menu/Dashboard - Please make it customizable! It's already looking pretty bland and makes me think of the wii. I'd love to change colours, add pictures, make icons smaller, etc...anything but this. Also, it's still a little sluggish.

Netflix - Nothing runs in HD for me!! Is this the case for everyone or is it a setting I'm missing?!

Hardware - The damned thing smudges like crazy! Nothing can be done but that's a bummer. On the plus side, the stand is so nice! I really like having this thing vertically! Also, someone mentioned this: Fix the constant spinning of the disc!!

Other than the 1 crash I had (which required me unplugging this thing), it's been pretty stable. I'm happy with the Wii U so far and look forward to more games. Give me more games please! Lots more! I'm ready to spend.

I forgot one:
AUDIO - Doesn't seem to be Dolby Digital 5.1! Big disappointment here for me but at least it still has the ability for surround sound.

by **Devil_Rising** » 28 Nov 2012 09:29

My impressions, in a nutshell:

Pros:
The system has a LOT of potential.
The controller is, quite literally, amazing, and anyone saying otherwise is just silly.
The online browser is the best I've ever used on a console, and the Miiverse and video chat features seriously rock.
The Nintendo ID feature is FAR better than friend codes, and makes adding friends very easy.
Mario, at least, is an awesome game. It's all I own so far besides Nintendo Land.
I think the system is far more "future proofed" than many of the reactionaries want to believe.
There are many cool games, both on eShop and retail, coming down the pipeline.

Cons:
The long update times were/are a bummer.
The load times for some things could be better, but it doesn't bother me that much.
Nintendo Land, to ME personally, was a major letdown. Idea = cool. Execution = Nothing compared to Wii Sports.
I don't like the nature of the Wii/Wii U transfer, but that's okay, because I wasn't going to do it anyway.
32 gbs is great for save files and smaller dlc games, but thankfully I'm not planning on downloading retail titles.
The Youtube "channel" sucks just as bad as the PS3 one. But, Youtube on the online browser works great!
The Netflix "channel" is fine, but it's odd/frustrating that it doesn't seem to have the ability to use L/R to scroll faster.

All in all, I see far more positive than negative so far. The system has massive potential, later gen games are going to be gorgeous and amazing, I can just see it. Third party support, as far as I can see (through non-doom-and-gloom glasses), seems very strong right out of the gate, and I don't see much reason for that NOT to continue. I personally am not really interested in games like Call of Duty, or Assassin's Creed, or Mass Effect, etc., but that doesn't mean it isn't still cool a Nintendo console is GETTING those kinds of titles. I'm an old school gamer with mostly old school tastes, meaning I like games that are more like...GAMES, less like "interactive entertainment". So I'm not gonna be the guy that goes out and buys every big blockbuster third party title, because quite frankly, even on the other consoles, very few of them even appeal to me at all. BUT, so long as Wii U maintains strong third party support, has some cool downloadable titles, and naturally has their first party Nintendo franchises, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be very happy with this console when all is said and done.

by **BossBattles** » 28 Nov 2012 09:46

I've been enjoying it quite a bit. All the games i got are all good. NSMBU is fun, and actually a bit challenging. ZombiU is WAY better than many reviews gave credit.
Nintendoland is surprisingly addictive, because i love getting new items to display in my hub world.
Miiverse is another surprise. it adds a whole new layer of interaction that is positive and fun.

For those that judge a console on early ports, you should try to learn more about your hobby.....

Looking forward to many great experiences on the Wii U.

by **zachattack** » 28 Nov 2012 10:08

I have no complaints about this system except the few the other people posted above. I think this is the best Nintendo Home Console Ever and am excited for the future with Smash Bros, Mario Kart,Zelda ,Metroid and 3-D Flagship Mario,Pokemon,Kirby,Fire Emblem,Yoshi's Land and More! And hopefully3rd Parties continue to support with their great Multi platform games!

by NF » 28 Nov 2012 10:33

just noticed the pad is even better visually when plugged in. Oh, the browser works pretty good. I'm typing on it right now.

I do wish the pad zoomed in independent of the TV. The click zoom on the right-analog is a good trade-off, though. Also, facebook doesn't look all that great on this. The embedded videos start a video app that plays full-screen. It works ok, but not for everything (eg. the embedded gamespot links don't work). I'm also not sure if cookies work as I had to re-login my ID here when I started the browser again. Most of the shortcomings can be fixed. I am enjoying this browser, otherwise. I'm getting faster at typing with this gamepad for sure!

