E3 2011: Nintendo Wii U Revealed
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Nintendo Wii U just got unveiled. What is it? Is it a controller? A portable gaming system, a drawing thingy. No, Seriously, what is it? Not to worry fair reader, we are as perplexed as you.
The Nintendo Press Conference is going on this very moment, and the Wii U has been unveiled, and like classic Nintendo fare, it's different. It's a tablet, and a portable video game console. Which works as an accessory to the Wii along with your existing accessories, and as a stand alone device. Sounds confusing? because it is.
Let's start with the stuff that's palpable. The Wii U has a 6.2 inch touchscreen on the front. Along with thumbsticks on the top, D-Pad on the left and four buttons on the right. It's got bumper buttons on the rear. The screen is capable of multitouch input as well as stylus. The device is capable of Wi-Fi as well, and as has all the gyros and accelerometers of the Wiimote. It's also got a front facing camera, for FaceTime like chat. The system is capable of HD graphics, and can run the popular graphic engines of today.
Now for the hard part, the Wii U can be used in tandem with your TV, with the touchscreen showing info that the TV doesn't, while you use the device as a controller. It is a game console, except as Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo states, its not exactly a game console though it exhibits some characteristics of it. As shown in the demo, you can play a game on the TV and then move it to the touchscreen and continue playing it. Some demos showed that you can sketch on the unit. It's backward compatible with the Wii Fit and other accessories, though it's unclear how that all comes together. Perhaps, maybe as a sort of a workout aid, or to view your workout stats as well as use it as a health checklist.
The games is where things get interesting. There's the usual Super Mario Bros. spinoff, a bunch of casual games shown, showing various uses of the controller along with the other Wii-motes on a Wii. The interesting bit is that it seems Nintendo is determined to win over the hardcore gamers with titles Ninja Gaiden 3: Razors Edge, Dirt 3, Darksiders II and a whole host of EA titles including Battlefield 3. Nintendo also showed off logos from Metro: Last light. The Wii U also interfaces with the 3DS in some way, for games like Smash Bros. and Kid Icarus.
Summing it all up, Nintendo seems to have a great idea on their hands. A controller/game/portable device/tablet on their hands with multiple uses and lots of possiblities. Capable of HD graphics as well as it has the usability factor backing it up. Watch this space for more Wii U news as we shed more light on this fascinating device.