1944 had D day. 2012 has U day. The Nintendo Wii U is the fabled reality of previous talk of a Wii 2 and it’s even more elaborately twisted into simplicity than the Wii was. However, for us, the big change will be Wii style games with the HD gaming environments delivered by the higher processing power of the PS3 and Xbox 360.
One of the most exciting prospects is the lush rendering of what a Zelda game might look like with the new revved up processing power being pumped into the Nintendo Wii U. The stills and short videos of Link taking on an oversized spider rendered in stunning detail never before seen on a Zelda game has got to make most Nintendo fans take to a baited breath stance that will last until 2012.
However, it’s not just a significant improvement to the graphics of future Nintendo games that we have to look forward to; there’s also the prospect of even more reinvention of the gaming experience. Perhaps the biggest addition to this for the Nintendo Wii U is the tablet controller that has been unveiled. Like an oversized, single screen DS it creates a gaming experience where the tablet can be used in multiplayer variations (watch the video, it’ll make sense when you see it in action), to visualise new areas of the playing field (putting it on the floor and using it to see where the ball is when playing golf could be the best example) and to switch the gaming experience away from the TV if someone wants to watch Glee or some other rubbish.
The Nintendo Wii U console itself looks like a cross between the original Wii and an Xbox 360, but it’s possible that the design could evolve before it is launched in 2012. However, the real news is the controller. It’s literally stuffed with features. It’s a touch pad, which you can draw on, as well as use as a map for environments. It has gyroscopic motion sensors to use the controller as a part of the game too, so it can be used as a shield or as a catching mitt in baseball. It has cameras that can be used as a part of the game or for video calls, as well as normal snaps straight to the screen.
The main thing to say about the Nintendo Wii U is that it takes the gaming experience to a whole new level. It’ll be interesting to hear news of Wii U games as they are released, but you can bet that there’ll be more than a few of the faces that we all know and love, as well as the addition of the more serious games that are currently difficult to port to the Wii because of the graphics limitations. In other good news, the Wii U will be backwards compatible with Wii games and controllers, so you’ll have plenty to play when it’s out no matter what.
Find out more about the Nintendo Wii U games that will be coming to the console.