Oh, the tilt feature for scrolling is nice! It's especially good for long pages (like comments...just go to wiiudaily.com to see what I mean

).

by **mrcuddlytiger** » 28 Nov 2012 10:52

The Wii U is confusing me. I'm not quite sure where nintendo is going with this system, it feels like they don't have a clear plan to me. Their marketing and use of their own game pad just seems a little nutty... but that's just my perspective. And when has Nintendo's game plan not seemed a little nutty?

I will say my biggest complaint is that the screen on the pad is not as scratch resistant as it needs to be. Since I got it home I've been paranoid about it getting scratched... I've been keeping it away from the kids, and being super careful with it. Then when I got home from work yesterday... FREAKING SCRATCH ON THE SCREEN! My wife doesn't know what happened, the kids haven't touched it... I can't get it out... it is small enough to not ruin the pad entirely, but I see it now whenever I look at the screen. WHY CAN I PUT MY ANDROID IN MY POCKET EVERY DAY AND NOT HAVE A SCRATCH ON THAT SCREEN!?!? Oh sure I could get a plastic screen cover... but I've never had one of those that didn't get all kinds of marks on it that obscure the screen when you use a stylus on them. WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE TO GET A SCREEN PROTECTOR FOR THIS? Does Nintendo not know that game controllers are some of the most abused objects by kids... I mean think about what Mario Party did to your N64 controllers... The pad should be bulletproof... With phone screen tech out there Nintendo has no excuse to such a crappy screen.

That said, the image is clear, bright, nice... and input feels responsive. JUST MAKE IT NOT SCRATCH!

sorry... I'm a little pissed about it.

The System has Potential:

MiiVerse/Wara Wara Plaza are great starting points. You can see how great it could be, expanding them, making it faster and easier to post screenshots, or perhaps take video and post it. You could have more friend integration, or a better way to browse more titles in the Plaza. How about just walking around the plaza... Right now it feels like a budding idea that could be a great new social realm and WiiTvii could only expand upon that.

The games I've played so far have been good. Darksiders 2 is clearly a port, it looks like a 360 game, and the use of the pad is almost there. Some more thought into it, making it easier to navigate and read. You can see where this could really be of great use in a Zelda title, or any JRPG.

Nintendo Land uses the pad in some good ways, it is an interesting showcase. Many of the games leave me wanting more.

Trine 2 looks fantastic, and the tablet input is nice for that as well.

All around I have a feeling that the system has potential. But at the same time I have some worries.

My Gripes:

I felt the Wii had a lot of the same potential... but Nintendo never update the channels to really expand that potential... The "always online" never felt like it was there. The messaging system, the friend system... they never really cashed in on the potential. So why should I expect them to this time? I hope I'm pleasantly surprised.

I don't like games that make me unsure of which screen I should be looking at. Or even when they make me go back and forth between the two for unnatural reasons. Scribblenauts is a good example. The whole thing is really played on the pad, but the TV shows the same image... why? I want to play on the TV, with the pad acting as my input, not play on the pad and have the TV there as something I could look at if I wanted to see a larger version of the pad.

Nintendo Land is no wii sports. I don't need another wii sports... but Nintendo Land will not move consoles because when I show it to people who are not gamers they don't get it. It is too crazy with all the crap going on before you even get into one of the mini-games they you are in sensory overload and it seems to be turning people off. I think I would have liked a more chill world to explore, more like Disneyland, less like an acid trip. So for the pack in/launch title that is supposed to sell the system... I think it's not going to do the job. My family all got a Wii based on me showing them Wii Sports... it isn't going to happen this time.

by **BlueRangerVegeta** » 28 Nov 2012 11:31

As I said before having the map on the bottom screen is sometimes annoying but otherwise Zombiu has been a very pleasant surprise. So ia the fact that Tekken 2 is actually cheaper on the eshop than it is at retail!

I have had too many issues with online though. The web browser works fine all the time but it is a constant gamble as to whether I can access Miiverse/youtube/eshop and even my friends list and Nintendo staff have been uncharacteristically unhelpful/uncaring to my issues. Considering that I rarely if ever have trouble getting PS3/Wii/3DS online this is a very real concern for me. If they can help me fix the connectivity issues though I will be happy, Miiverse is surisingly addictive!

by **BlueRangerVegeta** » 28 Nov 2012 11:33

As I said before having the map on the bottom screen is sometimes annoying but otherwise Zombiu has been a very pleasant surprise. So ia the fact that Tekken 2 is actually cheaper on the eshop than it is at retail!

