Because of the time it takes to really get to know a system and being limited by only those few games at launch, it wouldn’t be fair to give a full and formal review of the Wii U console just yet. Instead, I’m just going to give my first impressions of it with a full review possibly coming later.

When getting the Wii U, the first thing I noticed and was unfortunately disappointed by is its setup time. If you plan on using the Wii U to its fullest potential, you are going to need to do an update to the system right off the bat. While this is automatic when doing your network setup, it is required to use the Wii U’s full functionality including things like the YouTube app. Nintendo has never been known for their online features and like Sony doesn’t have fast download speeds for consoles.

As a result, it took almost an hour of setup and download time before my Wii U was ready to go. Tip for parents, if you are giving your kid a Wii U for Christmas, open up the box and do this before you give it as a gift. Nothing is going to disappoint little Jimmy Xmas morning than having to wait an hour before he can actually start playing his Wii U.

Continue Reading →

At the Nintendo press conference two weeks ago, tons of new details were given about the Wii U including the bundles the system would be packaged in and the games being put into the launch window. Yesterday, even more details were given to the launch lineup with 23 titles being confirmed for day one. This looks to be one of the largest launch lineups of any system in recent memory with lots of big name games in it.

Aside from bundling the Deluxe system with Nintendo Land to show off the Wii U’s unique capabilities, Nintendo made sure to back the system with the support of major well known franchises for both the casual and hardcore gamer.

For the Nintendo gamer, the system will launch with New Super Mario Bros. U which is the first time since the Nintendo 64 where a Mario game was made available day one for a home console.

Continue Reading →

Thursday morning, Nintendo had a press conference in New York City where they revealed the important details that everyone has been waiting for about the Wii U. Let’s cut to the chase and talk about the most important details.

The Wii U will launch in the US on November 18th.

There will be two SKU’s on launch.

The Wii U Basic Set will launch at $299.99 and contain a white Wii U, 8 GB of internal storage, one white GamePad controller, AC adapters for both the console and controller, a sensor bar and an HDMI cable.

The Wii U Deluxe Set will retail for $349.99 and contain a black Wii U, all the components of the Basic Set, a copy of Nintendo Land, an increased 32 GB of internal storage, a console stand, GamePad charging cradle and a vertical GamePad stand. They will also be enrolled in the Deluxe Digital Promotion.

The online community will be called the Miiverse.

Using the Nintendo TVii application, players can use the GamePad controller to control subscription services like cable and satellite channels, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube and their recorded TiVo files.

The launch window which goes from November 18th, 2012 to March 31st, 2013 will the 51 games listed below (sorted by developer).

Continue Reading →