I have had too many issues with online though. The web browser works fine all the time but it is a constant gamble as to whether I can access Miiverse/youtube/eshop and even my friends list and Nintendo staff have been uncharacteristically unhelpful/uncaring to my issues. Considering that I rarely if ever have trouble getting PS3/Wii/3DS online this is a very real concern for me. If they can help me fix the connectivity issues though I will be happy, Miiverse is surisingly addictive!

by **linkgx1** » 28 Nov 2012 11:34

Well, to start off, like someone else here said, the Wii U is not completely revolutionary. You can't think of it as the ''New Wii''. Think of it as a Wii 2. This is more of an appeal to people who didn't like the Wii because it isn't in HD.

But, it is a very solid system that I recommend any Nintendo fan should buy (or a fan of games in general).

1. The control pad. It is a great thing to add, but it's more or less like a really big Nintendo DS. Aside from big HD GAMES, there's not a lot that the 3DS/DS can't do that the Wii U can. But I do love the concept and hope they port over the DS games (or make a DS player!).

In fact, does anyone remeber the GBA-link games? If feels like a REALLY expanded version more or less. If you liked Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronolciles, you will like this.

2. The graphics are nice, but don't expect a big jump yet (though Trine 2 is probaly what I consider next genish). You really can't be a PS3 or Xbox gamer (which ironically I was for this gen as I got rid of my original Wii...and I'm a Nintendo fanboy). What I mean by that is, you can't go in and expect these "big, epic trillion dollar games" because the games you will get is different. You'll get fun things like Zombiu and should expect unique experiences.

3. Gotta love Miiverse. This is a hidden special killer app that, to me, is probaly the main reason to get this. I love being able to talk with other fans (think of a mix between this forum and facebook). Here's a drawing I did:

4. Switching between menus is slow and somethings like eshop are slow, even with a high speed connection. I'm kinda dissapointed the Wii U doesn't let you connect to 5GHZ wifi.

5. I see problems with the Gamepad in the future. I dropped mine by mistake with a little scuff. I hope Nintendo has a really good plan for replacements.

6. I kinda wish the gamepad was 720p at least .There's kind of a disconnect loooking at a beautiful plasma, then looking down at the gamepad being noticebly worse. It's not a bad scree, as the colors on it ARE quite accurate, but it can always improve.

But like MrCuddlyTiger said, I'm not sure where Nintendo is going with the system. That's the mystery. Like a box of chocolates. This could be good because we're not setting up ourselves for dissapointment. Very curious to see this.

I'm wondering if Nintendo is going to do the Apple approach with shorter lifespan, but hyped up products. HMM....A

by **Devil_Rising** » 28 Nov 2012 11:35

zachattack wrote:I have no complaints about this system except the few the other people posted above. I think this is the best Nintendo Home Console Ever and am excited for the future with Smash Bros, Mario Kart,Zelda ,Metroid and 3-D Flagship Mario,Pokemon,Kirby,Fire Emblem,Yoshi's Land and More! And hopefully3rd Parties continue to support with their great Multi platform games!

Well, I'm a bit biased. I grew up with the NES, and to me, that will always be "the greatest console ever", not merely the greatest Nintendo console ever.

BUT, I do think the Wii U has the potential to be even better than the Wii, and that is saying something considering how much I (personally) really got enjoyment out of it.

by **LithosTheHero** » 28 Nov 2012 11:49

The things I am most impressed with have been the online connectivity. The eShop, Miiverse, just everything about the refined approach Nintendo is taking I'm quite enjoying and that's with Nintendo TVii still not out yet. As for gaming, I love what I have played so far.

I have put a decent amount of time in ZombiU, Trine 2, Little Inferno, and Nintendo Land, and I'm pleased with all of them. I think the fact that I also have Assassin's Creed 3 and haven't yet played it shows that there is a good library of games worth playing already at launch which makes this launch pretty impressive.

Some have had some issues with internet and freezing consoles, I have only had one freeze and that occurred during launch day when I tried accessing Miiverse just as it went down. Other than that, no system problems here, so for future buyers I don't think you have to be too worried. Plus any issues can be ironed out with system updates.